Méribel

The Méribel ski resort, in the very heart of the Three Valleys, one of the largest and best-known ski areas in the Alps, offers 100 km of pistes, mostly of intermediate difficulty. Méribel makes an excellent base for trips to Courchevel and Val Thorens, the other big Three Valleys resorts, which together have 600 km of pistes and nearly 200 lifts. But you can also have a fantastic ski holiday in Méribel itself, and one undoubted advantage of the slopes near the village is that they get plenty of sun. Beginners will find the Altiport slopes, sheltered by spruce forest, and the Rond Point suitable. The pistes coming down to Méribel from the St. Martin peaks are likely to appeal to experienced skiers. Generally, though, most of the ski area around Méribel best suits intermediate skiers. After the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games, Méribel, which hosted some of the Olympic events, was left with two downhill pistes as well as improved technical infrastructure. Snowboarders and freestyle fans have two snow parks: the Meribel Moonpark and the Meribel-Mottaret-Plattieres Snowpark. Besides downhill skiing, you can do many other sports around Méribel, such as ski touring, heli-skiing, snowshoe walks, snowmobile trips, ice climbing on frozen waterfalls, ice hockey and paragliding. Scenic flights over the area and figure skating courses are also organised. Méribel holds the "Famille Plus" label, awarded by Ski Club France to resorts that specialise in holidays for families with children. Besides many activities for young children on and off the slopes, this means crèches and kindergartens on site, and professional childcare and ski instruction for children. Méribel is really two villages: the old settlement of Méribel at 1,400 m, with farmhouses and mountain huts, and, above it, the Meribel-Mottaret ski resort, which has a typically sporty character and modern architecture that nonetheless blends in with its surroundings. Of all the Three Valleys villages, Méribel has a reputation as the most charming. This is certainly because its buildings (houses of stone and wood with mansard roofs) have stayed true to the style of the old villages in the area. Nightlife centres on the bars and clubs, of which Méribel has quite a few. The choice of restaurants is somewhat smaller. Whatever the venue, prices are certainly not affordable, which should come as no great surprise: Méribel is, after all, the very heart of one of the most popular ski areas in Europe... New for winter 2006/2007: * A contactless ski pass system (easier purchase, freedom at the gates) * New ways to use the card with a 12-day option: a single-use or rechargeable ski pass, skiing for part of the day only, online ski pass purchase with home delivery, and P@S pass top-ups via the call centre. * The new Plan des Mains centre with restaurants on three levels. * The new Chatelet 6-seater lift serving Rossignol, Le Chemin des Ecoliers and the Plattières Snowpark. It lets you reach the Belleville Valley without taking your skis off. From the events calendar: * 13 to 17 December 2006: the 6th Méribel Advertising Film Festival * 28 December 2006 to 4 January 2007: International Ice Hockey Tournaments. * 9 April 2006: the 5th Three Valleys Challenge (3 Vallées X Wing Rallye). MERIBEL also means: * PASS FAMILLE (family discounts): about 20% off adult ski passes (from 6 to 21 days, Méribel Valley or Three Valleys) for groups of 4 or more people, with at most 2 adults and at least 2 children (under 18). * For non-skiers: special passes, walking paths and a free shuttle service.