Meribel - Mottaret, Three Valleys, France

Tre Dalarna, or Les Trois Vallées in French, is the world's largest ski area and with its more than 180 lifts and 60 miles of slopes, it offers every form of lift-assisted skiing available. If you prefer hiking, there are unlimited possibilities on the outskirts of the area and in the neighboring nature reserves in the various side valleys of the Tarantai Valley.

The main resorts are Meribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires and Courchevel, all of which have different and distinct target groups.

At the heart of the area are two villages, Meribel and Mottaret, which have now almost grown together. Mottararet is the furthest into the valley of the two, and with its location is mostly for those who like to ski a lot. In addition to various types of accommodation, there is only a small center with a few restaurants and shops. Like many other French ski resorts, they have built the skiing first and then adapted the villages according to needs, which gives ski in, ski out almost everywhere.

Allures is the valley where Mottaret is located and this in itself offers good skiing, perhaps especially in the area around Plan du mains, but also allows you to reach the other valleys and villages directly and comfortably with a couple of gondolas and chairlifts. It is noticeable that work has been done to replace older lifts with new ones in recent years.

The three valleys are high enough to (still?) be snow-safe, but this also means weather sensitivity and possible visibility problems as the vast majority of skiing takes place above the tree line. If you're skiing in the shoulder season and want to drink vin chaud outdoors, it's good to know that the valley around Mottaret is so narrow that the sun disappears at 15:00.

The area is massive and if you go here for a week or two with the ambition to see it all, there's an obvious risk of getting a sightseeing experience rather than good skiing. Talk to someone who has been there before you go, pick one or two areas and stay there if the weather and snow are good.

Its size also means that there is something for everyone who loves moving around in magnificent mountains. Perhaps you can spot some of the shy and protected grouse around Mount Vallon.