Courchevel baloon on piste
Dog riding scooter – Col Du Loze
The last couloir – Extreme skiing
Meribel saulire view – Courchevel side
Enjoy the mountains with my free and printable 6 day Meribel skiing guide. It will help the intermediate skiers amongst you enjoy the best alpine skiing that the 3 valleys has to offer. Having spent much of the 80’s and 90’s in Meribel , I have compiled the best on piste ski routes to make up a whole week’s free ski guiding in Meribel for you. It also includes the 3 valleys ski routes to Val Thorens, St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Courchevel.
Most itineraries are ok for snow boarders too. I did snowboard in the early 90’s on a fishtail! I will try to add a warning where it is not suitable. Although it is no substitute for a real live ski guide or ski instructor it is a very useful and cheap alternative, especially for those skiing in Meribel for the first time.
Beginner Skiers should click here for some useful tips for your first visit to Meribel. Skiing is a great sport and skiing in Meribel you should become very good in a short time as we have a good selection of green and blues pistes to get you started. However beginners really should be in ski school. Most ski lessons are only 2 hours long so you still get to ski with your friends or family later.
Intermediates: Skiing in Meribel is perfect for intermediates. Maybe one of the best ski resorts in the world for your level. Do check out our 6 day skiing guide. Only the most suitable ski routes are mapped out for you (red and blue pistes).
The 6 day Meribel skiing guide is really for those keen skiers/riders who can make the effort to catch the first lifts at 9am. This ensures you should get at least 2 hours of superb skiing on perfectly groomed pistes. Hopefully in the early morning sunshine too. If you following my ski tips you should get in the best skiing possible.
The ski routes I have devised are a mix of green, blue and red pistes. I have avoided many of the black runs but do feel free to deviate if you wish. You might find it useful to read my advanced skiing section. My 6-day skiing guide guide has been created mainly for intermediate standard skiers. Some intermediates could feel intimidated if they try skiing some of the more extreme black runs littered throughout the Trois Vallees. Remember: First and foremost a Meribel skiing holiday should be enjoyable! So enjoy it and maybe stay within your own personal limits.
I can fully understand the average intermediate nervous skier who has problems with crowded pistes and poor icy conditions. That’s why I advise you to go skiing in January and April if possible. More quiet, much cheaper holidays and usually you will get powder snow in January and beautiful spring snow in April.
For off piste skiing my advice is to take a qualified mountain guide or a ski / snowboard instructor. It is possible to get yourself some serious off piste skiing in Meribel. Also explore the other 3 valleys. The Trois Vallees ski area is full of hidden & exciting possibilities. The advance skiing section however has a little more information on black pistes and some well known off piste routes.
Les Menuires centre – Trois Vallees
Groomed piste Courchevel 1650
Meribel altiport green run for beginners
Off piste skiing with instructor
THE BEST SKIING IN MERIBEL – ON PISTE
The best on piste skiing from Meribel will normally start at 9am lasting till 11.00am on ski slopes facing the morning sun. This means skiing on the Tougnete side of the Meribel Valley. In high season during winter after this time the whole world and his uncle are up on the mountains. Thereafter you then have to put up with the crowds. So stay in the sunshine, and enjoy the best snow. Read my full skiing guides for more details on some great routes to take. The best pistes and also the less crowded ones.
Between 9.30am and 10am Meribel’s Chaudanne lift centre gets really busy. The schools start skiing at 9.30am and they have preference on the ski lifts.
After 11am, when the lift queues go down you can change mountains. Head over to Saulire mountain on the other side of the valley. The snow by now will have softened up a little and the sun will have arrived.
These tips assume you are staying in the Meribel valley and not heading off to Courchevel or Val Thorens or the other valleys. Skiing in Meribel can be great without the need even for a Trois vallees ski pass. But you do need to choose which pistes are less busy during different parts of the day.
SKIERS LUNCH
This is why I usually suggest you stop for lunch at 12pm. Afterwards you can be skiing on quiet pistes whilst everybody else is taking their turn to eat! if not continue skiing through lunch and have a late one at about 2pm. Then you will enjoy a quiet 2 hours while other skiers are all eating.
Around 2.30pm or later if after a late lunch you can always head for home or even the Sauna ! However keen skiers should continue skiing right till the very last lifts.
Make the most of your ski pass. It’s not cheap. If you have had enough skiing for the day then head for one of the top apres ski spots at about 4pm.
On the Saulire side of Meribel there is the Folie Deuce mountain restaurant with live DJ and dancers from 3pm till 5pm. After that ski down to Rond Point also on the Saulitre side, just below the Folie Deuce. Here you will find some more great apres ski. This is most famous bar in not only Meribel but throughout the French alps. It has live music most days till 7pm. Be a little careful though. The piste outside the Folie Deuce is a red one back to Meribel and can get icy at times. 5pm is the last gondola down to Rond Point. Catch it if you are nervous about skiing.
TROIS VALLEES SKIING
Be sure never to be caught out in the Belleville valley. This includes St Martin De Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. The taxi fare home will be horrendous. From VT it takes about 1.5 hours by road. Allow about 1 hour plus for skiing back from Val Thorens to Meribel. It can be tiring and the pistes are busy so always try to leave about 3.30pm. Be careful as most ski accidents happen in late afternoon when skiers get both tired and lacking in concentration. (not to mention maybe too much wine at lunch!)
COURCHEVEL VALLEY
The Courchevel valley is not so serious an issue if you get stuck. You can ski to La Tania with no problem or even get the free resort bus. Then drop in to the ski lodge pub and call a cheap taxi just to Meribel village (5 minutes). After that jump on the free Meribus from the village to town or wherever in Meribel or Mottaret you live. There is also a regular last bus about 6pm from Courchevel to Meribel. I shall get details of this for the coming season.
MERIBEL SKIING GUIDE
Meanwhile just e-mail me to make sure you get a copy of my ski guide waiting at your accommodation in Meribel.
Picnic on piste in courchevel
Meribel la face black run world cup race prepared
Meribel tougnete mountain in morning sunshine.
Saulire piste courchevel after saulire meribel gondola
