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!

The Little World Festival – 13-19 March 2010

The Little World Festival is a brand new event to the Alps this year. Meribel will play host to some of the biggest names in pop music with Sophie Ellis Bextor already confirmed. The highlight of the festival will be The Feeling, who started life as Alps band Superfly playing a FREE outdoor concert on the piste. With plenty more acts to be announced this is set to become one of the most popular weeks to be in resort.

The Altitude Festival – 20-27 March 2010

Chalet Braye, the perfect base if you're planning attending a Meribel festival this March

The Altitude Festival returns for its third year in resort bringing with it the very best in stand up comedy, live music from international DJs and top bands, slopestyle events and plenty more besides.  With Marcus Brigstocke at the helm (who has featured as a panellist on TV shows such as Have I Got News For You and QI and on a whole host of BBC Radio 4 shows) and Al Murray – Pub Landlord appearing, this promises to live up to all expectations and match the success of previous years. For those families travelling, don’t worry, there is always a great variety of events for all ages.

Accommodation in Meribel

Both of these events are great opportunities to enjoy fantastic skiing and boarding in one of the world’s largest linked ski areas whilst partying to great acts every evening! If either of these events sounds like just the ticket then we’ve got deals still available on both dates with and without flights. The Chalet Fleur des Alpes has a big discount on 13th March and Chalet Isba is the perfect choice if you’re after a touch of luxury. If you’ve planned ahead and booked your flights already then the Chalet Braye is available on both dates and the Chalet Sorbier is discounted on the 20th.

On hearing my first ski trip of the season would be to Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes my feelings were mixed. On the one hand it meant seeing two resorts and a whole range of chalets that I did not know much about, on the other hand, would they live up to the demanding standards set by the Three Valleys and Espace Killy regions?

Setting off from London before the sun had even risen was a shock to the system but it meant landing in Lyon and picking up the hire car with most of the day still to go. We were soon on our way to Alpe d’Huez with the skills of DJ Starrs (aka Matt!) entertaining us along the valley and up the mountain. Amid cries of “ALPA DA OOOZE” we pulled into the resort shrouded in cloud and thanks to my superior map reading skills (Holly? Matt?), arrived at our accommodation, l’Escapade. With its hot tub, sauna and ski in/out boxes ticked, this is the pick of the properties in resort. Recently refurbished and an easy stroll to the centre this was a great base. The chalets in Alpe d’Huez offer something for everyone, the Altiport is area great for families being ski in ski out and many of the properties have hot tubs or saunas. The area around the DMC cable car in the brand new Village development houses the very best properties in resort – great examples of affordable luxury.

Our ski-in ski-out base in Alpe d'Huez, the Escapade

On the hill Alpe d’Huez again has something to offer everyone. Les Bergers area just above the resort centre is made up of wide blues and greens so absolutely ideal for beginners and intermediates. With a glacier offering plenty of challenges, including the longest black run in Europe and one of the most infamous (Le Tunnel) there is plenty on offer to the better skiers. Again fantastic value for money was found – a 3 course lunch with wine and coffee at a mere €12.50 in the charming village of Vaujany.

It didn’t seem right to come all the way to the Alps and not sample the après ski so we felt it necessary to complete our resort research with a survey of the local nightlife! We were not to be disappointed. There was plenty of choice and everything from The Underground (live acoustic music), O’Sharkey’s (seasonnaire bedlam!), Pacific, and Smithy’s to name just a few. After a heavy night, including dancing on tables (this work trip was proving to de quite demanding) our checklist in Alpe d’Huez was complete. So, we loaded up the ‘Family Wagon’and made the simple journey to Les Deux Alpes for chapter two of our Southern Alps adventure.

Arriving in resort we were greeted at Hotel Le Cret and instantly made to feel at home. The welcoming nature of Emma and Roberto, the lovely couple that run it, really helped us to form a positive outlook for our stay. Ideally located a short walk from the Place de Venosc and the main cable car the hotel is in its first season under new ownership and is much the better for it. With the service and catering in the Hotel Le Cret being first rate and a price tag to rival some of the best budget holidays this represents outstanding value.

With the resort set up along a strip, the properties at the end around the main square are the pick of the bunch. Not unlike Alpe d’Huez there are properties to suit all tastes from the budget friendly options (the Alice) through to more luxurious options (Chamois Volant and Chartreuse). The ski area caters for slightly more specialised tastes, with the off piste mecca of La Grave over the back of the mountain and an excellent snow park. The freestylers and free riders among you will not be disappointed. The on piste ‘hooners’ may be left needing more terrain and can embark on the away days to Serre Chevalier and Alpe d’Huez organised in resort. Where the resort really excels is in its party atmosphere with plenty of bars and clubs to choose from. Those wanting to push until the early hours will certainly not be disappointed!

My short stay in Les Deux Alpes introduced me to the advantages of the resort (partying, affordability and surprisingly, family friendly) undoubtedly helped by the outgoing and affable nature of the owners and staff in Hotel Le Cret. As our final day dawned we were greeted by a blizzard and so set off early to negotiate the roads. After some expert driving in very difficult conditions (driving snow, wind, inability to see out of the windscreen (!) and cars piling off the road all around us) Holly got us to our final destination of Lyon Airport where we waved goodbye to the trusty hire car. We touched down in London to be greeted by just as much snow as we had left in the Alps!

My time in two of the best known Southern Alps ski resorts showed me there is ski life outside of the Tarentaise and it comes without the exclusive price tag. Whether you are travelling on a budget, or looking for something a bit more special why not try somewhere different next time? You might be pleasantly surprised, I certainly was.