We love Méribel, many of our team live here all year round they love it that much and all of us love the skiing and boarding that the 3 Valleys offers. We have written many articles on why we think Méribel is the best place to stay and we have compiled detailed guides on why the 3 Valleys is a great ski area. In this blog we have pulled together the opinions of the people who have the job of reviewing ski resorts to find out what they think makes Méribel so amazing.
The Resort
“Méribel as one of the top five destinations for UK skiers. Brits make up 37 per cent of total visitors to the resort (French guests comprise a further 48 per cent). During the vast annual influx, the resort becomes Little England upon Alp” Matt Barr, Independent
“For keen piste-bashers who like to rack up the miles but dislike tacky post-war resorts, this resort at the heart of the famous Trois Vallées is difficult to beat: Unlike other modern purpose-built resorts, Méribel has always insisted on chalet-style architecture.” Where to Ski and Snowboard
“The lifts spring from the middle of the village in all directions, making Méribel a great base from which to explore the rest of the 600km of ski area – Courchevel to the east, Val Thorens to the south, St Martin and Les Menuires to the west and southwest.” Mad Dog Ski
“The quality of the tuition from Meribel’s independent ski schools is top-notch.” We Love 2 Ski
The Skiing
“The height of these peaks, along with Mont du Vallon – the highest point in Méribel’s local ski area at nearly 300m – means good snow throughout the season” Sophie Butler, Telegraph Destination Expert
“Crucially, we were drawn back year upon year by the endless amounts of terrain on offer. The bare statistics – 600km of pistes and 183 lifts – don’t begin to do it justice.” Matt Barr, Independent
“Méribel is part of the largest ski domain in the world, with more than 370 miles of managed pistes. We skied non-stop for four days and barely scratched the surface of what was available.” Jon Sopel, Daily Mail
“The resort has enough varied terrain to keep all abilities happy: good, steep freeriding, plenty of long cruising reds and blues, as well as gentle tree-lined runs for beginners” On The Snow
“What’s more, there’s oodles of off-piste terrain in between the groomed runs. Very little of it is protected against avalanches by blasting, so a guide is essential, unless you’re properly trained and equipped with avalanche safety gear. But with a staggering 40,000 hectares (98,800 acres) of mountain to play on, the possibilities are almost limitless.” We Love 2 Ski
Aprés
“Bar a Vin A tiny bar on Route du Centre, it’s by far the most authentically French drinking spot in town. There are more than 90 wines on offer, and at €4 for a glass of Sancerre, prices are reasonable. Being French, it’s busier around aperitif time than après-ski.” Tom Robbins. The Guardian
“For a more sophisticated cocktail head to Le Poste in the centre (Champagne Mojitos are a must!) or for a quiet drink 50:50 is the place to go. Most bars boast live music most nights, The Rondpoint has live music every day between 5 and 7pm.” Mad Dog Ski
Eating
“Le Grand Coeur. Presided over by head chef, Marc Dach, this is main restaurant of Méribel’s top luxury hotel is in the centre of the resort. It’s a smart restaurant with elaborate mains and formal service.” Sophie Butler, Telegraph Destination Expert
“You can eat at Le Panoramic every day if you wish and there’s even a Michelin star restaurant cal led La Bouitte, in the ski-in, ski-out hamlet of St Marcel. My favourite two mountain restaurants are Les Cretes on the way down to St Martin de Belleville and Bel Air above Courchevel 1650.” Mark Palmer, The Mail on Sunday
