 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Im planning a holiday for a group of between 6-10 and we intend to hit the 3 valleys. We're all around 21 and about half are decent intermediates and the other half are all second weekers. Mainly interested in great skiing but would like an area with some decent apres ski too.
What i need to know is where is the best resort to stay in so we can cover all the slopes and have decent nightlife?? Any other 3 valleys advice would also be much appreciated
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you are young Meribel is great - lots of English bars. Barometer is a good choice to head for in the centre of town. If you are looking for relaxed then Evolution is also a popular choice. Meribel is the middle valley so has great access to both Courchevel and Les Menuires and VT. I race each year at the British Champs in Meribel and they go down so well in such a good resort.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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scrubyjoe, Defiantely Meribel rather than others.
IMHO....
Val Thorens - maybe an alternative
CV 1850 - expensive
1650 1550 - too quiet
La Tania - cheaper but limited
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les menuires is the cheapest - resonable nightlife, GREAT slope access and lost of intermediate slopes. VT decent nightlife, bit more expensive, not quite as good links to other valleys. Meribel a bit low, bit expensive and chalets can be bloody miles from town which is a pain more for nightlife than skiing, but it does have the livliest nightlife imo and is the most obvious/well known of your choices. I wouldn't do courchevel or any of the lower villages, or mottaret with that group.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've stayed in meribel and val thorens and from both a skiing and a nightlife perspective meribel wins by a country mile. You can't beat its position for access 3 valleys, apart from mottaret and doesn't really matter that its low as you just head up for better snow or to a different valley whereas if you are in vt they have a tendancy to start to close the lifts when the winds pick up stopping you from going to another valley where the weather is probably gorgeous. IME The weather is always nicer in meribel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Méribel and Courchevel best for après. As far as I remember, nightlife is rather limited in Val Thorens, Les Menuires & La Tania. Courchevel can be very pricey so you might find Méribel a bit more to your budget, plus it has the advantage of being in the middle of the 3V area...
The really budget option is to stay in Brides and get the bubble lift up to Méribel every day. Brides is a sizeable town, but I have no idea what the nightlife is like...
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...there's very little. And, once the bubble shuts late afternoon it's cut off from everywhere else unless you have a car. There's no bus up the hill or anything.
I certainly wouldn't recommend it for a bunch of 21 year olds.
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Don't completely dismiss La Tania, the night life has improved massively in recent years, certainly not the "Graveyard after dark" that was mentioned in the Good Ski Guide a good few years ago.
There may only be 5 main bars but it's very compact, can get very lively, you can find live music every night of the week and drink until 2am. Happy Hour in the Ski Lodge from 4pm until 7pm every night with pints of Amstel for €3.50 - €5 at other times - that's cheap for the Three Valleys, believe me.
Free buses to Meribel and all the Courchevels too - taxis back between 20 and 30 Euros. Gondola and a chairlift from La Tania and you can ski straight down to Courchevel or Meribel. It's only 6 lifts to the top of Val Thorens.
I'd avoid Brides Les Bains - gondola ride is 25 mins, you can't ski back (unless you're very lucky and via an itinerary) and it closes shortly after 5 so no Apres in Meribel. There's a few low key bars and a casino but it's not like a resort compared to the others.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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My vote would be for Meribel. Cracking night life- Barometer, Jacks, Scotts, Dicks. Plus you're slap bang in the middle of the 3Vs. It may be lower that Courch and VT but that's what the lifts are for! Make sure your chalet is as central as possible and defo not in Mottaret.
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Meribel - No brainer, it's got the Ronnie for all your apres ski beer and crowd surfing needs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| altis wrote: |
...there's very little. And, once the bubble shuts late afternoon it's cut off from everywhere else unless you have a car. There's no bus up the hill or anything.
I certainly wouldn't recommend it for a bunch of 21 year olds. |
Agree - Brides is too quiet for a group of 42 year olds... 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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But fine for a bunch of 50-somethings who appreciate a good nights sleep.
One big advantage is the altitude. No kidding! At around 600m there's noticeably more oxygen about than at 2000m. This makes for a good night's sleep and more energy the next day. These days I need all the help I can get.
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Meribel seems to be the place to go for. Thanks for the help. Dont know if we'll make it this year but its definitely the plan for next year. Most of us are just back from Alpe D'huez and were eager to get planning our next trip.
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You know it makes sense.
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go high in gods country Meribel Mottaret...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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One thing about Meribel when I went quite a few years ago - it was very English - and 'pretty alpine' (wooden buildings emulating Austria, but not quite carrying it off). Whether that is a downside is up to you - and at 21 you may not care - in which case Meribel wins for the combination of apres and good night life. But if you go to France partly to get some French ambience, I wouldn't go there. Actually, it's tricky to find French ambience anywhere in the 3V - but Courchevel would be better.
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