Meribel – Normally, having lived in a place you can see it has some bad points as well as good. I struggle with Meribel. It has a friendly, cosy atmosphere for visitors and residents alike. It has something for everyone – sports centre, bars, restaurants, cinema, live-music. It is surrounded by pistes so getting skiing in a morning is easy peasy. One unusual thing in a French town is that most people are English but I doubt anyone could class this as a bad thing, although French language practise is limited, usually to a Merci to the pisteys or bus drivers around resort. And, as you’d expect food and drink is quite expensive. Apart from that, perfection.
Mottaret – Mottaret is THE place to stay for snow enthusiast. No accommodation is further than 50m from the piste so bouncing out of bed straight onto your board/ skis is the norm. It is possible to ski Courchevel and Val Thorens by one gondola each, at the top of which the Three Valleys really are at your feet. Nightlife is a little more subdued but a few cosy bars and restaurants go on into the small hours and a regular bus service to Meribel keeps the night-owls happy.
Brides les Bains – When walking through the spa town of Brides, it’s like discovering a hidden gem. The perfect place for a cheap but top value ski holiday, some luxury hotels do half board deals at astonishingly low prices. At 600m Brides doesn’t see much snow but from early March onwards it gets to shorts and t-shirt weather with skiing still in full swing higher up. The ideal sun/ski holiday with a bit of sunbathing thrown in! It has easy access to the whole 3 Valleys by taking a 25 min gondola ride up to Meribel, its very charming and typically French, Brides is much cheaper than up top and has its own traditional bakery, restaurants, food and ski shops, it even has its own spa, cinema and casino!
La Tania – Even though La Tania lies in the Courchevel Valley it is like Meribel’s little sister. Great for families, it is small, cosy, car-free and based around the piste. The Ski Lodge, a one-stop bar/ restaurant serves mouth-watering top value dishes by day and hosts après-ski sessions, themed evenings and happy hours by night. A choice of other restaurants and small bars makes this an excellent little resort for all.
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