The ski area “Three Valleys” (Trois vallees) is two hundred ski lifts, many snow cannons, a whole army of instructors, 600 km of prepared slopes and hectares of untouched virgin lands. Each resort of the “Three Valleys” has its own “zest”. In Courchevel – the most sophisticated apres ski, Les Menuires and Val Thorens are considered the most sporty part. In La Tania – economical accommodation (but little entertainment), and Meribel captivates with convenient access to all the skiing riches of the area. Check clothesbliss for how to get to France.
The Three Valleys ski area combines the Allues valley with the Brides-les-Bains and Méribel ski resorts, the Saint-Bon valley with the Courchevel and La Tania resorts, the Belleville valley with Saint- Martin, Les Menuires and Val Thorens.
The main resorts of the “Three Valleys”
- Courchevel
- Méribel-Mottaret
- La Tania
- Val Thorens
- Brides-les-Bains
- Le Menuire
- Orel
How to get to the “Three Valleys”
You can get to the “Three Valleys” by plane through the airports of Geneva, Lyon, Chambéry and Grenoble.
Shuttles run from all airports to the 3 Valleys resorts. You can check the schedule and book tickets on the website of the bus company Altibus. Grenoble airport also runs AGBus shuttles.
By train
By train from Paris (Gare de Lyon) to Moutiers station, built for the 1992 Olympic Games and linking the station with the resorts of the 3 Valleys. There is a regular bus service from the station to the resorts.
In addition, trains run to Moutiers from other French cities: Brest, Le Havre, Lille, Nantes, Versailles, Poitiers, Tours, Quimper, Rennes, Rouen and Cherbourg.
Eurostar and Thalys trains run from London, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Moutiers and back every Saturday.
By car
Traveling from the Rhone-Alpes region (Grenoble, Chambéry), you should take the A41 motorway, from where further along the A43 towards Albertville, you can reach the resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, Meribel, Les Menuires, San -Martin and Val Thorens, turning onto the national road RN90.
In Moutiers there are car rental points of many international companies – Avis, Europcar, Hertz.
Kitchen
The 3 Valleys are home to 10 restaurants mentioned in the Michelin guide – 7 of them are located in the resort of Courchevel, others are in Val Thorens, La Tania and Saint-Marseille-de-Belleville. In addition to the “Michelin” restaurants in the resorts, there are simpler restaurants where you can also taste national French cuisine.
Trails of the “Three Valleys”
Meribel resort can be divided into 2 parts: central Meribel, located at an altitude of 1450 meters and Meribel-Mottaret – at an altitude of 1700 meters. The resort gained worldwide fame thanks to the 1992 Olympic Games, and 75 slopes and 58 lifts are equipped for tourists.
The resort of Courchevel includes 5 villages located at different heights – these are Saint-Bon, Le Praz (Courchevel 1300), Courchevel 1550, Moriond (Courchevel 1650) and Courchevel 1850. And ski lovers will be pleased with 150 km of ski slopes served by 62 lifts. For beginners, there are 27 green and 44 blue slopes, and for “hardened” skiers – 38 red and 10 black slopes. There are 10 restaurants on the slopes of Courchevel, and 66 km of cross-country ski trails in the forest.
The resort of La Tania, located halfway between Courchevel and Meribel, lies in the heart of the “Three Valleys” at an altitude of 1400 meters above sea level. The resort of Brides-les-Bains is equipped with 77 km of ski slopes and 58 ski lifts.
The Les Menuires resort, located at an altitude of 1850 meters, and Saint-Martin, located at an altitude of 1450 meters, are combined into one ski area and offer tourists 160 km of prepared slopes equipped with 33 lifts.
The resort of Val Thorens is located at an altitude of 2300 meters above sea level and has 10 green, 27 blue, 26 red and 7 black slopes and is equipped with 29 lifts.
The cost of a ski pass to the “Three Valleys” in the high season for 1 day is 63/50 EUR per adult / child.
Entertainment and attractions of the “Three Valleys”
Brides-les-Bains is home to the Grand Spa des Alpes and is said to be the first mineral water spa specializing in the treatment of obesity.
A 10-minute drive from Brides-les-Bains is the commune of Salins-les-Thermes, which has gained fame for the healing properties of salt water used to treat rheumatism and skin diseases. The commune has a wellness center with thermal springs Thermes de Salins les Bains.
From a height of 3200 meters, to which the Cime Caron cable car leads, a stunning view of Mont Blanc opens up.
Of the nearby attractions, Vanoise National Park, located south of the Mont Blanc massif and founded in 1963, is of interest. Vanoise is the first national park in France and is famous for its population of wild Alpine ibexes – ibexes. In addition, chamois, alpine marmots, lynxes, white hares, ermines, bearded vultures, golden eagles and black grouse live in the park. Vanoise borders the Italian national park Gran Paradiso, and both of them make up the largest protected area in Western Europe.
In Moutiers, the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-de-Moutiers is noteworthy, which was previously the residence of the Archbishopric of Tarentaise, which was disbanded in 1801. Presumably, the cathedral was built in 2 stages: the eastern part of the cathedral was built around 1020, the western part and the nave – around 1050. Later The cathedral has been restored several times. In addition, a small historical center with narrow streets has been preserved in Moutiers.
