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Welcome to Les 3 Vallées; the largest ski area in the world!
The 8 resorts that make up the 3 Valleys, Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-Les-Bains, Les Menuires - Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle, are linked together by ski runs and ski lifts, with 600 kms of interconnected slopes and 180 ski lifts!
What's new in the 3 Valleys for winter 08/09?
| 3D Piste Map! |
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It's not quite love at first sight, but almost. Just one glance is now all you need to see the whole of the 3 Valleys ski area. Much more than a map, this winter, in conjunction with the 3D specialist, Kaliblue, the 3 Valleys brings you a unique AERIAL VIEW in three dimensions in a world first! For once you can live the virtual reality, taking in the whole of the 3 Valleys from above with a single glance like a mountain eagle.
For a 3D interactive tour of the 3 Valleys, go to www.les3vallees.com
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| Book your Next 3 Valleys Snowsports Holiday Online |
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The 3 Vallees association has teamed up with more than 15 major UK tour operators to offer a dedicated UK tour operator booking section on their website. Skiers can tailor-make their search using the dedicated menu which provides details of tour operators and their holiday offers to the 3 Valleys. They can then click through to book online with their chosen operator.
Check it out at www.les3vallees.com
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| MAGNESTICK - You'll be Glued to your Seat! |
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 The 3 Valleys can truly be considered an innovation pioneer in terms of child safety. The world-exclusive Magnestick system was unveiled last winter on Courchevel's Pralong chair lift. It has now been extended to Courchevel's Le Signal and Doe des Lanches chair lifts, as well as to the Arolles and Les Combes chair lifts in Méribel-Mottaret, thus creating a new mini-ski area for children.
This patented concept consists of a jacket with a built-in magnet to help secure the child in his or her seat and thereby enhance safety conditions for the entire chair lift journey. With its bright colour and stiff back the jacket can also help protect children in the event of a fall or collision on the slopes. As a first this winter, the ESF ski schools in Courchevel, La Tania and Méribel-Mottaret will be equipping their 2nd and 3rd star pupils with Magnestick to further enhance safety. As of next winter, the Magnestick system will be available in the shops for sale or hire.
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| Half-day Morning Ski Passes |
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Passes for the 3 Vallées ski area are now available for half-days in the morning. Valid from the opening of the lifts until 12.30pm, more than 600 km of marked pistes are there for you to choose from. Open up your horizons and go where you wish for the whole morning. In the afternoon you can try out one of the many activities on offer in the 3 Valleys.
Price per half-day morning pass: 36.50 euros (adults), 27.50 euros (5-12 years) and 32 euros (65-74 years).
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| Don’t Forget your Sledge! |
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This winter, Les Menuires will be inaugurating a new attraction; the Bouquetin challenge, a 3.8 km toboggan run with 22 banked curves and a 450 metre vertical drop! Open the whole winter season and accessible via the Roc des 3 Marches 1 gondola.
Courchevel is also home to a 2km, floodlit run and the 6km toboggan run in Val Thorens takes you over a giddy 700 metre vertical drop!
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| All Roads Lead to Pralong |
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This winter will see the launch of a new 550 metre blue run from the top of the Pralong chair lift. In planning for several years, it will make it possible for skiers to get directly to the bottom of the Suisses chair lift by avoiding the Pralong wall, which is quite exposed and very busy. It will also serve as an access route to the 1650 sector and a direct route to the Avalanche-camp.
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| Fancy a Little Pampering…? |
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This winter, the Wellbeing and Fitness Area in Méribel will be enhanced by the opening of a truly exceptional spa. Relaxation is guaranteed thanks to the latest state-of-the-art equipment for water-based therapies: a massage chair and three massage beds, a relaxation room with an essential oil spritzer and a balneotherapy tub to supplement a full range of care and activities. From the Turkish bath to the sauna, with separate Jacuzzi areas for men and women and a 300m2 fitness area with weights and dance rooms. Before you leave, make sure you enjoy a herbal tea in the relaxation room with its superb panorama of the Mont Vallon.
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| Orelle Spreads its Wings |
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 Until recently, Orelle was known as a quick way up from the Maurienne valley to Val Thorens: it was an ideal entry point thanks to its gondola lift and large car park. But Orelle is now much, much more, as the original small resort is well on the way to becoming a real winter destination, with a constantly growing range of accommodation, shops, services and entertainment. To prove the point, this season will see the opening of new sports stores and souvenir shops, with new opportunities for enjoyment just waiting to be discovered, such as night time excursions, concerts, theatre performances, etc.
Find out more from the brand new Tourist Office! www.orelle.fr
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| Play Poker in the Three Valleys |
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You can now play poker in Brides-les-Bains! Aficionados of "Texas Hold'em" are invited to meet around the two tables recently installed in the resort's Casino. Open every day, sessions will run from 8pm to 3am.
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| New Top Quality Residence in Val Thorens |
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Located in the middle of Val Thorens - Europe's highest ski resort, the Sabot de Venus residence offers eleven spacious apartments and a superb level of comfort in a chalet built to the designs of traditional Savoyard architecture. The fully equipped apartments, with a surface area of between 85 and 135 square metres also enjoy plenty of other services; sauna, Turkish bath, fitness club, bar, private covered car park etc. To find out more, go to www.chaletlesabotdevenus.com
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| Webcams |
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 The 3 Valleys is expanding its extensive network of livecams with the installation of a new observation point. The new Val Thorens webcam, from the latest generation of 360° webcams, will be located on the Cime Caron at 3200 metres. Just one click will reveal the widest panorama in the Alps, in real time and with unequalled quality. Go to www.les3vallees.com to discover the 7 livecams in the area: 2 in Courchevel, 2 in Meribel, 1 in Les Menuires and 2 in Val Thorens.
As for traditional webcams, La Tania will be installing 2 new models. The first is located at the bottom of Les Folyeres piste, while the second is on the terrace of the Bouc Blanc restaurant.
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| A Spa to match the Grandeur of the Alps |
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More than just a spa town, Brides-les-Bains offers a wide range of services dedicated to slimming and well-being with its extensive range of massage treatments and spa facilities. New for this winter, the Spa has added an extra 600 square metres to accommodate 7 treatment rooms, 1 private coaching room and 3 jacuzzis, 2 of which are outdoors.
To find out more, go to www.spa-brideslesbains.com
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| New for Children in Courchevel 1550 |
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The foot of the slopes in Courchevel 1550 have had a major facelift. One of the new attractions, opening from Christmas 2008, is the Maison des Enfants, which will provide lots of entertainment for kids of all ages. As well as a day nursery for toddlers (18-36 months), there is a new ski kindergarten for older children with specialist equipment: travelators, ski tow and cartoon characters to help little ones from the age of 3 learn to ski. Meals and supervision are available between 12pm and 2pm for children booked in for full and half days at the "Maison des Enfants" or with the ESF ski school. In the event of bad weather, there is a 300 m2 indoor area available for sheltered activities.
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| La Tania–Well Connected! |
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There's no need to hang around waiting for a connection to Meribel Village! This winter sees the start of free direct shuttle services from La Tania to La Chaudanne in Meribel. With four round trips operating daily, La Tania now enjoys its best-ever transport connections, including free shuttle services to Courchevel 1850 via Le Praz.
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| Freestyle Fun in the Three Valleys |
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The rail park in Courchevel has been revamped and improved and now features walls, c-boxes, s-boxes, rainbow boxes and rails of every kind. There's even a beginner's area with boxes and rails especially designed for kids to learn on. And to end with, a big air line has been added to the park so you can fine tune your slopestyle skills between two rails. It's all happening in Courchevel 1850 at the bottom of the Plantrey chair lift.
Go to www.s3v.com for more information.
The Val Thorens snowpark has grown even bigger. After the success of last season, following the snowpark's move to Le Plateau sector, freestyle fans now have an additional 18 000 square metres over which to show off their moves. You'll find 500 metres of rails, a larger beginner's area and an improved experts' area. The icing on the cake is the installation of a second ski lift to double the capacity of the existing lift up to Le Plateau and ensure fast turnaround times. www.snowparkvalthorens.com
Val Thorens also sees the arrival of a new boardercross course on Les Deux Lacs sector, covering 1.4 km, over a vertical drop of 350 metres. With a sequence of whoops, beams and cambered turns, it is the ideal course for kids who want to race with their parents.
After a total refit in Les Menuires last winter, the area of La Becca now features a superb boardercross course, as well as the traditional snowpark (eight slides and hand rails, four big airs, two beams, one hip and one quarter pipe). The less daring can rest assured that they can enjoy themselves on the boardercross course open to all on Les Combes piste. www.snowparklesmenuires.com
The Méribel moonpark is stepping out in style.
Run by H05 Park, it is promising a winter with the emphasis firmly on freestyle. Following a major summer refit, the new version of the Moon Park will open on La Grive sector (access via the Plan de l'Homme chair lift). As well as new signage, the 100 metre long and 200 metre wide Moon Park has four distinct, varied courses (from green to black).
There's plenty going on over at Méribel-Mottaret too.
The snowpark is constantly changing and with the White Park company in charge that's no surprise. This year they have concentrated on the pipe, which this winter will be one of the most radical in France, with a 5.5 metre vertical. A new rail zone is also due to be completed this season. There will also be a junior pipe and a boardercross with plenty of whoop-de-dos!
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Did you find this article useful? Click here to find out the Three Valleys' prestigious eateries - all accessible by ski.
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