My expectations of skiing a week in Les 3 Vallées, the French Alps, included visions of spectacular, wide-open slopes and delicious, authentic French cuisine. The vision was accurate. However, somehow my expectations did not include my ski skills improving.
What I didn’t anticipate: that skiing the world’s largest ski area — some of the 600 km and nearly 26,000 acres of it — alongside some of the finest instructors on the planet would quietly transform how I move on snow. Seven full days across four villages, and we still didn’t come close to covering it all.
After a week moving through four very different villages — from the vibrant, fun altitude of Val Thorens to the luxury of Courchevel — I came back with more opinions than I expected. Here’s what I’d like to share before you go.
What you’ll learn in this guide:
- How four very different villages compare. From the best-value family base (Les Menuires) to the most over-the-top luxury ski resort I’ve ever experienced (Courchevel), drawn from a week of skiing village to village with my bags transferred between each
- Why Les 3 Vallées changed how I ski. As an intermediate skier with no interest in going off-piste, I found the runs, the instructors and the scale here pushed my ability in ways living near a US resort simply hasn’t
- Everything families and multi-gen groups actually need to know before booking. Epic Pass redemption, the Family Flex lift pass, non-ski activities for the days someone doesn’t want to ski and a resort-by-resort breakdown in the FAQ at the end
Editor’s Note: The writer was hosted.
Ski Terrain and Run Length: How Les 3 Vallées Compares to U.S. Resorts
Les 3 Vallées is huge. Depending on how you measure, somewhere between three to five Vail Mountains would fit within its area. Still, I was very surprised at how long the ski runs are compared to U.S. ski runs. We easily spent more than an hour skiing between lifts. Our ski day was very much a journey.
Val Thorens is the highest resort of Les 3 Vallées, above tree line and with the longest season. Val Thorens has exactly one tree and we found it. So if you are looking for tree skiing, you’ll want to head down to Courchevel or Méribel.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Epic Pass holders (full pass only) get 7 days included. See the FAQ for redemption details.
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Mountain Dining in Les 3 Vallées: What to Eat On and Off the Slopes
Being in France, I also knew the gastronomy would be fabulous, but had no idea that it would be every single restaurant, especially the on-mountain restaurants. Self-service restaurants may exist on the mountain, but they are definitely the exception.
Dining here is an experience. From snowmobiling to sushi in Val Thorens and the next evening enjoying a special traditional dinner at a family farm turned restaurant, Chez Pépé Nicolas to lunch at Maya Altitude and a short trek to the deck of Clos Bernard both on the slopes of Méribel to over-the-top dining experiences at The Beef Bar and Alpage in Courchevel, unique dining experiences were in no shortage.
SheBuysTravel Tip: While practicing some basic French will be appreciated, English is fluently spoken throughout Les 3 Vallées.
History of Les 3 Vallées
Les 3 Vallées is located in the Savoie region of the French Alps, which governed itself as an independent nation before joining France. The locals believe that they embody the French way of life.
Two of our ski instructors told us they’d never lived anywhere other than St Martin, and had no intention of leaving. One is a farmer during the summer, making his own cheese and Génépy (a local aperitif that I came to appreciate).
Before the ski resorts, winters here were tough, and they are proud of it. Farming, producing and preserving their own food is a source of pride, as is their history of hosting and medaling in Olympic ski events.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Direct flights from the United States fly into Geneva or connect into Lyons, and from there the resorts are a two to three-hour transfer via taxi.
Beyond Skiing: Non-Ski Activities in Les 3 Vallées for Families and Mixed Groups
Beyond the slopes, activities range from tobogganing to ziplines and snowshoe hikes. See the FAQ below for the full rundown.
Resort-by-Resort Breakdown: Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Méribel and Courchevel
Val Thorens: Best for Altitude, Après-Ski and Families with Teens
The highest of the Les 3 Vallées resorts, Val Thorens is nothing but white slopes and peaks as far as you can see. It is above tree line and has the longest season, going into May after the other resorts have closed. The village feels more compact and you’ll see mostly shuttles rather than cars traversing the resort roads.
Dining was also a highlight here, from snowmobiling to an on-mountain sushi dinner to authentic fondue at a farm turned mountain pasture restaurant, Chez Pepe Nicolas.
This resort attracts a younger crowd, as well as families with older children. Val Thorens earns its reputation on après-ski and nightlife. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Val Thorens (and Méribel) are home to the famous La Folie Douce, the ultimate après-ski deck in the French Alps known for its high energy entertainment..
Val Thorens is also home to the new Canon 3200, where skiers and pedestrians alike can meet to take in the views from the highest coffee bar or the highest wine bar in Europe. Spectacular.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Altapura Hotel and Spa in Val Thorens has fantastic Family Rooms with two daybeds for the kids on the lower level that also doubles as a spacious living area.
Les Menuires: Best Value Village for Beginners and Budget-Conscious Families
Les Menuires caught me off guard. I expected budget to mean basic. It doesn’t. Tucked between Val Thorens and St. Martin, this is where we stumbled into our most traditional French meal of the trip: sitting outside on a deck under a tent, wood fire going, sharing the creamy melted cheese over potatoes of raclette while the mountain went dark around us.
While Val Thorens and Meribel may be better known for their après-ski scene, Les Menuires is also home to some vibrant ski decks. Throughout the trip we enjoyed several lunches at Fahrenheit Seven group restaurants. Here, that was Roc Seven with a DJ playing, accompanied by sparkling fiddlers.
Les Menuires connects directly to St. Martin, which was a French village before it became a ski resort. The town has managed to keep its charm as locals converted authentic farm buildings into ski chalets or built new ones to match them. A small museum, Museum of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, is well worth visiting to better understand the history and culture of the area.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Higalik Hotel offers a triple room, family room and suite that all work well for families.
Méribel: Best Central Base for Multi-Gen Groups and Chalet Rentals
Méribel looks the way you picture the Alps before you’ve been. Chalet after chalet stacked up the hillside, each one with a view that makes you stop mid-sentence.
Skiers call Méribel La coeur de Vallée — the heart of the valley — because it connects directly to all other resorts.
While it is home to fewer ski-in/ski-out properties, Méribel gives large groups the space and luxury to entertain properly. Here you can rent a large chalet and have the comfort and convenience of home. Even though there’s less ski-in/ ski-out here, every chalet we encountered ran shuttles directly to the lifts.
Here we enjoyed a break from skiing to snowshoeing at Tuéda Lake with views of the national park of la Vanoise of Meribel. It was a wonderful way to learn more about the wildlife of the area.
Méribel hosts a Via Ferrata climbing route in summer, and the most challenging, steep and narrow black run in Les 3 Vallées, Couloir Tournier.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Home of alpine chalets, Meribel is home to Falcon Lodge by Alpine Resorts which offers many of the services of a high-end hotel, but with the space and conveniences of home, all with spectacular alpine views.
Courchevel: Best for Intermediate Skiers, Luxury Dining and Michelin Stars
Our last stop was in Courchevel. I imagined it to be similar to Aspen. But it was much more over the top in so many ways.
The chalets, hotels and restaurants in Courchevel all offer a level of care and attention that I haven’t experienced elsewhere. Thus, it is no surprise that Courchevel stands alone in Michelin recognition. Courchevel packs more Michelin stars per square kilometer than almost anywhere else on the planet for restaurants and in the Alps for hotels, including several Palace designations. On our last evening, we had the privilege of dining at Alpage, and never before have I experienced the level of care, creativity and attention to stimulating every sense during a dining experience.
As an intermediate skier with no desire to go off piste, this was where I found some of my favorite ski runs. And, on my seventh day of skiing, it was a day when I felt that my skiing had improved. There’s a specific feeling (if you ski, you know it) where the mountain stops feeling like something you’re managing and starts feeling like something you’re reading. On a blue run above Courchevel, with Ashley Key of First Tracks Ski Coaching skiing just ahead of me, I had it for the first time.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Hotel Annapurna Courchevel offers several luxurious slopeside room options for families of all sizes from family rooms to adjoining rooms and spacious suites as well as kids programs for different ages and a game room that teens will love.
How do I choose which village to base my family in for the week?
Match the village to your group’s priorities:
- Les Menuires / St. Martin: Best value, most budget-friendly, strong beginner infrastructure, authentic Savoyard food scene (fondue, raclette, Croziflette).
- Méribel: Best central location; directly connected to all other valleys. Ideal for mixed-ability groups or large families renting a chalet.
- Val Thorens: Highest altitude, longest season (into May), 100% ski-in/ski-out, great for teens and families with older children. Best choice if snow reliability is a priority.
- Courchevel: Widest variety of runs for intermediates, the most slopes of any single resort (108 pistes) and a lower skier density. Also home to the only dedicated children’s village in French skiing and the highest concentration of Michelin-starred dining in the Alps, ideal for luxury alongside family fun. It all comes at a price.
Most families pick one base village and ski to the others as day trips, providing a more relaxing approach than moving accommodations mid-trip.
FAQ: Les 3 Vallées for Families, Multi-Gen Groups and First-Timers
I’d send budget-conscious families straight to Les Menuires. The resort runs two Piou-Piou kids’ clubs that take children from three months old, an all-season children’s event program, a Fun Ski Zone, Snow Park and free ski passes for children under 5. Large multi-gen groups will find Méribel gives them the most space and central access to all four valleys. Val Thorens also holds an official “Family Plus Mountain” certification, offering ski lessons, childcare services and activities for children of all ages. But I would recommend it for families with teens or adult children.
Yes — the Family Flex pass is the standout deal. It’s available for groups of three or more people (maximum two adults aged 18–74 and up to six children aged 5–17), and every member of the family, including adults, pays the child rate. A 6-day Family Flex pass is priced at the cost of 5 days. Children under 5 ski free with proof of age.
Yes, but only specific passes qualify. Epic Pass, Epic Adaptive Pass, Epic Australia Pass and Epic Australia Adaptive Pass holders receive seven consecutive, unrestricted days at Les 3 Vallées. To redeem, you must bring your physical Epic Pass card (or proof of active pass and valid ID) to a designated ticket office. The My Epic mobile app cannot be used for lift access at partner resorts. Plan extra time for this step.
Plenty. Options across the valleys include dog sledding through forests, snowshoeing to take in the quiet beauty of the area, cross-country skiing and high-speed ice-karting in Courchevel. You won’t find this at any U.S. resort — Les 3 Vallées offers more than one toboggan track. Val Thorens has a 6 km toboggan run and a 1,300 m zip line. I tried both, and unexpectedly, found the toboggan run much scarier than the zip line. I went in expecting a typical sled ride like I’ve had with my kids on local sledding hills, but I came out laughing at myself and my flips and crashes. The speed is real, the steering not so controlled. Book it. Just maybe let the kids go first so they can’t see your face.
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