A proper village in the middle of everything. Premium, but not extravagant.
Stayed here
1450 mForecast at 1450 m today: low / high, modelled snow depth, and new snow in the last 24 hours.
Meribel is great. It is a real village with roads and shops, it sits right in the middle of the 3 Vallees, and it has plenty of ski-in, ski-out places to stay. Hotels range from boot-fitting valets to simple apartments.
If we had to name the most overrated village, it would still be Meribel, mildly. Mottaret above it is better connected and cheaper, and Val Thorens, La Tania or Les Menuires often give you more for the same money.
3 day routes from here. Highlighted steps are specific to Meribel. Tap a profile to see it on the map.
The Mottaret and Courchevel classic, built around two of our favourite runs. Drop into the Grand Couloir from the top of the Pas du Lac gondola, then come back over the Saulire and down the tangle of bumpy reds on the Mottaret side.
Do the Couloir early. By afternoon it is busy, bumpy and often icy. Intermediates can take a lift down instead.
A quieter, prettier way between Meribel and Courchevel than the Saulire, through larch forest on the Courchevel side.
The big crossing to the highest village in the area, with lunch in Val Thorens. It is the route that most often goes wrong, because the link is exposed and shuts in bad weather.
Check the afternoon forecast before you go. If the Mottaret link closes, the lower way back through Les Menuires often stays open. Queues are worst just after lunch.
Drag to move, scroll or pinch to zoom. Highlighted: the lifts and runs named in each route. Pistes, lifts, forests, lakes and villages © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Terrain from Mapzen/AWS Terrain Tiles.
Not sure Meribel is right? These neighbours share the same lift pass.
Fly to Geneva, Lyon or Chambery and drive up the Tarentaise to Moutiers, then up the valley. Trains reach Moutiers, but most people use a car or a transfer.