Courchevel

Courchevel is a renowned ski resort located in the French Alps, forming part of the extensive Three Valleys ski area. It is often considered one of the most glamorous and luxurious ski destinations in the world. 

The resort is situated in the Tarentaise Valley and consists of several distinct villages, each offering its own unique charm and character. 

Before I get into the details of the different parts, lets talk skiing. The ski area of Courchevel itself is more than enough, with 150 kilometers of well-groomed slopes. It sits in it's own massive bowl, surrounded by several peaks and it's well known for it's huge wide and gentle cruising slopes than coverge on the village. 

Venture up higher and you've got some great challenging terrain, this is truely a resort with something for everyone, though more advanced skiers would enjoy exploring the full 3 valleys area - there's 2 access points to cross the ridge into the Meribel valley.

Courchevel is 6 different connected villages, from most to least prestigious and expensive they are: Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1500 aka. Courchevel Village, Courchevel Moriond, Courchevel La Praz, Courchevel La Tania and Saint Bon. 

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 get to 1500. Regardless of where you decide to bunk down, experiencing the buzz of a world class resort is something to behold. 

Courchevel 1850:

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. 

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:

Sitting at a lower altitude just outside the main bowl, this 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 gondola 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. 

La Tania:

Next to La Praz sits La Tania Situated between Courchevel and Méribel, La Tania was purpose-built for the 1992 Winter Olympic. 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, plus Green and Blue runs back to resort. Shuttle buses are available to other villages. 

Saint-Bon:

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.