Filled with luxury ski chalets, Meribel sits nestled in the middle of the Three Valleys and is one of France's most attractive ski resorts. With a lively village centre, people are drawn back for a Meribel ski holiday year after year.
Why Choose Meribel?
Meribel ski holidays are popular for a reason; luxury chalets, excellent restaurants, a lively apres ski scene and most importantly, world-class skiing across Les Trois Vallées. The wide variety of pistes ensures there's plenty to keep everyone entertained, from beginner skiers to off-piste experts, and snowboarders to snow-shoe hikers. With over 600km to explore there's too much to see in just one week. As you would expect from the largest and most famous ski area in Europe, ski holidays in Meribel are renowned for the efficient interconnectivity between the pistes and villages, so it's rare to find lift queues here!
Skiing the Three Valleys
The local Méribel ski area peaks out at 3,000m, and snow conditions remain pretty reliable throughout the season. Wide open pistes and a comfortable mix between blue and red runs make Meribel a haven for intermediate skiers, whilst the sheer size of the ski area means there's still plenty for both experts and beginners to explore. If you're a fan of the goggle tan-line, follow the sun all day by skiing the Tougnette side during the morning, and then swap over to Saulire in the afternoons...this has the added benefit of ensuring you're within striking distance of the Folie Douce by the time apres hour rolls around.
While a ski holiday in Meribel is invariably all about the skiing, don't forget to enjoy the resort itself. Surrounded by alpine forests and built in a traditional style, Meribel is one of the prettiest ski resorts in France. The quintessential mountain town, Meribel houses plenty of entertainment, shopping and gastronomic delights. Treat yourself to a spa day, or spend some time exercising your credit card instead of your ski legs; there are plenty of boutiques and local gift shops to roam around.
Luxury ski chalets in Meribel come in all shapes and forms, from exclusive catered ski chalets boasting top-class service, gourmet catering and the full range of wellness facilities, to contemporary self-catered ski apartments, ski in/ski out chalets, and cosy boltholes for a family ski holiday. When considering your perfect luxury ski chalet in Meribel, it's worth remembering that Meribel actually consists of several villages, each with their own distinct atmosphere.
Luxury Ski Chalets in the Meribel Villages
Meribel Centre is the heart of Meribel, with the tourist office at its core. This is the area where numerous boutiques, restaurants, a supermarket and sports shops can be found.
A couple of miles out of town is Méribel Village. This village is small and upmarket and houses a number of Meribel's luxury ski chalets and apartments. Served by its own chairlift to Méribel Altiport, it's an ideal location for families and beginner skiers, and has easy access to the wider ski area. As a compact village, most luxury chalets in Meribel Village are within an easy 5-minute walk to the chairlift. The village centre offers everything you need for an enjoyable ski holiday; a couple of bars and restaurants, an excellent bakery, supermarket and a ski hire shop. A free bus service connects with the main town.
Raffort village is a beautiful little hamlet in the heart of the Meribel valley, just outside of Meribel Village. Traditional in style, Meribel Le Raffort is home to stunning luxury chalets, perfect for a picturesque ski holiday in the 3 Valleys. Connected to the main resort by gondola and the free bus service, there are nevertheless a couple of nice restaurants here to enjoy.
Méribel Mottaret is a satellite resort higher up the mountain. A good choice for very early or late season holidays. It has a varied choice of restaurants and several bars. It's really well-connected to the wider ski area, and is the easiest location from which to hop over to either the Courchevel or Val Thorens valleys.
Apres Ski on a Meribel Ski Holiday
As you would expect, après-ski in Meribel is varied and lively. For a real party atmosphere, the infamous Folie Douce is a classic choice, however Jack's Bar and The Rond Point (affectionately known as The Ronnie), are both highly popular for a fun evening of dancing in your ski boots.
L'Abreuvoir is a favourite with French locals and boasts a varied cocktail menu; the classy choice for after ski drinks before retiring back to your Meribel catered chalet for dinner. Similarly, Copina which sits in the centre of resort, is an intimate spot for an elegant drink before dinner, or to enjoy a long evening sampling the extensive wine menu and tapas.
For a late night on the tiles, O'Sullivan's is the number 1 spot to dance the night away.
The restaurant scene in Méribel is well-regarded, and there's something for everyone. Tsaretta Spice is the choice for curry lovers and has developed a brilliant reputation, while Aux Petit Oignons offers a more typical, if equally delicious, menu of hearty dishes like confit duck.
Chez Kiki is perhaps the most famous of the restaurants in Meribel. Monsieur KiKi himself still cooks the steaks here to perfection over the fire. For a true gourmet experience, the fine dining Grand Coeur restaurant is home to exquisitely prepared Savoyard specialities and classic French dishes.
