Les Deux Alpes, France

Visitor reviews for Les Deux Alpes

• April 03, 2008
  Kenny Miller from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  A group of 10 of us stayed at the Titan Lodge in Les Deux Alpes a couple of weeks ago after clicking on the resort banner.
  Had a great time, the chalet was much more than we expected for what we paid, great food, hosts, etc. Fantastic and will definitely be re-booking.
  The runs down into the village are not for the faint hearted but with feet deep of snow, superb fun !
  The resort was great; the snow was perfect, the views incredible and, even though there is a little more neon in the village than absolutely necessary, there is a great charm and feeling to the town - especially the Polar Bear, cheers Sam. !

• March 25, 2008
  Irina Matrozova from BULGARIA
  

  We really enjoyed our trip to Les Deux Alpes the second week of March. This is a very good high resort for intermediate and good skiers with fantastic snow and the largest glacier in Europe (3568m). If you like the off-piste skiing don't miss the legendary La Grave. The atmosphere in the resort is great with a real holiday feel. Our residence, Eperon 2, is in a superb location with excellent facilities only 100 metres from the departure of the Jandri Express cable car.
  We had a fabulous holiday in Les Deux Alpes.

• February 24, 2008
  Tony Pike from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We just got back from a great week of half-term skiing (two adults and one 12 year old daughter ,who has been skiing since the age of three). We found it to be a very good place to ski, if you are a good intermediate or good skier. We thought it was not the best place if you are a beginner (for all the reasons you will read in the other reviews), but this is really more evident when it is a busy period, like half-term.
  If, however, you can handle the black runs back to the resort, (which were not the most difficult being as they are very wide) then I am sure you will have a great time. There are lots of good shops and restaurants, which we found to be typically French, not over commercialised like Val d'Isere, (which we did find VERY expensive).
  The best restaurant by far on the piste was at La Fee, with very reasonably priced dishes, while the visit to the ice cave on the top of the glacier is a must to see .
  We stayed at La Flocon D'or apartments at the top of the hill, which you will read in other reviews as being bad to get to because of the 300 or-so steps to get to from the village. We found this an advantage as it kept the party goers at bay , so we had a good nights sleep, ready for the first lift in the morning!! Anyhow, we never found it a problem as there is a minibus service to take you to the top of the hill 'till 7.45 pm, after that, you will have to walk, but if you are reasonably fit, you would not find it a problem. The apartments themselves were very good, (with great views over the town ), each one having their own water tank, so you have plenty of hot water for a good bath(s), not like some others we have stayed in.
  All in all, we found it a great ski resort and will definitely be going back this year .

• February 10, 2008
  Andy O'Neil from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from a week in Les Deux Alpes. After reading the previous reports, I must say that I agree with many of the negative comments regarding this resort. The key problem lies with the general access back to the village especially if you are on a board. Whilst the two black runs are ok if you are experienced, the long, winding green is a waste of time if you are a beginner or intermediate even after ample snowfall which we were lucky to receive during our stay. The need for a blue or red grade run back to town really stands out and restricts the return journey for most to the long gondola rides. I will say though, that once up to altitude there are a number of runs which are world class, with wide open pistes, plenty of park area, and lots of potential for back country boarding. That said, the exposed nature of the glacier and mid regions results in the potential for extremely high winds which can severely detract from the whole experience. In fact this week we had winds in excess of 80kph which made conditions almost unbearable even with the glorious sunshine.

  There is one final criticism. Unfortunately, there were a number of instances where our group came into contact with extremely rude and arrogant staff from both the lift company and the bar and shop owners. I wonder sometimes if the local French really appreciate the substantial foreign currency that is injected into their businesses by the many visiting nationalities, for the adverse comments were not only directed at the British. Maybe we should all look to resorts elsewhere for a few years to really change a few attitudes and actually make them grateful for our presence.
  I know that this report is fairly negative and I haven't mentioned the high prices and filthy toilets, but we generally had a fun week and stayed in perfectly adequate accommodation for the money. It's just a shame that I don't think any of us will want to return to Les Deux Alpes.

• December 12, 2007
  Rick Jones from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went to Les Deux Alpes for the first time this Easter (1st week April 2007)
  The resort is great, everything you could possibly want is there. The nightlife is great, and most of the bar staff speak English. I have looked at other peoples reviews and there seems to be a lot of criticism that the resort is not geared up for beginners, but I would strongly disagree. The valley walls are quite steep, hence 2 blacks the only skiable way down, except for a green zig zag run which was not open when we were there; simply not enough snow cover right at the bottom. But if you take the gondola to the first plateau there is ample skiing for skiers/borders of all levels. This is where all the ski schools are taught. The ski area is big and there are 2 sides to the mountain, but the smaller side we didn't even touch as on the other side there was plenty of skiing and great snow all the way up. The weather was mostly good while we were there, lows of minus 30 degrees celcious with wind chill, and high of 10 at the bottom in the afternoon. Good resort, will go back.
  Overall resort- 8/10 not the prettiest you will go to.
  Skiing/Boarding -8/10 would have to be there in Feb to experience best snow lower down. 2 blacks skiable but only for good skiers.
  Cost-6/10 we found it expensive, from the food to the ski pass.
  Overall holiday 8/10- will go back, more in middle of season, not at end.

• November 30, 2007
  Ian M from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Alpine charm stayed well away from 2alp. The tangled mass of concrete, that is the village, does nothing to compliment the scenery. Skiing is challenging but often spoilt by high winds at altitude.

• February 08, 2007
  Nick Heasman from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  What a park! Fantastic array of kickers for all levels.
  Some good wide and fast piste. Good off-piste potential though conditions not great when we were there in Jan 07. Some flat areas a drag for boarders and the lifts a little slow but, all in all, thumbs up.

• September 21, 2006
  miro from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We will be going to this resort in February. 2 adults and 2 kids. Staying just next to Jandri Gondola(Mejotel apartments.) Would be very grateful of suggestions for parking. Is there underground parking available? Any advice on worst lift for queues from my location. Maybe there at such and such time before the rest etc? All of us are advanced skiers except my wife. What are the afternoon entertainments for the kids. Seeing photos of trampolines, ice cars? Are they everyday or only now and then. Thanks in advance.

• August 13, 2006
  Iwan Jones from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Been a few times to Les2Alpes - it's a good, high resort with a wide range of skiing for all abilities. Easily accessible from the UK - 8 hrs drive from Calais - or by air with many low cost airlines flying to the nearest airports of Lyon/ Grenoble /Chambery. Apres ski is what you make of it with many places to eat ranging from burgers to Michelin star and later quiet rustic bars or busy nightclubs. There is a wide selection of places to stay in excellent locations - I found mine at www.stay2alpes.com. Overall an attractive all round resort and worth a visit.

• February 15, 2006
  Chris Rees from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I visited Les Deux Alpes between the 3rd - 10th of Feb 2006 and stayed half board at the Jameron Club Hotel at the far side of the resort. Before arriving I had a preperception of the town thinking it would be somehow tacky and purpose built, so was very happy when we turned up to see an attractive alpine village. Other than a serious lack of women I found the town great, plenty of shops for all your needs and nightlife was also fulfilling. Favourite watering holes for me was The Windsor (seemed very French) and the Polar Bear along with many others within close proximity. Our hotel was great, being on the side of town and located right beside the piste presented us with great views from our balcony, main reception lounge, and restaurant. The English staff at the Jameron was awesome along with our tour operator 'Tops Travel', both being extremely helpful, friendly and willing to chat. Food was also good and varied come evenings. After visiting the 3 vallees some years ago I was expecting the ski area at Les Deux Alpes to be somewhat limited, but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of ski runs available to all levels of skiers/snowboarders. One criticism some may find is there isn't many easy runs back to the resort back from the main mountain. There is a slushy green back down but this is narrow and a little cluttered in the evening rush. I found the 2 black runs 'Valentine' & 'Diable' the obvious routes down but then again i did have a death wish because of the gradients of the slope and the extreme iciness due to there being a shortage of new snowfall. Skiing up at the top of the glacier is great with better snow to be found and several wide open runs ideal for snowboarding. In all a great holiday with very little to fault, nice town with nice skiing. What else can one want!

• February 09, 2006
  Wayne Potter from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  A weeks snowboarding/skiing as part of a group of 14 staying in Chalet Chalance.
  Pistes were great, expansive and wide. Some of the difficulty ratings are questionable, but I think this is a regular query for French resorts.
  The glacier has some great runs from the top down to Toura. The green coming down into Cretes is a bit of a walk at the end for snowboarders and the green from Cretes down into the village is quite a narrow zig-zag path that is quite crowded in the late afternoon as people descend. Also a few flat bits on Gours piste, but it is magnificent scenery.
  The 'Slide' pistes, such as the boardercross or the canyons are superb, I've never tried anything like them and the snowparks were brilliant to watch other people if you didn't want to have a go yourself.
  As we stayed in a chalet as a large group, we didn't wander out too much, but the nights we went out we had a good laugh. Recommend the Windsor for cocktails!!
  We didn't have any problems with lift queues, 5 minutes max, which we thought was very quick considering the volume of people.
  There were a few beginners in the group that progressed very quickly and were able to go from the glacier right down into the village by the end of the week.
  La Grave was closed whilst we were there unfortunately but there were enough pistes to keep us all occupied at a number of different levels on skis and snowboards.
  I would highly recommend this resort.

  PS Our chalet hosts, Simon and Ellie, were fantastic and really friendly!!

• December 15, 2005
  Paul from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just come back from an early-season few days in Les 2 Alpes. An excellent variety of characterful terrain (couloirs, ledges, snowpark, tree skiing etc)for all abilities, the bloke (Hugo) who wrote that you'll tire of this place if you're intermediate or advanced is plain wrong. There are 220km of runs, plus off piste in abundance all over the mountain, and the runs if anything are conservatively coloured - eg the blacks really are very black, and the reds would be black if this were Austria or Italy. Anyone who has skied the Diable or Combe Valentin on an icy afternoon will agree. There is much fun to be had among the trees on the lower slopes, and a lovely under-used mountain restaurant (Chalet La Fee) serving simple, reasonably priced home cooking and drinks. Some of the others are a bit pricey though. There are 60-odd lifts, although the main Jandri Express cable car delivers you from the village to the glacier in one go. I am led to believe it is the fastest people-mover in Europe (in terms of people/hour it can carry). Lift queues even in peak weeks are avoidable if you read the piste map and avoid the popular lifts. There are many new high speed chairlifts now as well. There is a wide choice of eateries and bars in the village, and 2 nightclubs. Admitted, the town isn't off a chocolate box, but then its a lot nicer than many high French resorts. Highly recommend the skiing if you've got a bit of adventure about you - if you want motorway pistes and featureless terrain to flatter your style go to Val d'Isere! Personally I'd rate the skiing as better than anywhere I've been, particularly if you bring the La Grave sector into the equation.

• January 24, 2005
  Lisa from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just come back from skiing in Les 2 Alpes went from 16th-23rd Jan 05.
  I am a beginner and the nursery slopes were excellent, as were some of the green runs higher up the mountain.
  The glacier was closed whilst we were there due to snow fall. the others who came with ski blue/red and said that the runs were good, but they would not come back to the resort again.
  Overall very good for a bignner. However far too many lifts, drags and cable cars to get up the mountain.
  Nightlife was good, but the town was made up of so much neon lighting i am sure it can be seen from space!

• March 11, 2004
  Hugo Wheeler from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went to Les Deux Alpes at the end of February 2004 and was slightly dissapointed with the resort as a whole. Having skied at many European resorts I found this one to be the least well connected in terms of lifts. Much of my time was spent queing to get a lift to another lift - this wasted potential skiing time. If you are a beginner then this is a fantastic resort if, however, you are intermediate to advanced then you shall bore of it extremely quickly.

  The snow is great up top but this is where all the beginner slopes are and down low (where the more challenging terrain is) the snow tends to be poor. Its saving grace is the legendary La Grave with excellent off piste for advanced to professional skiers. All in all it is a fun resort but do not be fooled into thinking it will satisfy the more advanced skier as what should be marked as a red is marked as a black etc etc.

• January 09, 2004
  Chris Needham from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went out to Les Deux Alpes in March 2002 with my girlfriend and another couple. we stayed at the Chalet Mounier which i cannot recommend highly enough. The service was excellent and the food was fantastic. At the time of our arrival there was a huge lack of snow in the resort(due to the time of year) but the slopes higher up at the mid station were fine. The lift system is very efficient and i didn't feel like i was hanging around all the time waiting for a ride back up the slope. The Glacier at the top is the best area for beginners as it is very wide and long with a t-bar running up the middle. If you do not like t-bars there is a funicular railway that will take you back to the top. The nursery slopes in the village all have snow machines and are relatively good for complete novices. There is also a kicker ramp set up here with a huge airbag for freestyle snowboarders to practice their tricks without ending up in the local hospital!!!!! I had to have a go at this and really enjoyed it even though it was my first time on real snow with a board!!! This was our first experience at Les Deux Alpes and we had a great time. We are heading back there in Jan 2004 for 10 days (again at the chalet mounier)and can't wait to get there.

• November 05, 2003
  Myles McNeany from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went to Les Deux Alpes in the summer (2003).

  They have the largest skiable glacier in europe. Its like a small resort. This summer there was no much snow on the glacier because of the heatweave.

  From what I could see from when I was there; they have a very good lift system with most of the lifts being chairs and gondolas. Most of the chairs look pretty slow but its better than t-bars. There is a lot of rideable terrian here!

  The snowpark this summer was amazing and I have heard its really good in the winter too. They have two halfpipes one small and one large and they are both maintained every night, making them some of the best pipes in europe.

  The village I thought was fine lots of nightlife and resterants. The resort is abit purpose bulit if that bothers anyone.

• 
  Carlos Palminha from PORTUGAL
  

  Les Deux Alpes is one of the most complete resort I've been to. Not very good for beginners but a great opportunity to evolve! The snowpark is one of the best in the winter and also in the summer. Off-piste is just amazing... don't miss La Grave, one of the biggest off-piste terrain in Europe.
  The village itself is a little scattered (1600 and 1800) turning nightlife in a search for the best spot. Some great pubs and shops.
  Will return for certain in the summer!

• 
  Richard Jones from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I went to Les Deux Alpes for the first time this Easter (1st week April 2007)
  The resort is great, everything you could possibly want is there. The nightlife is great, and most of bar staff speak English. I have looked at other peoples reviews and there seems to be a lot of critisism that the resort is not geared up for beginners, but I would strongly disagree. The valley walls are quite steep, hence 2 blacks the only skiable way down, except for a green zig zag run which was not open where we were there, simply not enough snow cover right at the bottom. But if you take the gondola to the first plateau there is ample skiing for skiers/borders of all levels. this is where all the ski schools are taught. The ski area is big and there are 2 sides to the mountain, but the smaller side we didn't even touch as on the other side there was plenty of skiing and great snow all the way up. The weather was mostly good while we were there, lows of minus 30 degrees celsius with wind chill, and height of 10 at the bottom in afternoon. Good resort, will go back.
  Overall resort- 8/10 not the prettiest you will go to.
  Skiing/Boarding -8/10 would have to be there in Feb to experience best snow lower down. 2 blacks skiable but only for good skiers.
  Cost-6/10 we found it expensive, from the food to the ski pass.
  Overall holiday 8/10- will go back, more in middle of season, not at end.