Les Menuires or Val Thorens for Christmas?
- Val Thorens is the safer bet for snow: at least 30cm on Christmas morning in 13 of 14 years, against 13 of 29 for Les Menuires.
- On Christmas atmosphere we rate them the same (3 out of 5).
- On families we rate them the same (4 out of 5).
- On beginners we rate them the same (4 out of 5).
Les Menuires and Val Thorens side by side
| Les Menuires | Val Thorens | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | France | France |
| Village altitude | 1,850m | 2,300m |
| Top of the ski area | 2,850m | 3,230m |
| Christmases with 30cm+ of snow | 13 of 29 (Les Menuires (village), 1800 m) | 13 of 14 (Val Thorens (village), 2283 m) |
| Snow lying in the village | No village record | No village record |
| Christmas Snow Score | 53/100 | 88/100 |
| Christmas atmosphere (our rating) | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Families (our rating) | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Beginners (our rating) | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Chalets we list | 9 | 17 |
| Typical Christmas week, 19 Dec – 26 Dec 2026 | Too few priced | Too few priced |
Snow figures are Christmas-morning measurements by national and regional weather services, shown on the Christmas Snow Report. Ratings are our editorial view. Prices are Booking.com’s cheapest total for the week for each chalet’s full capacity, among chalets still available when we checked.
What Christmas is like in each
Christmas in Les Menuires
Well organised, if not picturesque. Last season a Christmas market ran at La Croisette in the week before Christmas; on Christmas Eve Les Bruyères had a sound and light show, a torchlit descent and fireworks, and Father Christmas visited La Croisette on Christmas Day.
More about Christmas in Les Menuires · Chalets in Les Menuires
Christmas in Val Thorens
Christmas in Val Thorens is a skiing Christmas rather than a picturesque one. The resort puts on a torchlit descent and a fireworks display, the bars are busy from mid-afternoon, and the whole place has the atmosphere of a very high-altitude holiday camp in the best sense. If you want a market square and a brass band, look at Austria. If you want to be certain of snow on the 25th, this is the strongest card in the Alps.
More about Christmas in Val Thorens · Chalets in Val Thorens
Questions about Les Menuires and Val Thorens at Christmas
Which has more snow at Christmas, Les Menuires or Val Thorens?
Val Thorens is the safer bet for snow: at least 30cm on Christmas morning in 13 of 14 years, against 13 of 29 for Les Menuires. Measured on Christmas morning at the nearest weather station to each resort since 1996; how often there has been snow, not a forecast.
Which is better for christmas atmosphere at Christmas, Les Menuires or Val Thorens?
On Christmas atmosphere we rate them the same (3 out of 5).
Which is better for families at Christmas, Les Menuires or Val Thorens?
On families we rate them the same (4 out of 5).
Which is better for beginners at Christmas, Les Menuires or Val Thorens?
On beginners we rate them the same (4 out of 5).