3 Vallées, France

January 23 – February 1, 2009 

Morocco Pre-Trip Extension – 5 Nights(extra)
Paris Post-Trip Extension – 3 Nights(extra)

You are located in the heart of the Three Valleys between Meribel and Courchevel and the Hotel La Montana is a true ski-in/ski-out French hotel.  The “see” and “be-seen” culture of the riche and nouveau-riche is only a 15-minute bus ride or 8-minute taxi ride away in Courchevel.  The modest glamour of Meribel is only 10 minutes away by taxi.  Still, the enchantment of this charming and peaceful village hidden in a forest will make you happy to come back and your French-speaking Trip Leader will ensure that you get the most of this cultural experience.

La Tania is a purpose-built ski resort originally built for the 1992 Winter Olympics. Nestled on the mountainside in between Courchevel and Meribel, it's a great base to explore the 3 Valleys. In La Tania you're just two lifts away from Meribel; the heart of the 3 valleys, with access to over 600 kms of runs. Its center is a car-free zone, and its nightlife is quieter than it’s busy neighbors of Courchevel and Meribel, but with a friendly and ‘petite’ ambiance.  Within the village there are various bars and bistros to enjoy.

For the skiers, there is a quad chairlift that brings you to the top of a ridge: turn left to ski down to Courchevel or right to ski to Meribel. When returning to la Tania in the afternoon there is a choice of runs (“pistes”) through the trees, including a red, blue and green run back to the resort.

Les 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world (but don’t tell the French that!).  Marked runs cover approximately 300 miles and there are over 150 ski lifts.  The Vertical drop is approximately 5,000 feet and the  marked terrain covers approximately 8,000 acres.  The lift pass allows access to the entire Les 3 Vallees area without having to remove your skis or snowboard once, except for gondola and cable-car access.  Officially all the resorts covered by the lift pass are: Courcheval, La Tania, Meribel, Meribel Mottaret, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, St. Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle.

Our hotel is the Hotel Le Montana has comfortable and spacious rooms, and is ideally located in the center of La Tania.  For our meals the restaurant specializes in traditional cuisine, including tartiflette (which is?).

For those looking to do some sight-seeing, La Tania is located in the Savoie, a region that for eight hundred years was an independent kingdom, strategically important for controlling the high passes between France and Italy. Its cities (Chambery, Annecy, and Lyon) offer great history lessons, the charm of cobblestone streets, wines, cheese, and sausages of the region.  Annecy on Lac d' Annecy, offers view from the medieval towers of Chateau d'Annecy, or you can meander through the canal area (France's Venice), or stroll the flower-decked bridges and cobble-stone pedestrian streets.

There is a five-night pre-trip extension to Morocco for $815 (1 night in a 3-star hotel in Casablanca and 4 nights in a 4-star hotel in Marrakesh, both with breakfast included).  And for those that would like to visit the City of Lights (How many times is enough?), a 3 night, 4 star extension in Paris is tentatively priced at $350, including breakfast.