Christmas & New Year in Alpe d'Huez

Many restaurants and bars will put on “special” nights and banquets, these are generally well published around town. Traditionally in France both Christmas and New Year are a big family affair, with many youngsters attending large family gatherings and meals before hitting the bars and clubs in the early hours.

With regard to restaurants, booking is essential as they will be really busy at both Christmas and New Year, and those offering banquets etc. will operate a single sitting policy, and therefore numbers are more limited than normal. The restaurants around the ice rink (Pinocchio’s, The Edelweiss, La Pomme de Pin/etc) are always busy with families and have a great celebratory vibe, with children always welcome. 

Christmas really gets into full swing at the beginning of advent in Alpe d’Huez when the Christmas lights get turned on. Indeed, Santa Claus himself will be at the Tourist Office in the heart of the old town from 21st December up to Christmas Eve (when he obviously has other commitments and places to be!!).

Smithys Tavern, in the old town, is always hugely popular with families in the early evening and with late night revellers after around 11pm, and being large in size can cater for the biggest of groups.  New Year’s eve in Smithys is always a big fancy dress affair and you will need a ticket in advance (last year’s price €10), so why not bring your fancy dress outfit with you? Last year’s theme was “superheroes”, so why not get a ticket and put your pants on outside your trousers for a change!

Freeride Bar with its stock trading theme is always very popular and never more so than at Christmas and New Year. A more sophisticated feel can be found at Lounge 21 (above the Igloo nightclub) which at both Christmas and New Year’s offers a special “3 Course/banquet” type meal which is always very popular, and the fun continues late into the night with a resident DJ, with booking essential.

Smithys Tavern, Old School, O’Sharkeys, Sphere Bar and Zoo Bar all have DJ’s and the party goes on way after midnight. While the Underground Bar, with its live music, often manages to hang on latest in the  late night/very early morning stakes! A more relaxed, typically alpine, intimate atmosphere can be found in the O’Bar (in the heart of the old town) with TV screens showing the “big countdown” in France and then an hour later from the UK. Both the Caves and Igloo Nightclubs tend to be busy on New Year’s Eve and tickets are required.

The Nursery slopes next to the sports centre (Eclose chair lift) host a fantastic early evening firework display on New Year’s Eve, and given it’s central location the fireworks are visible from all over the resort.

On Saturday 19th December Bourg d’Oisans (at the bottom of the mountain) will hold a fantastic market with stalls full of local produce with a generous helping of Christmas spirit too boot. 

Why not get into the Christmas party spirit with a bit of floodlit skiing on Christmas Eve, bring a torch and a set of battery powered antlers and make it a truly magical torch-lit descent. 

Once all the partying is finished, late night munchies can be cured at Lil food (next to the Igloo nightclub in the old town) with great kebabs and burgers, or your over-indulgencies can be cured in the morning in good old fashioned style at Captain Sandwich, at the top of the main street next to the L’Etalon Bar.