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Why Meribel is the Place to be for your Winter Holidays
Meribel lies in the centre of the biggest ski area in the world, the Three Valleys, with access to around 600km of slopes and 180 ski lifts. It's the perfect resort for families, couples and groups of friends as it has so much to offer for every level of ability of skier and non-skier alike.
Brides Les Bains lies at the bottom of the Meribel Valley and the highest village at the other end of the valley is Mottaret. During the winter a bubble runs from Brides Les Bains, through Les Allues straight to the centre of Meribel so the resort is easily accessed from anywhere in the valley.
There are pistes available for skiers of all levels. The Altiport in Meribel has excellent beginner runs that are great for kids as there are little tracks between the trees for them to explore! If you prefer a more challenging ski then you should head to Mont Vallon and Cote Brune where there is always plenty of snow. Head up here at the start of the day to find empty pistes and then you can work your way back down to Meribel in time for lunch.
The original stade is the George Maduit run that goes from the mid station of the Saulire to the Chaudanne in Meribel centre. It is a steep run but a good last day challenge! For the freestylers out there Meribel has recently rebuilt an excellent snowpark on the Tougnette side of the valley with a half pipe, bumps, massive jumps and a ski cross track.
When Albertville hosted the Winter Olympics in 1992 Meribel built a fantastic Olympic sports centre the Parc Olympique. The ice rink is always good fun and you can rent skates there as well as watch the numerous skating shows and competitions. The aquatics include a 25m swimming pool, baby pool and slide. There centre is also home of the climbing wall and a bowling alley.
There are plenty of nice restaurants in Meribel ranging from great deal family restaurant to more expensive romantic spots. At the higher end of the price range Chez Kiki is located just outside Meribel centre on the way up to the Altiport and has a warm mountain feel, excellent food and service to match. One of the best restaurants is Le Blanchot located at the Altiport and is the perfect place for a special evening. There are also lots of family friendly restaurants with a lower price tag; Le Tremplin is located at the Chaudanne, just across the road from the pistes and you'll find Meribar just next to it. La Tavern is the only restaurant open all year round and is located right in the centre.
Meribel also has plenty of nightlife, Barometer has a great atmosphere and is a popular rendez-vous for most of the seasonnaires. Down by the Chaudanne Evolution bar and Jack's Bar have live music and a fun atmosphere. For a real party vibe head to the Folie Douce, located just underneath the mid station of the Saulire so you can safely walk home afterwards! This isn’t the cheapest night out you can find but they always put on a great show with live DJs, dancers, a special champagne ski lift and plenty of on-table dancing. The best nightclub in Meribel is O’ Sullivans (formerly known as Dicks Tea Bar) which is open until 5am and doesn’t stop until then!
This year Meribel ski area is open from the 6th of December until the 24th of April.
So have you booked your trip over here yet? Snow's already falling... :-)
