Latest News Winter Season 2009-10

	Snow reports To get an immediate view of Meribel skiing and current snowfalls we have joined forces with Merinet who have placed webcams throughout the resort. http://www.merinet.com/snow_report.php

	Happy week in Meribel Meribel bars have decided to start the season with a bang this year. With the tourist office and chalet companies who are offering special reduced rates for Meribel's premiere neige week (12 Dec), the bars have decided to follow suit and offer happy hour prices to all customers, all day and night, everyday for the week of 12 December! Each participating bar will advertise the prices on our official ''Happy Semaine' poster that will be visible around the bar. Participating bars include Jacks Bar, Evolution Bar & brasserie, Barometer, The Cactus Cafe, the Loft nightclub, The Pub, The Taverne and the Rond Point.

	Altitude Festival 2010 will feature live standup comedy, live music, international DJ's, slopestyle competitions and more. The backdrop to the festival will be the beautiful snow-capped Alpine mountains of the 3 Valley ski resort of Meribel. FEstival dates 20th March - 26th March 2010. We still have availability in one of our Meribel ski chalets for this date. http://www.altitudefestival.com/en/index.php

	Piste improvements Work has been carried out on the ski slopes during the summer. On the Tougnette side of the Meribel Valley, the bottom of the reshaping of the Faon piste has been completed. The last bend at the bottom of the Lievre has been widened to make it easier for beginners skiing back to the village. New Chairlift The slow fixed Golf chairlift which departs from Meribel village has been transformed to a fast detachable chairlift which has halved the journey time from 12mins to 6mins. This lift takes you to the Meribel altiport area.

	Apres Ski in Les Allues New this Year - La Tsaretta Bar & Restaurant is offering a great value menu of tasty local specialities for your chalet night off. They will have Pierre Chaude & Fondue Savoyarde with all the trimmings including 50cl of wine at 25€ per person. This is a cosy Alpine bar where the famous Mutzig beer (v. strong) is served, Amstel, Heineken export & Guiness on tap, they also have a good selection of shots, in particular toffee vodka. This is a busy little bar, with friendly staff and a good village atmosphere. Live music with British bands play Sunday & Thursday evenings and sports coverage on the large flatscreen tv. Homecooked wood fired Pizzas are available in the bar and the restaurant upstairs has a lovely ambience. It is just a stone's throw from all our Meribel ski chalets.

	Resort Facilities The Wellness centre and Relaxation Spa at the Olympic centre will have massage facilities these season. If you choose to have a little time off from skiing it is very inviting with Sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish Baths and relaxation area with lovely views of Mont Vallon.

	Travel News Snowjet is the only low cost scheduled airline to offer flights to Chambery, which is the closest airport to Meribel with the transfer time being only 1hr 15mins. Unlike some low cost airlines Snowjet flights include: Free: 20kgs hold baggage allowance Free: checkin in - they don't charge you for a boarding card. Free: Choose your seat at check-in. Enjoy a civilised boarding experience as your seat number is allocated at checkin. They fly from Gatwick, Stanstead, Bristol, Manchester to Chambery. Snowtrain: This has now finnished and it is now only Eurostar who operate this service. Other Flight news: BMIbaby is now offering flights from East Midlands to Geneva. Following British Airways decision to charge for ski and snowboard allowance, Swissair claims it is now the only airline that will transfport the first set of snowsport equpment free fo charge on flights this winter. A spokesman for Swissair said 'We have always offered free transportation for one set of ski equipment, in addition to checked luggage allowans and swiss has no intention of changing this. We feel that free carriage of ski equipment is an integral part of this offering and during these financial challenging times, we're particularly keen to be able to offer any support for ski enthusiasts. P&O Ferries - Baggage is no problem for winter sports fans setting sail for the slopes with P&O Ferries. Crossings from Dover to Calais with crossings from just £25.00 one way for a car & all the occupants. The drive is straightforward from Calais with a journey time to Meribel of around 8-9hrs. LD Lines offer the fastest channel crossings. They sail from Dover to Boulogne with fast onward connections to the A16 autoroute and French motorway network. Their prices start at £22.50 one way.

Email: info@skiblanc.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 502 9082 www.skiblanc.co.uk