Family Holidays in Les 2 Alpes

Best place for families to stay in Les 2 Alpes

If you’re coming for a ski holiday with a young family, look for accommodation near any of the lifts. The fewer steps your little people have to take in ski boots, the better (for all concerned!).

• if your children are small or first-timers, then staying close to the nursery slopes is a good idea
• try accommodation by the Alpette lift area in the centre, where you'll be close to a children's learn-to-ski zone and the indoor swimming pool
• other nursery slopes at resort level are at the Bosquet lift and the Viking lifts
• Les 2 Alpes 1800 is mainly self-catering apartment accommodation and has fewer facilities than the main resort
• there are a couple of well priced family friendly hotels in 1800 with kids clubs, and overall, it is quieter

Lift passes for families

Lift passes make up a significant portion of the cost of a family holiday to the mountains, so it pays to check you’re buying the right ticket for your group. 

Here in Les 2 Alpes there are various concessions to help you keep your costs down, such as:

• children under 5 use the lifts for free
• those aged between 5 and 12 pay a reduced rate
• there are free and reduced-price ski passes if you only want to use the beginner areas
• you can buy a pedestrian pass - if maybe you or your partner don’t ski, but you still want to go up and watch the kids

You can buy half-day lift tickets if a full day on the mountain seems too long for the kids. It’s not a lot cheaper than an all-day ticket, but it’ll save you a little bit. 

Lift passes in Les 2 Alpes for families of four or more

If you're a family of four or more, you'll be able to save money on the regular ticket price by buying a 'family lift pass'.

With the family ski pass, you can also get one entry to the swimming pool and ice rink per day, night skiing, and one free day in a neighbouring resort. 

Ski schools for families

If you have designs on raising the next Shaun White or Chemmy Alcott, then getting your kids into ski school as soon as possible is going to be a priority!

The main ski schools offer:

• full and half-day sessions
• have English speaking guides
• will take your kids to a dedicated area where they can learn how to snow plough, stop, turn and glide safely

Ski schools usually take weekly bookings, so if you’re only here for a few days it’s good to check if there’s any space for your kids.

What age can children start ski lessons

Ski schools will take children from 3 years old. At this age, the focus is on having fun in the snow, so there are normally inflatables and games to play. 

Most beginner areas also have a ‘magic carpet’ travelator (a bit like the ones you get at airports) to get kids and beginner adults to the top of the slopes without having to contend with lifts.

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, half-day lessons are normally more than enough if you’re a novice.

What’s included in the price of a lesson

The price you pay for a ski lesson is for tuition only. Ski passes are not included.

So for those aged 5 and over, you’ll need to make sure they have: 

• a valid ski pass (you can get discounted passes if you're only using the nursery slopes)
• skis, helmets, goggles - you can hire these from one of the many ski hire shops in the resort
• ski clothing like salopettes and a jacket, warm layers and gloves  

A ski pass isn’t necessary for kids under five, but you'll still need to buy a hands-free card for them to use on the turnstiles. You can get one of these from any lift station, take ID to prove their age.

Ski areas for families

A decent mix of terrain should keep all the family happy.

There are beginner slopes along the centre of the resort at village level, with the main children's learning area by the Alpette lift, and a dedicated beginner zone at the Bosquet lifts. Five of these lower lifts are free to use, no ski lift pass required.

Once you have got the hang of these lower slopes, you can head up into the high mountain to explore longer green pistes off the Crêtes chair lift. Beyond here, there are plenty of blue runs to enjoy - in fact you can ski from the very top of Les 2 Alpes at 3,200m, all the way down to the village using blue and green runs. You can find out more about the easy slopes in Les 2 Alpes in out beginner ski areas article.

More advanced skiers can enjoy the whole 225km of pistes in the area. For the adventurous, a day skiing the neighbouring La Grave off-piste mountain is a must. It's connected to Les 2 Alpes by cat-track and caterpillar-drag, and you should only ever ski here with a guide.

There is a great snow park called Freestyle Land which has beginner, intermediate and advanced areas for skiers and snowboarders. Choose from Easy Park, Slopestyle and Big Air, Half Pipe, Park de l'Envers, Boarder cross and the Cool Zone. Regular events are held here throughout the year.

You can buy reduced price ski passes for the nursery areas, please see the beginners ski pass section on our lift pass prices page.

Activities for families

During the winter, if the kids are only skiing for half a day, there are plenty of other activities available in Les 2 Alpes to keep them happy.

Childcare services

There are several options for childcare in Les 2 Alpes. 

Contact the local tourist office for a list of available babysitters.

There is a resort run crèche called Bonhomme de Neige who take children from six months, but please note that they do not speak English.

If you're here in summer

The main sports centre of each town hosts a kids club during the summer holidays, normally from the beginning of July to the end of August, with activities such as swimming, climbing, tennis, basketball, ice-skating, etc. and organised hikes and picnics.