French Alps · France
Les Trois Vallées
Les Trois Vallées — the Three Valleys — is the world’s largest linked ski area, a vast interconnected domain in the Savoie department of the French Alps that encompasses some of the most famous resort names in skiing. Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Orelle and La Tania are all part of the same lift-linked network, covered by a single domain ski pass and reachable from one another without removing your skis.
The sheer scale is genuinely difficult to comprehend: around 600 km of marked piste, more than 300 individual runs and upwards of 170 lifts, spread across three parallel valleys connected by high mountain passes. A week here barely scratches the surface. The Three Valleys is not a single resort so much as a mountain kingdom — and it rewards skiers who explore it with some of the most varied and consistently excellent skiing in the world.
The world’s largest ski domain
The Three Valleys domain runs from the glamour of Courchevel 1850 in the west, through the family-friendly bowl of Méribel in the centre, to the high-altitude stations of Val Thorens and Les Menuires in the east. At 3,230 metres, Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe, and its altitude means it enjoys the longest reliable season of any resort in the Alps — opening as early as mid-November and skiing through to early May.
Linking the three valleys are a network of col crossings served by fast gondolas and chairlifts. The Saulire summit between Courchevel and Méribel, and the Col de la Loze between Méribel and Les Menuires, are the key crossing points, and skiing from one valley to another across these ridgelines — with the panorama of the whole domain spread out below — is one of the great experiences in Alpine skiing.
The terrain & skiing
Across the full Three Valleys domain there are around 335 marked pistes — roughly 44 green, 114 blue, 113 red and 64 black runs covering approximately 600 km. That spread is the hallmark of the domain: genuinely something for everyone, at a scale that means even the most committed skier cannot exhaust the terrain in a fortnight. The blue and red pistes are the heart of the domain, offering seemingly endless groomed cruising across all three valleys.
The upper mountain — particularly around Val Thorens and the Cime de Caron at 3,200 metres — delivers the domain’s most demanding and snow-sure terrain. The Caron gondola opens up broad, steep faces and exceptional off-piste options in the Maurienne valley, while the long red descents from the Col de la Loze into Méribel rank among the most enjoyable sustained cruises in French skiing.
For beginners and improvers, the wide beginner zones around Méribel-Mottaret, Les Menuires and Courchevel Village offer ideal learning terrain with direct lift access to the rest of the domain. Few places on earth give a progressing skier such an immediate reward for improvement — as soon as you can handle a blue comfortably, the whole Three Valleys opens up in front of you.
The resorts within the domain
Each of the Three Valleys’ component resorts has its own distinct character. Courchevel is the glamour capital, with a string of villages from 1300 to 1850 metres and a reputation for five-star hotels and Michelin-starred dining that draws the global jet set. Méribel, the central valley, is the most popular with British skiers — a traditional chalet resort with a lively après scene and excellent skiing from the Saulire to the valley floor. Val Thorens, at the top of the system, is an unashamedly purpose-built altitude station with extraordinary snow reliability and a buzzing young atmosphere.
Les Menuires and the old village of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville in the Belleville valley offer better value without sacrificing ski access — the same Three Valleys pass, but at significantly lower accommodation prices. Saint-Martin in particular is a genuine Savoyard village of stone and slate that feels entirely removed from the modern resort world above it, yet is just a few lift rides from the full domain.
Why we put it in the game
In Ready Steady Slope, Les Trois Vallées carries a Resort card with one blue, three reds and no greens or blacks — and that profile captures the soul of the domain with precision. The Three Valleys is fundamentally a red-run resort: the bulk of its 600 km is in that engaging, rolling intermediate sweet-spot where confident skiers find their stride and want to keep going all day. The blue represents the broad blue motorways that connect the valleys, while the absence of greens reflects the domain’s unapologetically adult, progression-focused character.
On the table, this is a strong, reliable card — a red-heavy hand that suits players who like to keep things moving and cover ground. It mirrors exactly what Les Trois Vallées does best in real life: reward skiers who have found their confidence and want to explore the greatest ski area on the planet without stopping.
Where is Les Trois Vallées?
French Alps, France
How to get there
| Nearest airport | Transfer time (by road) |
|---|---|
| 🇫🇷Chambéry (CMF) | ~1 hr 30 min |
| 🇨🇭Geneva (GVA) | ~2 hr 15 min |
| 🇫🇷Lyon (LYS) | ~2 hr 45 min |
Graded runs at Les Trois Vallées
The in-game Resort card is a stylized approximation — here are Les Trois Vallées's actual marked pistes by grade.
| Grade | Runs |
|---|---|
| Green (beginner) | 44 |
| Blue (easy) | 114 |
| Red (intermediate) | 113 |
| Black (advanced) | 64 |
| Total | 335 |
Quick facts
Ready to hit the slopes?
With our game you can bring Les Trois Vallées to your table. Click below to find out where to buy, or visit the actual resort. Or even better… do both, and pack the cards for the après!