Skiing The French Alps: What It’s Really Like (Costs, Food, and What Surprised Me Most)
If you’ve ever wondered whether skiing the French Alps is actually worth the trip from the U.S., I just got back, and I have thoughts. I based myself in Meribel, which is one of many resort towns in the French Alps. You may or may not know that travel advisors go on educational trips called FAMs (familiarization trips) to help us better understand a destination for our clients. And this FAM didn’t disappoint.
I went to Méribel expecting great skiing. I didn’t expect the food to steal the show or for it to rival (and sometimes beat) the U.S. on cost. No more burgers and chili on the run with insane price points. The meal on the mountain is a highlight of the day and can be the start to an unforgettable Aprés Ski experience.
First, Meribel At A Glance
- Location: Central part of the Three Valleys (largest ski area in the world)
- Best For: Families, luxury travelers, intermediate skiers (but ok for beginners too)
- Best Time To Go: December through early April (avoid February due to Europe’s school holidays)
- Closest International Airport: Geneva
Why The Food Is The Highlight (Not An Afterthought)
It’s hard to express how amazing dining on the mountain can be. The first day, our friendly Purple Ski guide, Zac, led us to a hidden run that ended at Le Clos Bernard. It felt so special, almost like a hidden gem that only we knew about. We started with fondue, oysters and escargot along with champagne (of course) followed by entrees – I had the the steak and frites. If you don’t ski (or over-indulged), there’s a horse-drawn carriage to take you back.
The next day was our Apres ski experience at the popular La Folie Douce. Part of why I think Apres is just different in the French Alps is you are so much more efficient with your skiing. No lines for lifts (just don’t go in February when Europe is on holiday), and there’s so much terrain that you can get many more runs in from 9am-1pm than you would in the U.S. So there’s no pressure to get back out and do some more runs.
La Folie Douce features a caberet performance with dancers, singers and musicians (see video) – it’s unlike anything I have ever experienced. Children are welcome and seem to love it, but there is a lot of drinking.
“Ski Angels” are available to help you get your skis up to the lift if you’re too drunk to ski – you have to climb a hill so ski angels are essential. Generally with lunch in the French Alps, there’s a quality over convenience mindset that separates it from what you’ve experienced in the U.S.
Where To Stay (and Getting There)
As I mentioned, our group was hosted by a catered chalet company, Purple Ski, and so we were able to experience everything our clients would experience firsthand. First, you must make your way to Meribel. If flying from the U.S., you would either land in Geneva or Lyon. It takes 2-2.5 hours to get to the chalets in Meribel via private transfer. If coordinated through Purple Ski, they will contain snacks and drinks, and you can take in the panoramic views on the way. While the transfers are an additional fee, a private driver is included in the cost of your stay and is available whenever you need him or her, 8am to midnight, 7 days a week.
Once you arrive at the chalet, you will be greeted by a staff member who will show you around. Breakfast and dinner plus snacks are prepared daily by a private chef, along with full-service staff who will tidy your room, do laundry, and turndown service at night. Below is a sampling of rooms in the three catered chalets we visited (Iona, Harmony and Lapin Blanc).
The price of each chalet includes:
- Comprehensive pre-arrival concierge services to help plan the perfect ski trip
- Exclusive use of the chalet and facilities for your chosen dates
- Dedicated service in resort from the professional chalet staff
- Daily housekeeping, high-quality linens, towels and dressing gowns
- Freshly prepared breakfast and afternoon tea daily
- Pre-dinner canapes followed by magnificent dinners prepared by your chef (5 nights)
- Early children’s supper daily if requested
- Unlimited Veuve Clicquot or Tattinger champagne
- Complimentary bar of beer, wines, spirits, and soft drinks
- Carefully selected wines
- Fresh fruit and flowers
Staying in a hotel is another option if you plan to stay less than a week, which is the minimum stay in the catered chalets. A very reasonably-priced option is The Mottaret Hotel, which is a ski-in/ski-out cozy, boutique hotel with breakfast included.
Equipment Rentals, Lessons and Lift Tickets
I won’t go into too much detail here. The catered chalets bring in someone to fit you with equipment conveniently in the house. Lessons are very easy to arrange and inexpensive. I always suggest for my clients to book lessons for the first and possibly second day to get your bearings and understand what is where. The instructors are amazing and can also teach you the history of the three valleys as well. Here are some price comparisons to Deer Valley.
Lift Tickets: Deer Valley $300/day vs. all 3 valleys ~$80/day
Lessons: Deer Valley $1200-$1600/day vs. ~$400/day
Equipment Rentals: Deer Valley $350-$500/week vs. $130-$200/week
The Skiing
It goes without saying that the skiing in the French Alps is epic. It feels otherworldly how vast the terrain is. The views are incredible everywhere you turn.
There are much fewer trees than I was used to, but there are poles on either side of the runs that will guide you down, which comes in handy when visibility gets low. They use the terms green, blue, red, black and so-on. The reds are more like black runs in the U.S. The lifts are run much more efficiently with turnstalls to check lift tickets instead of humans. It feels easy breezy, and I can’t wait to go back.
So Is Meribel Worth It?
Yes, and here’s why. It’s more than a ski trip – it’s really a bucket list trip that could actually save you money. If you have questions or are thinking about booking a trip, I would love to help you plan it. Reach out to me through my intake form here and let’s get started! And if you would like more information, check out my pre-FAM blog post about skiing the French Alps here.
Leave a Reply
"Chrissy was extremely helpful and easy to work with!! She helped us with ideas on local activities, securing the room we wanted, and even helped when our flights were cancelled on best hotel options! She was a very positive support during our fun and exciting holiday. travel this year!"
-Chloe L
"My experience with Chrissy was wonderful! She is very efficient and detail oriented. Our rooms were perfect and very spacious. She was helpful in getting an early check in and room upgrade. We will definitely work with her again!
- Keri G
"Easy and seamless! Got an incredible deal, and they even wished my daughter a happy birthday upon arrival. It was a nice personal touch driven by Chrissy’s fantastic personal attention to our reservation."
-Lisa A
"Chrissy was knowledgeable, friendly, either had answers or quickly got them, gave awesome recommendations, and was very quick to respond. Awesome to work with! She made everything seamless and we loved everything we did on our trip, and everywhere we stayed. She was amazing. Looking forward to booking our next vacation with her!"
-Amber C
