Practical info & advicesfor your skiing holidays in Courchevel

There’s no need to worry – this is a place you simply have to experience! To help you to prepare your holiday in Meribel, we have put together some useful information to help you plan and prepare to make the most of your holiday once you arrive in these fabulous snowy mountains!

1. Order online : arrive in resort ready to hit the slopes!

Yes, it’s true that skiing is an activity that requires a bit of logistical organisation: renting equipment, accommodation, buying ski passes… But you can make your life easier by reserving these things in advance.

Then, when you arrive, you only have the practical things to sort out!

For example:

• Rent your ski equipment:

If you are staying in Méribel during the school holidays, think about reserving in advance! The rental shops are very busy, and it could happen that they run out of the best equipment to suit you, if you arrive late…

• Collect your ski passes:

Avoid queuing up in the lift pass office on your first day skiing when the sun is shining, and your group are all impatiently waiting to get on the slopes: order your lift passes on our website skipassmeribelmottaret!

The advantages:

• delivered directly to your home, or you can collect from the automatic machines in resort

• cancellation possible up until the evening of your first day skiing

• all paid passes are available to reserve online, only the -5 years and 75+ years passes must be purchased in a lift pass office.

• Ski schools and ski instructors:

Whether it’s your first time on skis, you’re coming back to the sport after a break, or you simply want a guide to show you around the resort without having to constantly check that your route will take you to your favourite mountain restaurant… book your instructor through one of the ski schools prior to your arrival in resort!

2. Journey to the mountains

Avoid busy roads: judge your arrival and your departure times carefully. It is so frustrating to get stuck in a traffic jam on your way up the mountain... Adapt your journey to avoid them, even if it means thinking outside the box!

• Try booking your accommodation from Sunday to Sunday (more and more agencies and hotels offer this as an option).

• Opt for the train or ‘TGV’: our resorts are accessible via the bus network from our nearest station, Moutiers-Salins. The big bonus of travelling by train: it is less tiring, more ecological and not at all restrictive once you arrive in resort, as Méribel is served by a regular and extensive bus network which can take you from village to village, depending on which restaurant, entertainment and shopping experience you are looking for!

• Stay up to date with the snow forecast and the state of the roads.

All information is available HERE

• Please note that suitable equipment, eg. snow tyres or snow chains, are now compulsory to access the resort, as of 1st November 2021. (called the ‘Loi Montagne’ in French).

• Pack your bags according to the weather forecast

• From -15°C to +10°C: around here, we ski, whatever the weather!

In the mountains the weather can completely change in days or even in just a few hours, no matter what season it is. It can be mild in February and very cold in April, there are no rules!

To avoid any surprises, we advise you to check the weather forecast for the week you are visiting which will help you when packing and not forget anything important!

Check the forecast

3. Get into shape with our special ski workout

You don’t need to be an elite athlete to enjoy skiing? That’s true, but it’s actually more enjoyable if you prepare a little in advance. It’s good to take care of yourself and doing a few exercises builds anticipation for your approaching holiday!

Stretching, yoga, building muscle… Every little helps!

Some ideas to get you in shape:

Lucile Woodward put together a routine of 7 muscle building exercises (thighs, core, buttocks) to do at home.

Are you a carefree type who likes surprises, always looking to see what’s around the next corner? It’s wise to head out on your adventure with your piste map, anyway. Why? It will help you if you’ve lingered in another valley and need to find the fastest route back, or if your friend had a lie-in and wants to catch you up.

Help yourself, free piste maps are available in all our sales offices as well as the tourist office.

The 3 Vallées app gives you everything you want to know about the ski area – all in real-time, of course: lift and slope openings, freshly groomed runs overnight, on-mountain restaurants, webcams, technical issues, and even notifications when the 3 Vallées connections are starting to close due to strong winds... It’s all there!

The app is free – download it without hesitation and start exploring right now HERE.

Got a question, a doubt, a problem? Our teams are there to help and inform. The ski patrol, lift pass operators, ski instructors, sales team: they are happy to advise and help you out!

If they’re too young for a smartphone, we suggest that you put a card with your phone number in their pocket. Tell them in advance that should you become separated, they should head to one of the lifts and talk to a person wearing a blue uniform with a ‘STAFF’ label, or find one of our ski patrol, who wear yellow outfit with a yellow cross.

• A helmet is essential for everyone

• The correct spees is the one you can control

• Slow down an look around when you change direction

• Always stop atthe side of the slope

• The slopes are not for après-ski, piste groomers are at work

• Offpiste is better with a peofessional

Nice one! That means you’ve put in some practice on the slopes. But don’t head out alone… Mountain guides and ski instructors are at your service to show you the very best off-piste areas in the 3 Valleys, IN TOTAL SAFETY.

When it’s cold, it’s easy to forget to drink water. Even for the sportiest of people, skiing is a physical activity, and the muscles need water. Don’t forget to take a bottle of water in your bag to stay hydrated. Another tip to avoid aches and pains: take 10 minutes to stretch every evening, before sitting down at the table to tuck into your raclette, fondue or other Savoyard delicacy! It’s not too much of a hardship and your thighs will thank you, the following day!