Ski Club of Great Britain says...
"Courchevel's ski area is the most compelling sector of the famous Three Valleys, the biggest linked ski area in the world; if we're heading for the 3V, more often than not we'll head for Courchevel. But it's not one destination, it's four. Swanky 1850 catches the headlines, with its airstrip, ritzy hotels and countless Michelin-star restaurants. The other villages have none of 1850's pretensions and high prices. The village restaurants and bars are not cheap, but they are not noticeably more expensive than in other top French resorts." Courchevel resort levels
Courchevel (1300, 1550, 1650 & 1850) - courchevel.com On the border of La Vanoise national park, Courchevel looks out to Monte Bianco, the Italian face of Mont Blanc. It’s the eastern end of the Three Valleys ski area that offers over three hundred acres of mountain entirely dedicated to all types of winter sports with access to six hundred kilometers of marked piste, not to mention the ten thousand hectares of off-piste skiing. Meribel is in the middle and Val Thorens on the western end, all accessible on the one ski pass. Le Praz – Courchevel 1300 is a traditional village nurturing a family oriented and festive atmosphere. It also has the ski jumping arena. Courchevel 1550 (now called Le Village) is family-orientated & modern. Courchevel 1650 (now called Moriond) is slightly to the east of the other resorts but offers fine pistes. Courchevel 1850 (now called just Courchevel) is famous for its lively if slightly expensive nightlife as well as its fantastic skiing. It’s popular for a reason & most bars have happy hours for those not looking for fine dining. Courchevel is the only ski resort in France developed on once virgin snow plains. In 1946, the developers, rather than look for a village where they could build ski lifts, decided to find an ideal place for skiing, where they could build a village. It’s also north facing so keeps the snow in fine condition. They have set the standard for investment in piste & lift management, with snow canons & modern lifts that make some resorts seem antiquated. Once you’ve been on some of the express eight man lifts in the Three Valleys, Austrian chair lifts seem a very slow way to get up a mountain! The highest point in Courchevel 1850 is only 1747 meters; the name was chosen for promotional reasons to get one over on Val d'Isère at 1800. |