Located in the prestigious Trois Vallees ski region in Savoie, France, Meribel ski resort has the distinction of having played host to the 1992 Winter Olympics and offers 150kms of top rate snowboarding and skiing, as well as good snow.

Cosmopolitan Meribel is both authentic and charming and has a traditional Savoyard atmosphere in its old style chalets. Hotels, chalets, tourist residences, vacation centres and self-catering apartments offer about 35,000 beds with prices to suit all budgets. Facilities are first rate, particularly for children.

Access to Meribel’s 150kms of prepared runs is via 57 lifts that operate over all 74 pistes; the longest run is four kilometres. Snowboarding and skiing caters to all levels, with 11 pistes for beginners, 33 for intermediates, 21 for those at an advanced level and nine for experts. In addition, there are 23kms of cross-country trails in Meribel and eight kilometres towards Courchevel.

Other winter activities and facilities include: ice-skating (artificial), mono-skiing, snowshoeing, ski-touring, parasailing, hang-gliding and a flying school. There is also indoor swimming, fitness centres, bowling, squash and wall-climbing. Après-ski activities are also numerous, with some great restaurants and a host of bars and discos available.

The December to April ski season at Meribel has ideal conditions in February, and special offers in mid-December and the end of the season.

Meribel ski resort is most conveniently reached by high-speed train from Paris to Moutiers (near Meribel), and a bus or taxi from there.