10 reasons to take your family skiing to Méribel Ski Resort, France -

As a family we have experienced a whole range of holidays over the years from camping trips to luxury resorts, self-catering accommodation to adventure weekends and yet one thing we have never tried is skiing. Although Gaz and Lewis have skied separately in the past, I always assumed that with three younger children it would be too difficult, that I would struggle with the physical demands and particularly with the cold, and although we have debated it back and forth I have somehow always talked myself out of it. This Easter we finally took the plunge to Méribel Ski Resort – from booking the airport transfer to strapping on skis for the first time, every step felt like an adventure.

I can’t put into words just how exciting, exhilarating and, admittedly, how exhausting, it was to spend the whole week up there on the slopes but it was completely unlike any holiday we’ve experienced before. I think as Brits we seek out the sun holidays, the all inclusive beach resorts, the type of holidays we are familiar with because we know we’re going to have a great time. It can often feel like a huge gamble to spend such hard earned cash on the type of holiday you’ve never experienced before and yet I am here to tell you that it is absolutely worth that gamble because I defy anyone to visit Méribel and not fall completely in love with skiing in the same way that we have.

I could list a thousand reasons why you should take your family skiing to Méribel but here are just ten of the very best reasons.

1. Méribel ski resort is an incredible location

Méribel is located close to the town of Moûtiers in the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps and occupies a special place among the seven ski resorts that make up Les 3 Vallées. Situated in the centre of the ski area, with its 600km of pistes and breath-taking views of the most beautiful peaks in the Alps, it is the perfect base to fully immerse yourself into a ski holiday whilst having easy access to the surrounding amenities, attractions and public transport. Plus due to its high altitude, its size and its multiple exposures, Les 3 Vallées ski area, located in the Tarentaise valley in the Northern Alps, guarantees a high quality snow cover throughout the winter.

You can reach Méribel from four nearby airports – Geneva, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Grenoble and Chambéry and, with the exception of Grenoble airport, you can then complete your journey to the resort by bus, thanks to the regular Altibus service which can be booked online. Alternatively, you can take a train to the nearest station in Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, and complete your journey by Altibus coach, taxi or hire car.

2. Stay in luxury family accommodation

The great thing about Méribel is the choice of accommodation for families of all size. Being a larger family of six we were excited to stay in a large self-catering chalet which sleeps 8 people, perfect for us all to have our own space and enjoy our stay. The self catering chalets have everything you need to really make the most of your stay including luxuries such as a dishwasher and washing machine. You can also find smaller apartments, hotel accommodation and private rentals all within walking distance from the piste which is perfect with children after a long day skiing. The WiFi was a little hit and miss but luckily we had already bought esims from Simify which worked great.

3. On-site ski hire at Méribel

It can feel quite overwhelming preparing for a ski trip where you need such specific clothing and equipment and yet the great thing about Méribel is that you can hire everything you need right there at the resort. There are multiple options for hiring your skis, boots, helmets and ski clothing too so it’s worth shopping around before your trip to work out the best location and the best prices for your family.

We hired our skis, boots and helmets from Ski Set which is located directly in the centre of the resort and for a small fee you can leave your skis and boots there at the end of each day rather than carrying them back up to your accommodation.

4. Ski lessons for all abilities with ESF Méribel

With myself and the children never having skied before I was extremely anxious about how we would cope hitting the slopes for the first time. Luckily we had our lessons booked in Monday – Friday with ESF Ski School Meribel who boast 62 runs, 2 snowboard parks, 320 English speaking ski instructors and lessons for all ages and all abilities. I joined an adult beginner class which was just a small group of four with an instructor who had us skiing in no time.

The children had their lessons separately and were dropped off and collected at Ski School each morning by ourselves. Not only did they have an amazing time learning to ski but it was great for them to have that independence and also gave Gaz and Lewis the opportunity to head off and do some of the trickier slopes. For parents who already ski it’s a great way to enjoy some child-free time on the slopes!

5. Discover all 3 valleys with one ski pass!

Les 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world made up of 7 very famous ski resorts, including the resort of Méribel. It offers 600 km of ski slopes, more than 300 marked runs, 62,000 metres of cumulative vertical drop, 28 fun runs and 160 ski lifts and your ski pass allows you to access all of this! Once you get your bearings it’s so easy to navigate your way around the different areas where you can ski between majestic peaks and stunning pine forests.

Myself and the children loved the green and blue slopes where as Gaz and Lewis challenged themselves up on the red and black slopes all of which are carefully marked out and shown clearly on the piste maps which I recommend you carry at all times. With the skiing area so vast you can make every day of your day completely different and as a result it feels as though you have visited several resorts all in the space of one stay. There are apps you can download with all of the maps and ski runs too. Make sure you stay connected with an esim from Sims Direct.

6. Delicious food options

One thing we fast learned is that skiing is a sure fire way to increase your appetite with the average person burning 500 calories per hour. For that reason we made sure to eat a large lunch and dinner each day and the options were endless! Méribel has a whole host of restaurants, take-outs, bakeries, delis and supermarkets all with a huge variety of food to suit all dietary needs.

We enjoyed flame grilled burgers, fresh shrimp pasta, traditional Croque Monsieurs, soups, pizzas and so much more in between. We have always found the food in France to be exceptional quality and this was certainly the case here in Méribel too.

7. Unbeatable views

One of my favourite things about Méribel was undoubtedly the views from the tops of the mountains each day. Even just waking up in our chalet and opening the curtains felt like something out of a fairy tale, but when you’re skiing along the top of the mountain looking out at the view, there is no feeling quite like it. Having been so worried about the weather and suffering in the cold, it turned out that for many of the days, our issue was that we were far too hot! With Méribel being at such high altitude the skies were clear, the sun was beaming down and you could literally see for miles right across the valleys each day. We have never seen anything quite as incredible and even after a week looking out at those views, it never failed to impress us.

8. So many fun activities

Although for us skiing was the thing we were the most excited about, what I didn’t realise is just how many more incredible activities there are to do here at Méribel! During our stay we visited the Nordic ranch where we groomed the horses, petted the smaller animals and learned about the horse riding adventures you can sign up for, we visited the Parc Olympique where we went ice skating on an olympic sized ice rink, went swimming at the pool and played ten pin bowling together in the evenings.

Gaz and Lewis took the plunge and went parasailing right off the top of the highest mountain, and we went snowmobiling as a family which was one of our favourite moments of the whole trip. I even had the luxury of a Shiatzu massage at the Centre bien etre which felt like heaven after a long day on the slopes. Whether you want to spend your time at Méribel skiing each day or try other activities, there really is something for everyone.

9. Perfect for all ages

With us having a ten year age gap between our eldest and youngest, it can sometimes be hard to find holidays which cater to us as adults, a teenager and three younger children. The most incredible thing about a Méribel ski holiday is that it caters to all ages! At 18 Lewis literally had the time of his life and at 8, 9 and 10 our younger three did too. Plus at 43 years of age I learned to ski and for anyone thinking they’re too old or they’ve left it too late, that absolutely is not true.

One of my favourite things about the holiday was seeing the bond between all four of the children strengthen, from helping each other up, cheering each other on, snuggling up together after a long day on the slopes, it was one of those holidays where it felt as though we could just shut ourselves off, live in the moment and really make our time together so special.

10. Make memories to last a lifetime

If you need any more reasons to book a Méribel ski holiday let it be this – the memories you make will last a lifetime and sitting here now I still have to pinch myself that we had those incredible seven days together. There is something so magical about being up there in the mountains amongst the snow, about trying something new, challenging yourself as a family and sharing those experiences together. Since we returned home not a single day has passed without us reminiscing on our holiday, without one of the children recalling a special moment or a particular activity, without us scrolling through our photos and feeling a sense of longing to go back and do it all over again. And we absolutely will return and I have no doubt that it will be just as special and give us just as many wonderful memories but for now, so far, these are our absolute favourite memories yet.