Sophie Hesme - Operational Support Admin"Mottaret has a relaxed vibe despite being right at the heart of the 3 valleys! It is a great resort for groups with access to the very lively Meribel nightlife."Meribel mottaret
Meribel-Mottaret is one of the six major ski resorts in the Three Valleys ski area, located at the top of the central Meribel valley at 1700m. Skiers, snowboarders and families looking for ski convenience in ski in, ski out accommodation with almost instant access to the lifts/slopes will find Mottaret a great ski weekend holiday resort. Being further up the Meribel valley makes for quicker and easier access to the whole of the 3 Valleys and lift queues are often less too. As an alternative to skiing/snowboarding, Lake Tueda at Mottaret is a lovely place to go for a walk and cross-country skiing. All the development in Mottaret is wood-clad, low-rise chalet style with a good variety of restaurants and bars that get busy at the end of the ski day. Mottaret is a purpose-built town and couldn’t be described as pretty but it is compact, practical and has enough bars and restaurants to cater for all tastes.
ski area overview
With direct access to Courchevel, Val Thorens and Les Menuires, Mottaret offers convenient access to the whole 3 Valleys and the snow sure skiing makes it a popular choice for short ski breaks. Your options are almost endless; go in one direction to Courchevel, the other way to Val Thorens or Les Menuires and if you wish to stay in the valley, you can either head further up towards Mont Vallon or move down the valley to ski in Meribel. The immediate Mottaret ski area has a good number of blue runs, running straight into the village centre, great for beginners and families. Intermediates are spoilt for choice by the variety of red runs and there are good off-piste options above Mottaret with Mont Vallon, Mont de la Chambre and Aiguille de Fruit.
To get to Courchevel take the Pas du Lac I & II which takes you directly up to the epic Combe Saulire, with wide sweeping runs and mogul fields. From here ski directly into Courchevel 1850 or take Marmottes down towards the skiing in Chanrossa. The skiing here is amazing with lots of testing reds and blacks and a huge amount of off-piste routes. The famous Truite green run takes you towards Meribel where there is some good skiing for beginners and intermediates. The village itself will give you plenty of options for lunch and depending on the snow, there are some good red runs down to the Olympe gondola at Les Allues. The freeride area of Mont Vallon is a favourite with snowboarders and the Acticross park in Les Menuires is just one lift away. The slopes from Tougnette back into Mottaret are often in the shade but as a result, have superb snow cover.
Flight + Transfer
222.6kg CO2 *
* Average kg of CO2e per person, based on a return journey from London Gatwick to Geneva, and shared minibus transfer.
Train + Transfer
14.5kg CO2 *
* Average kg of CO2e per person, based on a return journey from London St. Pancras to Moûtiers, and shared minibus transfer.
Self-Drive
103.5kg CO2 *
* Average kg of CO2e per person, based on a return journey from the M25, via. the Dover ferry in a car carrying 4 people.
To reach the nearest station (Moûtiers), you'll need to take the Eurostar Ski Train via. Lille. Find availability and tickets at Eurostar.
- If you are staying on the main slope of Mottaret, to save walking up and down the hill into the village use the Telecabine des Chalets which is open from 8:45 to 19:30 every day.
- The bus linking Meribel and Mottaret runs from Le Hameau in Mottaret to Le Chatelet in Meribel. The first bus from Mottaret is at 8:40 and the last bus back is at midnight, running every 30 minutes. Later than this, you can get a taxi for approx €20.
- Le Rastro is probably the biggest and best-known bar in Mottaret, however, there are also good bars such as Le Hameau on the eastern side of the town too.
- Le Privelege is the only nightclub in Mottaret and is open to the early hours but if you want more nightlife it is best to head to Meribel.
- If you are looking for lunch on a budget, the Mottaret Burger Bar sells the famous Mountain Burger, a huge burger for around €5.