Meribel forms part of the Three Valleys lift system, which is considered to be the most efficient overall lift system in France (200 ski lifts transport 260,000 skiers hourly!). Méribel itself offers 15 high capacity gondola lifts, and 19 chair-lifts (including one 8-seater and six 6-seater), 14 drag-lifts, 8 telebabies and 1 moving walkway. The lifts open at 9.00am, and start to close around 4.20 (the time varies for each lift). From February onwards the lifts stay open for a further half hour. You can find the exact closing times for each main lift on the lift map. The lifts open every day of the week, even on Christmas and New Year's day. A selection of the lifts are also open in summer.
The Three Valleys lift system is scheduled to open from July 3rd to August 28th 2009, giving access to Belleville, Meribel and Courchevel valleys. Not all lifts are open every day of the week, please see the Summer Lift Schedule for more details on opening and closing times.
*Please see Méribel for Paragliding for more information.**Dogs are not allowed into any part of the Tueda Nature Reserve or the Vanoise National Park. Please ensure that in other areas your dog is on a lead if necessary.***It is not recommended to expose babies to sudden changes in altitude or temperature - if lift staff consider your child too young to travel on certain lifts they reserve the right to refuse you entry. Please see our Tips for Families & Kids section for advice.
NB The Méribel lifts can take you as high as 2700m (Saulire) and ascend/descend rapidly. Please consult your doctor before arriving in resort if you have heart problems or any other medical problem that may be exacerbated by a change in altitude.
Activity Maps for Meribel
Here we have a great map of the Parc National de la Vanoise, covering the whole 3 Valleys and showing footpaths for hikers, mountain bike runs, as well as parking areas and tourist offices. It also shows the location of many of the summer activities, such as summer tobogganing, paragliding, via ferrata, golf and the adventure park. The VTT and summer hiking maps are smaller and more specific to the Méribel valley.
The Meribel piste map gives good detail of the local area, whereas the 3 valleys piste map gives you a broad picture of how everything is connected. We've added in piste maps for Courchevel and Val Thorens so you can get a better idea of actually how much there is to ski in the whole 3 Valleys area! For a more detailed map when you get on the mountain, pick up a paper copy of the piste maps from the lift company when you buy your pass.
Below is our speedy overview of what the current lift status is in the valley. The list summary is probably most useful if you already know the valley and the lift names. If you don't, you may also find the piste & lift map handy if you are less familiar with the area.
Skinets Support Tool |
