Méribel ski holidays

Méribel has two answers. The Méribel valley alone has 150 km of pistes and 72 runs (Méribel), and it sits in the middle of Les 3 Vallées, 600 km of linked pistes across seven resorts between 1,300 and 3,230 m.

That is why the pass is a real decision. The Méribel valley pass covers the valley from Les Allues to Méribel Mottaret; the 3 Vallées pass opens the whole linked area, including Courchevel on the other side of the Saulire ridge. A first timer rarely needs more than the valley; a strong skier who wants Courchevel for lunch needs the full pass. We choose it skier by skier, so nobody pays for terrain they will not reach and nobody is stopped at a turnstile.

Yes, with the right base. The resort has beginner areas on their own Mini Pass, a children's garden for ages 3 to 5, day care from 18 months and themed runs such as the Yéti Parc (Méribel). Strong skiers have Mont Vallon at the head of the valley and the Combe du Vallon, 3 km down to Méribel Mottaret (Méribel).

Racing runs through the valley. La Face, a black piste, held the women's downhill of the 1992 Olympics (Méribel), and the Roc de Fer held every women's race of the 2023 World Championships (FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2023).

For a family with mixed levels we book private instruction by level rather than one lesson for everyone, and plan the day so the group meets again for lunch. Our guide to family ski lessons explains how that split works.

January and March, outside the holiday weeks. Méribel is scheduled to open on December 5, 2026 and close on April 18, 2027 (Les 3 Vallées). The French February school holidays run in three staggered zones from February 6 to March 8, 2027 (Service Public), and those weeks fill first.

Christmas, New Year and those February weeks are when private instructors and the most suitable rooms go first, so for those dates we book the instructor before anything else. Our guide on when to book a ski trip covers the timing week by week.

Chambéry is the nearest airport, about 1 hour 16 minutes by road; Lyon and Geneva are both about two hours (road transfer times). By train, the station is Moûtiers, 18 km below the resort (Méribel).

Once you are there, the free Méribus shuttle links the villages (Méribel). We arrange the transfer from whichever airport your flights land at, and private charter when the schedule calls for it.

Méribel Centre, at 1,450 m, is the main village with the shops and restaurants; Méribel Mottaret, at 1,750 m, sits higher up the valley toward Mont Vallon; Méribel Village, at 1,400 m, is smaller and quieter (Méribel, Les 3 Vallées).

We do not sell from a fixed list of chalets. We look at who is coming, where each of them will ski and how they like to spend the evening, then tell you which village to stay in, and why.

Everything between the flight and the last run: where you stay, the right pass for each skier, a private instructor for each level, transfers, equipment and a concierge on the ground, with one point of contact from the first message to the flight home.

Patagonia Living is a ski travel agency based in Patagonia and operated worldwide, and skiing is all it plans. The full list is in what a private ski trip includes. When you are ready, plan your next trip with us.