The most popular area for ski holidays is the Three Valleys. This is a huge resort, where there are 600 kilometers of ski slopes and 17 kilometers of slopes. Three valleys combine 6 famous ski resorts: Les Menuires, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, interconnected by a network of lifts. A whole month is not enough to fully explore the entire territory of this valley!
The Three Valleys is the highest ski center in Europe, the largest number of ski lifts, pistes, snow cannons and a whole army of instructors. Each resort in this territory has its own peculiarity: in Courchevel - the most sophisticated apres ski, Les Menuires and Val Thorens are considered a sports area, La Tania and Brides-les-Bains - a combination of low prices for tourist services with the opportunity to ski in the Three Valleys. Meribel captivates with convenient access to all the skiing wealth of the area. Most importantly, all these resorts are interconnected, so moving between them will not be difficult.
How to get there
By plane
By train
You can get from Gare de Lyon in Paris to Moutier station, built for the 1992 Olympic Games and linking the station with the resorts of the 3 Valleys. Buses run from the station to the resorts. Moutiers train station can be reached from other cities in France: Brest, Le Havre, Lille, Nantes, Versailles, Poitiers, Tours, Quimper, Rennes, Rouen and Cherbourg.
By car
From the cities of Grenoble and Chambéry, you need to take the A41 motorway, from where, heading along the A43 towards Albertville, you can reach the resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, Meribel, Les Menuires, St. Martin and Val Thorens, turning to the national road RN90.
Characteristics of the Brides-les-Bains resort
Characteristics of the resort of La Tania
Characteristics of Les Menuires
Ski slopes and lifts in Brides-les-Bains
The resort is located at an altitude of 600 meters and is ideal for beginners, as there are few trails for experienced skiers. Fans of cross-country skiing will find 33 kilometers of flat skiing, and two fun parks will delight snowboarders.
The Olympia lift operates here, open from 08:30 to 17:00. It takes vacationers to the bottom of the Meribel slopes in just 25 minutes, from where the path to the entire 3 Valleys ski area is open. It is precisely because of the relatively easy access to all the resorts of the valley that many people choose an inexpensive vacation in Brides-les-Bains.
Ski slopes and ski lifts of the resort of La Tania
Many European ski guides characterize La Tania as the most budget option for visiting most of the slopes of Meribel and Courchevel. Another nice feature of this town is that it is closed to car traffic, so everyone here prefers skiing: skiing starts right from the door of the hotel.
By the way. Unlike other resorts in the Three Valleys, the slopes of La Tania are very wooded, so the red and black slopes are not an easy task even for experienced masters.
For children and beginners, there is a lift leading to the rather easy green Troika track. The ski lifts of the resort use a special system for the safety of babies, so parents do not have to worry about their little vacationers.
Ski slopes and ski lifts of Les Menuires
Les Menuires is a real paradise for athletes and thrill-seekers: large spaces, technical slopes and delightful surroundings. For beginners, a special skiing area is separated here, with an area of about 5000 square meters.
The total length of the tracks in this area is 160 kilometers, however, do not forget about the possibility of skiing in neighboring areas. An extensive network of cable cars allows you to take advantage of the slopes on both sides of the resort.
For snowboarders, at an altitude of 2670 meters, the La Becca snow park is equipped, which includes 3 boardercrosses, slides and handrails, big airs, tables, hip, half-pipe and quarter-pipe. There is also a snow park for beginners and a slalom stadium.
Prices for lifts 3 Vallees (season 20.12.14-17.04.2015)
Ski-pass 3 Vallees includes use of the ski lifts of all resorts in the 3 Valleys.
Amount of days | Adults (13-65 years old), € | Children (5-13 years old), € | Pensioners 65-75 years old, € |
Prices for lifts Méribel Valley (season 20.12.14-17.04.2015)
The price includes access to the ski lifts of the Méribel and Brides-les-Bains area.
Prices for ski lifts Les Menuires/Saint-Martin (season 20.12.14-17.04.2015)
The price includes access to the ski lifts in Les Menuires and Saint Martin.
Ski school and equipment rental
The resort has a large number of both children's and adult ski and snowboard schools, where 350 instructors work. In schools, you can not only learn or improve the skills already acquired, but also fly by helicopter with a guide to remote areas. There, an experienced instructor will show you the most interesting routes.
The cost of equipment rental in the Three Valleys
Equipment | ||||||
Ski equipment rental, € |
||||||
Starter kit | ||||||
Advanced kit | ||||||
PRO kit | ||||||
Premium Bundle | ||||||
Standard boot set | ||||||
PRO boot set | ||||||
Snowboard rental, € |
||||||
Starter kit | ||||||
Advanced kit | ||||||
PRO kit | ||||||
Premium Bundle | ||||||
Rental price for children under 12 years old, € |
||||||
Ski set (age 3 - 6 years) | ||||||
Ski set (ages 7 - 12) | ||||||
Hotels and cottages
The most inexpensive accommodation options are located in the resorts of Brides-les-Bains and La Tania. These small towns are mostly budget accommodation, so there are no luxury five-star hotels here. It is worth highlighting the Le Montana hotel, where there is an indoor pool, sauna and fitness center. Residence Pierre & Vacances Le Christiania can accommodate up to 9 people, while RésidHotel La Saboïa has rooms with a sauna. All prices in hotels are quite affordable. Brides-les-Bains and La Tania is the right place for those who want to relax from the bustle of the city, as well as for families with children.
In the ski resort of Les Menuires, there are many comfortable hotels, boarding houses and apartments of any level and star rating: from luxury to budget. The best hotel is considered Hotel L "Ours Blanc, located at an altitude of 2000 meters, near the main roads.
Hôtel Les Bruyères is ideally located at the foot of the slopes. All rooms are uniquely decorated and feature balconies with breathtaking mountain views. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
Restaurants and cafes
There are not many cafes and restaurants in the resorts of Brides-les-Bains and La Tania. Les Cerisiers or Kubix Pub are worth a visit here, where you can taste delicious and inexpensive French cuisine. The average bill per person will be 20-30 €. La Tania has 8 bars and restaurants. Particular attention should be paid to the fashionable establishment "Le Farçon", awarded with a Michelin star. Also worth a visit is The Ski Lodge restaurant, where you can find the perfect value for money. The average bill per person will be 15 €. Another inexpensive place - La Ferme offers an excellent selection of local dishes. The average bill here will be 20 €.
For romantic evenings, restaurants at the height are suitable: Le Bouc Blanc,
from where a picturesque panoramic view opens, and Le Roc Tania, where in
cold days kindle a fireplace.
The resort of Les Menuires offers a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars, patisseries and pizzerias. There are 48 establishments here, including 16 mountain ones. The best restaurant is considered La Marmite du Geant, where prices vary around 13 € for a salad and 20 € for meat and fish dishes, fondue will cost 19 €. Another popular spot is in Les Sonnailles resort where the average bill is 15-30€.
Entertainment and attractions
Brides-les-Bains
Cheerful resort life awaits vacationers in Brides-les-Bains: bars, restaurants, cafes, discos, shops, cinemas and excursions. Here is the only mountain casino, with the exception of Chamonix. The resort offers the following activities: snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sledding, bobsleigh, rock climbing, hiking.
Brides-les-Bains has become famous as a place of rest and treatment in the mountains. At your service: a large wellness center with thermal springs, a mineral water pool, curative mud treatments, all types of massage, including hydromassage. The thermal complex employs qualified medical specialists who will help vacationers with the choice of a course of treatment, consisting of gymnastics, diet, sauna, healing shower, aero bath, swimming pool, Turkish bath hammam, jacuzzi, therapeutic massage and hydromassage, physiotherapy and mud therapy sessions.
La Tania
La Tania is not a party resort, but its proximity to Courchevel provides endless opportunities for fun. Here are the following activities: snowshoeing, paragliding, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, swimming pool, sauna and fitness club, located in the hotel Montana.
By the way. On the territory of the resort, on Fridays, a weekly animation program is held at the tourist office.
The main attraction of the region is the Vanoise National Park, located south of the Mont Blanc mountain range and founded in 1963. It is the first national park in France and is famous for its population of wild Alpine ibexes - ibexes. The park is inhabited by chamois, alpine marmots, lynxes, white hares, ermines, bearded vultures, golden eagles and black grouse. Another attraction is the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-de-Moutiers, the eastern part of which was built in 1020, and the western part in 1050.
Les Menuires
The resort has 90 shops, 6 discos and night bars, a sports complex with a swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath and Jacuzzi, two cinemas, indoor tennis courts and a skating rink. Also for vacationers there are walks on snowshoes, cross-country skiing, descent from the slopes by parachute, hiking, dog sledding, snowmobiling and other outdoor activities.
The resort of Les Menuires is ideal for families with children. Piou-Piou and Le Village des Schtroumpfs clubs, as well as ski schools, work here for small vacationers. Especially popular with children is the "Castle for sledding", located in the Croisette quarter.
