We know, you think it can't be done.
It will absolutely never be the cheapest choice, but it's a once in a life time experience.
There's ways that you can save money and stay in Courchevel whilst not compromising convenience and experience.
First of all - Where is Courchevel?
The most easterly resort in the Three Valleys ski area, eastern France.
The Three Valleys is the worlds largest connected ski area, boasting 600km of pistes.
What is Courchevel? One of the most well known and high-end ski resorts in the world. Courchevel is actually 6 different connected villages in one.
From most to least prestigious and expensive they are:
Courchevel 1850
Courchevel 1500 aka. Courchevel Village
Courchevel Moriond
Courchevel La Praz
Courchevel La Tania
Saint Bon
Courchevel Villages Explained
When we say prestigious we mean several things, but mainly it's dictated by the level of luxury retail, services and accommodation you find.
1850 is the home of excess, we are talking boutiques from Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Louis Vuitton literally at the foot of the slopes. The majority of restaurants and bars follow suit, although there is a wide range, you should expect that you will be paying heavily for the location.
You can access skiing directly from 5 out of 6 of the Villages. However, 1850 is directly at the bottom of the wide bowl that the Courchevel ski area sits in, you effectively ski through it to connect to several of the other Villages.
If anything, 1850 is actually not most peoples style, especially if you're reading this article, but it's certainly an interesting cultural experience to check out.
Lets cut to the chase
HOW DO I SKI COURCHEVEL CHEAPLY?
We recommend looking at accommodation in Courchevel La Praz or Saint Bon.
La Tania is our 3rd choice because we have prioritised the surroundings in the Village. If you simply don't care about the apres vibes there's some great value apartments.
So what are these other Villages like? What's the difference between the Courchevel villages?
We wont bore you with essays, but rather give you a snapshot of each one.
Courchevel Village (1550)
Get to the snow front in 1850 in 5 minutes.
This is a slightly less high maintenance village, easily accessed by blues, connected with 1850 by a long running lift from 7:45am to 11:30pm + a toboggan run. Also handy for Aquamotion, the resorts pool centre.
Courchevel Moriond
Peaceful, family oriented, the furthest village on the extreme of the Three Valleys area.
It's local slopes are much quieter than the main bowl as its on the far side of the area, with 2 specific connections needed to be taken if you want to explore from the other villages, meaning a lot of the traffic is from those residing there.
Courchevel La Praz
Traditional village developed to keep up with demand for its charm This has a great mix of authenticity and convenience
Ski back on a red or....
NEW in 2019
La Praz lift that operates from 7:45am to 11:30pm
Takes you to the 1850 slopes in 8 minutes
No need to rely on shuttle buses at any time of day
This is a great addition for people who want to explore 1850 or get to ski school quickly and with no need to get timetable anxiety
Saint-Bon
The original village that started it all.
You can save a lot by setting up base here, plus you get the authentic mountain town vibe.
Ski back to it by Red run when the snow line allows.
Not as inconvenient as you think!
Shuttle buses run from morning to night and it only takes 5 minutes to get to La Praz and up into the mountains.
La Tania
Purpose built flats and Chalets nestled in the woods, the newest addition to the resort.
This is a car free Village with lots of local entertainment and activities that makes it very popular with families.
Direct access to the ski area means no need to commute to ski.
Green and Blue runs back to resort.
Shuttle buses are available to other villages.
How do I get to any of the Courchevel villages?
Most cost effective for solos, couples and small groups are shared transfers to Courchevel, whether private or public companies.
Quickest :Train to Moûtiers
Possible from most airports but best from Lyon (direct possible) and Geneva
+ Bus to Courchevel (1hr 10) - 12 euro one way
or Direct Bus
Geneva - Courchevel (4hrs)
Lyon - Courchevel (3hr 40)
Remember - leave a connection time (1 hr) to allow for delays