Meribel Mottaret

Meribel was once an abandoned valley, that is until 1938 when a British Army Officer, Colonel Peter Lindsay saw the potential in developing the valley into a ski resort. 70 years on and it is now arguably one of the best destinations inEurope. This is why people flock to Meribel, ski holidays don't get better than this. Although it has expanded out of recognition, the resort still maintains its wooden "chalet style" quaintness that doesn't detract from the stunning backdrop.

As far as skiing goes, Meribel has streamlined its lift system to perfection. It has 61 state of the art lifts transporting over 75, 000 people to their destinations every hour. This means that unlike other destinations in the area, queues are very limited. Skiing here is a very all round affair with over 150 kms of downhill pistes being split between 34 blue and 24 red runs. Experts get 9 black runs and there are also 10 gentle nursery slopes. Meribel also has several snowboard parks where boarders can practice their skills. The resort sits at 1450 metres with the satellite village of Meribel Mottaret a further 300 metres further up the valley. The highest point is 2950 metres, giving you 1500 metres elevation.

About the village

The apres ski scene in Meribel is vibrant compared to other resorts in the area and some of the best partying is to be done near the village hub. Meribel Mottaret is much quieter, so you may be advised to get the free shuttle bus bus down into the main town (be warned that the last bus runs at midnight!). The resort itself is geared mainly towards the English and a lot of the bars are English run. La Taverne offers the cheapest pitchers of beer in the village between 5 and 7pm every evening when they have their happy hour. Other popular bars include Cactus Café, Scots and Le Pub. Restaurants are a plenty in Meribel, serving everything from traditional Savoyarde fayre through to Pasta and Pizza.

Accommodation in Meribel is mainly high standard chalets but if you are looking for a hotel, Meribel still has a good selection of comfortable 2 and 3 star establishments as well as more luxurious 4 star places.

There are a good selection of shops (36 in all) ranging from snowboard and ski shops right through to fashion, craft and souvenir, food and wine.