Skiing in Méribel

Méribel: the middle valley of Les 3 Vallées, from the Altiport greens to Roc de Fer

Méribel ski guide: all 77 official slopes by sector, the Roc de Fer course, Mini Pass beginner lifts, 2026–27 valley vs 3 Vallées prices and best snow months.

Alpine slopes in Méribel's official counter

77

Lifts in the Méribel valley

42

Méribel Centre altitude (m)

1450

Top of the Mont Vallon gondola (m)

2910

Méribel valley adult 1-day pass, 19 Dec 2026–2 Apr 2027 (EUR)

71.20

Les 3 Vallées adult 1-day pass, 19 Dec 2026–9 Apr 2027 (EUR)

84.20

Skiing & terrain in Méribel

Méribel valley only (Méribel and Méribel-Mottaret): all 77 alpine slopes in the official counter, in the seven sectors the operator data assigns (Burgin, Tougnète, Cote Brune, Mont de la Challe, Mont du Vallon, Pas du Lac, Plattières), plus the fun zones and snowpark lines, two tourist-office itineraries, the 2023 World Championships race course, two ski-touring routes and the official link points to other resorts — 111 rows. Courchevel, Val Thorens and Les Menuires runs are not listed; Val Thorens and Les Menuires have their own SkiPair guides.

Alpine slopes in the official counter

77

Official counter: green

8

Official counter: blue

29

Official counter: red

30

Official counter: black

10

Lifts

42

Rows in this table

111

Rows in this table with an official length

73

• Green pistes in this table: 8
• Blue pistes in this table: 29
• Red pistes in this table: 30
• Black pistes in this table: 10

Checked 18 October 2026. Run names, grades and sectors come from the official Les 3 Vallées interactive map data (Lumiplan), filtered to the two Méribel lift companies (Méribel Alpina and Méribel-Mottaret); the area labels are the sector names in that data, which match the slope list on meribel.net. The 77 rows of kind 'piste' match the official counter exactly (8 green, 29 blue, 30 red, 10 black, French grades). Saulire and the Altiport are not separate sectors in the official list: their lifts (Saulire 1–2, Altiport, Loze, Rhodos) sit in Burgin, and Roc de Fer and La Face sit in Tougnète. Lengths: 73 rows carry a length — the piste lengths come from the operator's map data (which does not say whether they are horizontal or along the slope); the two itineraries use the tourist office's figures and the race course uses the FIS official results. No lift length is used as a run length. Cross-country loops and sledging runs are left out. Opening status changes daily — use the official slopes page.

Méribel pistes: Saulire, Tougnète, Mont du Vallon and the Roc de Fer

The official counter lists 77 alpine slopes in the Méribel valley — 8 green, 29 blue, 30 red and 10 black — and 42 lifts. Two lift companies share the valley: Méribel Alpina runs the Méribel side (the official list calls its sectors Burgin and Tougnète) and the Mottaret company runs Cote Brune, Mont de la Challe, Mont du Vallon, Pas du Lac and Plattières. The table below follows those official sectors, with a length for most runs from the operator's map data.

From La Chaudanne in Méribel Centre, the Saulire Express gondolas climb to Saulire (2,701 m at the top station) on the Courchevel side, and Burgin also holds the Altiport, Loze and Rhodos lifts. Across the valley, Tougnète carries Roc de Fer — a blue of nearly 2.5 km from the Olympic chairlift — and La Face, the black the tourist office says hosted the 1992 Olympic women's downhill. The 2023 World Championships women's downhill used the FIS-homologated Roc de Fer race course: 2,413 m from 2,150 m to 1,465 m, per the FIS official results.

Above Mottaret, the Mont Vallon gondola rises to 2,910 m for Combe du Vallon (red, 3,367 m in the map data) and Campagnol (black). The longest single run with a published length is Lac de la Chambre Bleue (4,893 m) from the col shared with Val Thorens, and the tourist office's longest itineraries are 11.1 km from Lac de la Chambre to Méribel Centre and 10 km from Mont Vallon to La Chaudanne.

Méribel for beginners: Altiport, Rond-Point, Yéti Park and the Mini Pass

Méribel's beginner product is the Mini Pass: €39.50 a day for ages 5 to 75 for the 2026–27 season (5 December 2026–18 April 2027). It covers the Olympe gondola from Brides-les-Bains, the Rhodos gondola, the Morel, Golf and Altiport chairlifts, the Tougnète 1 gondola and the Combes chairlift at Mottaret, and opens mainly green and blue slopes.

The official Easy Rider beginner map marks free lifts in three places: the Inuits and Fontany lifts at the Altiport, the Côtes drag lift at Le Rond-Point, and the Chalets gondola and the beginner lifts at Le Hameau and Mottaret. The greens to start on are Blanchot, Forêt and Rhodos above Méribel Centre and Little Himalaya and Perdrix at Mottaret; the blues Hulotte, Lapin, Doron and Martre come next.

The fun runs are made for the first days: Piste des Inuits and Piste des Animaux in the Altiport forest and the Yéti Park at Mottaret (Combes chairlift) are all green. Keep the Saulire, Mont Vallon and Tougnète tops for later — most of what starts there is red or black.

Getting to Méribel: Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, then Moûtiers and the bus

There is no airport in the valley. Les 3 Vallées names Geneva, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Chambéry and Grenoble as the nearest airports, and the tourist office notes that Altibus transfers run from Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry. Altibus lists winter-only coaches to Méribel from Geneva and Lyon (LYS'Express) airports; bookings for 2026–27 open this autumn.

By train, go to Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains. Altibus line S64 (Moûtiers – Méribel Mottaret) runs all year from the station, more often in winter, and Les 3 Vallées says buses from Moûtiers take under an hour. Alternatively, Brides-les-Bains is about 6 km from the station, and its Olympe gondola reaches the Méribel ski area in 22 minutes (open 5 December 2026–9 April 2027, 7:45–17:30).

By car, take the A43 to Albertville, the RN90 to Moûtiers and then the D90 for 18 km to Méribel; snow tyres or chains/socks are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March. In the resort, the free Méribus shuttle runs from 5 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, and parking is booked through the official car-park site.

Méribel with kids: esf classes, Piou Piou clubs and the fun runs

esf Méribel (348 instructors) runs group lessons for little ones from 3 to under 5 — the Mini Club Piou Piou at 3 and the Club Piou Piou at 4, plus snowboard at 4–5 — children's classes for 5–12, teens from 13 and adults. Its Les Saturnins childcare takes 18 months to under 3. Its English site says instructors speak French, English, Spanish, German and Italian.

Lessons start from several meeting points: Parc Olympique and esf at La Chaudanne, esf Rond Point, Blanchot, esf Mottaret, Hameau-Mottaret and the top of the Martre run — pick lodging near one. The tourist office also lists Oxyski (lessons in English, with a private beginners' area at the top of the Rhodos gondola), New Generation, Snow Systems and Audacius by Prosneige (from age 3, at La Chaudanne).

Children under 5 ski free on both passes, and the Family Flex rate lets 1–2 adults and 1–6 children (5–17) all ski at the child price. For a non-skiing parent, the tourist office lists the Olympic Park (pool, ice rink, bowling), evening sledging at the Yéti Park and outdoor games at the Tuéda nature reserve.

Where to stay in Méribel: Centre, Mottaret, Méribel Village, Les Allues or Brides-les-Bains

Méribel Centre (1,450 m) is the hub: La Chaudanne at the foot of the slopes has the Saulire Express, Tougnète 1 and Legends lifts and the main esf meeting points, with the most shops and après-ski. Higher districts on the slope, such as Le Rond-Point, Morel and the Altiport, are quieter and closer to the beginner areas. Méribel-Mottaret (1,750 m) is the most ski-focused base — higher, with Pas du Lac, Plattières and the Combes chairlift on the doorstep and the quickest way toward Val Thorens and Les Menuires.

Méribel Village (1,400 m) is small and traditional, with the Golf chairlift up to the Altiport. Les Allues (1,100 m) is the old village lower down the valley, on the Olympe gondola line; the Villages red run comes down to it, but at that height it is the first to lose snow. Brides-les-Bains (600 m) is the budget option: the Olympe gondola takes 22 minutes to the ski area but stops at 17:30, and it is about 6 km from Moûtiers station.

Before you book, check the walk in ski boots to the nearest lift, ski storage, and the nearest free Méribus stop.

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Méribel ski pass vs Les 3 Vallées: 2026–27 prices

Two passes matter. The Méribel valley pass covers the 77 slopes in this guide; the Les 3 Vallées pass adds Courchevel, La Tania, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin, Val Thorens and Orelle. In the 2026–27 price lists checked on 18 October 2026, an adult (18–74) on the Méribel pass pays €71.20 for a day and €356 for six days in high season (19 December 2026–2 April 2027); the 3 Vallées pass costs €84.20 and €421 in its high season (19 December 2026–9 April 2027).

Children 5–17 pay €58.30 a day (€291.50 for six days) on the Méribel pass, or €69 (€345) on the 3 Vallées. Under-5s ski free on both; over-75s ski free on the Méribel pass and pay €21 a day on the 3 Vallées. Family Flex (from 3 skiers) costs €291.50 per person for six days on the Méribel pass and €345 on the 3 Vallées. Early and late season (from 5 December and after the high season to 18 April 2027) are cheaper.

If you are unsure, a six-day Méribel pass can be extended to the 3 Vallées for one day (€51 adult, €41.80 child, at ticket offices only). Beginners should start with the €39.50 Mini Pass.

Best time to ski in Méribel: snow history, 2026–27 season dates and forecasts

Historically, February and March are Méribel's best snow window. At Météo-France's Méribel-Mottaret station (1,700 m), average snow depth over 1991–2020 is about 91 cm in February and 88 cm in March, against 68 cm in January; January brings the most new snow (about 100 cm a month on average), with February close behind. December (about 33 cm, from fewer complete years) and April (about 47 cm) are the shoulder months. These are long-term averages — a SkiPair calculation from Météo-France daily station data — not a guarantee for any season.

The 2026–27 season in Méribel and Les 3 Vallées runs from 5 December 2026 to 18 April 2027. Early or late in the season, the high terrain — Mont Vallon, Plattières, Cote Brune and Saulire — usually holds snow better than the runs down to Méribel Centre, and the Villages run to Les Allues at about 1,100 m is the most exposed.

For the forecast and the day itself, use the official slopes page for what is open, and check the snow report for both the top and the bottom of the valley: a good depth at 2,900 m does not mean the home runs to 1,450 m are open.

Find ski partners in Méribel and across Les 3 Vallées

Méribel suits a solo trip: it sits in the middle of Les 3 Vallées, so a day toward Courchevel or Val Thorens is a natural shared plan. On SkiPair, add your dates, base (Centre or Mottaret) and level to match with someone on the same days — for example a morning on the Roc de Fer and La Face, or a 3 Vallées day over Saulire.

Agree in advance who has the Méribel pass and who has the 3 Vallées pass, where you meet (La Chaudanne or the Mottaret snow front are obvious spots), and when you turn back so nobody misses the last link lift home.

Ski pass prices for Méribel

Check the operator’s current prices for your ski dates, ticket duration, age group and the area covered by the pass.

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Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Méribel: recent snowfall, what is forecast next, and an outlook for your dates.

Snow and temperature are model estimates. They do not confirm that lifts or pistes are open. Further-ahead dates show seasonal patterns rather than a weather forecast.

Flights & getting to Méribel

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Closest airport is Geneva (GVA).

Méribel is better with your kind of people

A destination in common is a good start. Find skiers and snowboarders whose dates, ability and idea of a great day match yours.

A glimpse of Méribel

Archive photos · cropped for display

Questions about this resort