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Meribel Reviews
38 reviews of Meribel in France.
Voted 5th out of 29 reviewed ski resorts in France
- Superb(23)
- Good(10)
- O.K.(4)
- Poor(0)
- Awful(0)
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The best ski school in the three valleys by far
Reviewed 20 Oct 2020
We have been skiing with these guys for a couple of seasons now. Everyone we recommend to them raves about how good they are.
Meribel ski resort
Reviewed 8 Jun 2016
We’ve been to Meribel a few times. It’s a really nice, typical ski resort and wasn’t too busy in January. We had amazing weather too! The slopes are great and the centre of town is nice. My main recommendation would be to explore and enjoy!
Nice atmosphere and character
Reviewed 8 Jun 2016
Meribel has a nice atmosphere, when you look at Les Menuires it’s like a concrete factory in the middle of nowhere, whereas Meribel has character. Everything is easy to find, there’s a good supermarket, ski shops and lots of restaurants. I would give it a 5/5 but as it was the last week of the season, the weather wasn’t very good. We had 3 or 4 hours of skiing each day, there was low cloud and when the weather was clearer it was very windy.
Excellent family resort
Reviewed 18 May 2016
Absolutely brilliant week, we’ve been going to Meribel for years. It’s particularly good for families and by now everyone in our family knows it which is an advantage. We’ll definitely go back. It’s just such a great ski area, plus there are loads of restaurants and places to go.
We were on the edge of not having enough snow but that’s one of the downside’s of skiing in Easter. There are always highs and lows of when you ski - if we went in half term everything would have been about two times more expensive and so busy!
Meribel March 2016
Reviewed 11 May 2016
Meribel was good – it probably could have been better in terms of conditions (it was clearly towards the end of the season) but that’s just the time we visited. Most of the slopes were fine and we had a couple of days of snow to freshen the area up.
I like the size of the 3 Valleys. If you’ve got the time to ski you can really explore. In terms of the offerings for beginners, my other half was snowboarding for the first time and there was just about enough in terms of green runs. If you get the cable car and gondola over to Courchevel there is a lovely long green which you can access in 2 lifts without having to strap your board on.
For non-skiers there’s a swimming pool in the town, but we didn’t try that.
Low season bargain and low season weather - but a good week anyway!
Reviewed 10 May 2016
We had a good week. We’ve previously stayed in Courchevel and other parts of the area, so we had an idea of the 3 Valleys and thought staying in Meribel would be a good place to explore a bit more up and above Meribel and over to Val Thorens. As we’re retired we never ski in high season but opt for a bargain instead. By going in January we always take a risk with the weather – this time it was very cold. There was initially a lack of snow and it was very icy, then of course we had high winds which closed the passes (we got caught out and separated at one point but were ok in the end). And then we had very heavy dumps and avalanche risks! They invest heavily in ski lifts and we had no problem moving about, everything is well marshalled and safe.
Sunny Meribel
Reviewed 3 May 2016
A great holiday in Meribel, it’s a really pretty resort that has everything you need, including some really nice places to eat and drink. We had amazing weather, I wasn’t skiing and it was beautifully hot so I loved it, not sure the people the week after would have felt the same though!
A lot to ski
Reviewed 3 May 2016
What I like about Meribel is the extensive skiing, you can get straight into Val Thorens and Courchevel and you’re guaranteed good snow because even though the town isn’t that high, you can get to higher slopes quickly.
Meribel group trip #4
Reviewed 26 Apr 2016
Our 4th time in the 3 Valleys, and we’ve stayed in Meribel each time. The town is big and it’s such a vast ski area with a bit for everyone – plenty of nice green runs in Courchevel, a good number of blues and also loads of reds and blacks.
Mixed group in Meribel
Reviewed 13 Apr 2016
I like Meribel mainly because I like the 3 Valleys. The village is big enough to keep a mixed group occupied – we were staying with a range of people from kids to Grandpa, and everyone was happy. We’ve been since to La Tania which is also in the 3 Valleys but has a lot less going on, Meribel certainly has more character.
So much to ski
Reviewed 11 Aug 2015
I went to Meribel in early March. There was a great cover of snow in great condition which had been topped up by the snow cannons. We skied all the way over to Val Thorens. Having previously skied Morzine, the landscape was far more open, with rolling hills rather than rugged mountainside. We found the famous Folie Douce on a wipe out and managed to ski all the way down to Ronnies which is one of the busiest bars I've ever seen in the Alps. There's a fantastic atmosphere with everyone sitting around massive tables. At the bottom of the run down from Ronnies you can find Meribar which also has an awesome apres atmosphere with live music until 7pm! With a reputation for its party atmosphere, Meribel still manages to be very much Alpine and doesn't feel 'purpose built' like the neighbouring Val Thorens.
Glorious April weather, Meribel itself a bit quiet in terms of the dining scene
Reviewed 30 Jun 2015
We were so lucky with the weather, it had snowed a lot before we arrived (impressive considering we went on the 5th April) and then we had wall to wall sunshine every day we were there. We’d been to the 3 Valleys before and know the area, there’s such extensive skiing there. We really like Val Thorens which is great later in the season, so we spent a couple of days over there. We also headed over to Courchevel on a couple of days, and skied back through Meribel. We found some really nice mountain restaurants for long lunches but in Meribel itself, I must admit that we found eating out in the evenings a little disappointing as far as places to go. It was a little bit quiet – maybe because it was the end of the season, or because Meribel is more of a chalet centre – and in one restaurant, after another group left, we were the only people there! Before we’ve stayed in Val Thorens, La Plagne and Arc 1950 where the town has had more of a buzz to it – Meribel seemed to be lacking a bit of atmosphere.
Love Meribel!
Reviewed 30 Apr 2015
I spent a season in Meribel and love it there. You’ve got the biggest ski resort in Europe s0 the best thing to do is go out and explore! Spend a whole season in Meribel if you can as there are all sorts of festivals and events. For one tip, Chez Kiki is always a joy, with marvellous amounts of meat on the menu.
Meribel Christmas 14
Reviewed 22 Apr 2015
I’d been to Meribel several times before – my husband likes the skiing in Courchevel and it’s nice and easy to get over. Compared to Courchevel, Meribel’s a bit more clubby which we thought our teenage sons would like. Because they didn’t have any snow at the beginning of the season they had to make do with fake snow. You could see the pisteurs lugging snow by hand on to the children’s area and they were all working very hard. The cover was good enough – a lot of resorts were much worse off.
We love Meribel!
Reviewed 20 Apr 2015
We love Meribel, it’s a great place – not too pretentious but with everything you need. We had the full 3 valleys pass as we like to do a little tour of the area, but I might consider getting just the Meribel one if we bring our son next year. There are some really good greens and blues as well as plenty of other things to do (with the Olympics having been there, the facilities are very good). The nightlife isn’t really that good as it’s full of younger people. One thing I wouldn’t do again is go to the 5* hotel for a glass of champagne, it was 40 euros!!!
DC park is great
Reviewed 14 Apr 2015
I’ve been to Meribel before - it's quite expensive but it's a really good resort and my main reason for returning was the DC park and halfpipe which I’d definitely recommend checking out. It’s also worth going up to the top of the ski area at Val Thorens as it’s amazing up there.
My Favourite Resort
Reviewed 1 Apr 2015
I love Meribel, it’s got everything – the lifts are quick and there are loads of runs to do. Everything in resort is expensive, but that’s the same for all of France. There are some really good bars, Jacks Bar is great, as is Folie Douce (though it’s unbelievably expensive). As I only ski once a year at the moment I usually get the full 3 Valleys pass- if I was skiing more often I’d probably go for the local passes.
Not as good as Austria...
Reviewed 1 Apr 2015
This was my first time to France and to be honest I didn’t really like it – I stayed in Mayrhofen last year and much prefer Austria. Everything was super expensive here and the food was rubbish (apart from in my chalet).
There wasn’t any snow at the beginning of the season but I was still out boarding every day, just had to travel for it. I did have to get my board serviced when I got home though!
I couldn’t go in the pool here because you have to wear trunks/speedos. In Austria, you have to wear a hat which I’d packed, but I couldn’t go in with my shorts. So that’s worth knowing if you’re packing to go to Meribel!
Skied all valleys, enjoyed the Folie Bar!
Reviewed 20 Mar 2015
We’ve skied all over the place, Canada, America and have been to Meribel quite a few times and always enjoyed it.
There had been a drop of snow at the weekend so luckily the conditions were good (New Years week) – the snow was going by the end of the week but I think there was more snowfall the next weekend. We were a mixed group and there was enough to keep us all interested.
We like to go all over the area, looking for where the best snow and sunshine is and during the week we literally covered all four valleys.
One place that impressed us was the Folie Bar which was great fun on the last day, I’d definitely recommend that.
Right in the middle of my favourite European ski area
Reviewed 26 Jun 2014
I had skied the area before last time I came to the 3 Valleys, but I had never stayed in Meribel, this was my first time. Our hotel was in a smaller, quieter area called Mottaret, above the main town. It’s good for families and convenient for the slopes. Meribel is an average ski town, not as expensive as Courchevel. The 3 Valleys is my favourite European ski area, so it was great to be right in the middle of it. The skiing around Meribel itself isn’t as good as the other resorts but it’s easy to get to get to Courchevel or Val Thorens and the other areas.
Sensational skiing
Reviewed 16 Jun 2014
We were staying in Mottaret, which is slap bang in the middle of the 3 valleys, I don’t think there’s any other location in Europe that’s as good for skiing! Mottaret is definitely good for skiing but not nightlife, it’s a quiet village and there are only a couple of bars and a few restaurants. It’s no hassle to get to Meribel though.
The ski area is knock out. Folie Douce is always good for a party, there’s one in Meribel and one up in Val Thorens. Rond Point is good for après ski too and I've had some good times there!
You have the whole pass for the 3 valleys which is excellent for all levels, Courchevel is nice and groomed.
Excellent holiday
Reviewed 5 Jun 2014
Meribel is the best place to go as there’s so much skiing and snowboarding on offer and the nightlife is really good. We went quite late in the season on the last week in March but we were lucky with the snow, the week before and week after weren’t so good! We had snow the day we arrived which meant fresh stuff for a few days, it slowly deteriorated but didn’t get too bad.
Definitely recommended to snowboarders
Reviewed 27 May 2014
Really liked Meribel, the nightlife is pretty good and there are some really nice bars and restaurants – the Folie Douce is pretty spectacular. It’s really good for boarding; one thing I liked was that there were quite a lot of skate parks in the area so you can scout around, you could mix it up with bombing down the slopes, doing the slalom and bumps and grinds in the park. We also had a big snow dump so did loads of off piste.
Always in the worldwide Top 3
Reviewed 22 May 2014
Its easy to see why this place is always voted in the global top 3. If you want to be in the heart of the biggest linked ski area in the world, and still have the planet's best après ski at your fingertips, I don't think there's a better place to base your dream ski holiday.
In fact Meribel is in literally EVERY top 3 list - check out some of these stats:
World's Biggest Ski Areas
1st - Les Trois Vallees, France (Meribel is at the centre of the 3 Valleys)
2nd - Portes du Soleil, France
3rd - Milky Way, Italy
Most Famous Apres Ski
1st - The Mooserwirt, St Anton
2nd - La Folie Douce, Val d'Isere
3rd - The Rond Point, Meribel
Most Popular Resorts
1st - Val d'Isere, France
2nd - Meribel, France
3rd - St Anton, Austria
Expensive but something for everyone
Reviewed 20 May 2014
It’s an expensive resort. I’ve been to the 3 Valleys before, so I was expecting that. Last time I went to Les Menuires last time, Meribel is similar, it’s a bit livelier. The ski area suits people of all abilities, there’s something for everyone here. It was a good week.
plenty to ski despite going early in the season
Reviewed 18 May 2014
I’ve been to Meribel a few times before, it’s a nice place. Val d’Isere is probably my favourite resort but the skiing in the 3 Valleys is really good. There’s so much to do, you really couldn’t ski it all in one week. Considering we went early in the season there was plenty to do. Obviously it’s better when there’s lots of powder, but the holiday was really cheap because we went so early. It was literally half the price of peak season. There are some nice bars in town, I like the vibe in Barometer, lots of seasonaires drink there. La Galette restaurant is good too, they serve traditional French mountain food like tartiflette. Meribel isn’t cheap, but it’s not bad – I’d rather pay higher prices for food and get a decent meal (the food in Bulgaria was awful…).
Not bad but prefer Val d’Isere
Reviewed 14 May 2014
I didn’t ski as my husband had just had a knee op but the kids were fine – they went into various ski schools and had a good time. It was quite restricted in the daytime in terms of things to do, more recently went to Val d’Isere which has a lot more bars and cafes and would definitely rate Val higher than Meribel. The ski hire was very good; they came to our chalet and sorted a problem my son had on the mountain – hats off to them.
One of my favourite resorts
Reviewed 8 May 2014
One of my favourite resorts out of all the resorts I’ve been to. Better than Courchevel, there are less Russians and bling. It’s more affordable, if you’ve got a few bob you can actually buy stuff in the shops. I really enjoyed the skiing. The Meribel side of the 3 Valleys is a little steeper as you come into Meribel than the Courchevel side. Our kids went into French ski school and we also used a British one, both were good. I would recommend the ski instructors, they were very tolerant and patient and the children had a good time.
quieter than expected
Reviewed 2 May 2014
The skiing was fantastic, and it wasn’t too busy which was nice – we didn’t have to do much queuing at all.
We were visiting my sister who was a chalet girl at the time and she showed us the best places to go out, we saw some live music which was really good.
Loved it - we're definitely going back
Reviewed 7 Apr 2014
I had never been to Meribel before but I absolutely loved it, it was a really good week and I will definitely go back here again!
The nightlife and ski area were really good, it has something for all different levels, two of our group had never skied before but they picked it up easily.
We were here towards the end of March and the snow was fine and it was sunny as well.
Easy to get to by train, huge area
Reviewed 18 Mar 2014
We chose Meribel because we like to travel by train and always choose somewhere that’s easy to get to on the train. The ease of access here from the station is brilliant; it’s quite a short transfer from the train station to the resort.
We've been here a couple of times and I like it, it’s good to be in the centre of the 3 valleys because there’s a huge area and you can go either way, east or west, so it’s great if you want to explore.
The runs are so varied, with all different levels; there are some really nice ones to the west of the piste map.
Fantastic - recommend to other families!
Reviewed 13 Mar 2014
Meribel is fantastic; we ski here as a family and I’d definitely recommend it to other families.
We’ve been there 2 years running and the snow has always been amazing.
There are some amazing places to eat, the only thing is it’s all a bit pricey. The Coeur is great, there’s a fantastic sea food restaurant in the town near where we stayed (Chaudanne apartments) and on the mountain, Folie Douce is magic fun for kids.
My kids had skied before but this would absolutely be a good place for beginners – we booked lessons with Parallel lines who are a brilliant British run ski school that do English speaking ski tuition. Their lesson times were great: 9-2pm.
Great apres, not family orientated
Reviewed 12 Mar 2014
Meribel is not family orientated but the après part was great so groups would like it here. We stayed here as a family and would never stay here again. The pisting system in Meribel was not what we’d like – I’m intermediate level and I’d be skiing half way down a blue and it would turn into a red which was more like a black. My partner is an advanced snowboarder and he wouldn’t have rated some of the greens for beginners at all. If Meribel had been my first skiing holiday I wouldn’t go again.
British favourite with very good reason
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Great nightlife and lovely looking place with some of the most famous après ski in the world at places like the Rond Point and Evolution Bar (“Evo” if you’re a local). No need to buy a full 3 Valleys lift pass if you’re a beginner or lower intermediate, as the Meribel ski area is pretty big on its own.
Choose great location to get most from Meribel
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Meribel is really pretty and blessed with some of the best skiing in the world. For ultimate location right between the lifts and the bars stay at the Chaudanne apartments or Eterlou hotel, or the chalet hotel Les Grangettes for the best combo of slope-side in the day and centre of town for your nights out.
One of the top 3 in the world
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
One of the truly great resorts, especially if you plan to skiing big mileage. It's at the heart of the three valleys, so you’ll never be stuck for choice of runs or bored by skiing the same piste. Meribel is one of the world’s best resorts for intermediate and advanced skiers, however beginners are catered for superbly with ‘Zen Zones’ created for novice and nervous skiers and snowboarders where they are separated from the main trails. The resort is ideal for families with plenty of fun activities if you don’t fancy skiing all day, including ice skating, snow shoeing and even dog sled rides.
Very British, skiing great in 3 Valleys
Reviewed 14 Oct 2013
Having really got to know the place I’d sum it up by saying Meribel is a very British resort with a huge influx of English speaking staff migrating for the winter season. The nightlife is more of a bar scene than a club scene although there is a Dicks T-Bar. The skiing is great, with loads of runs in the 3 valleys. The lifts at the start of the day can have quite long queues. The absolute classic apres bar Le Rond Point can’t be missed on the ski back home and now there is the newly installed Folie Douce in Meribel for partying on the piste and if it is anything like the one in Val Thorens, then it will be great fun and will allow visitors staying in Meribel a little more time to stay and enjoy themselves.
Highly recommended
Reviewed 14 Aug 2013
We had an amazing week in Meribel last January. The snow was terrific and we loved doing the massive daily mileage around the 3 Valleys linked area. It's great for groups who want a lively week and I’d recommend après ski at the famous Rond Point followed by dinner in the Pizza Express so that you’re already in the building for a massive night out in Dick’s T-Bar. Lots of English voices, so not a resort for authentic French charm, but probably more friendly because of that! Unless you’re a beginner, I’d say treat yourself to the big 3 Valleys lift pass, rather than cheaper local Meribel one.
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