Ski all day in the largest resort in the world, return to our warm, spacious family home for dinner and drinks by the fire. The chalet is in the centre of a classic alpine village with friendly neighbours, lots of English speakers and lots of places to play around in the snow. The views are exceptional. 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms will easily fit 1 or 2 families or a group of up to 10 people. The kitchen is open plan and is properly equipped. The beds are soft and you can gaze at the stars at night through the skylights. classé 5* par l'office du tourisme).
Meribel is the middle valley of the justly world famous 3 valleys - 'le plus grand domaine skiable du monde' is the claim, and judging by the fact that every year we discover new pistes and lifts, this is surely the case. Not to mention the legendary off piste... This resort has everything, except big lift queues. And it is truly international, with a major British presence. So much so that the even the french part of the french ski school usually seem to speak ski English. And unlike other resorts, such as Tignes, the station is itself an attractive and genuine alpine resort, which is why it attracts so many visitors in the summer as well.
Our kids go to the french ski school, and have achieved an exceptional standard of skiing here in Meribel partly because of it. We often rent a ski locker so that they don't have to carry their skis - easy to arrange in advance if necessary. Sometimes we arrive from Paris, by train, and find it very easy to do without our car as the free bus is both frequent and quick.