Ski holiday in Les Menuires in France

Ski holidays in Les Menuires, France

Last updated: 11 October 2026

Accommodation with lift pass in Les Menuires ›

Hotel with lift pass included in the price. You arrange your own travel there, by car, train or a flight you book separately.

Les Menuires in brief

Les Menuires is a ski resort in France with 160 km of pistes and 33 lifts. Skiing reaches up to 2,850 m above sea level and the village sits at 1,815 m. Accommodation with lift pass included can be booked directly, you arrange your own travel there.

160 km of pistes 33 lifts Up to 2,850 m France

Les Menuires is the budget-friendly option in the world's largest linked ski area, Les 3 Vallées. The resort sits right in the middle of the network at 1,815 metres and gives direct access to both Méribel and Val Thorens, and on to Courchevel. With 600 kilometres of pistes available on the 3 Vallées pass, this is a dream destination for anyone who wants maximum skiing without paying luxury prices.

The local area covers 160 kilometres of pistes with 33 lifts and rises to 2,850 metres. The terrain is varied, ranging from beginner-friendly slopes at La Croisette to challenging red and black runs in the Pointe de la Masse sector. Thanks to the high altitude, snow conditions are excellent from early December right through to late April.

Les Menuires was founded in the 1960s as part of France's plan to develop Alpine tourism, and the architecture still clearly reflects that era. In recent years, the resort has undergone extensive renovation and modernisation that has given it a new lease of life. New accommodation, refreshed facades and an improved centre have made Les Menuires a far more pleasant place to stay.

For families, Les Menuires offers excellent value for money. Accommodation and lift passes cost considerably less than in neighbouring Méribel and Courchevel, while giving you access to exactly the same huge ski area. Its central position within Les 3 Vallées also makes it easy to explore every corner of the network in a single day.

Ready to book a ski holiday in Les Menuires? Find accommodation with lift pass included in the price. You arrange your own travel there.

The lift pass included covers the ski area at Les Menuires. The offer at the tour operator states which pass is included. Regional passes covering several ski areas are bought locally.

Accommodation with lift pass in Les Menuires ›

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Did you know this about Les Menuires?

Les Menuires was founded in the 1960s as part of France's major drive to build functionalist, high-altitude alpine ski resorts, which explains the distinctive architecture of that era. The resort is one of the cornerstones of Les 3 Vallées, the largest linked ski network in the world, with direct access to Val Thorens, Méribel and Courchevel.

5 tips about Les Menuires

  1. Beginners in La Croisette The sector around La Croisette has gentle, easy-going slopes that are perfect for anyone who has just started skiing. There is plenty of room to practise without crossing paths with faster traffic.
  2. Make the most of the full 3 Vallées pass With access to 600 km of pistes across the whole network, you can ski over to Val Thorens and down to Méribel or Courchevel all in a single day. Plan a circuit if you want to see the entire valley properly.
  3. Head high for reliable snow Take the La Masse gondola up towards 2,850 metres, where the snow conditions hold up best throughout the season. It is a good choice on warmer days, when the lower pistes can turn heavy.
  4. Book outside the holiday weeks Les Menuires already offers good value compared with its neighbouring resorts, but prices drop even further if you avoid the French school holidays. Early December or the latter half of April brings both quieter slopes and better prices.
  5. Family-friendly terrain in Reberty The Reberty sector offers wider, quieter pistes that suit families with children of different ages. It is also an easy starting point for heading on towards both Méribel and Val Thorens.

Pistes and lifts in Les Menuires

Les Menuires has 160km of local pistes served by 33 lifts, but the big draw is access to Les 3 Vallées, with a total of 600km of pistes. The area stretches from the village at 1,815 metres up to 2,850 metres at Pointe de la Masse. The mix of runs caters to all levels, from gentle beginner slopes to steep black descents.

The La Masse gondola takes you to the highest point in the area, with spectacular views and challenging pistes. The Reberty sector offers easier terrain for families. From Les Menuires, it's easy to ski across to Val Thorens higher up and down to Méribel, opening up endless possibilities for exploring.

Piste map for Les Menuires

Piste map for Les Menuires

The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Les Menuires

Les Menuires sits at 1,815 metres and the local ski area rises to 2,850 metres, which creates good conditions for stable snow cover through much of the season. The altitude makes the resort a snow-sure option within Les 3 Vallées, with a season that normally runs from early December to late April.

The considerable difference in altitude between the village and the summit at Pointe de la Masse means that skiers can head higher up when the snow lower down deteriorates, giving you flexibility whatever the weather does during your stay.

Best time to travel to Les Menuires

Thanks to its high altitude, Les Menuires enjoys one of the longest seasons in France. The best time to visit is from January to mid-March. February brings the most reliable conditions. January is quieter and cheaper. March and April offer excellent spring skiing in the sunshine, with the season often running through to the end of April.

Will there be lift queues in Les Menuires?

Les Menuires is part of Les 3 Vallées, and the lift system there carries 290,342 people an hour across 159 lifts. 90 of the 159 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 12 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,000 people an hour, for example Menuires. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.

When is Les Menuires busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Les Menuires in the 2026/2027 season.

  • France: The French winter holidays roll through three zones and together cover 6 February to 8 March. All three zones head for the same valleys, so the whole period is busy.
    6 to 22 February: zone C, including Paris and Toulouse
    13 February to 1 March: zone A, including Lyon and Bordeaux
    20 February to 8 March: zone B, including Marseille and Strasbourg
  • England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
    8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
    15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
    26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
  • Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
    20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
    22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
    3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
  • Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
    26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
    6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
    27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
    1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

The weeks before 6 February and after 8 March are noticeably quieter and cheaper. January is the best time for anyone who wants the pistes to themselves.

Who skis in France?

54,800,000 skier days in the 2024/25 winter season. Tap a country or a segment of the circle to highlight it.

French 71.0%
  1. 1 French 71.0%
  2. 2 British 11.0%
  3. 3 Belgians 5.0%
  4. 4 Other Europe 4.0%
  5. 5 Dutch 3.0%
  6. 6 Rest of the world 3.0%
  7. 7 Scandinavians 2.0%
  8. 8 Germans 2.0%
  9. 9 Spaniards 1.0%

Source: Domaines Skiables de France. France publishes no breakdown by resort, so the figure covers all French ski resorts together. The measure is skier days in the lifts, not overnight stays.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 16 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Les Menuires - St. Martin lift pass, which covers 150 km of piste. The pass is worth around €335.

How to get to Les Menuires

You arrange your own travel: we sell the stay, not the transport. Here are the three ways people get to Les Menuires, so you can pick the one that suits you.

By air. The nearest airport is Geneva (GVA). Pure flying time from London is around 1,5 hours, and from there it is 2.5 hours on to Les Menuires. You can cover the last stretch in one of two ways:

  • Private transfer. A private driver meets you in the arrivals hall and drives straight to your accommodation with no stops. The price is per car, not per person, ski boxes can be booked in advance, and the driver waits even if the flight is late.
  • Hire car at the airport. With SmartCarRental you collect the car in the arrivals hall. That gets you to the neighbouring villages on the same lift pass, lets you shop at valley prices rather than resort prices, and frees you from transfer timetables. Winter tyres are standard at Alpine desks.

By car. Many drive. Taking the Eurotunnel from Folkestone and arriving at Calais, it's roughly 973 km to Les Menuires, around 10.1 hours of pure driving time through France. Remember that studded tyres are banned in France and Germany.

Guide: Driving to the Alps

Last-minute deals in Les Menuires

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Les Menuires is suitable for

Families

⭐ Excellent choice

Experienced skiers

Suitable to some extent

Apres-ski and nightlife

Limited selection

Snow reliability

⭐ Very snow-reliable

Read more about ski holidays

Ready to book? Choose from accommodation in different price ranges. Lift pass is included in the price, and you arrange your own travel there.

Accommodation with lift pass in Les Menuires ›

Frequently asked questions about Les Menuires

Yes, Les Menuires is the most budget-friendly option for accessing the enormous 600km of pistes in Les 3 Vallées. Accommodation typically costs 30 to 40 per cent less than in Méribel and up to 50 per cent less than in Courchevel. Its central position within the network also makes it easy to reach every part of it.

Les Menuires was built in the 1960s and 70s in a functionalist style and has long been criticised for its architecture. In recent years, the resort has undergone major renovations, with new facades, modernised accommodation and a refreshed centre. Newer areas such as Les Bruyères have a more traditional Alpine style.

Yes, Les Menuires has good beginner areas at La Croisette in the centre. The green runs are wide and well groomed. There are also plenty of blue runs nearby for those wanting to progress quickly. The ESF ski school has extensive experience teaching beginners of all ages.

The village sits at 1,815 metres, and the ski area rises to 2,850 metres at Pointe de la Masse. The high altitude ensures excellent snow conditions from early December right through to late April.

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