Menuires Advice on Ski Lift Pass

A snowHead

Hi
We are off to Menuires next week and I can't wait! After not skiing for 4 years.

I can't decide whether we should buy the local pass or the 3 Vallees?

I'd describe myself as an early intermediate and like nice easy runs.

We do like to ski all day, stopping for a quick lunch.

I know this is going to be one of those questions that comes down to an individual, but any thoughts?

Any other advice on a nice restaurant for 1 evening and daily lunch stops, area in general and I'll probably take a couple of private lessons as well so any thoughts on the ski schools?

A snowHead

Hi there we were in les Ménuires March last year. If you are an intermediate and after some miles I’d go for the 3 valleys pass. LM will keep you occupied for a couple of days but there are so many great runs over to Méribel and Courchevel that you’d be gutted if you didn’t I think. If you are just getting back into it and happy to take it easy then stick to LM although I wouldn’t think there’s that much difference in the price. Huts for lunch on LM side generally cheaper and think the one up la masse is reasonable. Not sure about evenings. Prosneige good for lessons. Enjoy it you’ll have a ball after 4 years off!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

There used to be a choice of 3 passes - Les Menuires (inc St Martin), Valee des Belleville (also inc Val Thorens), and 3 Vallleys. Would defo go for one of the latter two. You can buy day extensions, tho just one extension will take you up to the price that you would have paid anyway.

We recently enjoyed lunches at the Rond Point in Meribel - English-run, lovely terrace, reasonable prices, with good quality burgers and stir fries (inc vegetarian options).

The kids esp enjoyed the slide down to the loos!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Thanks for the replies.
I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go for the 3 Valleys pass. It looks like if we only use it two days it will be the same price and I can see us getting half way through the week and deciding to upgrade and then cursing we didn't do it earlier.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hi, we were in Les Menuires a couple of weeks ago and I agree with the posts above that it would be worth getting one of the area pass options - I'm a slow skier (get overtaken by literally everyone except beginners!) so don't cover as many miles as some people, but even so, I found myself crossing into other areas pretty quickly/easily, and would have felt a bit restricted if I'd only had the local pass. I think you'd find the same, although you'll certainly enjoy skiing the local area - many nice blues there, e.g. Mont de la Chambre.

We didn't eat out much (we mostly just stop for vin chauds/coffees on the slopes), but had a pizza one lunchtime at Le Chalet des Neiges (top of Roc 1 lift) and an evening meal at La Marmite restaurant in resort (in the Bruyeres area, where we were staying). Neither was hugely cheap, but at the same time they were fairly typical of the prices we saw in most places in LM, and both meals were delicious! I didn't get any lessons this time, but have used New Generation for private lessons in other resorts and found them very good - think they are based in St Martin, though, rather than LM.

Enjoy snowHead

You'll need to Register first of course.

Swallow it and get the full 3V pass. You'll not be disappointed. It's such a quality area.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Another yes for the 3V pass - you’ll probably find it at annoyance being stuck with a local pass as most itineraries will naturally mean crossing over into other areas, plus having VT on your pass gives you the option of getting high if you need to.

After all it is free

My budget lunch stop recommendations are: The Cafe del Mot (ground floor of the Hotel Mottaret) in Mottaret - 9.95 Euros for plat du jour or burger and chips plus a drink (beer, wine or soft); the Steak American (baguette, burger & chips) at Snow Food in the centre of VT (next to the ski doo hire base) - 7.50 E but find it is enough for two; the Igloo in Reberty (Les Menuires) and L'Eterlou in St Martin (next to the bottom of the Village drag). The latter does a 3 course menu du jour for 18.50 E. Otherwise, the plat du jour at Chez Pepe Nicholas, L'Ours Blanc and Les Sonnailes are all good. The Meribel Un-plugged '3Vs Lunch Guide', which can be picked up in a lot of bars & restaurants, lists some of the better value establishments but check prices.

3V's pass better value for money. And has already been said you'll regret it if you don't make your way across to the other valleys. Re: restaurants, don't forget all French establishments serving food have to by law post their menus and prices outside their premises so that you can make your mind up about the budget before you set foot in anywhere.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I was in VT last weekend - they still do the three choices: local (in my case VT Orelle, in yours LM), Vallee de Belleville or 3V (which is obviously 4V with access to the Maurienne Smile

)

I don't think Vallee de Belleville is worth it if you are in VT or St Martin - you might as well buy 3V.

However from LM, assuming you don't plan on spending your time on the slopes (ticking all areas/lifts/runs...), it's an interesting saving.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

3V for sure. I was barely an early intermediate when I went - there is so much choice that even I got around a lot back then sticking mainly to blues. (First ever red was Roc Mugnier - nice icy linking run - thanks to my husband Very Happy

)
I would say Bel Air, Courchevel 1650 on a good day for lunch, but book in person or they always claimed they were full!

Help!!

Menuires Advice on Ski Lift Pass

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports