Méribel Ski Resort France
The fabulous Meribel ski resort provided us with a powder ski experience that went way beyond our expectations. Nestled in the heart of Les Trois Vallées in France, Meribel provides the best access for exploration of the entire interlinked 3 Vallées resorts (which include Val Thorens & Courchevel). The Three Valleys provide a gigantic ski area with 600km of interlinked piste and Méribel ski resort has the prime location in the central valley. We were very pleasantly surprised with the powder skiing opportunities here & rate the area a 'must ski' bucket list location!
Meribel ski resort has a sensational array of on & off-piste ski terrain in its own right - otherwise the Brits wouldn’t flock there each winter! Big enough that one may not feel the need to explore beyond its boundaries, it’s a modern resort with abundant amenities yet has preserved its traditional ‘low-rise’ Savoyard style village. Méribel provides an odd combination of party central for UK skiers & snowboarders whilst also maintaining a family (& powder hounds) friendly side!
Pros & Cons of Meribel Ski Resort
Pros
- High altitude ski area with extensive north-aspected terrain and skiable verticals of over 1500m in one run.
- Perfect for intermediate skiers & snowboarders who love to cruise on well-groomed greens, blues & reds.
- Also perfect for off-piste freeriders seeking adventure & powder on the 3 Vallees best & most diverse terrain.
- Centrally located with the region's best access to the vast Trois Vallées ski area, though you’d be very hard pressed to cover the 600km of piste during your Meribel ski holiday, particularly if there is powder.
- Modern resort with plenty of non-ski activities & amenities.
- Competitive lift pass price in relation to number of lifts, trails & quality of terrain.
- Budget lodging options down valley in Brides les Bains connected by gondola to the main resort.
- Family friendly and good English-speaking ski schools.
Cons
- Limited advanced on-piste trails.
- Whilst not in the same league as extortionary Courchevel, playing at Meribel can at times be overpriced.
- Meribel is immensely popular and sometimes super-busy. Midweek in January we found it a delight with zero waiting, but forewarned is forearmed, be prepared for lift lines during holiday periods.
- Some dated gondolas require replacement, but that just quibbling, we still rate the lifts 5/5.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Meribel has a large portion of English-speaking businesses & visitors so this may not be the place to visit if you’re looking to experience French mountain culture at its most authentic.
- Hordes of UK visitors go to the many British owned bars, which makes for a vibrant, sometimes raucous, always drunken, nightlife.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Meribel resort itself is exceptionally large with around 150km of pistes ranging from 1,100m to 2,952m elevation (1,852m skiable vertical). The runs are typically wide & well maintained. Meribel skiing & snowboarding (& Les Trois Vallees) is ideal for intermediates who love to cruise for kilometre upon kilometre to get to the next pit stop. Skiable descents of up to 1,500m vertical are possible.
Check out the ski trail map for Meribel below.
Meribel is also excellent for beginners. Although some of the green runs may be a little too pitchy for absolute novices, over half of the on-piste terrain is rated 'easy' or 'very easy'.
For advanced riders, the on-piste is limited, but off-piste & freeride terrain is sensational, abundant & a helluva lot of fun. Meribel has the best freeride terrain in the 3 Vallees. Experts will find super-steep terrain with little effort, particularly if you have a guide, but easy enough if you don't. The couloirs from Saulire that head into Courchevel will keep one alert........ & alarmed due to the high volume of those wanting to say they skied them. Avoid them and explore the awesome terrain on the opposite side of the resort from Roc de Fer to 3 Marches or in the other direction to the Col de la Loze. Additionally, the new(ish) gondola up the 2,952m Mont Vallon accesses wide open freeride terrain in gorgeous alpine surrounds that is big enough to form its own ski resort! Mind the sharks (rocks) on the sunny aspects.
Meribel's ski lifts are rapidly approaching 'thoroughly modern' status. A few older style gondolas are the major remnants of the past & even they are being replaced. The most recent to go was the funky Plattières 3 gondola which served some ripping freeride terrain & connected to Les Menuires up at 3 Marches. It has been replaced by a 6-er high-speed chair called Bouquetin from season 2020/21.
Lift Passes
Two main lift pass options exist at Meribel. A local lift pass for Meribel only & is valid on all the lifts (incl. the Brides les Bains gondola) within the Meribel valley. For an extra €13/day/pass, a 3 Vallees lift ticket opens up around 600km of pistes & includes Courchevel, Les Menuires, St Martin de Belleville & Val Thorens.
See the 3 Valleys ski trail map.
As with many French Alps resorts, skiing on a Saturday (changeover day for most tourists) is super cheap. A full 3 Vallèes lift pass on a Saturday if pre-purchased online is over €14 cheaper than a mid-week equivalent, and even €8 less than a local Meribel only pass. Bargain!
For international guests, holders of an Epic Pass or Epic Australia Pass receive seven complimentary, unrestricted, and consecutive days at the entire Les 3 Vallées ski area. To receive their complimentary pass, Epic Pass holders must go to one of the ticket offices listed with their Epic Pass and ID. Ticket offices are: COURCHEVEL 1850: La Croisette; COURCHEVEL LE PRAZ: Le Praz gondola; BRIDES-LES-BAINS: Olympe gondola; MÉRIBEL CENTRE: La Chaudanne (under the Tougnète gondola); MÉRIBEL MOTTARET: Next to the Tourist Office; LES MENUIRES: La Croisette (under Roc 1 gondola); SAINT-MARTIN-DE-BELLEVILLE: Saint-Martin 1 gondola; VAL THORENS: Forum Joseph Fontanet and Funitel de Péclet; ORELLE: Francoz.
Snow & Weather
Meribel receives about 5 to 7m of snow each season. The high altitude plus deeply shaded, north-aspected valley ensure the lowest possible temperatures & best possible quality snow. Powder days off-piste at Mèribel are fabulous! To make up for any natural snow deficiencies, there is a phenomenal amount of snow-making equipment to pump out lots of the white frozen stuff onto the pistes.
Where is Méribel France?
Méribel ski resort is situated in the Tarentaise valley of the French Alps, 17km south of the town of Moûtiers and 178km by road south of Geneva Switzerland. Meribel is part of the huge Les Trois Vallées ski area.
The closest gateway airport is Chambéry (CMF) (95km, 1⅓hr), although flights are from limited origins & generally, only on weekends. Geneva (GVA) (2hr transfer) and Lyon (LYS) (2 hr) are the most useful airport options for international visitors. There are numerous companies offering private or shared airport transfers to the resort.
Search & book all airport transfers to Meribel ski resort.
The other travel option is to catch a train to Moûtiers from either London, Paris, Geneva, Annecy, or Lyon. At the station, regular buses to Meribel go via Brides les Bains on the T4 line.
Search & book train tickets to Moutiers. Buy bus tickets at Moutiers from the bus driver.
Driving to Meribel is easy enough but note that traffic can be hideous from Friday night to Sunday evening beyond Albertville. Day trippers in rental cars are best to park in Brides les Bains and take the Olympe gondola to the resort (25min). On the way back it is possible to ski all the way down to Les Allues village before jumping on the gondola for the last section back to Brides les Bains. Parking in Brides les Bains is below the town near the Thermal Spa, just follow the signs.
Meribel Accommodation
The Méribel ski resort has multiple villages connected by lifts & pistes. Like its neighbour Courchevel or the nearby La Plagne & Les Arcs, the village names are similar & prone to cause confusion about where one is staying. From top to bottom the five main villages are Meribel Mottaret, Meribel Centre, Meribel Village, Les Allues & Brides les Bains – easy!
See the Meribel valley map.
Meribel has loads of luxurious chalets & apartments that are both self-catering or fully catered, including many with in-house babysitting and other services. There are also various Meribel hotels, although these are not as prolific as the chalets.
Search & book all Meribel ski accommodation.
Away from the resort villages & in the valley at 600m elevation is Brides les Bains. It has a wide range of hotels & self-contained apartments plus a ski lift link up to Meribel via Les Allures making for a versatile, affordable base from which to explore the entire region. Note that Brides-les-Bains has no return ski trail, so a gondola lift download is required at the end of the day. The journey up to Meribel Centre in the gondola takes 25min.
Search & book all Brides-les-Bains ski accommodation here.
The town of Moutiers makes a good (& cheap) base to explore the region & make day trips to Meribel. Some handy hotels are located just near the train station. Travel times to the resort are around 45min by bus or car. Buses leave from the train station.
For detailed information on the best accommodation in the resort, see our Where to Stay in Meribel page.
Ski Rentals, Lessons, Guiding & Services
Despite the well-preserved chalets & historic look of the villages, Meribel is a modern resort with all the required amenities & facilities. There are plenty of ski rental shops, retail ski shops, and a choice of English-speaking ski & snowboard schools.
Ski rentals are available from our partners in Meribel Village, Meribel Centre & Meribel Mottaret. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Meribel Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A brain-snapping array of ski guides ply their craft in the Meribel ski resort & adjoining valleys. A good mountain guide can make all the difference to an off-piste powder day in an unfamiliar ski resort. For more information & options, see our Meribel Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
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Restaurants & Nightlife
Considering the size of the resort, there aren’t as many restaurants and bars as you’d expect; probably due to the abundance of accommodation that has evening meals included or self-catering apartments. And whilst après-ski drinking can fire-up, the bars are often dull during dinner time before they get going again late in the evening. The nightlife can then get rather boisterous! The entry to the late opening Les Saint Pères Mythic Club Meribel (open 10.30pm to 5.00am) is all class, located right next to the bowling alley in the Olympic centre - classic!
Activities
In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, other Meribel activities include cross country skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, horse sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snow biking, hot air ballooning and paragliding. At the Olympic Centre, built for the 1992 Winter Olympics, a swimming pool, water slide, climbing wall, bowling and indoor ice-skating rink are available to visitors.
Nearby Ski Resorts
In addition to the 3 Vallees resorts, not far away are Pralognan la Vanoise & La Plagne (from Champagny), plus via Bourg St Maurice are La Rosiere, Sainte Foy, Les Arcs, Tignes plus Val d'Isere. Enough choice for several lifetimes of ski holidays!
Review
The Powderhounds visited Méribel in January 2020 & absolutely adored it. It did snow & abundant freshies were harvested. We were surprised to find the 3 Vallees best off-piste freeride terrain at Meribel. We are due to return next season. Read the reviews via the links in the left column (or top of page if on a mobile).
See how Meribel compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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