Conveniently located right in the centre of both Méribel
and Mottaret, the Tourist Offices provide a one-stop information
centre for all the resort's visitors, under the auspices of the
director of tourism, Jean-Marie Choffel. Should you have any queries,
they will be happy to help.
Cash Points
There are 4 cash points in Méribel, at the Banque de Savoie,
Credit Agricole, Post Office and the Banque Populaire. The cash
point in Mottaret is located in the centre of town
Police
In the unfortuneate event that you do have anything stolen or lost
whilst on holiday, you will need to report the incident to the police
for insurance purposes. The station is located on the ground floor
of the Olympic Patinoire complex.
Radio Méribel Europe 2
Tune to 97.9 & 98.9 FM. A comprehensive and entertaining information
source in both English and French, with 24hr music. Local programming
begins daily at 07h30, and offers up-to-date weather forecasts,
piste and lift information, UK news and a complete entertainment
guide. The evening show offers tips on the best après ski
spots, tomorrow's weather, competitions and the very best music.
Chemist
There are two pharmacies in the resort. One in Méribel and
one in Mottaret. They are open 7 days a week. In France you must
pay for all medication and then claim back 65% from E111 or 100%
from an insurance company. In addition to medication, many items
used by the doctor must be obtained by the patient from the pharmacy,
so you may have to buy a knee brace, plastering materials, or even
sutures for stitching. The pharmacy will give you a brown receipt
with a space for sticky labels (vignettes) from the packaging. To
claim back the cost of prescribed pharmacy items you will need to
keep the brown receipt with vignettes and the doctor's prescription.
Medical Facilities
There are three medical centres in the resort.
The largest is located within the Patinoire and run by Dr. Patrick
Schamasch, and his associate
Dr. Mabboux. The services provided include those of a physiotherapist,
Christophe Lavoue, and a dentist, Marie-Claude Pomagalski. They
also run an additional centre in Mottaret, near the centre commerciale.
Dr. Thierry Vabre¹s practice is situated at altitude 1600.
The surgeries are well equipped for dealing with ski injuries, and
are open from 9am. All have Xray and plastering facilities. More
serious cases are referred to hospital in Albertville. Should the
worst happen, the piste rescue services will transport patients
to one of the surgeries. If you have a preference for a particular
doctor you should let the pisteur know or you will be taken to a
surgery at random.
Ski Insurance
All skiers should have ski insurance. The excess varies and can
make a big difference should you have to make a claim. If you do
need to make a claim call the Assistance Company mentioned in your
policy documents and keep a note of the reference number they give
you. If you are flying home, let your assistance company know if
you have any plaster cast or if you cannot bend your knee. Airlines
can refuse to carry you without additional documentation.
E111 is not an insurance policy. It entitles European citizens to
reciprocal health care. In France this means you must pay for treatment
and pharmacy items and then claim a proportion back from the French
social security. Reimbursement is up to 65% and takes about 3 months.
E111 will not cover piste rescue (up to £800 if helicopter
needed). It also will not cover transportation costs back home should
you be unable to travel as planned.
Carte Neige
Carte Neige is a basic insurance policy available from the tourist
office in resort. Carré Neige gives similar cover which you
can purchase with your ski pass. Both will avoid the need to pay
for piste rescue, but medical and pharmacy bills will need to be
settled direct and claimed back later. If you are a European citizen
you may be asked to claim some reimbursement first on E111. Carte
Neige and Carré Neige give limited cover for some of the
transportation costs back home.
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