Les Menuires ski area is open 06/12/14 - 24/04/14
Les 3 Vallées ski area is open 06/12/14 – 24/04/15

Clients booking for pre or late season dates should be aware that not all facilities in your chosen resort may be open - including some ski lifts. We would advise you to check the Resort Tourist Office Website or our Resort Opening Dates page for details before making a booking.

Les Menuires is a great ski resort for children and families are made very welcome here. Thanks to the resorts facilities, activities, entertainment, commitment and hospitality, it is no surprise that Les Menuires has been awarded the ‘Family Plus’ label for many years now – guaranteeing successful family ski holidays.

Lift passes are free for children under the age of 5 years and you can purchase a family pass and a special Tribu pass for 3 people or more.

The ESF Ski School Piou-Piou Club in Les Menuires offers a nursery that caters for children aged 3-30 months in the La Croisette area and two Mini-Clubs for children from 31 months – 5 years old, one in La Croisette and the other in Les Bruyères. They are open every day except Saturday from 09:00 – 17:15 and include activities such as fun in the snow, snowshoe walks, tobogganing, games, walking, games room and playground.

Other fun child and family activities include the ‘Sliding Castle’ which is a fun snow structure for the little ones to slide down on their plastic shovel toboggans; the ‘Walibi Gliss’ is a fun area on La Masse with Walibi park characters; ‘Roc’n Bob’ is a 4km long toboggan run with 22 bends where evening runs are also possible; new for 2014: ‘Speed Mountain’ is the longest toboggan rail track in the French Alps; ‘Mini-KL’ slalom run for the younger ones to measure their top speed in complete safety located near the blue Les Pâturages slope accessible via the Sunny Express chairlift and Bruyères 2 gondola; The ‘Fun Park’ with trampolines, bouncy castles and play equipment and the ‘Roundabout’ in Les Bruyères.

Events especially aimed at children are also organised each year. In previous years these have included the ‘Boule de Notes Festival’ which is a music and song festival and a culinary taste event.

A complete family guide is available free of charge from the Les Menuires Tourist Office.

There are a number of activities and leisure facilities to be enjoyed in Les Menuires, including ice skating, night skiing, snow shoeing, snow scooter circuits, paragliding, dog sled rides, 2 cinemas, 2 outdoor heated swimming pools, 3 Spas, 4km long toboggan run (located in La Croisette, accessible via the Roc des 3 Marches gondola, open every day except Saturday 14:00 – 18:45, approximate cost: €10/person/run) and certainly not forgetting the impressive 4500m2 Sports Centre with Aquaspa.

You can also enjoy a concert in the evening at the Maurice Romanet Hall.

Entertainment and shows are organised by the local Tourist Office every week – pop in and see them for information on what is on during your stay in Les Menuires.

Roc’n Bike – Mountain Biking on Snow
There is an especially reserved 8km long piste to enjoy mountain biking in a completely new way, learn how to break and slalom on snow! Located in the La Croisette area. Open weekdays from 09:00. Approximate cost: €35/person.

New for winter 2014: Speed Mountain
This exciting activity is new to Les Menuires, a 1000m long landscaped toboggan run on rails! Fun for all the family (minimum age: 5 years old if accompanied by an adult), the individual sledges will take you down twists, turns and raised bends – see if you can beat the resort’s mascot Boukty’s record! Located in Les Bruyères. Open 15:00 – 20:00 everyday except Saturday. Approximate cost: €7/person.

In Les Menuires there are 61 bars and restaurants, which includes 12 mountain restaurants, plus 6 other late-night bars/nightclubs offering lively après-ski. Les Menuires restaurants include La Marmite de Geant and Trattoria with its French ambience.

By Road:
Driving distance from Calais: 590 miles, approximately 9 hrs.
Listen to Autoroute FM (107.7 FM) for traffic news in English.

From Calais, take A26 Motorway to Reims and Troyes, then A5 Motorway to Dijon, then A39 Motorway to Lons-le-Saulnier and Bourg-en-Bresse, then A40-A42 Motorway heading towards Lyon. Take exit 8, drive through Ambérieu-en-Bugey, follow N504 towards and up to Chambéry, then take A43 motorway and A430 motorway to Albertville. Continue on N90 to Moûtiers and take D117 following signs to Les Menuires.

GPS: Latitude: 45°32’.293’’ - Longitude: 6°53’.7571

By Air:
- Chambery to Les Menuires: 65 miles, approximately 1hr 30
Website: http://www.chambery-airport.com/index_en.html
-Lyon to Les Menuires: 118 miles, approximately 2hrs 30
Website: http://www.lyonaeroports.com/eng
-Geneva: 120 miles, approximately 2hrs 30
Website: https://www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx

Private taxi transfers from airports to Les Menuires are pre-bookable via Ski Collection! See our Airport & Station Transfers page for more information.

By Rail:
Taking the Eurostar from London couldn’t be easier. We offer 2 options: direct Ski Train (St Pancreas or Ashford to Moûtiers or Bourg-St-Maurice) or Eurostar Beyond (with a change at Paris). See our Train Services page for more information.

The nearest train station to Les Menuires is 27km away in Moûtiers. www.sncf.com

Private taxi transfers from Moûtiers to Les Menuires from £40.50 per person return (based on 4 people sharing) are pre-bookable via Ski Collection! See our Airport & Station Transfers page for more information.

Bus Tranfers:
Altibus offer bus lines from Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Genève-Cointrin (Geneva), Chambéry/Aix les Bains airports and Moûtiers SNCF train station to the ski resort of Les Menuires.
Tel: +33 (0)8 20 32 03 68
Website: www.altibus.com

Moûtiers Bus Station: +33 (0)4 79 24 24 46

Car Hire:
Ski Collection can arrange very competitive car hire at all airports, train stations and other town locations. 7 day rental ranges from £230-£549 (any other duration possible). See our Car Hire page for more information.

Resort Shuttle Bus in Les Menuires:
The free Les Menuires resort shuttle bus links: La Croisette to Reberty 1850 and 2000, Le Hameau des Airelles, Le Hameau des Marmottes, Les Fontanettes and Les Bruyères. Preyerand and Brelin are linked by a cable car and lift.
Schedule (based on winter 13/14): From 08:00 – 20:00, the buses operate every 20 minutes. From 20:00 – 23:00: the buses operate every 40 minutes. An extra route on Saturdays runs from 06:30 – 20:30 from Les Balcons des Bruyères/bus station.

There is also a free valley shuttle bus that runs Sunday - Friday between Saint Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. Pedestrians & nordic skiers only between Les Menuires and Val Thorens). All users authorised between Saint Martin and Les Menuires.
Buses from Les Menuires bus station to Val Thorens Place des Arolles leave at 09:00, 09:55, 15:10 & 17:40. Returning from Val Thorens to Les Menuires at 09:25, 12:10, 13:50, 17:10 & 18:15.
Buses from Les Menuires bus station to Saint Martin de Belleville Place Mairie leave at 09:45, 12:30, 14:10, 17:30 & 18:35. Returning from Saint Martin to Les Menuires at 08:35, 09:30, 14:45 & 17:15.
When evening concerts are held in Saint Martin de Belleville, an extra bus is added at 20:30 from St Martin to Les Menuires and Val Thorens.
Other stops on request: Saint Martin Grangeraies, Saint Marcel, Les Granges, Praranger, Le Levassaix, Le Hameau des Airelles, Preyerand, Chalet-Hôtel Le Menuires, Les Menuires bus station, Les Fontanettes, La Masse, Les Sonnailles, La Chasse, P4 accès Caron/UCPA and Val Thorens

There is also a shuttle bus service between Saint Martin de Belleville and Villarabout, Sunday – Friday 4 times per day.

Les Menuires bus station: Tel +33 (0)4 79 00 73 99.
Val Thorens bus station: Tel +33 (0)4 79 00 06 83.

Resort Parking in Les Menuires:
There are public underground car parks located in La Croisette and Les Bruyères areas of Les Menuires. Approximate cost: €50/car/week. Booking and payment on site.

There are also free outdoor car parks in all areas of Les Menuires.  

Les Menuires celebrates its 50th Birthday in February 2015. To celebrate, the resort is organising a huge party including sound and light shows, fireworks and a torchlight descent. Keep up to date on the official Les Menuires website www.lesmenuires.com 

Check out the latest news from Les Menuires and the 3 Valleys on the Tourist Office website: www.lesmenuires.com 

Les Menuires provides a good selection of 90 shops and services. These include banks, post office, chemists, doctor's surgery and medical centre, physiotherapist, dentist, supermarkets, grocery stores, regional product shops, bakeries, butchers, hairdressers, laundrettes, garage, petrol station, taxis, newsagents, souvenir & gift shops, sport shops and fashion shops.

There are numerous Wi-Fi internet hotspots dotted around the whole of Les Menuires. Once you are within one of the zones connect to the INTERNET-ICI network. Approximate cost: €9/day or €19.90/week.

Les Menuires Ski Area
Km: 160
Lifts: 34 (1 cable car, 6 gondolas, 9 easy access chairlifts, 5 chairlifts, 6 drag lifts, 6 magic carpets/baby drag lifts & 1 bucket lift).
No. of slopes: 79
Green: 12, Blue: 37, Red: 24, Black: 6
Fun Areas: 4
Snow cannons: 411
Snow Parks: 1
Piste grooming machines: 14

Les Menuires probably holds the best position within the Les 3 Vallées ski area, is set above the tree line and has almost entirely open slopes. The majority of the slopes are spread across the west-facing mountainside between Les Menuires and Saint Martin de Belleville. One side will take you down into Meribel, which then allows you quick access into Courchevel. Alternatively you can drop down into nearby Saint-Martin de Belleville or head much higher towards Val Thorens.

Les Menuires/Saint Martin offers a large ski area which is split into 3 areas:

- The Mont de la Chambre area, offers many lifts and long trails above the resort.
- The Masse area, is well exposed and is towards the resort offering the best snow.
- The Grangerais and Saint Martin area offers wide, open spaces and a slope to the alpine village of Saint Martin.

Obviously the fast, easy and mostly queue-free access to the 3 Valleys ski area is the great appeal to choosing Les Menuires but the ski area of Les Menuires itself provides a great range of skiing for all abilities, a quality lift system and above all excellent snow coverage. The fun areas provide just that – fun: including the ‘Walibi Gliss’ a favourite family playground with blue slalom, boardercross, musical zone (located in the Masse area) and the ‘BK Park’ for the enthusiastic freestylers out there. There is also some fantastic off-piste skiing possibilities in Les Menuires, including Lac du Lou and Vallée des Encombres.

So what makes Les Menuires so snow sure?
- Les Menuires and Saint Martin de Belleville have a high top altitude of 2850m which provides exceptional natural snow cover. This is reinforced by 411 snow cannons that cover 50% of the slopes.
- The two highest summits at 2700m and 2850m also benefit from snow cannons, covering the top slopes right back down into the centre of the resort.
- The sophisticated artificial snow making coverage starts as early as November and continues throughout the whole winter season.

Les Menuires Beginners/Low Level
Novices are well catered for in Les Menuires, making it an ideal choice for families with young children and beginners. The nursery area is wide, with a specific lift pass called the ‘Mini Ski Pass’ available to beginners to help keep the costs down. This lift pass gives the user unlimited access to 10 extra ski lifts, serving gentle ski slopes. 5 of these chairlifts are equipped with a special safety system on the safety bar for children, making them even safer and giving you peace of mind.

There are 2 beginner areas where you can learn and improve in complete safety. 6 free magic carpets (1 of which is covered) and 1 free drag lift, both allow completely free and easy access to the slopes for beginners and novices.

Other elements that make Les Menuires great for beginners, novices, children and families are: The Bruyères, Saint Martin and 3 Marches gondolas have been given easier access thanks to the installation of ramps instead of stairs. Itineraries have been created around the ski area especially adapted for family fun.

Once you feel more confident, you can ski from Les Menuires down to Saint Martin de Belleville, on blue slopes the whole way.

Les Menuires Intermediates
The terrain on the Les Menuires side of the valley is gentler, making it perfect for intermediates. The ski areas above Les Menuires and Val Thorens offer great skiing for intermediates with a good selection of wide, open and cruising slopes. There is a great long red/blue run towards Saint Martin de Belleville called Jerusalem which is very enjoyable.

Although the Pointe de la Masse sector at 2804m is a little steep and does have a couple of blacks, it is still good for intermediates and the views from the top of the gondola are certainly not to be missed.

Don’t forget to watch out for the impressive 3.5m high ‘Le Bouquetin’ wooden goat sculpture on the red Fred Covili slope! From this run you have the option to take the red Crêtes but beware that this does feed onto the black Lac Noir. Alternatively, you can continue and opt for the large network of blues further down.

If you take the Roc des Trois Marches gondola then ski over to take the Mont de la Chambre chairlift this will take you right up to 2850m. From here, you have the option to head straight into Méribel, or choose from a great selection of reds and blues back towards the village – perfect for practising those parallel turns!

Les Menuires Experts
Les Menuries has great terrain for experts. The La Masse sector of Les Menuires at 2804m offers advanced skiers some excellent long and technical blacks as well as off-piste runs, which all tend to be less crowded. The snow coverage here is amazing.

Les Menuires Off-Piste
You can enjoy safe powder skiing on non-groomed pistes in Les Menuires thanks to the various ‘Liberty Rides’ created around the ski area:

- La Masse: accessible via the La Masse 2 gondola.
- Ariondaz near Saint Martin: accessible via the Saint Martin 2 chairlift.
- Pylônes: accessible via the Sunny Express chairlift.

At the top of the Roc des 3 Marches gondola you will find the DVA Park (Avalanche Victim Detector), where off-piste enthusiasts can practice their skills at searching for avalanche victims (Open 09:00 – 16:30).

Pointe de la Masse and nearby Cîme de Caron offer exceptional off-piste skiing, probably the best in the 3 Valleys ski area.

As always we highly recommend hiring a mountain guide or instructor to find the best possible off-piste skiing that Les Menuires and Les 3 Vallées have to offer, ensuring your safety along the way.

Les Menuires Snowboarders
There is huge amount of terrain for free riders in Les Menuires.

‘Le BK Park’ is located in the Becca area which is accessible via the Becca chairlift. There are 2 boarder-cross (1 blue and 1 red) for the racers as well as bump and rail zones.

The ‘Big Air Bag’ is located at the bottom of the slalom stadium in the La Croisette area of Les Menuires and is perfect for trying out your tricks and jumps in complete safety. Helmets are compulsory and are available on site. The Big Air Bag is open daily 10:00 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 16:30. Approximate cost: €2/jump or €10/6 jumps.

Les Menuires Cross-Country Skiing
There are 28km/17 miles of prepared trails along the valley floor between Saint Martin de Belleville and Val Thorens. From Les Menuires you can start from Plan de l’Eau along the Doron River and head towards the villages of Saint Martin de Belleville and Châtelard.

Save up to 47% when you pre-book with us!

We have 5 conveniently located hire shops in Les Menuires for all your ski and snowboard equipment needs. We offer competitive prices and special offers are also available. Pre-booking your equipment hire will allow you to save precious skiing time once in the resort and means you can budget for your ski holiday, knowing that it is already book and paid for.

We ensure only the highest standard of equipment and service will be provided for all levels of skiers: regularly waxed and edged skis, boots disinfection between each rental and bindings adjusted by a qualified technician in the resort. We are confident that most adequate equipment will be provided and adjusted when you arrive at the shop. However, the shop technicians will be happy to re-adjust the bindings, swap your boots or skis if you require after a few hours or days skiing. If you wish to exchange skis against snowboard mid-week, this will be possible, at a supplement, payable locally. Please note that during peak periods, it may be difficult to exchange equipment, but the staff on site will be happy to assist you the best they can, so please do not hesitate to ask.

For guests staying at Le Hameau de la Sapiniere or Le Chalet du Mont Vallon:

Our hire shop for Le Hameau de la Sapiniere is located within the residence. Our hire shop for Le Chalet du Mont Vallon is located within 5 minutes walk, in the shopping centre of 'Les Bruyeres'. 

For guests staying at all other Les Menuires residences:  

Our hire shop for Les Alpages de Reberty is located within the residence and also serves guests staying at Les Chalets du Soleil (10 minutes walk), Chalet Julietta (10 minutes walk) or Hotel Kaya (nearby). Our hire shop for Le Hameau des Airelles is located within the residence. Our hire shop for Les Clarines is located 100m from the residence.   

You have the choice to purchase a lift pass which covers the whole ski area or the smaller local ski area. We suggest that you purchase the larger area lift pass, unless a complete beginner.

Lift pass delivered FREE to your home.
Book your lift pass for Les Menuires at least 14 days prior departure and we can arrange hands-free lift passes delivered to your home, meaning you can ski straight through the gates, giving you more piste time - at no extra cost! Please note you will not be required to hand over a voucher at the kiosk in resort (non applicable for free passes as you will be asked for a photo and a proof of age on site). Conditions apply. Please enquire with a member of the Ski Collection team for more details.

Our chosen Les Menuires ski school is the very reputable L’Ecole de Ski Francais (ESF), with over 200 English speaking (level varies) and fully qualified ski instructors. This brilliant ski school offers skiing and snowboarding for adults and children of all levels in groups or private lessons and also caters for children as young as 3 months old.

There are 3 ESF offices in Les Menuires: La Croisette, Reberty Village and Les Bruyères.

The ESF Nursery takes care of children from 3-30 months old. Located in La Croisette area, their team of professionals offer great care of your children and a number of fun activities with fully equipped play, rest and eating areas – all perfectly geared up for your little ones. Open Sunday – Friday 09:00 – 12:15 & 14:00 – 17:15. Half or full day options with or without lunch.

There are two ‘Mini-Clubs’, one in La Croisette area and the other in Les Bruyères for children aged 31 months – 5 years old. Here your little ones can discover the snow (without skiing) in a fun and secure area with fully qualified professionals. They can try snow shoeing, sledging, snow games, an adventure course and nature studies. Fully equipped play, rest and eating areas are available and snacks are included. Open 09:00 – 12:15 & 14:00 – 17:15. Half or full days are possible, with or without lunch.

The Piou-Piou Course is a combination of learning to ski and games for 3-4 year olds. The concept being to learn whilst having fun. 2 hours of skiing during the morning in a fun environment followed by the possibility of a nap, walking, sledging, snow shoeing or inside activities. Snack included. Lunch can also be arranged. Half or full days from Sunday to Friday.

The Snowball Course is for children aged 3-5 years and offers the same as the Piou-Piou course but in the afternoons Sunday - Friday from 12:30 – 17:00 or 13:00 – 17:15 depending on the dates of your stay. Lunch can also be arranged.

Child Group Ski Lessons are split into groups:
3 year old beginners; 4-5 year old beginners/intermediates, 6-12 year old beginners/intermediates and teenager groups.

Child Group Snowboard Lessons start from the age of 8 years old.

Adult Group Lessons are available for all levels in ski, snowboard, freeride and competition.

Private Lessons are also available for children and adults, whether it be alone or in a small group of your own family or friends. These are a great alternative if you don’t fancy group lessons, are looking for a quicker progress rate or simply prefer the more personal one-to-one approach.

Off-piste, cross-country, mountain guides, handiski and snow shoe walks are also available.