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| Airport | Distance to Meribel | Approx. transfer time by road |
| Chambery | 101km | 1 hours 15 minutes |
| Geneva | 134km | 3 hours |
| Grenoble | 171m | 2 hours |
| Lyon St Exupery | 180km | 2 hours |
Flying
The majority of airlines fly into Geneva (Switzerland), which is three hours' drive from Meribel and has the most transport links to transfer you to the resort. The next biggest airport is Lyon St Exupery, which has public buses to the ski stations. The smaller airports of Chambery and Grenoble are closer but public transport links are fewer.
Train
Unfortunately there are only a couple of trains a week - normally Fridays and Saturdays. Eurostar runs a direct train from London on these days that stop in Moutiers for Meribel. The Snowtrain, run by Rail Europe, means a change in Paris but you can party all night in their legendary ‘disco carriage’! If you are after more flexibility, you can take the train to Paris and change onto the French train to the Alps.
Remember to make sure that you have organised a transfer to get from the train station to the airport as some of these trains can arrive very early in the morning.
Transfers
If going by bus, try to book your tickets well in advance – they can get very busy and some companies act on a reservation-only basis. However, hiring a car is the most flexible option of travelling to Meribel. Be aware though that you will have to pay to park your car for your time there.
Winter tyres, snow chains and ski racks are normally available at additional costs - make sure you request them when booking. You are required by law to carry snow chains and the police set up checkpoints during bad weather to enforce this.
For door-to-door, taxis are a good option, although not the cheapest.
Self-drive
Driving to Meribel will take you about 12 hours once you reach Calais or Boulogne. The motorways are the quickest route but you will have to pay around €50-60 in toll charges each way. If you are driving down on a Saturday, beware that the road after Albertville becomes a bottleneck for all traffic heading to the ski resorts in this part of the Alps.
To help with driving routes, check out www.rac.co.uk or www.drivingabroad.co.uk for directions and tips. Before you go, check with your car insurers that you will be covered for your time in Europe. And don't forget the snow chains!
| Report date: | 30 Apr 2008 |
|---|---|
| Last snowed: | na |
| Fresh snow: | cm |
| Lifts open: | na out of 46 |
Snow depth | |
| Lower slopes: | 0cm |
| Upper slopes: | 0cm |
Piste information | |
| On-piste: | na |
| Off-piste: | na |
| Resort runs: | na |
