Méribel has an excellent free bus service which runs until around midnight (and the service to the outlying villages has been much improved). 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 Transportation in Meribel
Chambéry (103km) is the closest airport to Méribel, followed by Grenoble (170km), Lyon Saint-Exupéry (180km) andGeneva (183km); there are regular bus links to all airports, please see below for details. For more information on how to get from your chosen airport to resort please read Travelling Between the Airport & Meribel.
Meribus is the free bus service which runs from 07h00 to midnight seven days per week during the winter and summer seasons. Buses run between La Chaudanne and the Altiport are every 15 minutes throughout the day and between Meribel and Mottaret every half an hour. Buses also link Meribel with Meribel Village, the various hamlets below the resort, and Les Allues. This service has frequent buses early morning and late afternoon, but less frequent service during the day. Take a look at the Meribus timetable below 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 19h30.
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).
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 around €12 one way, see below for details. Alternatively you can book a taxi (approx €45).
Bus & Train Timetables for Meribel
Below are a selection of bus and train timetables for Meribel/Mottaret and the surrounding area:
There are 4 covered car parks in Méribel centre and 1 in Meribel-Mottaret at le Hameau (see Car Parking for map locations). Tariffs are the same in each and are outlined in the table below:
MERIBEL COVERED CAR PARKS
Resort Level
Car Park
No. of Places
Height Limit
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
1 day
7 Days
Season
Meribel
La Chaudane
110 places
2.30m
Free of charge
€3
€4
€15
€55
€250
Meribel
Les Ravines
156 places
1.90m
Free of charge
€3
€4
€15
€55
€370 (30 places)
Meribel
Les Rhodos
214 places
2.15m
Free of charge
€3
€4
€15
€55
n/a
Meribel
Le Rond Point des Pistes
200 places
2.15m
Free of charge
€3
€4
€15
€55
€250 (45 places)
Mottaret
Le Hameau
77 places
2.15m
Free of charge
€3
€4
€15
€55
€350
Season passes for Le Rond Point and Les Ravines must be requested from the Police Municipale before 31st December; for La Chaudane, ask at the car park itself. Parking limited to 8 days max
There are also numerous outdoor car parks in the resort, but a major change to parking regulations during the 2008/09 season saw several previously free outdoor car parks become paying, and maximum time durations were introduced for much resort on-street parking. Remember to check for the maximum duration when you buy your pay-and-display ticket from the pay machine (Horodateur). Areas near to shops (including the outdoor Ravines car park) are limited to 2 hours. Car parking areas close to the Olympic Centre, next to la Chaudanne, in Mussillon and behind the Mottaret Tourist Office are limited to 4 hours, and areas near the lifts (Eterlou, road parking beyond the Tougnète gondola and in Mottaret) are limited to 8 hours.
If you park you car on the street or in an outdoor carpark, remember you may need to move it after a snowfall to allow snow-clearing operations. Yellow street signs warning of ‘Deneigement’ will be erected to warn you of when these are to be carried out. Season-long parking is available at the Olympique, Doron, Ravines and Rond Point car parks.
Travelling between the Airport & Meribel
For Meribel, the most convenient airport is Chambéry, situated 109 kms (1 1/4hrs) away. From here, you have a number of different methods of transport to choose from to get you up to resort.
If you can’t get a flight to Chambéry, the next best options are Grenoble (176kms), Lyon (186km) or Geneva (190km); all of which are serviced by a number of the major airlines. Each airport has it pros and cons. Chambery is closest but may close in bad weather and your flight be diverted elsewhere. Geneva has excellent bus/shuttle links to Meribel, but finding the route in a hire car isn't particularly easy. Lyon St-Exupery has fewer links to Meribel, expecially midweek, but the journey is easier and quicker than from Geneva if you hire a car. Each major airline carries destination information on its website - although you either have to try all of them to find one which operates to from your local airport or know your local operators. However, before succumbing to a bargain flight into one of these airports, take a few minutes to investigate your onward transfer options below; your flight may only cost you £50 but your transfer to resort could set you back €300 - €400!!
Of course, Meribel has it's own Altiport for those arriving by private plane or helicopter..!
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