Meribel – Families

Skiing with the family can be a wonderful experience for everybody but preparation is the key to a relaxing time for all. Childcare facilities and ski school do get very busy so if possible book well in advance. See our top ten tips for ski holidays with children.

Meribel is a great place for families with an abundance of ski schools, easy terrain, child friendly mountain restaurants and quiet villages with excellent snowman-making potential! There are a number of private nanny services available where a qualified nanny will come and take care of the kids in the comfort of your accommodation, pick them up from ski school and take them out and about to enjoy the snow while mum and dad enjoy a day in peace on the pistes! There are lots of family friendly operators who offer discounts for children as well as a large number of apartments available for self catering.

Ski schools

Meribel is served by a number of ski schools including ESF, New Generation, Magic Academy and Parallel Lines, all of which offer group kids lessons, specialised “ski safaris”, and “fun factories” running for most of the season, with lots more instructors laid on in the school holidays.

Another ski school to consider is Marmalade who offer great private lessons and have a few weeks a year where they offer Marmalade Youth groups specifically designed for kids who have moved up through the ski school levels and are looking for more. All in all, something for everyone.

Childcare

There are a few options for childcare in Meribel. ESF has a crèche, but doesn’t offer a very personal tailored service, it is cheap though. In terms of private childcare services T4 Nanny are a great option, providing qualified, experienced nannies to take care of little ones while you are out skiing. Merinannies also provide a similar service. There are also a number of tour operators who offer in house childcare, often included in the cost of the holiday.

Restaurants for children

Most restaurants in the centre of Meribel have children’s menus and are family friendly, some good ones include Le Taverne, the Lodge du Village and Rhododendrons restaurant on the side of the Altiport ski area.  The Olympic centre is great for families with lots on offer including ice skating, indoor climbing, swimming and bowling, all of which offer reduced prices for children and families.

Activities for families

There are lots of activities available for families, why not take a scenic flight together from the Altiport, or toboggan down the Truite piste after the lifts close? There are lots of places to go sledging as well as things like husky dog riding, ski-dooing, parapenting to get your teeth in to. For littler ones the activities are more limited but the swimming pool with its big water slide is usually a popular option on bad weather days!