Méribel & Mottaret Ski Holidays
The main village of Méribel (Centre) and the secondary villages of Méribel Village and Méribel-Mottaret are ideally located in the heart of the Three Valleys, one of the largest ski areas in the world!
Méribel Centre is the liveliest, most chic of the villages and has undergone a transformation in recent years with a choice of smart bars and restaurants complementing the more traditional establishments. Méribel has a long history of being popular with British guests although its reputation has grown and it now attracts a more even mix of nationalities.
Mottaret sits above Méribel Centre and you can ski down to the Chaudanne area of the latter via the legendary 'Trout' run. Mottaret offers what some would argue is the best location in the Three Valleys in terms of its ski-in/ski-out accommodation and also has slightly less expensive après-ski.
Both of these resort bases offer excellent skiing and easy access to both the Courchevel and Val Thorens valleys.
Méribel Village is a quieter sub-resort just over 2km from Méribel Centre; built in a traditional hamlet style, it also has two restaurants, a bakery, minimarket and a ski hire shop. The Golf ski lift opens up direct access to the Three Valleys ski area however getting to Courchevel or Val Thorens from Méribel Village does require taking a couple of additional lifts or getting to Méribel Centre first. You can ski back down to Méribel Village via the blue Lapin run or use the free resort bus which runs to Méribel Centre throughout the day and into the evening.
Skiing in Méribel
As the resort's symbol shows, Méribel is at the heart of the Three Valleys, one of the world's most impressive lift-linked networks of pistes and skiable terrain. Nowhere else can quite match the Three Valleys for its convenience, breadth and depth of skiing and Méribel sits snugly in the middle of it all. The pistes and runs are clearly signposted and, although it's not entirely clear from the piste map, it's possible to navigate the three valleys entirely on green runs, if necessary.
The Méribel valley is orientated north to south so you can ski in the sun all day long. Start your day on the west side somewhere between Roc de Fer and Mont de la Chambre before working your way round to finish off on the sun-kissed slopes of the Saulire peak. All of which will give you countless opportunities to drop into the other valleys.
Méribel-Mottaret is more ski-in/ski-out whereas Méribel stretches up and along the valley with the Chaudanne at its root. From here, ride up to Tougnette (2434m) on the west side for access to some superb red runs spreading north towards the fast quads of Roc de Fer and the Ladies' Olympic downhill. Off the back are deserted flanks of off-piste and a couple of classic reds leading down to St Martin de Belleville.
- Important information
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Ski Area Three Valleys: 600km Ski Range 1400-3230m Green Runs 55 Blue Runs 138 Red Runs 106 Black Runs 35 Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Off-season Off-season Off-season Off-season Off-season Off-season On-season On-season On-season On-season On-season Off-season
- Distance from airports
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Geneva 2hr25mins Chambery 1hr25mins Calais (ski drive) 546 miles