I first visited Courchevel in 1978 on my first ski holiday, when I stayed in a chalet in neighboring Méribel. Towards the end of the week, my friends convinced me to take the gondola to the top of La Saulire mountain and jump down the red Combe Saulire track. At the time, as a beginner, this was very scary; This later became one of my favorite runs on the planet.
Courchevel also grew on me tenfold, and as someone who has now skied at over 100 ski resorts in France, it is high on my list of places to visit. I’ve stayed in Courchevel more than a dozen times since I first hit the slopes, sometimes for a week’s holiday with friends and my non-skiing wife. He never failed to please.
The resort has five distinct villages, each with their own personality. All are connected by lifts, tracks and a road that runs through Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel Moriond to the highest base known as Courchevel (1850). Out of the way is Courchevel Village and La Tania.
Undoubtedly, Courchevel has an international reputation as the mountain playground for the rich, famous and trendy. But don’t delay. There are also many affordable and realistic spots. For skiers looking for the best skiing opportunities in France, it has the most interesting and diverse slopes of the entire Trois Vallées region.
Interesting and diverse skiing
Courchevel’s local ski slopes offer 150 kilometers of runs serviced by 58 lifts, and despite being part of the world’s largest ski area, many visitors are quite happy not to venture further during a week’s holiday. There’s something to suit all standards, including great starting areas at both 1850 and Courchevel Moriond. I enjoyed the slightly green and blue tracks, which were always plentiful; they are all immaculately groomed every night, often have great snowfall and excellent snowmaking thanks to their north-facing geography.
My highlights include the Combe Saulire red slope. First thing in the morning, when it’s pleasantly quiet and there’s untouched velvet snow, you can safely go down a few times at high speed before the crowds arrive. I also love the slopes of Chapelets and Rochers on the edge of the local ski area above Moriond; It’s relatively quiet here as the crowds make their way to the wider appeal of Trois Vallées.
Black tracks like Suisses, M, Pylones and L’Eclipse (the downhill race created for the 2023 World Championships) are a blast when groomed. In my younger days, I loved the piste-free Grand Couloir, reached via a narrow, rugged ridge from the Saulire cable car; It is the steepest piste in Courchevel, but it is wide and you can examine it from the cable car (stop at the top) before setting off. right for best view).
When it snows heavily and visibility is difficult, the best place to be in the entire Trois Vallées is in the trees above Le Praz and La Tania, where there are pistes of all kinds and the snowfall remains fresh.
3 Exploring the rest of the Vallées
There’s no denying that piste enthusiasts will want to hit the road to explore all the 600km of slopes that Trois Vallées, the world’s largest ski area, has to offer. Once you get off Saulire and head towards Méribel Mottaret, you only need two fast cable cars to reach Val Thorens, the farthest end of the region.
But going straight to the farthest reaches of the ski area means you miss two of its best slopes. Don’t miss Mont Vallon’s long, steep, north-facing Combe du Vallon red piste, which is almost always groomed, and consider a detour to Les Menuires to ski the long north-facing runs from the summit of La Masse. If you go to Val Thorens, climb to the 3,200 m summit of Cîme de Caron. If the descending black runway is open, don’t miss it; It’s wide, snows well, and offers great fast sailing.
Affordable local mountain restaurants
Many of Courchevel’s mountain restaurants charge eye-watering prices. An exception is Bel Air at the top of the gondola in Moriond. I’ve had many excellent, reasonably priced meals here on the gorgeous tiered terrace and beautiful wooden interior. Service is good, as is the plat du jour and reasonably priced house wines, a rarity at such a high-profile establishment.
Just below the top of the gondola from La Tania is Le Bouc Blanc, another underrated venue. This is an even better value. The plat du jour is cheap and always reliable; I also enjoyed delicious, huge lamb shanks and a variety of linguine dishes without breaking the bank.
Original, affordable appeal
Despite a decline in visits from Russian oligarchs in recent years, the opulent Courchevel 1850 is still a super-luxury, mega-priced haven. Home to a number of five-star and palatial hotels as well as many Michelin-starred restaurants, this is where the A-list come to ski and be seen.
I’ve always preferred to stay further down the valley in the more affordable Courchevel Moriond or Le Praz, which are smaller in scale and have more of a village atmosphere.
Off the slopes, below Moriond, the massive Aquamotion entertainment complex includes indoor and outdoor pools, slides, indoor surfing, steam rooms, saunas and more; I could happily spend a whole day there. For those in search of traditional après-ski, I regularly return to Fire and Ice, Hotel Portetta’s large outdoor terrace at the foot of the Moriond slopes, complete with heaters, wood-burning fireplaces and comfy sofas. Le Schuss, opposite the gondola base, is another of my favorites due to the cable cars being closed; Head towards the back to enjoy wonderful views of the valley, spectacular sunsets and the homely side of Courchevel that many people forget.
runners-up
Val d’Isère
Val comes in second, just behind Courchevel. It has great piste skiing and great off-piste opportunities. But the lack of easy runs into the valley is a big disadvantage for beginners and early intermediates.
Chamonix
A traditional mountain town with an atmospheric car-free center and stunning views of Mont Blanc’s rolling glaciers, Chamonix is not to be missed. But skiing is best suited to good, confident intermediates and experts, and is inconveniently dispersed among the five main areas.
Serre Knight
The lesser-known Serre Chevalier spans a long mountainside stretching some nine miles from one end to the other, with four main villages, each with ancient centres. There’s great mid-level sailing and reliable snow. However, the busy main road running through the valley and unattractive buildings from the 1960s and 1970s spoil the atmosphere.
Fundamentals
British chalet operator Le Ski (01484 548996; leski.com) offers the piste-side Chalet Rikiki, the largest of the resort’s 17 properties, from £1,150 per person, including chalet lodging, flights and transfers.
The five best ski holidays in France
More British skiers visit French resorts each winter than any other Alpine country. The volume and variety of ski holidays offered to meet demand is huge. Here are five of the best from this season and next season that you should book now to avoid disappointment.
Courchevel for Christmas
Chalet Le Blanchot, which sleeps four, is very smart and centrally located in Moriond, with two bedrooms and a lovely living room. Prices from £2,130 with Le Ski (01484 548996; leski.com) include a free Trois Vallées cable car ticket from 22 December 2024.
New Year in Morzine
Antique Chalet La Grande Maison offers super luxurious accommodation for large groups with a private swimming pool, three hot tubs and an on-site driver. Prices from £91,000 total with The Oxford Ski Company (01865 817420; oxfordski.com), sleeping 20 people, departing 29 December 2024.
Affordable semester break in Tignes
Residence Les Almes apartments are located in a quiet area of Tignes le Lac, close to shops and restaurants. Erna Low (020 3011 1222; ernalow.co.uk) from £1,932 total for a one-bedroom flat for four, self-catering, excluding travel, from 15 February 2025.
Great value in Arc 2000
Hotel Club Altitude has recently been completely renovated and is perfectly located for the slopes at the highest resort of Les Arcs. Prices from £1,163 with Skiworld (0330 102 8004; skiworld.co.uk) from 11 January 2025.
End of season in Val d’Isère
No 5 Aspen House, with three bedrooms and a shared spa area, is located right in the center of the shops, bars and nursery circuit. Prices from £1,000 with Ski Solutions (020 3918 9620; skisolutions.com), including transfers, excluding flights, departing 14 April 2024.
Unless stated otherwise, all prices are per person and include half board, flights and transfers.