Les Deux Alpes – the glacier, the no-cost lifts and the long blue slope

Les Deux Alpes sits on a high plateau at 1,650 metres in Isère, and above the village the mountain continues up to a glacier at almost 3,600 metres. That makes the resort one of the most snow-sure in the whole of France: high up there is good snow from the start of the season to the end, and the glacier is often open for skiing for a period in summer too.

For families, Les Deux Alpes is special in another way too – there are five beginner lifts that cost nothing in the middle of the village.

The no-cost lifts in the village

These five lifts cost nothing, so young children and beginners can practise before you buy a lift ticket:

• Petit Bosquet
• Limaçon
• Coolidge 1 and Coolidge 2
• Vikings

It is a perfect way to start the week: a day or two in the village, and then a lift ticket once the children manage on their own on the slopes. Les Deux Alpes also holds the Famille Plus label for child-friendly resorts.

Up and down the mountain – take the lift both ways

Les Deux Alpes is built the opposite way to many other resorts. The slopes closest to the village are steeper and become hard and crowded in the afternoon, while the best wide blue slopes are high up the mountain, towards the glacier. That is why beginners and children take the lift up in the morning – and the lift down again when their legs are tired.

Difficulty	Kilometres	Share
Blue	143 km	65 %
Red	39 km	18 %
Black	38 km	17 %

The whole area has about 220 kilometres of pistes and 40 lifts, with a vertical drop of over 2,000 metres.

The glacier

At the very top you ski on the glacier, where the snow is good and the slopes are wide. But remember that it is high:

• The cold – it can be much colder at 3,500 metres than in the village. Bring a face mask and extra layers.
• The sun – on the glacier the snow reflects the sun, so sunscreen and sunglasses are a must even on a grey day.
• The altitude – young children can get tired more quickly high up. Take breaks and drink plenty.

Les Deux Alpes with kids

• The no-cost lifts in the village for the first few days.
• Children's areas with ski schools in the village and higher up.
• The lift pass for children is cheaper than the adult pass, and multi-day passes are cheaper per day.

Everything about the first week with children – ski school, equipment and daily rhythm – is in the guide to the first ski trip with kids, and for adult beginners in ski trip for beginners.

Getting to Les Deux Alpes

• By air: the closest is Grenoble, about an hour and three quarters away by car. From Lyon it takes around two and a half hours. Expect longer journeys on Saturdays in high season.
• By train: take the train to Grenoble and the bus up. How to travel by train from Sweden is explained in train to the Alps.
• By car: the last stretch is a winding road up from the valley – winter tyres and snow chains are required.

Les Deux Alpes or its neighbours?

The neighbour Alpe d'Huez on the other side of the valley has a bigger area and more sunny slopes, while Les Deux Alpes has the glacier and the no-cost lifts. If you want forest and a night train all the way, Serre Chevalier on the other side of the Col du Lautaret is a good alternative. We compare all the French resorts in skiing holidays in France, and what to pack is in the ski trip packing list.