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Meribel Transport & Parking
| Transport & Parking in Meribel |
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Méribel has an excellent free bus service which runs until around midnight (and the service to the outlying villages has been much improved since the beginning of 2004/5 season). A car might be useful if your accommodation is in one of the villages not served by the Olympe gondola lift, or a long walk from the pistes and away from the bus routes. Most Tour Operators offer a free minibus service to their clients. Information and timetables for the public transport system can be found in this section, along with parking information for car drivers. |
| Public Transport in Meribel |
Meribus is the free bus service which runs from 8am to midnight seven days per week. Buses run between La Chaudanne and the Altiport every 15 minutes throughout the day and between Meribel and Mottaret every half an hour. A less frequent service links Meribel with Meribel Village and Les Allues. Take a look at the ski bus timetable to plan your route. The villages of Brides les Bains, Les Allues and Le Raffort are all linked to Méribel by the Olympe gondola lift which runs during the day, and Mottaret has a gondola lift linking the top and bottom of the resort which runs until 7.30pm.
The other Three Valley resorts (Courchevel, La Tania, St Martin, Brides les Bains, Val Thorens and Les Menuires) can all be reached on skis/board via the lift system. Pedestrians can reach Courchevel by taking either the gondola lifts or once-daily bus service (departs at the end of the afternoon - see the resort 'Bienvenue a Meribel' information booklet for timetable). You can reach other ski resorts and towns via bus (some journeys require a short hop by train).
The nearest train station to Méribel is Moûtiers - approximately 18km / 12 miles from Méribel. (The full name is Moutiers les Salins, Brides les Bains - be careful not to confuse with several other Moutiers in France and Switzerland…..it has been done). Buses run regularly from Moûtiers to Meribel for €11.60 one way. Tel Transavoie +33 (0)4 79 24 21 58. Alternatively take a taxi (approx €45) |
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last updated 14-May-2008 |
| Car Parking in Meribel |
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There are covered car parks in Méribel centre, at La Chaudanne, and at Le Rond Point, and also at Méribel-Mottaret (see Car Parking for map locations). 8 days is the maximum duration allowed, at a cost of €3 per 12 hour period. Season-long parking is available at the Ice Rink car park. Several other free outdoor car parks are available, but remember you may need to move your car after a snowfall to allow snow-clearing operations. Parking is free on the streets except in the centre of town. |
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last updated 15-May-2008 |
| Travelling between the Airport & Meribel |
You have the choice of scheduled bus, shared shuttle, hire car, tour operator, taxi, private helicopter transfer or train.
Bus:
From Geneva Altibus run 8 buses per day on Saturday and 3 or 4 on other days. The journey takes around 3 ¼ hours and costs €64 one way. A timetable for buses departing Geneva Airport for all ski resorts, can be found at Geneva Ski Resort Bus Timetable
From Lyon St. Exupéry Satobus run 4 buses on Saturday and 2 or 3 on other days. The journey takes 3 - 4 hours and costs €57 one way. Tel +33 (0)4 72 35 94 96.
From Chambéry Altibus run 2 or 3 buses per day at weekends. Tel +33 (0)4 79 08 54 90. The journey takes 2 ¼ hours and costs €40 one way. On weekdays there is a 'collective taxi' service which is more expensive, costing 215-227€ per person. It is often simpler to take a taxi to Chambery train station, then a train to Moutiers and a bus or taxi to the resort.
From Grenoble Agbus runs one bus per day and two on Saturdays to Moutiers (from where one can take another bus or a taxi to the resort). The journey takes 2 hours and costs €45 one way. Tel +33 (0)4 76 27 89 29.
Shared Shuttle:
Chamonix-based company ATS (Airport Transfer Service) run shared minibuses which take you door-to-door. From Geneva the cost one way is €89 (journey time 2 ¼ hours) and there are four scheduled shuttles per day. They also operate some shared shuttles from Chambery ( €64, journey time 1 ¼ hours) and Lyon (€89, journey time 1 ¼ hours)
Taxi:
A taxi for up to 4 people will cost approximately €275 (Geneva), €215 (Chambéry), €300 (Grenoble) and €335 (Lyon St Exupéry). For For more than 4 people the cost will be higher for the vehicle and probably cheaper per person.
Car hire:
Car hire can be arranged from each of the airports above and if there are several people travelling this may be an inexpensive option. Pre-booking is highly recommended if not obligatory. Try using Holiday Autos for the best searches and prices. Remember to book snow chains when you reserve.
Tour Operator
Two options:
1. book in advance a 'Flight & Transfer' with an operator which they sell through their agents/web-sites/call-centres.
2. make your own flight arrangements and upon arrival at the airport catch up with a rep from one of the companies and book onto their coaches. You will usually find a spare space, though this can't be guaranteed.
In both cases (as the reps are unlikely to know where you are staying) make sure you establish the return journey procedures: give them the flight you are on, get the resort office's contact details and call on Thurday evening for transfer details/confirmation.
Helicopter:
A helicopter can transfer up to 5 people (without much luggage) to Méribel airport for the following total price. Geneva €1311, Chambéry €912, Lyon St Exupéry €1545. In bad weather conditions the helicopter cannot fly and it must arrive in Méribel in daylight hours. Tel SAF +33 (0)4 79 08 00 91
Train:
Although it is possible to reach all the above airports by train from Moûtiers station, a journey would involve changing at least once and would take quite a lot of time and is therefore not highly recommended.
Airport Transfer Listings
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last updated 15-May-2008 |
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