Les 3 Vallées has 600 kilometres of pistes, spread across seven ski resorts and quite a few separate villages and districts. On the piste map, everything looks neatly connected. And it is. But that doesn't mean it matters little where you stay.
If you book the wrong village, you may lose time to a bus or a lift every morning, have few restaurants nearby in the evening or discover that the atmospheric chalet in the photo is quite a way from the piste. Conversely, you don't necessarily have to sleep in the most expensive village to explore the whole ski area with ease.
My short answer? For most people, Méribel is the best base. It lies in the middle valley, which means you can reach Courchevel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens relatively easily. But even within Méribel the villages differ greatly. If skiing comes first, Mottaret is the better choice. If you want luxury and gastronomy, Courchevel 1850 is the place. For charm and peace, I find Saint-Martin-de-Belleville hard to beat.
Méribel for those who want to combine everything
Méribel lies, quite literally, in the heart of Les 3 Vallées. That sounds like an advertising slogan, but here it is above all practical. From the middle valley you can ski towards Courchevel one day and to Les Menuires or Val Thorens the next, without first having to cross half the ski area.
What's more, Méribel is simply prettier than many other purpose-built ski resorts. The architecture consists mainly of chalets in wood and natural stone, which has allowed the village to keep its charm. You'll find good restaurants, lively après-ski and enough activities for those who don't ski, or don't ski every day.
My main warning: don't just book something because the advert says ‘Méribel’. The valley is made up of several villages and districts. The exact location of your accommodation determines how much you can do on foot, by bus or on skis.
Méribel Centre
For a first stay in Les 3 Vallées, Méribel Centre is usually my safest choice. Around La Chaudanne you'll find the main lifts leaving from here, along with ski schools, shops, equipment hire, restaurants and bars. You can get around easily here even without a car.
Méribel Centre is particularly suited to groups where not everyone has the same plans. The keen skiers can set off early, while someone else strolls later to the spa, the village or a restaurant. In the evening, too, you're not dependent on a taxi or the last bus.
Do bear in mind that ‘Centre’ is used generously. A chalet can officially be in Méribel Centre and still require a solid uphill walk. So always check the distance to La Chaudanne, a piste or a bus stop. After a day's skiing, a few hundred metres in ski boots suddenly feels a lot longer.
My verdict: the best all-round choice for anyone visiting Les 3 Vallées for the first time and wanting to combine skiing with restaurants, atmosphere and convenience.
Méribel-Mottaret
Mottaret lies higher than Méribel Centre and is the wisest choice for anyone who truly puts skiing first. You're closer to the links towards the Belleville valley and usually benefit from better snow conditions. Many properties are on or close to the piste.
The downside is that Mottaret has less of the warm village feel of Méribel Centre. There are restaurants and shops, but the offer is smaller and in places the architecture feels more functional. If you like a long dinner after skiing or want to try out several bars, you'll want to head to Méribel Centre more often.
My verdict: the best choice for keen skiers, especially later in the season. More practical than Méribel Centre, but less cosy.
Méribel Village
Méribel Village is smaller, quieter and very charming. Around the village square you'll find a few restaurants and shops, and the Golf chairlift takes you into the ski area. It's popular with families and with people who prefer to stay in their chalet in the evening rather than head back into the village.
The offer outside your accommodation is limited, though. If you want to pick a different restaurant every evening or like being in the middle of the action, you may feel too isolated here.
My verdict: ideal for families or groups who value a beautiful chalet and quiet evenings over a wide choice within walking distance.
Les Allues
Les Allues is the original village at the bottom of the Méribel valley. It feels more authentic and less touristy than the districts higher up. Prices are often lower and you get more of the feeling of staying in a real mountain village.
On the other hand, you don't wake up in the middle of the ski area. You depend on the Olympe gondola or the bus to get higher up. That's doable, but I wouldn't recommend Les Allues to anyone who wants to make the most of every ski day.
My verdict: charming and often better value, but only choose it if you don't mind losing time to transport every day.
Courchevel for luxury and service
Courchevel consists of six villages at different altitudes. The difference between those villages is enormous. If you book ‘Courchevel’ without looking at the exact location, you could end up among the luxury boutiques of 1850, but just as easily in a quiet village hundreds of metres lower.
Courchevel 1850
Courchevel 1850 is the international luxury hub of Les 3 Vallées. Here you'll find the best-known five-star hotels, palaces, Michelin-starred restaurants and boutiques. The pistes are superbly maintained and there's more to do for non-skiers than in most other villages.
That luxury naturally comes at a price. Accommodation, restaurants and even a simple drink are considerably more expensive here. The atmosphere can also be very see-and-be-seen. If you're mainly here for the skiing, you really don't need to stay in 1850 to enjoy the Courchevel ski area.
My verdict: the right choice when service, gastronomy and luxury are an important part of the trip. Not the best value for money if you mainly want to ski.
Courchevel Moriond
Moriond, formerly Courchevel 1650, is sunnier and more relaxed than 1850. The village has good restaurants and bars, but feels less formal. The pistes on this side are wide and pleasant, which makes Moriond work well for families and less experienced skiers too.
If you often want to head to Méribel or further afield, you first have to cross the Courchevel ski area in the morning. Moriond is therefore less central than it may appear on the big piste map.
My verdict: a good middle way for those who want the quality of Courchevel without the full glitter and prices of 1850.
Courchevel Village
Courchevel Village lies at 1,550 metres and is quickly connected to 1850 by gondola. It is quieter, more family-friendly and usually a little more affordable. Aquamotion, the large swimming and wellness complex, is also nearby.
In the evening the choice is more limited and the village has less character than Le Praz or Saint-Martin. You choose Courchevel Village mainly because it is practical.
My verdict: interesting for families and for anyone who values access to Courchevel more than a distinct village atmosphere.
Courchevel Le Praz
Le Praz is one of the most charming villages in the Courchevel valley. It lies among the trees, has a real village centre and is far less showy than 1850. The gondola takes you up to Courchevel 1850 quickly.
Because Le Praz lies lower, snow in the village is less guaranteed during warm spells or at the end of the season. For a trip in January or February that would put me off less than for a stay in April.
My verdict: my favourite Courchevel choice for anyone seeking charm who still wants quick access to the pistes and restaurants of 1850.
La Tania
La Tania lies between Courchevel and Méribel, in the middle of the forest. It is largely car-free, easy to find your way around and popular with families. Its location is interesting if you want to explore both valleys, and prices are generally gentler than in Courchevel 1850.
Don't expect a large or lively centre. La Tania is compact and functional, with enough facilities for a quiet ski holiday, but little variety for anyone who likes going out or shopping at length.
My verdict: a smart, often underrated choice for families and groups who mainly ski together and like to stay in their chalet in the evening.
Saint-Bon is the original village of Courchevel, but it lies lower and has no direct ski lift. I would only recommend it if price is the deciding factor and you're prepared to take the bus or car every day.
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville for charm and peace
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville is a genuine Savoyard village with old houses, a church, beautiful chalets and particularly good restaurants. It is refined without becoming showy and far quieter than Val Thorens or Les Menuires.
From Saint-Martin you have direct access to the ski area. Even so, it lies on the edge of Les 3 Vallées. If you want to go to Courchevel or Val Thorens every day, it's a fairly long journey. The village is also quiet in the evening. For après-ski and nightlife, this isn't the place.
My verdict: the most beautiful choice for couples, families and food lovers who value atmosphere more than ticking off every corner of the ski area as quickly as possible.
Les Menuires for convenience and value for money
Les Menuires rarely wins a beauty contest. The high-rise buildings and modernist architecture are not for everyone, certainly not when you dream of wooden chalets and old mountain villages. But in practical terms the village is exceptionally well put together.
Many properties are ski-in, ski-out. You'll find everything you need there and prices are generally lower than in Méribel, Val Thorens or Courchevel. Thanks to its location in the Belleville valley, you can easily ski towards Val Thorens or Méribel. There are also plenty of family-oriented facilities.
The district makes a difference too. La Croisette is the central and busiest part, Les Bruyères has a pleasant mix of shops, restaurants and access to the pistes, while Reberty lies higher and quieter and has more recent, more luxurious accommodation.
My verdict: probably the best value for money in Les 3 Vallées. Not the most charming village, but one of the easiest places to stay with children or a larger group.
Val Thorens for snow reliability and atmosphere
Val Thorens lies at 2,300 metres and is the highest ski village in Europe. That makes it a logical choice at the start or end of the season, when snow reliability weighs more heavily.
Almost everything revolves around skiing. Many properties are right on the piste and you're quickly high up in the ski area. Val Thorens also has lively après-ski and a young, international crowd. The student image is not entirely unfair, although you'll now also find excellent hotels, restaurants and wellness here.
What Val Thorens lacks is the charm of a traditional mountain village. You're above the tree line, so in bad weather the landscape can feel bare and bleak. Because it sits right at the top of the Belleville valley, Courchevel is also far away. If you ski over there, you need to keep a close eye on the last lifts. A missed connection means a very expensive taxi home.
My verdict: the best choice for snow reliability, ski-in, ski-out and après-ski. Less suitable for those who dream of forests, chalet architecture and cosy village streets.
Brides-les-Bains for a smaller budget
Brides-les-Bains lies at the bottom of the valley and offers much cheaper accommodation than the higher ski villages. The Olympe gondola takes you to Méribel in about 22 minutes.
That sounds appealing, but those 22 minutes are only the time in the gondola. You also have to walk to the departure point, possibly queue and head back down again at the end of the day. If you want to ski intensively for six days, that can irritate you sooner than you'd expect.
Brides does have a character of its own as a spa and wellness village. For travellers who want to combine skiing with thermal baths and don't need to be first on the piste every morning, it can be a sensible choice.
My verdict: the cheapest workable base, but you pay for the price difference with time. I wouldn't recommend it to keen skiers or to families who want as little hassle as possible.
And Orelle?
Orelle lies on the other side of the mountain massif, in the Maurienne valley. It consists of quiet, authentic hamlets and, via a long gondola, gives access to the high-altitude ski area of Orelle and Val Thorens.
It's interesting for those who mainly want peace, good snow and skiing at altitude. As a base for discovering all of Les 3 Vallées, I find it less suitable. Méribel and Courchevel are a long way off on skis and you have to leave enough time to get back to the gondola.
My verdict: a destination for those seeking peace and for skiers who mainly want to explore the Orelle and Val Thorens area, not for a first holiday in which you want to get to know all three valleys.
My pick by type of trip
- For a first holiday in Les 3 Vallées: Méribel Centre
- For keen skiers: Méribel-Mottaret
- For luxury, gastronomy and outstanding service: Courchevel 1850
- For charm and peace: Saint-Martin-de-Belleville
- For a charming stay in Courchevel: Le Praz
- For families and good value for money: Les Menuires
- For snow reliability and après-ski: Val Thorens
- For a smaller budget: Brides-les-Bains, if you factor in the daily gondola
So the best place to stay doesn't exist without knowing who you're travelling with, how well everyone skis and what you want to do once the lifts close. Sometimes an apartment on the right piste is a better choice than a beautiful chalet two bus stops further on. And sometimes it is precisely the quiet location that makes a holiday work.
That is also why I don't just look at the village, but at the exact district, the nearest lift, the way back on skis and what's within walking distance in the evening. Tell me when you'd like to come, who you're travelling with and what your ideal ski day looks like. Then I'll work out where you will truly stay best in Les 3 Vallées.
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