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 - no. 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 and also see our European ski resort ratings regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.