The Ultimate Solo Snowboarder’s Guide to Traveling to Les 3 Vallées, France (without a car)
This is my ultimate guide to Les 3 Vallées, France for first-time visitors and solo snowboarders/skiers! Last season, I accomplished an insane solo snowboarding trip around the world and I documented mostly on my Instagram but I thought I would start detailing everything on my blog for people that want to do something similar. If you haven’t read the first destination of my trip yet (Chamonix), I’ve put the link down below.
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Things to Buy In Preparation for Your Trip
These are the items that I bought specifically for my trip…
- Apple AirTags: I put one in my suitcase, my camera bag, my snowboard bag, and in my purse
- Lock: I use this when I want to lock up my snowboard to the ski racks. Also good if you are staying at a hostel and want to lock up your bags.
- Snowboarding Backpack: I got this backpack because I wanted something small and waterproof. This is definitely good if you drink a lot of water. Otherwise, I feel like there’s not much room for any of your stuff. I would say this is a great backpack if you just need water, but if you like to bring extra lenses, clothes, etc., there won’t be room for it.
- Tall Waterproof Boots: Since I’m going to be living in the snow, I figured I would finally spend some money on some decent waterproof boots. I like these a lot since they are lightweight for traveling.
- Stylish Winter Boots: I wanted to buy another pair of boots that were more for the city for when I want to go out. and these definitely fit the bill! They are a tad bit heavier than the ones above but they look so cool that I couldn’t resist getting both pairs of boots.
- Down Coat: Since I was lugging A LOT of stuff, I could only afford to bring one decent coat and I ended up purchasing this one. Yes, it was an investment but I wanted something that can last me multiple seasons and that will keep me super warm. I will say that it’s a little snug so if you plan on layering a lot underneath, I would go up one size.
- Snowboard: I didn’t buy this snowboard specifically for this trip, but in case anyone was wondering what board I’m riding, it’s the Bataleon Push Up.
- Lotion for Dry Skin: Do NOT underestimate how dry your skin will get being up on the mountain all the time. I’ve tried a bunch of different lotions and this is the only one I keep buying.
- Bandage: If anyone else has the same issue with their fingers cracking, this was a godsend. Never used this before in my life but now I carry it with me every snowboarding season.
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What Area Should You Stay in Les 3 Vallées
I want to start by saying that Les 3 Vallées is HUGE. Unlike Chamonix, there isn’t one main village or central town. The ski resort is literally made up of three valleys, so where you stay depends heavily on what kind of trip you want.
Since this was primarily a snowboarding trip and I didn’t have a car, it was extremely important for me to choose a location within walking distance to the gondola and central enough to access all three valleys. After doing a ton of research, Méribel Centre kept coming up as the best option for first-time visitors.
Yes, there are more famous towns you’ve probably heard of, like Courchevel or Val Thorens. Courchevel is known for its ultra-luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, while Val Thorens sits at the highest elevation, meaning more reliable snow. However, these towns are on opposite ends of the valleys. I had heard that if you stay in either one, it’s difficult to explore all three valleys and still make it back before the lifts close.
Méribel Centre, on the other hand, is located in the middle valley and essentially in the center of that valley. It’s about as central as you can get. There are actually three Méribels: Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret, and Méribel Village. We chose Méribel Centre because it was closest to the main gondolas and has the most decent nightlife. Méribel-Mottaret sits higher in elevation, which means better snow, but I’ve heard it has fewer nightlife and dining options. Méribel Village is lower in elevation, quieter, and more affordable, but less convenient for lift access.
After staying there, I would wholeheartedly recommend Méribel Centre for first-time visitors. It was only about a 10-minute walk to multiple gondolas, and the town itself had plenty of restaurants, bars, and supermarkets. While other towns also have gondola access, Méribel Centre has at least four or five lifts that take you to different areas of the mountains. Being centrally located allowed us to spend one day riding toward Courchevel and another day exploring Val Thorens.
Where Should You Stay in Méribel Centre
As mentioned earlier, I wanted to be as close to the gondolas as possible so I could simply walk there each morning. I created a map below showing the exact location where I stayed, along with the main shopping and dining strip.
If you find accommodations anywhere along that marked street, you’re in great shape. As a reference point, you can use Parc Olympique de Méribel as your landmark for researching accommodations. That’s essentially where most of the gondolas are located.
Warning: What You Should Know About Vacation Rentals in France
I spent an obscene amount of time researching places to stay in Les 3 Vallées, and it wasn’t until much later that I realized most vacation rentals require a minimum stay of seven nights. I’m not sure if this was due to traveling during the holidays or if it’s standard practice, but it definitely something to be aware of. Since my friend joined me for this portion of the trip, we were able to split the cost, which helped a lot.
Here are a few important things I learned that are worth knowing before you book:
- Linens: Sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and towels were not included. These had to be rented separately, so make sure to confirm this in advance.
- WiFi: WiFi was not included, and the rental agency didn’t proactively mention that it could be rented. We only found out after going to their office and asking.
- Other essentials: Trash bags, dish soap, sponges, hand soap, shampoo, and conditioner were not provided. We had to buy everything at the grocery store the next day.
I ultimately chose this unit because it was the most affordable option in the exact location we wanted. While there are cheaper accommodations elsewhere, my friend and I were willing to pay more for convenience. If you want to book exactly where I stayed, you can find it here.
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How to Get To and From Les 3 Vallées as a Solo Snowboarder
How to Get To Les 3 Vallées (without a car)
If you’re traveling internationally, the easiest airport to fly into is Geneva Airport (GVA). There is a closer regional airport, Chambéry (CMF), but most major international flights don’t fly there.
From Geneva Airport, you’ll take a bus to the town you’re staying in. My bus ride was supposed to take about three hours but ended up taking five due to an accident and holiday traffic, so manage your expectations accordingly.
There are several bus companies to choose from, including Ben’s Bus, Alpytransfer, FlixBus. I personally took Ben’s Bus based on timing. This was the cost for a round-trip ticket for my friend and me in January 2025. We added two extra bags for our suitcases and snowboard bags, but no one checked when we boarded. Do what you want with that information.
Not sure about other bus companies, but Ben’s Bus drops you off at a small bus stop at the bottom of Méribel Centre. Again, Les 3 Vallées is made up of a lot of different towns and there’s no central bus station. So, when I got dropped off, I had to lug all of my snowboard gear and suitcase up a hill and IN THE SNOW. There were no taxis and no other buses running. Also, my friend’s flight got delayed so he didn’t make the bus which left me alone to fend for myself. I didn’t find out until the day we were leaving that there were ESCALATORS.
Well, my pain in your gain! I’ve mapped out below exactly where the shortcut is to get to the main part of town. I wish someone would have done this for me when I was researching so I’m doing it now to hopefully make it easier for some solo traveler in the future.
Getting Around Les 3 Vallées
If you’re traveling solo without a car, getting around Les 3 Vallées can be challenging. I recommend going in with the mindset that the town you choose will be where you spend most of your time.
Unless you’re willing to pay for taxis, you’ll mostly stay within your chosen valley. I stayed almost entirely in Méribel Centre. There is a bus that connects Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret, and Méribel Village, but I didn’t personally take it and believe it stops running fairly early.
One perk of staying in Méribel Centre is that when you ski or snowboard down at the end of the day, you pass through Méribel-Mottaret. One evening, my friend and I stopped there for some aprés-ski drinks before riding back down. Just note that it gets dark and flat, so the bus is always an option if you’re exhausted.
How to Depart Les 3 Vallées
Since I booked a round-trip ticket with Ben’s Bus, I returned to the same bus stop at the bottom of the hill. This time, knowing about the escalator and ramp made the trip down much easier. Our bus ride was back to Geneva airport and took about 2.5-3 hours.
Skiing/Snowboarding Les 3 Vallées
Level of Difficulty of the Slope (USA vs. France)
The first thing you might notice once you hit the slopes is that there’s a different rating system in France. Below is a quick chart of each runs equivalent.
| USA | France |
| Green | Green |
| Blue | Blue |
| Black | Red |
| Double Black | Black |
The Resort
I won’t even attempt to fully explain the size of this resort. Even as a Type A planner, it’s something you truly have to experience. Here are a few important things to know though:
- Runs: The runs are LONG. Some trails even have distance markers to show how far you have left. We had to stop and take breaks because of the length.
- Mountains: Dedicate one area per day. Trying to bounce between valleys will exhaust you. We spent one full day in Val Thorens and another entirely in Courchevel.
- Bathrooms: I was a little taken a back by this but there are no public restrooms at restaurants. Those restrooms are reserved for restaurant patrons (even though I did sneak in one time because I really had to go). Instead, the mountain has real dedicated restrooms that you can stop at. Even though this sounds amazing, it’s inconvenient because you actually have to map out where these restrooms are. They aren’t always close to the lodge or restaurants.
Les 3 Vallées Lift Tickets
Les 3 Vallées is included as an international partner on the Epic Pass. If you have the Epic Pass, Epic Adaptive Pass, Epic Australia Pass, Epic Australia Adaptive Pass, you get seven consecutive days of riding. If not, lift tickets can be purchased based on your length of stay.
Where to Dine/Après-ski in Les 3 Vallées
Since we were there for seven days, we got to try a lot of restaurants in Méribel Centre. Below are my quick notes if you need recommendations on where to eat!
Méribel Centre
- L’igloo (Restaurant): Trendy place with Italian/American food with a pizza to-go option. Ate there one night and ordered pizza to-go another night. It was just okay.
- Le Close-Up (Restaurant): Typical alpine restaurant with traditional Savoyard fare (i.e. fondue, tarteflette, etc.). Very fun place with great food. The owner (I think) does magic tricks for you at the table. There are also games you can choose from to play while you wait for your food.
- Barometer (Restaurant): Cool restaurant and bar. We sat at the bar one night for drinks and came for dinner another night. Very good food and came out piping hot. It does get busy so see if you can get a reservation.
- Le Resto du Savoy (Restaurant): If you want something a little more fancy, I highly recommend this place. Intimate and cozy restaurant on the 2nd floor of a hotel (I believe). I had the best gnocchi here and I don’t even like gnocchi! It was crispy on the outside and pillowy-soft on the inside. Also, helped that it was swimming in butter.
- Copiña (Bar): Small wine and cocktail bar with Spanish-style tapas. I wanted to find a really good wine bar and this place definitely fit the bill. The cocktails are amazing as well. My friend and I went twice.
- La Coursive des Alpes (Restaurant): Another nice restaurant if you’re looking for a fancy night out. We didn’t have a full dinner here but they let us come early and have fondue since my first choice was completely booked. I’m glad we actually came here though. The fondue and the wine were amazing. Used to be an old cinema too.
- Maison Braissand Les Glaciers (Bakery): Cute bakery in town. Got some pastries for the morning. Also has different types of breads.
- La Fromagerie Méribel (Restaurant): This is the place I really wanted to go for fondue but it was completely sold out for the week we were there so I missed my chance. Hopefully, you get to try it out!
- Casino (Market): This was my daily market run. You can find vegetables, meat, cheese, snacks, alcohol etc. This is also the place where I bought all my household supplies that didn’t come with with our vacation rental.
- SPAR (Market): This was the second market I would visit in case Casino didn’t have what I needed.
On Mountain
- La Folie Douce Méribel Courchevel (Après-Ski): La Folie Douce is probably the most famous chain for après-ski. They almost have one at every ski resort so you might be familiar with the name. If you’re looking for a huge party with live singers, dancers, musicians, MCs, etc., this is the place you want to go! I have never seen a production this big for an après-ski before. It’s literally a whole show with a catwalk and stage. Drink prices are what you expect for the French Alps but not too crazy. My friend and I bought a bottle of rosé to share for 60 euros. We did not get a table and just stood there with our bottle and wine glasses.
- La Folie Douce Val Thorens (Après-Ski): This is the second après-ski that we went to just to check it out. It’s much smaller than its Méribel counterpart, but still fun. They didn’t have a whole production but it was more of your typical party with a DJ. Also, each La Folie Douce location has their own merch if you’re interested. I got a beanie here.
- Le Cap Horn (Restaurant on Courchevel side): Fun pirate-themed restaurant. I think we might have seen Jack Sparrow? It has a huge outdoor patio and outdoor bar. We sat at the outdoor bar and had a drink there.
- Le Panoramic Courchevel (Restaurant on Courchevel side): You absolutely have to stop here for at least a drink! It’s mostly a restaurant but there are a few seats in the front if you’re looking to get grab a drink like we did. Drinks are pretty pricey. If I remember correctly, it was about 20-25 euros.
General FAQs
Do You Need Euros?
This is up to you. I didn’t need cash the whole time I was there.
Is English Spoken Widely?
Yes, it’s a pretty big tourist spot. Everyone speaks English.
Is it Safe Traveling There As a Solo Snowboarder or Skier?
Yes! It’s definitely safe if you are a solo snowboarder or skier. I know I had a friend with me for this portion but I arrive and checked-in all by myself. Now, would I feel safe riding alone. Yes, as long as you stay on the groomed trails (which is most of the resort anyways). The only thing I would be cautious about is your timing to get back home. Each day felt like it was a mission to get back home and at that point you’re already tired too. So, I would just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back.
Epic Pass Holders
For my Epic Pass holders, you cannot use your Mobile Pass for this resorts. When I went back in January 2025 (and looks like for 2026 also), we were required to go to the ticket window to show our Epic Pass to get a physical Les Vallées pass.
Conclusion
Les 3 Vallées was definitely bigger than expected. At first, I thought being there for seven days would be too much but I honestly think there wasn’t enough time (or money). I wish we could have stayed there longer and tried more restaurants and après-ski but the place is just too big. If I were to go back, I would probably stay in a different town now so I can explore that one. But for your first time, I really think Méribel Centre is a great choice.
Pictures
