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Thanks to its mighty glacier, the French resort of Les Deux Alpes offers skiing almost all year round
Ski into summer in Les Deux Alpes
The first time I took my kids skiing was in the middle of summer. On an early morning in June, in the French Alpine resort of Les Deux Alpes, just before the sun began to peek from behind the mountains, my two daughters and I rode the Jandri cable car up to the base of the glacier at 3,200 metres above sea level.
It felt bizarre to be wearing ski boots and carrying skis on a summer’s morning, perspiring beneath our insulated clothing.
Once at the very top of the Les Deux Alpes glacier (or the glacier de Mont-de-Lans, to use its traditional name), at 3,600 metres, the early morning snow was surprisingly crisp. Overnight below-zero temperatures meant it was perfectly good to ski on.
The experience was regrettably short-lived, however. As my guide reminded me, we had only a few hours before the sun would heat up the glacier snow to slush. It was July, though, so we were hardly complaining.
Neither were the many professional skiers and ski clubs making use of the summer snow to continue their training. Most were using the Lauze, Muretouse and Jandri pistes, zipping down at full speed, trussed up tightly in their race suits. Some were even practising while descending on just one ski. Freestyle skiers and boarders were showing off on the jumps and obstacles in the snowpark. The glacier offers 90 hectares of ski area in all and constitutes the highest ski area in France.
After a couple of hours of skiing, with temperatures rising and snow turning slushy, my daughters and I headed back down the mountain in the cable car. By the time we were back in the main resort, it was a balmy 20 degrees. Fellow tourists looked at us with amusement as we walked back to the hire shop, perspiring even more now, to return our clothing and equipment.
Les Deux Alpes is in the Isère department, just under 50 miles from the nearest major city, Grenoble. The ‘deux Alpes’ in its name are a reference to the two mountain pastures of the local villages, Vénosc and Mont-de-Lans.
Thanks to its high-altitude ski areas, it has one of the longest ski seasons in Europe. Currently, the pistes open at the end of November most years, with the main season lasting until May 3rd. After that, you can still head for the higher slopes which remain open until the end of May. And beyond that, until the beginning of July, you can ski on the glacier – as my kids and I did.
The resort boasts that it has 218 days of skiing every year. 75 per cent of their pistes, they claim, are above 2,100 metres – great news during milder winters. Some people refer to Les Deux Alpes as an “upside down resort”, in that the higher pistes tend to be flatter than the lower ones.
Whether you opt for higher or lower altitudes, there’s plenty to keep you occupied, with 220kms of pistes in all, served by 44 lifts across 410 hectares, and a total vertical drop of 2,300 metres.
The non-skiing activities are excellent, too. Here is a round-up of what else you can expect.
Other activities
Night skiing: every Wednesday evening in winter, you can ski beneath the stars in the Vallée Blanche sector. Enjoy 400 metres of vertical drop on red and green runs, with floodlights illuminating your way.
Paragliding: There are three schools available: Air 2 Alpes, 2 Alpes Parapente and Air Ailes Parapente. Beginners join an instructor in a tandem flight.
Helicopter flights: Eight-minute, 12-minute and 16-minute flights are available from the heliport at the top of the Belle Étoile skim lift.
Aquatic centre: Les Deux Alpes’ new aquatic centre opened in 2026. There are both indoor and outdoor pools.
Ice skating: There is a new open-air skating rink, open every day in winter until 9pm. You can even try out ice hockey.
Snowcat rides: On Wednesdays and Thursdays during the school holidays, you can enjoy a ride high up on the mountain in one of the resort’s snowcat groomers.
Night snowshoeing: After the sun goes down, join a guide in the forest and watch patiently as the animals slink by. Foxes and rabbits are common; wolves, thankfully, less so. You can also enjoy a raclette and drink by the campfire.
Airbag park: Sitting in an inflatable doughnut, you slide down the toboggan run before launching yourself into the air. A crash mat ensures a suitably soft landing.
Spas. There are multiple spas in Les Deux Alpes, including ones at Côte Brune hotel, Chamois Lodge and Chalet Mounier.
Accommodation
Four-star hotels include Hôtel Côte Brune, Les Mélèzes and Chalet Mounier. Rated with three stars are Hotel La Belle Etoile, Hotel Le Cairn, Hotel Turan and Hotel Ibiza.
Restaurants
There are close to 80 restaurants dotted across the resort, with seven of them on the actual pistes.
For the finest dining, try Douces Gourmandises, Le Cours de la Vie or the Michelin-starred Le P’tit Polyte, at Chalet Mounier hotel. Every week, the high-altitude restaurants Le Diable au Cœur (at 2400 metres) and Troïka (at 2100 metres) offer gourmet evenings on the mountain, accessible by cable car both ways.
For more relaxed eating, there is The Spot (hearty burgers), La Cantine de Tom (flambéed meat), Les Mélèzes (all-you-can-eat dessert buffet), Le Grain de Sel (French classics), Le Raisin d’Ours (wood-smoked burgers), or Bistro les Lutins (still going after 67 years).
Apres-ski
There are around 30 drinking spots in Les Deux Alpes, offering everything from fine wines to sophisticated cocktails and simple beers. Try Motown Café (retro music and cocktails), Le Saloon (live music), L’Épicerie des Alpes (vintage wine), Smithy’s Tavern (British-style pub), Boris Bistro (1980s-themed bar) or Ginette (creative cocktails).
Festivals
In December every year, Rise Festival brings dance music and plenty of pre-Christmas spirit.
In mid-January there are trail running races (from 11kms up to 42kms) on the snow at an event called Les Lumières de la Muzelle. Around 2,000 people compete.
In late April, there is a snowboard competition for children aged five to 11 years old, called Micro Kids.
For more information, visit www.les2alpes.com
March 01, 2026
