It is incredibly unreasonable to have thought what follows, but Les Menuires has always struck us as the least ‘worthy’ of the 3 Vallees ski areas. Least worthy in looks, villages, snow & terrain. What we thought was an ugly duckling is in fact more of a swan than and more than worthy to come under the banner of the rightfully popular Les Trois Vallèes.

We visited in the most hectic week of the French/UK school holidays in mid-February 2025, and whilst we would never suggest coming here at this time of year, it was all we could manage on this trip. But what it proved to us is the absolute excellence of this ski resort.

In a generally warm winter, the snow here was superb. Lift lines were non-existent, and piste trails were empty. The way the lifts & pistes connect all the various parts of the village is fascinating and a reason to ski here in and of itself. We discovered that one can walk to them all too using a series of groomed trails specifically for pedestrians. What we more so love about Les Menuires is the extensive alpine off-piste & easily backcountry terrain from the top of Pointe de la Masse. Its popularity with families makes it not very attractive for freeriders, so the off-piste always seems to be comparatively deserted. So much so that we skied an untouched powder line under the top of the Bruyeres 2 gondola after lunch a few days after it had snowed. That’s not too shabby! I wonder whether we could have got the same on the other side of the ridge into Meribel. Sadly we didn’t find out, but we suspect not.

The best places to stay here are the main centre of La Croisette, or the small outlying village of Les Bruyeres. We chose Les Bruyères. It is petit, but great for a few days and superbly located.

Meribel might be the best placed to ski the whole 3 Valleys resort, and Val Thorens might be the most snow-sure, but Les Menuires has the best combination of ski-in ski-out affordability and is so well placed for fabulous off-piste powder skiing. Definitely worth a look. And don’t forget your Epic Pass if you have one. Seven days free skiing is GOLD!

See our thoughts on the pros and cons of this ski resort via our Les Menuires overview page.
See our video here

The name Les Menuires doesn't immediately conjure up a world class ski area in most people's minds. In fact, in our minds it conjured up the worst the 3 Vallees could produce all in one spot! Whilst there are elements of truth in that, the reality is Les Menuires is a world class ski area, but just not as good as its neighbours!

The village has classic French Alps eyesore elements - multi-storey apartments that we are sure were cutting edge design when built. They blight the landscape of many a resort in France & to a lesser degree, Italy. Such a shame because the overall functionality of the resort village is impressive. There are delightful ‘non-high rise’ sectors of the village that would have universal appeal. Too spread out to ever be described as 'cosy' in any sentence, the ski-in ski-out convenience applies to just about everywhere one stays. And those big high-rise apartments provide loads of affordable self-contained apartments for the masses. For day trippers it is possible to park just off the road to Val Thorens, ski-out, then ski back in at the end of the day. What more could one ask for? It also appeared to be one of the quieter resorts in the 3 Valleys although we were there midweek in mid-January.

The ski terrain on the village side is best described as on the mellow side. Novices, beginners & intermediates will love it. The slopes are shaded in the morning, but it doesn't take too long for the sun to hit it. Intermediates looking for morning sun can hit the Pointe de la Masse slopes or cross over into Meribel. And speaking of the Pointe de la Masse, it is Les Menuires signature off-piste terrain. The 2800m summit will get new lift infrastructure in the coming season. The backside might get a little baked by the sun, but it has enough skiable vertical & terrain variation to be an incredibly good ski resort all on its own. Glorious 1000m vertical descents are available. Some of the best freeride in the region.

Is Les Menuires the best ski resort in the world for powder hounds - perhaps not. But does it have a place amongst the best in some categories - absolutely. Ski-in ski-out, affordability & family friendly in a high elevation snow sure package with the bonus of some cracking freeride terrain & access to the rest of the 3 Vallees, provides plenty to like about the 'least likable' 3 Valleys ski resort!

We spent a relatively fleeting moment in Les Menuires but noticed it to be one of the quieter ski resorts in the 3 Valleys. How this translates to other times of year is not that hard to discern. Odds on it would be super-busy during peak periods, but its lift system & village design would cope reasonably well. We may have to find out on a return as skiing La Masse on a powder day is now on our list of 'cool things we haven't done yet in the French Alps'.

You can see our thoughts on the pros and cons on the Les Menuires overview page.

See our video here