Meribel In France, Several Kilometers Of Pistes Under Your Skis To Choose From

By Author: Boštjan Hozjan
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Meribel is housed in the same ski areas as Val Thorens and Courchevel. If you just wanted to ski these areas, you'd have well over 400 kilometers of pistes. If you wanted to jump up to 600 kilometers of pistes, then, you can buy a ski pass that gives you access to over 100 kilometers of cross-country ski paths, just shy of 300 runs, two snowboarding parks (nearby Les Menuires and Courchevel have bigger parks) and near 190 ski lifts. These astounding numbers are only possible because Brides-les-Bain, Les Menuires, St. Martin de Belleville and La Tania are all accessible together. If you wanted access to all these slopes without the Meribel price tag, then try staying at one of the lower-end resort towns, taking transportation to your ski area of choice.

The higher you go up the mountain, the higher prices you'll pay. The reason is simple-the higher up you go the better the views become. The other Meribel resorts, such as Meribel Mottaret and Meribel le Raffort, are pricier than others found lower on the slopes. And, just because you may pay for these higher accommodations, you may still have to take transport to the pistes. ...
... There are around 40 thousand beds to be had here, and nearly all the rooms that house them are expensive compared to other French ski resorts.

If you've ever wanted to get off the main pistes and really commune with nature, then Meribel is your chance. There are around 30 official runs but if you go off pistes, the mountains are the limit. If you plan on going for more than a half- or full-day, be sure to get maps and hire a guide. Going with a group will make the costs cheaper, and there's always more safety in numbers should you get lost or hurt yourself. The authorities and tourist's office can recommend a guide for any well-planned excursion you have.

Meribel French ski resort includes several ski schools to help get you started if you're new to the sport. There are some well-groomed bunny hills along with some nice intermediate runs. The official last count says there are 146 intermediate runs and just over 100 beginner runs. There are plenty of lifts taking you to the start of all of these. You'll have several kilometers of pistes under your skis to choose from too. The French locals as well as the foreign holiday skiers come to Meribel for more choices than can possibly be skied in a week or more.

The story of how Meribel came to be is one of the more interesting ones. In the 1930s, a Mr. Peter Lindsay happened upon Meribel-then a village of farmers and herders. After the War ravaged this part of Europe, Mr. Lindsay came back from Austria to put Meribel on the world ski destination map. Meribel Alpina was born and slowly and surely it became a top ski holiday destination. Lindsay wasn't even in it for the money, either (he already made quite a bit). As people came to ski, Lindsay gave the land back to the locals who in turn opened up hotels and hostels for the visitors. His investment way back then is still giving back today, with hundreds of families benefiting from tourism.

In addition to making Meribel and premier ski destination, Lindsay (with the architectural help of Christian Durupt) created an eco friendly atmosphere that used the areas wealth of natural goods to build the resort from the ground up. The ambiance of oneness with nature still exist today, with wood, rocks and other material still used to erect the hotels, bars, restaurants and other edifices in the Meribel ski resort vicinity.