The Skiers' Guide to Les 2 Alpes: Expert Analysis & Reviews

Overview of Les 2 Alpes Ski Resort

Les 2 Alpes is a high-altitude French ski resort located in the Isère department of the French Alps. One of its most unique attributes is the skiable glacier at 3,600m - the largest summer skiing area in Europe, making it a genuinely snow-sure destination throughout an extended season.

The resort consists of one long, lively town stretched along a single main street, making it easy to navigate on foot. Les 2 Alpes sits at 1,650m and reaches up to 3,600m, offering an impressive 2,300m vertical drop - one of the biggest in the Alps. Lyon and Geneva are the closest major airports, with transfer times typically around 2-3 hours.

With 90 runs spread across 220km of marked pistes, Les 2 Alpes offers plenty of variety for a week's skiing. Our community rates the resort at 4.08/5 overall, with particularly high scores for accommodation (4.37/5), après-ski (4.36/5), and family-friendliness (4.28/5).

The Skiing in Les 2 Alpes

Les 2 Alpes offers 90 runs with an excellent mix of terrain: 13 beginner runs, 48 intermediate runs, and 29 advanced/expert runs. The lift system is modern and efficient, featuring 4 gondolas/cable cars, 31 chairlifts, and 25 drag lifts. The newly replaced Jandri Express gondola has dramatically improved uplift capacity and speed, as noted by many Snomad users.

The resort is particularly well-suited for beginners and intermediates, scoring 4.21/5 for beginners and 4.08/5 for intermediates. Gavin, an intermediate snowboarder, points out that "Les 2 Alps is a good resort for beginner and intermediate snowboarders or skiers," though he cautions about "a couple of long flats mid-mountain" that can challenge novice boarders.

A standout feature is that beginners can access the glacier via blue runs, allowing even new skiers to experience the high mountain. Philip, an expert skier, praises the "variety of long, very wide pistes making for easy fast-pace to be maintained even when busy."

Advanced skiers rate the resort 4.09/5, with the off-piste terrain earning particular praise. Mark, an expert snowboarder, notes there's "plenty of off-piste to find and the more effort you put in to find it, the more chance of powder and track-free runs." The resort also features a well-maintained snow park that many users highlight as excellent for freestylers.

Eating Out in Les 2 Alpes

Les 2 Alpes scores 4.14/5 for eating out, with a pretty good selection of restaurants both on and off the mountain. Although, some users mention that mountain dining options can be limited and expensive. Jonathan notes: "Not a lot of bars/restaurants on the slopes," while another user mentions, "I found the food options on the slopes very expensive and not great quality."

The town itself offers more variety and better value. Jorge, an intermediate skier who has visited four times, praises the "great bars/restaurants in the resort," while Simon highlights "a range of eateries/bars/restaurants to suit a range of budgets." Will, an advanced skier, was particularly impressed with the "quality and variety of dining available... from the best pizza I've ever had, despite being served from a hole in the wall, to Michelin-recognized restaurants."

Several users recommend Smithy's Tavern for food, with one calling it "THE PLACE TO BE" and praising its "incredible food upstairs." The Spot is mentioned for "the best burgers in France."

The Après-Ski in Les 2 Alpes

Les 2 Alpes scores an impressive 4.36/5 for après-ski, making it one of the resort's strongest features. The lively atmosphere is consistently praised by Snomad users, with Ross, an intermediate skier, describing it as having "undoubtedly one of the best après ski scenes in Europe and amazing nightlife."

Several bars stand out in reviews. Umbrella Bar is frequently mentioned as the place to go straight off the slopes. As Craig, an intermediate snowboarder, puts it: "The Apres Ski and nightlife were top notch, very lively ski village." Pano Bar higher up the mountain also gets frequent mentions for its atmosphere and DJs.

In town, Smithy's Tavern, The Polar Bear, and Avalanche club are highlighted as popular spots for evening entertainment. One user calls Smithy's "one of a kind" with "constant events." Several users mention the resort's ability to cater to different tastes, from lively clubs to more relaxed venues.

Families in Les 2 Alpes

Les 2 Alpes scores an excellent 4.28/5 for family-friendliness. The layout of the resort, with its single main street, makes it easy for families to navigate. Suzanne, an intermediate snowboarder who has visited twice with her family, notes: "The town is along a main central road with loads of easy slopes to practice on if you're a beginner. Several lifts are free and don't even require a pass."

A particular advantage for families is that even beginners can access the higher areas of the resort. As Jorge points out: "There is also a great balance of run types, and specific beginner areas so it is suitable for everyone!"

The ski schools receive positive reviews, with Rob noting how quickly they taught his friends who had no prior experience. Timothy calls it "the ultimate family resort" with "a great selection of top quality ski schools."

Beyond skiing, families can enjoy activities like bowling, swimming, and ice skating. As another user mentions, the resort offers "loads of après ski, bowling, swimming, ice skating, all sorts."

Accommodation in Les 2 Alpes

Les 2 Alpes scores very highly for accommodation at 4.37/5, one of its best ratings. The resort offers diverse lodging options to suit different budgets and preferences.

Philip, an expert skier, notes: "The resort has a huge variety of accommodation to choose from to suit almost every taste and pocket." Helena, an intermediate skier, mentions that Les 2 Alpes is "not as expensive as other French resorts" and recommends "the hotels over the private accommodation."

Access to the slopes from accommodation is generally good, with multiple lift access points throughout the town. Kyarah, an intermediate skier, highlights "great, reasonable accommodation available with ski in/out," while Simon appreciates the "accessible lifts from a number of different locations throughout the town, not too far to walk."

For those staying further from the lifts, there's a free bus service. As Ross, an intermediate snowboarder, shares: "Our accommodation was just outside the resort but the local bus was right outside our hotel and took us straight to the resort."

Several users do note that accommodation location matters for convenience, with Hannah, an intermediate skier, pointing out: "Only downside is lifts can be a long walk, not many ski-in type places unless you manage to get accommodation near a lift."

Les 2 Alpes Pros: Why the Snomad Community Loves It

Based on our Snomad community reviews, the top 5 favorite aspects of Les Deux Alpes are:

1. High altitude skiing with guaranteed snow conditions - Users consistently praise the glacier access and snow reliability, with one reviewer noting "the altitude ensures low snowfall is preserved well" and many mentioning the ability to ski well into May with the glacier open throughout the summer.

2. The lively après-ski scene - Umbrella Bar and Pano Bar receive frequent mentions, with Talya describing the "buzzing night life with a lot of clubs." Smithys Tavern is highlighted by several users as "THE PLACE TO BE on nights out."

3. Long, wide runs for all abilities - Philip notes the "variety of long, very wide pistes" while several beginners appreciate that even novices can access the glacier via blues and greens.

4. The new Jandri Express gondola - Multiple reviews mention how this recent upgrade has "improved lift system so much" and "speeds you to the top of the glacier" with reduced queuing times.

5. The friendly, walkable town atmosphere - Reviewers appreciate the central layout with "everything in walking distance" and the good selection of restaurants, shops and bars that create what Jorge calls a "great balance" for all visitors.

Les 2 Alpes Cons: What Snomad Skiers Say Could Be Better

Looking at the feedback from Snomad users, here are the top 5 issues mentioned in the reviews:

1. Limited on-mountain dining options - Several reviewers mention a shortage of places to eat and drink on the slopes, with Philip noting "not a lot of bars/restaurants on the slopes". This leads to crowded venues and long queues at peak times.

2. Busy end-of-day runs - Multiple users highlight that the limited number of blue and green runs back to the resort get extremely congested in the late afternoon. As Michelle explains, "only a couple of runs right back down to resort... so they get very busy."

3. Flat connecting sections - Snowboarders particularly mention challenging flat areas. Gavin notes "a couple of long flats mid mountain you need to be able to navigate" and one user describes "a few flat interconnecting pistes that can be a pain on a board."

4. Not a huge ski area - While the resort is a mid-to-large resort with 227km of skiable terrain, several reviewers mention its limited size compared to other French mega-resorts. Jack points out it's "quite small particularly if the glacier is shut." While we certainly wouldn't describe it as small, it isn't as vast as interconnected ski areas such as the 3 Vallées or Paradiski.

5. Busy main gondola queues - Before the new Jandri Express lift, several users cited long morning queues. Even with the improved lift, Olivia reports: "The queues for the main gondola were very long" during peak periods like New Year.' Although the new lift has made a huge difference to transporting hundreds of skiers up the mountain quickly.

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