Sitting at the foot of the Alps, Grenoble’s the perfect gateway to France’s mountain marvels. And when the runs close for the day, nothing beats unbuckling your boots and enjoying some après antics. You’ll find everything from the mild to the wild around these parts, and it’s not all about the bars either. Here are just some of the places you can spend your off-slope downtime…

Alpe d’Huez

Distance from Grenoble airport: 105km

In just over an hour, you can reach the ever-sunny resort of Alpe d’Huez. Aside from the serious ski mileage (250km in fact), there’s no end of après activities.

La Folie Douce

Ask anyone to name an iconic French après bar, and chances are they’ll say ‘La Folie Douce’. There’ll be no need to consult your piste map to track it down, just follow the thumping beats.

Aux Grands Rouges

Uninterrupted views and a seemingly endless wine list are just two of the highlights of this hotel bar. Think less dancing on tables, more cosying up with a glass of red and a charcuterie board.

Freeride Café

This popular pick in the centre of town always attracts a crowd. Our favourite thing about Freeride Café? The fact you can ride a slide down to the loos. From 9pm, the bar uses a stock exchange-style system, so the drinks prices go up and down.

Don’t miss: The alpine coaster

Alpe d’Huez’ alpine coaster turns traditional après-ski on its head (literally). Pop on your virtual reality goggles and you’ll be transported to another world, whooshing down the track’s twists and turns.

Les Deux Alpes

Distance from Grenoble airport: 110km

If you’re of the ‘ski-hard, play-hard’ mentality, Les Deux Alpes should be right up your street. There are more than 40 bars in town to choose from, so the real challenge is whittling it down to one.

Pano Bar

You can go from swishing to sipping in minutes at this on-slope bar, perched at 2600m. Every day, from 3pm until 5pm, you can enjoy DJ sets, dancers and saxophonists.

L’Avalanche Club

Dance-until-dawn type? Make a beeline for this ever-popular club, situated in the heart of the resort. It’s been welcoming partygoers for nearly 20 years and stays busy until the early hours.

Smithy’s Tavern

Locals and visitors alike pile into this beer-centric bar for the live music, tasty food and great-value happy hours. Expect boot stomping by the bucket load!

Motown Café

This cosy café is just the tonic if you’re keen for something a little more low-key. As the flakes fall outside, curl up with a glass of steaming vin chaud (mulled wine) and listen to the soulful tunes.

Don’t miss: Chalet Mounier spa

Pamper aching muscles post-ski with a trip to the Hotel Chalet Mounier’s spa. Take a dip in the indoor pool, then unwind in the sauna, whirlpool, steam room and Turkish bath.

Chamrousse

Distance from Grenoble airport: 78km

Lesser-known, but all the better for it, Chamrousse boasts 90km of crowd-free pistes. Après here is all about the adrenaline-pumping pursuits. We’re talking snowmobiling, sledging, snowshoeing and so much more.

Le K-DOX

Located at the bottom the slopes, next to the Arselle chairlift, this bar and restaurant has all your post-ski needs covered. The sprawling outdoor terrace calls for a spritz or two in the sunshine.

Easy Rider

Kick off your afternoon at this traditional, chalet-style bar. Cocktails? Live music? Regional cuisine? Tick, tick and tick!