The Skiers' Guide to Les 2 Alpes

Despite staying a little more under the radar than some of France’s other high-altitude mega resorts, Les 2 Alpes has been described by our community as the ultimate all-rounder, with very high ratings across multiple categories. Offering the highest lift-served on-piste skiing in France and with recent investment in the lift infrastructure, a world-class après scene, excellent dining options, pristine groomed slopes, easy access to off-piste, and outstanding family facilities, we can certainly see why!

This high altitude resort is 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.

Having skied here a couple of times in the Summer, I can confidently say that it's the ultimate freestyle playground to refine your park skills with a range of kickers and rails for all levels, ranging from smaller jumps to big (slightly scary!) booters - expect to be rubbing shoulders with pro freestylers and slalom skiers. The summer park is undoubtedly a paradise for freestyle skiers and snowboarders.

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. Les 2 Alpes is a 1h30 drive from Grenoble airport, 2h from Lyon and 2h30 from Geneva.

With 88 runs spread across 220km of marked pistes, Les 2 Alpes offers plenty of variety for a week's skiing. Our community rates the resort a strong 4.08/5 overall, with particularly high scores for accommodation (4.37/5), après-ski (4.36/5), the efficient lifts (4.33/5) and family-friendliness (4.28/5).

Les 2 Alpes offers 98 runs with an excellent mix of terrain: 16 beginner runs, 46 intermediate runs, 16 advanced runs, and 10 expert runs. The lift system is modern and efficient, featuring 7 gondolas/cable cars, 13 chairlifts, and 22 drag lifts. The newly replaced Jandri Express gondola has dramatically improved uplift capacity and speed, as noted by many Snomad users.

The resort is well-suited for all levels; beginners (4.21/5), intermediates (4.08/5) and advanced skiers (4.09/5). Antony, an intermediate skier, highlights "Great place for all levels of skier with a good variety of runs for all. You can ski from the very top at 3600m to the village at 1650m on blue runs."

A standout feature is that beginners and intermediates 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." The slopes are also very well maintained here so it's a fantastic location for levelling up your carving turns!

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 well-maintained snow parks all season long, that many users highlight as excellent for freestylers and snowboarders.

Les 2 Alpes scores 4.14/5 for eating out, with a good selection of restaurants both on and off the mountain.

However, the town itself offers more variety and better value than the on-mountain options as is often the case at most resorts. 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" - quite the accolade!

As well as the incredible skiing and fantastic eating out options, Les 2 Alpes scores an impressive 4.36/5 for après-ski, cementing Les 2 Alpes as a true all-rounder. 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.

And we can't talk about the après ski scene in Les 2 Alpes without mentioning the infamous Rise Festival - each December, Les 2 Alpes transforms into one of Europe’s most exhilarating festival settings as Rise Festival takes over the mountain (6–13 December 2025). For a full week, the resort becomes a playground of snow and sound: ski by day, then party by night with world-class DJs and live acts across high-altitude stages. Recent lineups have featured electronic heavyweights like Overmono and drum & bass favourites such as Hybrid Minds. It's the ultimate celebration to kick off your winter season!

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."

Les 2 Alpes scores very highly for accommodation at 4.37/5, one of its best ratings. The resort offers a huge variety of accommodation 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."

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."

Les 2 Alpes is committed to protecting its Alpine playground. Every new project is developed in partnership with a specialised biodiversity conservation agency to safeguard natural resources, reduce pollution, and protect the mountain’s fragile ecosystem. The resort has made significant strides in cutting its carbon footprint: 100% of piste bashers now run on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), reducing emissions by 92%, while every lift operates on clean hydroelectric power. Solar panels are being installed where possible to further diversify renewable energy use, and the mountain area is home to 265 protected species of flora and fauna - a reminder of the rich natural environment that Les 2 Alpes is working hard to preserve for future generations of skiers and snowboarders.