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Les 2 Alpes with kids: a family ski holiday guide

Les 2 Alpes is a high-altitude resort in the Oisans, in the French Alps, with skiing up to 3,600 m on a glacier. Here's what families need to know before booking.

Why Les 2 Alpes works for families

• Reliable snow. The ski area runs from 1,650 m to 3,600 m, with a glacier at the top, so there's good snow from December to the end of the season.
• Plenty of easy runs. Of the 89 pistes, 17 are green and 46 are blue.
• A compact resort. Shops, restaurants and ski school meeting points are close together, so the walk with small children stays short.
• Two seasons. In summer there's glacier skiing, hiking and mountain biking, and the Écrins National Park is right next door.

One quirk worth knowing: the official piste map reserves the runs back down to the resort for intermediate and advanced skiers, so beginners and young children take the lift back down at the end of the day. For easy skiing right by the resort, head to the Vallée Blanche sector on the 1800 side, which has green runs and its own lift.

When to go

There are two peak periods: the Christmas and New Year holidays, and the French February school holidays. The February holidays run over four weeks because France staggers them across three zones, and they overlap with UK half-term and Belgian carnival holidays. Prices and lift queues are at their highest during both peaks, so book early.

January and March are quieter, and the snow is often just as good. If your children aren't at school yet, these weeks are the easiest time to go.

Ski lessons for children

Several ski schools operate in the resort, including the ESF (École du Ski Français). Children's lessons take place in dedicated areas up the mountain, where the snow is reliable even when it's thin at resort level. Children's group lessons usually start from about age 4, and there are snow clubs for younger children. Lessons fill up quickly in school holidays, so book them when you book the chalet.

For babies and toddlers, the resort's nursery, Bonhomme de Neige, takes children from 6 months. Places are limited, so register well before your stay, especially in school holidays. Children need to be up to date with the vaccinations required in France.

Off the slopes

• The ice cave on the glacier, reached by lift, is a favourite with children.
• The swimming pool in the town centre is open all year.
• Lunch with a view at Le Diable au Cœur, a mountain restaurant at 2,400 m featured in the Michelin Guide. Non-skiers can get there by lift too; booking is required.
• Sledging and snowshoeing are a good break from skiing.
• Back at the chalet, the private sauna, hammam and jacuzzi are a treat for the grown-ups once the children are in bed.

Practical tips

• Stays run Saturday to Saturday, and the roads up from the valley are busiest on Saturdays in February.
• Groceries: there are several supermarkets on the main street.
• Winter tyres or chains are compulsory in the mountain areas of Isère from 1 November to 31 March.

Where to stay with children

With children, a chalet close to the slopes, with enough beds and bathrooms, makes the week much easier. Chalet Leslie Alpen 1 sleeps up to 12 in Les Deux Alpes 1800:

• The Petite Aiguille ski run 100 m away, the ski school meeting points about 700 m away, and snow on the doorstep for sledging
• Two children's rooms sleeping 3 each: a dormitory with 3 single beds, and a room with a bunk bed and a single bed (upper bunk from age 6)
• Baby equipment on request
• 3 bathrooms plus separate WCs, and a dining table for twelve
• Fibre internet (1 Gbit/s) and two desks, if a parent needs to work
• A ski shed with boot warmers, so everyone starts the day with warm, dry boots
• 2 outdoor parking spaces, plus shared parking on the lane