Les Deux Alpes – 21st Century Ski Resort

Firstly there’s overcrowding – on the slopes and in the airports and roads that serve those resorts. Les Deux Alpes scores highly here, as it’s just a 90-minute transfer from Lyon, an airport that has been investing heavily in its support for incoming skiers, rather than being subject to the usual Geneva congestion of many of the big name French resorts. The smaller and even quieter airport at Grenoble is even closer.

Secondly, in this era of climate change there’s snow reliability. Even though Les Deux Alpes is one of the more southerly resorts in Europe, its slopes are among the highest, crowned with a glacier, and it now has the longest summer ski seasons in France.

Add to the mix a resort with history and character, extensive slopes, modern lifts and a huge vertical and Les Deux Alpes starts to tick all the boxes for ski holiday success.

They’re even dealing with one of the main moans from less advanced skiers about the ski area’s setup this coming season, with a huge investment in the creation of and easy piste down to the heart of the resort, an option that hasn’t existed before.

Snowsure

I visited last winter when the Alps were suffering from poor snow conditions, but found that whilst the slopes were not in perfect shape, there was plenty of terrain open. Besides the glacier skiing up top, more than 200 snow cannons cover key routes and they were hard at work keeping the lower slopes covered to enable skiing all the way back down to the resort.

I liked the laidback atmosphere in Les Deux Alpes where around 80% of international visitors are from the UK – many returning year after year. Everyone I met was very chatty and social, including the resort staff – despite being hard at work. This is definitely a place I would happily return to year after year.

It’s Big

Les Deux Alpes has one of the biggest ski areas in France (and indeed the whole world) with more than 90 runs served by nearly 50 lifts (five of them gondolas) and a huge lift-served vertical (one of the planet’s 20 biggest). On the slopes the mountain is spread out to give you a good day’s skiing without a lot of waiting around for lifts or overcrowding on the slopes.

Besides slopes for all standards and extensive off-piste areas that you can tackle with ski school or a guide, there is also a free safety training facility on the mountain called “freeride attitude” where they will train you on how to off-piste safely and show you how to operate your transceiver and other equipment.

Every Wednesday there is an opportunity to ski on the fresh snow before the lift officially opens. This includes breakfast at Le 3200 restaurant.

For first-timers there are free beginners’ slopes at the base of the mountain for learners and skiers wanting to get their ski legs back. There is also a ski/board park with a half pipe and other obstacles for those inclined.

There are seven cafes and restaurants and four bars on the mountain with large outdoor decking areas. The food everywhere is excellent – I couldn’t fault it. Large portions, very high-quality food and delivered very quickly with great service.

Fun For Families

I would also be keen to come back with the family, as there is heaps for them to do here, and I would feel very confident that they would be well looked after and catered for. There’s not much traffic here so you wouldn’t be overly concerned about young children running around.

Since 2009 the resort has been awarded the “Family Plus” label demonstrating a level of high-quality services for children including childcare, safety and entertainment. Only 116 tourist destinations in all of France have the Family Plus label. There is a large, kinder ski area at the bottom of the mountain with activities and play for kids of any age, not just learn to ski but also fun in the snow.

There is also, of course, ski school for kids officially starting from around 4 years, although one of the instructors from the European Ski School told me they would give lessons to kids from as young as age 2.

In addition there is a nanny facility offered here with English-speaking nannies who will look after the kids on or off the mountain with activities including snowman building, sledging and snowballing. They will also bring the children up to the mountain to meet the parents for lunch or hot chocolate.

Off The Slopes

There are loads of shops, pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants in Les Deux Alpes – it’s the complete resort. Everything you could want for après-ski and all in a relatively compact resort so you can stay close to the slopes and to the off-slope action.

Non-ski activities hosted at the resort and on the mountain include paragliding, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, swimming, an ice cave, an ice rink and helicopter rides. There is also the chance to try night skiing or boarding which can be combined with wine tasting and restaurant service on the mountain, followed by a moonlit ski down to the resort.

There’s also a good selection of shops and several supermarkets to serve the mostly self-catering market.

Accommodation is quite mixed, but predominantly self-catering and mostly in the 2 to 3★ rating bracket, aimed at families and groups of people aged from teens to 30 rather than the higher-end 5★ accommodation. There is one 4★ hotel in the resort so far which has full spa facilities.

As mentioned, the drive from Lyon – from where there are car rental, taxi and bus services – takes around 1 and a half hours. A taxi transfer is around €100 per person. Grenoble Airport is closer still, only 70 minutes away, and the taxi fare is nearer to €50 per person from there.

Les Deux Alpes In Numbers

Web : www.les2alpes.com

Autumn Opening : 24 Oct. – 1 Nov.

Main Season : 5 Dec. – 30 Apr

KM Piste : 220 Km

Run : 96

Metres of Vertical : 2 300 m

Highest Point : 3 600 m

6 Day Adult Pass : €212 – €237

By Andy Taylor