Booking my personal ski holiday this year was going to be a challenge; it was a mixed ability (complete beginner to expert), mixed sex (school mates and girlfriend!), group of people all on a budget and looking for plenty of evening entertainment. Meribel was chosen as the destination.
Nick enjoying a beautiful day in the Three Valleys
Eurostar to Meribel
An overnight Eurostar journey direct from London to Moutiers on the Friday night was our chosen method of travel, the hardest part was getting to St Pancras with all our luggage in the Friday night rush hour! The atmosphere on the train was great, plenty of banter and drinking between different groups of people (you can choose quieter carriages; we were next to the bar!). Arriving early Saturday morning, we shopped in a hypermarket down the mountain – we were staying self-catered to try to maximise value and flexibility. First impressions were good though as we bought a fridge full of food, plus beers for €20 a head between the six of us. After hitching a lift with a friend up to resort we were soon into our home for the week. It was a gamble choosing a centrally located self-catered apartment as they often resemble rabbit hutches. We had landed on our feet though, literally a few metres from the centre of town and a very good size for the money we had paid.
Skiing in Meribel
A grand effort on the first morning of skiing in meribel saw us all on the slopes for 9.15, and after sending off my house mate for his first ever ski lesson it was off with everyone else to get their ski legs back. This proved entertaining. A couple of the boys had not skied much, or for a while, but were keen not have their pride dented which caused much amusement for everyone else! The ski area lived up to its expectation providing plenty of varied terrain for everyone in the group and I can fairly confidently say that everyone improved!
Given that the weather, particularly at the start of the week was poor, the theme of the week was quickly orientated around the local bars – day and night. After a night out in La Tania at the start of the week (the Ski Lodge an ever-pesent favourite),the group soon discovered the Rond Point (or “Ronnie”) in Meribel as an après ski favourite. It was here that we whiled away many late afternoons and early evenings away amidst jugs of Amstel and shots of toffee vodka, in the sweaty haze of live music – it was great to be back!
Catered or self catered?
Being in resort at the same time as friends from the UK and the Alps meant there was never a shortage of people to ski with, and it was a great place to catch up and spend time with people – outdoors and in the mountain office! With the snow improving at the end of the week, and even skiing powder all morning on the last day, I came to the conclusion that the gamble had paid off. It had not been the best week’s snow – in fact looking at the season as a whole it was probably the worst! The only drawback was going self-catered. Although we lucked out with the apartment itself, the cost savings that people normally associate with self-catering are a myth. Everyone heads out with good intentions of filling the fridge cheaply at the start of the week (as we did) and cooking every night.
The reality of skiing holidays is that you come off the slopes knackered each evening and by Tuesday or Wednesday most people cannot face another evening cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. The upfront saving of about £100ish per person soon evapourated after our third consecutive evening meal out later in the week. I’ll be going fully catered in future, that’s for sure! It didn’t put a downer on the trip though, you make your own fun and I had been with a bunch of people who helped make it a fantastic time.
Nick made his own way to Meribel using Eurostar which can be booked seperately or as part of a package. A week in chalet Laitelet start at £569pp + £60 (approx) for direct day Eurostar seats, which includes return transfers from Moutiers. For more information about Meribel just drop us a line or give Nick a call!
