Ski-Areas > Northern Alps > Savoie (73) > Vanoise > Courchevel
The ski resort of Courchevel is situated in the Vanoise area of the Savoie department in the Northern Alps region. It is part of the Trois Vallées ski domain. Along with Megève and its old rival Val d'Isère it is undoubtedly the swankiest of French resorts. It is not unusual to see a Dior attired ladies on the front de neige with obligatory poodles and high-heels. More recently the resort has become a favourite with Russian Oligarchs and the Oriental hyper-rich, not always bringing good publicity with them. Prices in 1850, the original and highest part of the resort are eye-watering but things become much more reasonable further down the slopes. The domain is north facing and holds its snow well.
Despite the snobbery the skiing is excellent. There are links over to Méribel Mottaret and some excellent off piste, both in the domain and off the back. The lift served area extends to 2738 metres on the Saulire and down to 1350 and beyond to Brides-les-Bains when the snow is there. There are 600 km of lift served runs and some 66 km of cross country trails. The resort features a snowpark.
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| Webcam view of Courchevel valley from Courchnet.com |
Nearest Airport(s): Courchevel Airport (0km), Chambèry / Aix-les-Bains (110 km), Geneva Cointrin (150km), Lyon St Exupery (190km),
Road: A41 Chambèry -> Albertville then N90 to Moutiers then D915 via Brides les Bains
Rail: SNCF Moutiers then taxi or scheduled bus service
Accommodation is expensive in Courchevel 1850 but gets cheaper down the mountain. You are looking at 200 Euros per night for a basic 2 star hotel but you can easily spend 1000 Euros per night in a swanky four star palace.
PisteHors.com has stayed at the hotel la Potiniere is just by the Croisette but far enough away from the roundabout to be quiet. You can ski to within 30 seconds of the front door. Rooms are fairly large, we had three singles but there are doubles, with en-suite, lots of hot water, a large wardrobe and shared balcony overlooking the town and mountains. At least on the third floor. There is a nice restaurant and bar. In the basement are individual ski lockers and boot drying machine. The owner was a bit of a character and his son was very friendly.
Website: http://www.la-potiniere-courchevel.com/
Luxury ski-in ski-out apartment in the prestigious tree lined Jardin Alpin area of Courchevel 1850. This webcam gives a view from the sunny south and east facing balconies over the Chenus and Loze slopes, you can see the Chenus cable car on it too.
If you are interested in staying in this 62 m2, two bedroom, two bathroom apartment check out the link below.
http://www.courchevelapartment.com
PisteHors suggests Le Saulire in 1850. This is a very attractive place with friendly staff. We had an evening 'terroirs' and ordered Fondu au Cepes and an excellent Mondeuse 1999 along with some side orders. All in around 60 / head including coffee and aperitifs but it is possible to grab a slice of pizza in the Patinoire for those on a budget.
Courchevel has a wide array of swanky shops and chic boutiques although we found it slightly dissapointing compared to Val d'Isère or Chamonix.
Cyril Redon, an English speaking instructor, covers both the Méribel and Courchevel ski areas. He can arrange for off-piste and even heliskiing, visit his website for more details: http://www.originalride.com/
email: pro@courchevel.com
Courchnet.com is a portal covering Courchevel with a collection very useful resort information. The guy who manages this site used to be the resort manager for a major UK tour operator so really knows his stuff.
Category: Ski Areas
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