Skiing the French Alps – Val d’Isère and Méribel, and why we built a group trip around them
There is a reason the French Alps keep appearing at the top of every serious skier’s list. The scale is almost absurd, the villages have a charm that feels genuinely European rather than manufactured for tourists, and the snow, particularly in the higher resorts, has a reputation that holds up when you actually get there.
We wanted to know exactly what our clients would experience. Not from a brochure, not from a review site, but from someone who had actually stood at the top of the runs, eaten in the restaurants, and figured out the logistics first-hand. So we sent Claire to do just that – two resorts, two weeks, and a n easy brief: come back with everything we need to build a group trip worth travelling halfway around the world for.
Here is what she found.
Getting there: Singapore Airlines via Singapore
One quick note before we get into it: this trip took place two years ago, and the travel landscape has shifted since then. Flight options, routings and availability all change, so rather than steering you down one path here, we would encourage you to have a chat with one of our consultants and find the way to France that works best for you. In our case, we travelled with Singapore Airlines. And woweee, the in-flight experience itself was comfortable in economy, with good-sized screens and attentive service, great food that leaned on seafood options which we favoured.
Val d’Isère: where the group begins
The group arrives directly into Val d’Isère, and it sets the tone immediately. This is a proper alpine town, functioning community that has been welcoming skiers for generations. The main township is substantial, roughly the size of Queenstown, with two smaller satellite areas nearby. The streets are lined with restaurants, bars and shops that cater to every budget, and the whole place hums with a particular kind of energy that only ski towns at altitude seem to produce.
Val d’Isère sits at 1850 metres and forms part of the Espace Killy ski area, which it shares with neighbouring Tignes. Between them they offer over 300 kilometres of marked runs, from wide open groomers to serious off-piste terrain, and the aspect of the mountain means snow conditions in March are reliably excellent. Claire found the snow in particularly good shape, and the locals confirmed this is more the rule than the exception that late in the season.
For those not skiing some days, Val d’Isère punches well above its weight. Claire went snowshoeing, one of the resort’s most respected guiding outfits, and were taken through a beautiful wooded valley with views across to the dam and back towards Tignes. The wind picked up on the day which pushed them closer to Tignes than planned, but the scenery was stunning regardless. Paragliding, dog sledding and snowmobiling round out the non-ski options nicely.
On the food side, Val d’Isère has a strong range across all budgets. The resort does not feel like it is trying to extract every last euro from you, there is genuine variety, and you can eat well without spending a fortune.
Days 1 through 7 are spent in Val d’Isère. The first day on the slopes opens up the full Espace Killy area, and from Day 3 the group can ski freely between Val d’Isère and Tignes. Day 7 is at leisure, a final morning on the mountain, or time to explore the village before the transfer across to Méribel the following morning.
Méribel: the heart of Les 3 Vallées
The transfer from Val d’Isère to Méribel takes around an hour and a half to two hours by private inter-resort transfer, passing through some genuinely beautiful alpine scenery along the way. Arriving into Méribel feels like a gear change, as it is quieter, more intimate, and with a charm that is easy to fall for.
Méribel sits at the centre of Les 3 Vallées, the world’s largest linked ski area, with over 600 kilometres of marked runs connecting Méribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens. From Méribel you can reach all three on a single lift pass, which means the skiing is effectively endless. And yet despite being at the heart of something so vast, Méribel itself is refreshingly low-key. Good snow, good food and a village atmosphere that feels genuinely lived in.
The resort has two main bases. Méribel Centre is the larger of the two, with the most restaurant and shop options and a lively après-ski scene. Méribel Mottaret sits a little higher up the valley, smaller, quieter and more intimate, with the advantage of being slightly closer to the slopes. A free shuttle bus connects the two.
The skiing covers every level generously. Green, blue and black runs are all well represented and the gondola and lift network makes getting around the mountain remarkably easy. Here you rarely feel like terrain is out of reach regardless of your ability.
Claire’s hot tip, and one we are putting firmly on the group itinerary as an optional afternoon: La Folie Douce. It is a mountain restaurant and live music venue that has become something of an institution across the French Alps. You can ski there or arrive by gondola, and the combination of good food, cold drinks and an atmosphere that somehow manages to feel both celebratory and utterly alpine is something genuinely worth experiencing.
For dinner in Méribel Centre, Claire rated both Lilie and Le80, with great food, relaxed atmosphere, exactly the kind of places a group settles into comfortably after a day on the mountain.
For the non-ski days, Méribel holds its own easily. Claire took a 15-minute panorama flight over the resort in a vintage plane built in the 1950s, tiny, characterful, and absolutely worth it on a clear day. Four of them crammed in alongside the pilot, who narrated the flight and pointed out the runs below. The views were spectacular, and it gave a real sense of just how close Courchevel sits to Méribel, something that is hard to appreciate from the ground.
Snowshoeing and paragliding round out the non-ski options for those who want to stay active without clipping into bindings.
Days 9 through 14 are based in Méribel, with the full Les 3 Vallées lift pass included. Day 14 is a final day at leisure, for the one last run, a long lunch in the village, or simply sitting in the sun with a vin chaud before the transfer home.
What the group tour looks like
We have taken everything Claire brought back, the resort knowledge, the transfer logistics, the dining picks, the non-ski day options, the practical intel and built it into a group tour that is flexible by design. Our hosts will shape the trip around the group, where every day is yours to spend exactly as you please.
Day 1: Arrive in Geneva, transfer to Val d’Isère
Days 2–6: Skiing Espace Killy – Val d’Isère and Tignes
Day 7: Val d’Isère at leisure
Day 8: Private inter-resort transfer to Méribel
Days 9–13: Skiing Les 3 Vallées – Méribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens
Day 14: Méribel at leisure, then depart
Ski when you want to. Take a day off the slopes when you don’t. Every day on this tour is your ski holiday, your way.
So the French Alps. Do they live up to the reputation?
Absolutely. The scale of the skiing is genuinely extraordinary, the villages have a warmth and character that is hard to manufacture, and the whole experience has that particular European charm that makes you want to linger long after the lifts have closed.
We went and did the groundwork so that when you arrive, everything is already sorted. All you need to do is show up, click in, and point yourself downhill.
If this sounds like your kind of trip, get in touch. We would love to have you along.
