Courchevel! The winter Alpine resort

Courchevel is the ultimate winter destination for all ski enthusiasts. It is part of the Three Valleys "Les Trois Valles" area, which is the largest and highest ski resort in Europe, offering access to 600 kilometres of ski slopes (150 of the 600 kilometres of slopes are in Courchevel) with excellent snow quality.

There you will find the most luxurious hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, and boutiques from the most famous fashion houses, as well as unique chalets and a fantastic nightlife.

Where is Courchevel?

Courchevel is located in France, in the heart of the Alps.

It is part of the 'Les Trois Valles' (The Three Valleys) ski area, the highest ski resort in Europe.

See the location of Courchevel on the map.

The Five Villages of Courchevel

Courchevel comprises five villages connected by a single road that ascends from the lowest to the highest.

Besides the road, there are lifts and slopes connecting the villages.

Each village is ideal for a specific type of activity.

See below for detailed information on each of the villages you will find in the Courchevel area.

 

The first village encountered is Courchevel Le Praz at an altitude of 1300 metres. This is the lowest village in the area, with the rustic charm of old.

A landmark of the village is the ski jumping hill, built for the 1992 Olympic Games and still in use today during both winter and summer months.

From the village, you can ascend to many slopes and runs with a fast chairlift.

Second comes La Tania Courchevel at 1350 metres altitude. Ideal for families, La Tania was also built for the Olympic Games. It is the lowest-built resort in France, filled with charming wooden buildings, and is the quietest.

Courchevel Village at 1550 metres is next in line. There you will find a mix of small chalets as well as larger hotel buildings. In Courchevel Village, you will find very affordable accommodation options in a relatively quiet area.

It is connected to Courchevel (1850) – the highest and most popular village – by a very fast lift.

Next is Courchevel Moriond at an altitude of 1650 metres. It is located on the main road, but the traffic is not disturbing. This village is ideal for younger ages as it offers a lively nightlife.

The main lift base to the slopes starts in the village centre. Around the beautiful square, there are many shops, restaurants, and bars.

A large aquatic centre, Aquamotion, is located in the village and has been operating since 2015. There you will find indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a diving pool.

It has two supermarkets and a wonderful boulangerie.

The last village is Courchevel, with an altitude of 1850 metres. It is the largest and most touristic village in the area, and to reach it, you will need to cover quite a distance.

In Courchevel, you will find the most luxurious and expensive hotels, chalets, and restaurants. It is the most charming and glamorous village, usually visited by wealthy guests of the area.

There is the main lift hub with enclosed cabins from the village centre heading to three different points.

At the Courchevel 1850 hotel, there are spa facilities with a gym, sauna, and steam room, which you can access for a fee even if you are not staying at that particular hotel.

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How to get to Courchevel

It is now very easy to reach the wonderful Alpine resort.

The nearest airports to Courchevel are Chambery Airport, 109 kilometres away, followed by Lyon Airport, 186 kilometres away.

Next are Grenoble Airport, 190 kilometres away, and finally Geneva Airport, located 188 kilometres from Courchevel.

Direct flights from Athens Airport operate only to Lyon Airport.

On our website, you can book flights with Aegean to Lyon and from there head to the Courchevel resort.

From Thessaloniki Airport, direct flights are available only to Geneva Airport.

Search for cheap flights and see all available options.

Direct flights from Thessaloniki to Geneva are relatively limited. If you choose to travel with a layover from either Athens or Thessaloniki, you will certainly find more route options.

If you wish, you can travel to Paris, with direct flights operated by Transavia and Air France from Thessaloniki, and Aegean Airlines from Athens Airport.

From Paris, you can travel to Moutiers Station, which is the central bus and train station at the base of the mountain. The train journey from Paris to Courchevel takes approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Once you arrive at Moutiers station, the best way to get up to the village where you will be staying is by Minibus. Minibuses are for private transfers and cost around 600€ for a single transfer!

Another option is to take a local bus, and there are also many taxis available.

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Direct Bus from Lyon Airport to Courchevel

From Lyon Airport, bus services to Courchevel operate exclusively during the winter season and while the ski resort is open.

There are two services every Friday and Sunday, and four services on Saturdays. The journey takes 3 hours and 15 minutes, but you will need to change buses at Moutiers station.

Direct Bus from Geneva Airport to Courchevel

During the winter season, daily bus services operate from Geneva Airport to the resort.

There are three services daily, six on Saturdays, and four direct services on Sundays from Geneva Airport to Courchevel. This journey takes from 3.5 to 4 hours.

On the website https://www.seecourchevel.com/buses you can find more information about bus routes to Courchevel.

Courchevel Airport

Courchevel has its own airport. This airport has achieved the 7^th place on History Channel's list of the world's most dangerous airports.

There are several risk factors, and it is rightly on this list.

The airport, located in the Alps at an altitude of 2008 metres, has a very short runway, only 537 metres long.

Furthermore, the runway has an 18.6% gradient, meaning pilots need significant effort during take-off on a short, uphill runway situated within the mountains.

To make things even more challenging, the airport lacks any auxiliary navigation systems, making landing in difficult conditions extremely dangerous, if not impossible.

For all these reasons, Courchevel airport is used only by small – mainly private – aircraft and helicopters.

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Where to stay in Courchevel

For your stay in Courchevel, you have many options. These range from luxurious hotels with all amenities in Courchevel 1850 to more affordable and traditional options found in the other villages.

Wherever you choose to stay, you can easily move between the other villages via the lifts.

Find all available accommodation in Courchevel on the booking.com page.

Activities in Courchevel

There is a wide range of activities you can do while in Courchevel.

As we mentioned above, the Aquafun centre is located in Courchevel Village – this is an experience you won't want to miss.

You will find many types of activities such as water slides, diving pools, colourful baby pools, and much more.

At the Adventure Camp, located near the Altiport (Courchevel airport), you can participate in activities such as snowmobile – a 700-metre trail at 2000 m altitude is available for this purpose – and snow rafting.

In Courchevel 1850, there is a Bowling alley (Bowling 3000) with 8 lanes, ideal for both young and old.

Something unique you can do in the snowy mountains of the Alps is a snowshoe hike.

If a helicopter ride is something you've always wanted to do, now is your chance. With a private helicopter, you can fly with your own pilot over the entire area and admire everything from above.

You can also rent a helicopter to 'drop' from it with your skis. Instructors are available to help you with this daring endeavour. There are 32 different zones where you can drop – instructors choose the ideal one for you depending on your experience and physical condition.

Skydiving on the snowy slopes is certainly a unique experience. Trust your instructor and take this leap into the void together.

In Courchevel, you will find many other activities for all ages.

These include golf, mountain bike, paintball, ice skating, wakeboard, canyoning, hiking, etc.

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When to go to Courchevel

Courchevel has one of the longest ski seasons. For 2023, the slopes will operate from December 8th until roughly mid-to-late April.

Is Courchevel worth it?

Courchevel is a wonderful winter destination in Europe. But certainly, to have a good time and be able to participate in many unique activities, you will need to spend a fair amount of money. It is perhaps the Mykonos and Ibiza of winter, as it attracts the same target group of visitors.

Information from:

https://www.seecourchevel.com

http://www.courchevel.com

https://www.telegraph.co.uk

https://en.wikipedia.org