Les Deux Alpes Ski Resort Review | 2018.

Les Deux Alpes stretches along a spectacular valley. From its mountain village origins the area has developed into a large popular ski resort. The whole ski resort lies alongside the main pistes so, you are never far from one of the many lifts.

Piste Maps.

The Ski Resort in Brief.

Height: 1,650m – 3,600m (5,410 – 11,810ft).

Marked Pistes: 200km.

	Les Deux Alpes.	La Grave.
Number of Ski Lifts.	59.	4.
Types of Piste.	27% beginner, 43% intermediate, 30% advanced.	15% beginner, 85% advanced.
Main Advantages.	High-altitude skiing; modern lift system.	Quiet resort; huge off-piste area.
Drawbacks.	Most skiing above the tree line.	Severe terrain, suitable only for advanced intermediates and above.

Getting To Les Deux Alpes.

From:
Lyon: 160km (100 miles).
Grenoble: 77km (48 miles).
There is a bus service from Grenoble to the Resort.

By Plane – Nearest Airports.

• Grenoble: 120km (75miles).
• Lyon: 160km (100miles).
• Geneva: 220km (138miles).

By Road.

Motorway to Grenoble (exit 8 Briançon, Vizille, stations de l’Oisans) then D1091 towards Briançon via Le Bourg d’Oisans at tunnel exit, at the Chambon dam, turn right and take the D213.

• Grenoble: 70km.
• Lyon: 190km.
• Montpellier: 370km.
• Marseilles: 384km.
• Paris: 643km.
• Lille: 879km.

By Train.

• Grenoble: 70km (44 miles).

Regular shuttle service from bus stations and SNCF railway station to Les 2 Alpes ski resort.

Accommodation in Les Deux Alpes.

There is a bewildering choice of accommodation in Les Deux Alpes, most of it refreshingly affordable and close to a ski lift. Venosc is the smarter and quieter end of town.

Hotel Le Côte Brune.

6 Rue Côte Brune. +33 47 680 5489. hotel-cotebrune.com.
A small, 18 room, family run hotel, three-minutes walk from the Jandri Gondola, which provides quick access to the main ski area. It is simple but cosy and serves good, local food. Now with the Umbrella Bar.

Chalet Mounier, Venosc.

2 Rue de la Chapelle. +33 476 805690.
Built by Pierre Balme, a Venosc native, in the late 1870s to attract tourists in the summer. Today the beautifully renovated and extended chalet is tucked away in a quiet spot in Venosc and has large rooms, a swanky spa and excellent restaurant.

Le Cortina.

Place de Venosc. +33 844 5760170.
Le Cortina is a slick, modern apartment block located towards the Venosc end of Les Deux Alpes and near the Diable gondola. Apartments are well-appointed and range from two to five bedrooms.

Hotel Mariande, Venosc.

12 Rue des Écoles. +33 476 805060.
A popular, well-run three-star hotel that’s located in the quieter Venosc part of town very close to the Venosc gondola. The half-board rates are good value for money.

Alpina Lodge.

Chemin de la Claparelle. +33 844 5760170.
The four-star Alpina Lodge has direct access to the slopes and is located right in the centre of the resort. It contains 12 spacious, well-equipped self-catering apartments decorated in traditional, Alpine style with heavy wooden beams and furniture. No restaurant, but a meal delivery service provides guests with a good selection of pre-prepared dishes and for which you pay locally.

Apres Ski in Les Deux Alpes.

Restaurants.

Crêpes à Gogo.

118 Avenue de la Muzelle. +33 476 792961. lescrepesagogo.com.
This is the place to come for good, cheap food (not just crêpes) with bags of atmosphere

Le Blue Salmon.

98 Avenue de la Muzelle. +33 4 76 79 29 56.
Popular with locals, The Blue Salmon serves everything from mussels to fondue.

Le P’tit Polyte, Chalet Mounier.

2 Rue de la Chapelle. +33 476 805690.
Foodies will appreciate the excellent modern French cuisine served in Chalet Mounier’s intimate restaurant. Immaculately prepared dishes include timbale of foie gras with tart apples or fillet of beef served on a bed of boletus mushrooms with truffle juice. There’s an impressive wine cellar housing some 15,000 wines, many of which are local.

Le Diable au Couer, Les Diable 2,400m.

+33 476 799950.
Owned by the son of the owner of Chalet Mounier, this is the classiest mountain restaurant in Les Deux Alpes, serving confit de canard, foie gras and fresh seafood.

La Bergerie Kanata, Pied Moutet.

Pied Moutet . +33 612 294903.
This is an atmospheric spot on the quieter Pied Moutet side of Les Deux Alpes, just above the village on the blue Côte piste . Flamboyant owners Sylvain and Stefan serve up colossal portions of hearty mountain food like cheese and ham croûte and rich pastas, keeping second helpings warm on the open fire in the centre of the dining room. Don’t forget to visit the lavatory with its Wild West saloon bar-cum-stable decorations.

Après-ski bars and clubs.

Les Deux Alpes is party central. Action starts on the glacier at Le Panoramic’s Pano Bar with a live DJ. Move down to Smokey Joe’s at the base of the Jandri gondola, Crêpe à go-go and (popular with British visitors) The Red Frog and Pub Ours Blanc, which are all located on the main drag between the Venosc and Jandri gondola.

Smithy’s Tavern.

7 Rue de Cairou. +33 476 113679. smithystavern.com.
Smithy’s Tavern attracts all ages and nationalities and serves Mexican-inspired food, and a selection of real ale and spicy vin chaud.

All these bars remain lively till late, as do Pub Le Windsor, Le Brésilien and The Secret, which tend to get going after dinner. L’Avalanche next to Smithy’s Tavern is the best disco.

NOTE: Ski Resorts change all the time. This review may now be out of date and some of the information may be inaccurate. Please visit the official ski resort site for Les Deux Alpes for the latest information.