If you have never been to the Three Valleys ski area in France before, then these are the top FAQs to help you discover whether it is suitable for your next ski trip…

What you need to know about a ski trip to the world’s biggest ski area

What is the Three Valleys?

The Three Valleys or les Trois Vallées, is a large, linked-up ski area in the French Alps. The names of the three valleys are: Courchevel, Méribel, the Belleville valley. Just to make things confusing, there’s also a fourth valley called Orelle.

Each valley also has its own separate ski resorts:

Courchevel valley’s resorts are called: Courchevel 1850, Courchevel Moriond, Courchevel Village, Courchevel le Praz, Courchevel Saint Bon and La Tania. These villages all have accommodation and bars, shops and restaurants. As well as being linked by ski lifts and ski runs, they’re also linked by road, and you can use the free buses to get between the villages. Go to our Courchevel Guide.
Méribel valley’s resorts are called: Méribel les Allues, Méribel Village, Méribel Centre and Méribel Mottaret. Each of these villages has at least one run leading to it and a ski lift up the mountain. Go to our Meribel Guide.
In the Belleville valley you will find the ski resorts of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens, each of which has at least a run down and a gondola or chairlift.
Orelle has it’s own run and lift too.

What makes the Three Valleys/Trois Vallées so good?

Never skied in Europe? You should know that it’s the world’s largest ski area, with 600km of marked runs. Therefore, there is a huge variety of terrain, from forested village runs to high altitude peaks.
The three main reasons to choose the Three Valleys are:

The size and variety: there’s plenty to do for all levels, and it takes well over a week to explore it all.
The snow quality: with lots of high-altitude skiing and snow-making equipment to top up, the season is long with guaranteed snow.
It’s easy to get around: well signposted, efficient lifts, accommodation close to the slopes, the runs are all linked and there’s no need to get a bus/drive between areas.

Courchevel on a snow day

Navigating the Three Valleys

Is the Three Valleys too big for a beginner skier?

No, there are lovely, wide, gentle slopes and specific beginner areas in the Three Valleys, and they’re easy to get to from the village resorts. Some of the best beginner zones for skiing and snowboarding are in Courchevel La Tania, Méribel, Courchevel 1850 and Courchevel Moriond, or Mottaret. These beginner areas have “magic carpet” lifts, which are like travelators – you stand on them (either on your skis, or carrying your snowboard/skis) and they take you up the slope.

There are also plenty of ski schools in the Three Valleys, all of which can help beginners to find their feet and get the hang of basic sliding, stopping and turning.

When beginners are ready, they will be able to leave the nursery slope to take a gondola or chairlift to a green run.

The great things about learning in the Three Valleys are the snow conditions and the great facilities and ski schools for beginners. For groups with a mix of levels, the Three Valleys is ideal, as more advanced skiers can head off to explore further afield, and meet up with beginners for lunch/apres-ski.

How do I get around the Three Valleys?

Navigating the World’s largest ski area is easy, with the linked lift system. Once you start on the first lift, all the runs are connected, and you only have to take your skis off to get onto a telecabine or bubble lift.

Connect between Courchevel, Méribel and the Belleville Valleys: Once you’re at the top of a mountain or ridge, you can ski down to another valley. For an example, if you were staying in Courchevel, you could ride the lifts all the way up to Saulire, then ski down into Méribel Centre. From there, you could ride up to the top of Tougnete and ski to Sain Martin de Belleville. Once you were there, you could take the lifts back up to the top, then ski back down through the Méribel Valley, then up to Saulire or Col de la Loze, and take the runs down to your chalet or accommodation.

Because the area is so large, you need to know that you should keep an eye on the time to get between the valleys. The best way to plan your routes is using a piste map (available at the lift stations, from tourist information, from your accommodation) or use the Three Valleys app.

Download the official app for real-time information on lift openings, piste conditions, and weather and find your way around, as well as checking times of the last lifts between valleys.

Click to go to the Three Valleys piste map in PDF format

How do I use the Three Valleys piste map?

When you look at the Three Valleys piste map, you will see the whole area you can access with a Three Valleys ski pass. The straight black lines are the lifts, and the coloured lines are the ski runs or “pistes”.

Here in France, the green runs are the easiest, blue trails are good for intermediates and above. To ski a red run you need to be a confident intermediate skier, and if you want to try a black run, these are the most challenging – they are steeper in gradient.

In the Three Valleys, all the green and blue runs tend to be smoothed (“groomed”) overnight, so the next morning they are beautifully smooth again. The reds and blacks are usually groomed every other day, so you might find them a bit bumpier on the second day. Download the Three Valleys app to find out which have been groomed overnight.

Other areas you will notice on the piste map are the beginner zones, the snowparks for freestyle/jumps and off piste areas for those who want to ski powder.

The red arrows are the places you can ski between valleys, eg. Saulire, Col de la Chambre, Col de Thorens.

On the map’s key you will also find the symbols for the different types of lift, the sledge runs, fun areas for kids, restaurants, and best viewpoints.

The famous Folie Douce apres-ski bar in Meribel

What are the best places to go in the Three Valleys?

There are so many great places to go in this huge ski area! We often suggest the following destinations for our chalet guests:

Ski over to Courchevel Moriond, the most easterly point of the Three Valleys, for lovely blue runs and a drink at the Bel Air restaurant.
Head to Mont Vallon, Meribel’s highest point, for the amazing views and long red runs.
Try glacier skiing in Val Thorens
Ski or snowboard all the way to Orelle, the “4th Valley”
Go to one of the two Folie Douces we have here in the Three Valleys
Try the 3km sledge run Moriond Racing
Go to Cime Caron, the highest point in the Three Valleys, at 3200m
Ski the black run Eclipse
Take kids to the Yeti Park, Piste des Inuits or Piste des Animaux
Try the jumps in Meribel’s snowpark, Courchevel’s Family Park or Val Thorens Pixel Area

View of a mountain restaurant from and into Meribel Valley from Courchevel Saulire

Practicalities of your Three Valleys ski holiday

Which are the best resorts in the Three Valleys?

Hard to answer this one as there are so many factors involved, and it also depends on whether you are looking for a chalet holiday or a self-catered apartment, or a hotel stay.

Best for a smaller budget: Try Courchevel Le Praz, La Tania, Les Menuires or Brides-les-Bains.
Best for nightlife: Méribel has a great reputation for apres-ski and nightlife.
Best for families: La Tania is well known for being family friendly, with a pedestrianised main street and friendly atmosphere.
Best for ski in, ski out chalets: La Tania’s chalets are all close to the slopes. In Courchevel 1850 there is a lot of luxury ski-in, ski-out accommodation. Mottaret has a number of apartment blocks close to the green run.
Best snow conditions: Predominantly north-facing, Courchevel has amazing snow conditions. Val Thorens is the highest altitude ski resort in France so has a long ski season.
Prettiest ski resort: If it’s looks you’re after, Courchevel Le Praz is low-rise with pretty chalets and a romantic feel, and Saint Martin de Belleville also has lots of stone buildings and a church in the heart of the village.
Best for apres-ski: Méribel is renowned for great apres-ski with legendary live music and DJ venues such as the Ronnie (Rond Point) and Folie Douce. Val Thorens also has a Folie Douce and a great atmosphere once the lifts have closed.
Best for activities: There are lots of other activities besides skiing in the Three Valleys. From pony-rides in Méribel to hot air balloons in Courchevel, sledging in Moriond to the zip-line in Val Thorens, ice skating in Méribel or Aquamotion swimming pool in Courchevel – there’s something for all ages!

Watching paragliders from Col de la Loze

What are the best airports or train stations for the Three Valleys?

Choose flights arriving into Chambery, Grenoble, Lyon or Geneva for the Three Valleys resorts. For the train, you can go directly to Moutiers-Salins station.

Book a private or public transfer service to get from the station/airports to your accommodation. Find out more about travelling to the Three Valleys here.

How much is a lift pass for the Three Valleys?

Check our lift passes page for the most up to date pricing.

You should also be aware that you can choose either a Three Valleys lift pass or a single valley pass, ie. just Courchevel or just Méribel. These are cheaper in price but do make sure that you don’t accidentally ski down into another valley as it will cost you more to get back again. Don’t worry, there are signposts to let you know when you get to a place where you could ski into a different valley.

What if I get stuck in the wrong valley?

Once the lifts close (usually 16.30-17.00ish – check the piste map or Three Valleys app for precise times – then you can’t get to another valley or resort in the same valley on skis.

You should also be aware that on windy days, the lifts may have to stop running earlier than planned. Look out for signage at the lift stations that will tell you if this is likely to happen.

If you find yourself in a different part of the right valley (ie. you are staying in La Tania but you finish skiing in Courchevel 1850) then you can use the public bus service to get back to your accommodation.

However, if you find yourself stuck in a different valley to where you are staying, then you will need to book a taxi to return by road. The taxi services are quite pricey so it is best to avoid this and keep an eye on the time during the afternoon!

Looking for a chalet in the Three Valleys?

Browse our collection of chalets based in the Three Valleys resorts of Courchevel Le Praz, La Tania and Meribel.
Or: Ask us a question!

A Three Valleys ski holiday: your questions answered