Travel book · Alpes du Nord

Three Valleys: 600km connected and a glacier at 3,200m across eight Tarentaise stations

By the AEC Collection team Updated on 28 May 2026 3 min read

The Three Valleys form the world’s largest linked ski domain accessible on skis, with 600km of interconnected pistes (official figure following a recount, historical marketing also cited 600km), spread across eight stations in three Tarentaise valleys: Belleville, Allues, and Saint-Bon. A single pass grants access to the entire domain from Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens and their satellite villages.

Three valleys, eight stations

The domain is organised by valleys:

The Belleville valley comprises Val Thorens (2,300m, Europe’s highest ski station), Les Menuires (1,850m) and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville (1,450m, an authentic village).

The Allues valley includes Méribel (1,450m), Méribel-Mottaret (1,750m) and Brides-les-Bains (600m, accessed by cable car).

The Saint-Bon valley contains Courchevel (1,850m) and its satellite villages (1,550m, 1,650m, 1,300m, La Tania, Le Praz).

Skiers on the Three Valleys pistes at dusk

600km, but more significantly 332 connected pistes

The ‘600km’ figure represents the sum of piste lengths measured by operators. More meaningfully: the domain encompasses 332 pistes, of which 51 are black runs, 102 red, 130 blue and 49 green. The distinguishing feature is connectivity: a skier can, in a single day, depart Val Thorens, traverse to Courchevel and return, constituting a circuit of more than 100km.

The linking passes structure the traverse: Col de la Loze (2,304m, between Méribel and Courchevel, now renowned for the Tour de France), Col de Chanrossa (2,540m, towards Courchevel), Saulire bridge (2,738m, Méribel’s highest point).

Péclet Glacier at Val Thorens

The Péclet Glacier, above Val Thorens, reaches 3,200m and ensures the domain’s snow cover from November through May. The Funitel cable car to Péclet and the Cime Caron (3,200m equally) represent the highest accessible points.

A historical note: summer skiing on Péclet Glacier was discontinued in 2018, owing to climate warming and accelerated melting. Today, the glacier operates solely during winter.

The Three Valleys pass

The Three Valleys daily adult pass costs approximately €75-80 during high season. A 6-day pass ranges around €365-385, the most expensive in France by volume, yet offering unparalleled domain coverage.

For skiers covering only a single valley, the Val Thorens-Orelle or Courchevel pass alone is more economical (around €60-65 per day). This calculation proves worthwhile only if the skier remains within one valley throughout the week.

Val Thorens

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Suited to

The Three Valleys attract:

Intermediate to advanced skiers, who exploit the variety and connectivity across several days.

High-end international clientele, particularly at Courchevel 1,850m and Val Thorens (UK, Russia, UAE, United States).

Families, at the village stations (Saint-Martin, La Tania, Le Praz) that combine access to the domain with a less ostentatious atmosphere.

Season

Winter season from late November to mid-May, amongst France’s longest seasons owing to altitude. Peak season spans mid-December to end March. For spring skiing, Val Thorens and Péclet Glacier remain the last operating (until early May in certain years).

Planning a stay in the Three Valleys

AEC Collection selects and represents quality chalets and apartments in the Three Valleys: Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville. The pass can be purchased online via the official S3V website, or on-station, loaded onto a reusable contactless card renewed season to season.