Courchevel

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Courchevel Tourisme, Les 3 Vallées, Méribel Tourisme, Vanoise National Park, Wikipedia

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Courchevel is in France, in Savoie, in the Tarentaise valley on the northern edge of the Vanoise massif. It isn’t one village but a resort made of six villages at different heights: Saint-Bon at about 1,100 metres, Le Praz at 1,300, Courchevel Village at 1,550, Courchevel Moriond at 1,650, Courchevel 1850 and La Tania. Most of the ski area sits above 1,800 metres.

The road climbs from Moûtiers, where the train station is: from there it’s about 30 minutes by car. Chambéry is 95 km away, Grenoble 125 km, Lyon airport 176 km and Geneva airport 179 km, all about two hours or less. From Italy you come through the Fréjus tunnel in winter, and also over the Little St Bernard Pass in summer.

Courchevel was founded in 1946, the first French resort built from scratch on an empty mountainside. In winter you come for 150 km of pistes, linked to the 600 km of Les 3 Vallées with Méribel and Val Thorens. In summer for the Vanoise trails, the lakes, cycling the Col de la Loze and the aquatic centre. It’s famous for the luxury of 1850, but the lower villages have more ordinary accommodation and prices.

There are no monuments in Courchevel: you come for the mountains. What’s worth seeing is the villages, each with its own feel, the views from the lifts, the lakes and a few curiosities like the altiport. Free shuttle buses link all the villages, winter and summer, so you don’t need a car once you’re here.

Courchevel 1850

The highest and best-known village, built between 1,750 and 1,900 metres. This is where you’ll find the big chalets, the top-end hotels and the fashion boutiques: the Courchevel of the magazines. It’s also the most convenient base for the lifts up to the Saulire and across to Méribel.

Even if you stay elsewhere, come up one evening when the pedestrian centre is lit up. Bars and restaurants are very expensive: for a cheaper meal, head down to the lower villages.

Courchevel Moriond (1650)

Formerly Courchevel 1650. A sunny, quieter village with a family-resort feel and easy pistes close by. The road to the Lac de la Rosière starts here, as do trails climbing into the Vanoise.

Courchevel Village (1550)

Formerly Courchevel 1550. A small, central village in the valley, linked to 1850 by gondola. It’s home to Aquamotion, the resort’s aquatic centre. If you want a balance between location and price, this is often the smart choice.

Le Praz (1300) and the Olympic ski jumps

Le Praz is the historic village, at 1,300 metres in the forest. It still looks like a mountain village, with stone and timber houses and a small fishing lake. Above it stand the 90 m and 120 m ski jumps built for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, easy to spot from the road and the slopes.

In winter the Le Praz gondola runs up to 1850 on extended hours, from 7:45 am to 11:30 pm, so you can stay here and go up for dinner without a car.

Saint-Bon and La Tania

Saint-Bon, at around 1,100 metres, is where it all began: the first hotel opened in 1908. Today it’s a quiet village, handy if you have a car. La Tania was built in 1989–90 for the Albertville Olympics. It sits in the forest, 2 km from Le Praz, with ski-in ski-out access, and is designed with families in mind.

The altiport

Above Courchevel 1850 is one of the most unusual airfields in Europe. The runway, at about 2,000 metres, is only just over 500 metres long with a gradient of around 18%: planes land uphill and take off downhill, with no chance of a go-around. It handles some private and commercial flights, plus sightseeing flights over the Alps. Watching a landing is worth the trip up.

La Saulire

The most visited summit in the valley, at over 2,600 metres, between Courchevel and Méribel. You reach it by lift from 1850 and from Courchevel Village. From the top you look across Les 3 Vallées to the peaks of the Vanoise. In winter it’s the start of the Combe de la Saulire, one of the resort’s best-known runs.

Lac de la Rosière

A small forest lake above Courchevel Moriond, with a car park nearby on the route du Belvédère. The loop around the lake is an easy walk, fine with small children. For something longer, the climb to the Dent du Villard starts from the lake: a demanding half-day hike.

Aquamotion

Opened in December 2015 in Courchevel Village, Aquamotion is the resort’s aquatic centre: indoor and outdoor pools, a wellness area and an artificial surf wave with a separate ticket. Useful on bad-weather days and with kids. Opening hours and prices change with the season, so check before you go.

Courchevel has 150 km of marked pistes, more than half of them with snowmaking. It’s the eastern part of Les 3 Vallées, the big linked area with Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle.

Les 3 Vallées

In total Les 3 Vallées has 600 km of pistes, 347 runs and 155 lifts, between 1,100 and 3,230 metres. 85% of the area is above 1,800 metres and there are more than 2,100 snow cannons. From Courchevel you reach Méribel in two lifts via the Col de la Loze, and Val Thorens in four. A day trip to Val Thorens and back is for strong skiers who start early.

Who it suits

Courchevel works for all levels. Beginners have gentle dedicated areas at Pralong, Ariondaz and Bellecôte, the Easy Rider zones and the Family Park at 1850. Intermediates get plenty of wide, well-groomed blue and red runs. Experts have the Combe de la Saulire and the steep slopes higher up. Several ski schools and independent instructors work in the resort.

2026/27 season

Courchevel’s lifts run from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027. The links to the rest of Les 3 Vallées open from 5 December 2026.

Lift passes

There are two passes: the “Courchevel Vallée”, valid only on the valley’s pistes, and the 3 Vallées pass, valid across the whole area. Children under 5 ski free.

From the official 2026/27 Les 3 Vallées price list:

• 6-day adult (18–74): €421 from 19 December 2026.
• 7-day adult: €486.
• 6-day child (5–17): €345.
• Low season (5–18 December 2026 and 10–18 April 2027): 6-day adult €378.50.

2026/27 prices for the Courchevel Vallée pass haven’t been officially published yet. Buying online in advance gets you a discount. Current prices on the Les 3 Vallées website and the Courchevel website.

Cross-country and snowshoeing

Cross-country trails and snowshoe routes run through the forests between the villages. Ask the tourist office for the map: which routes are open depends on snow cover.

In summer Courchevel is much quieter and cheaper. In 2026 the summer season ran until 30 August. Some lifts operate in summer: with the pedestrian pass you ride up, and rides down are free. Viewpoints reach about 3,000 metres.

Lacs Merlet and the Vanoise National Park

The Lacs Merlet are two high lakes in the core zone of the Vanoise National Park, with a hut at 2,417 metres that is staffed in summer. It’s the best hike in the area, but a long one: allow a full day, starting from the Courchevel Moriond area. Dogs are not allowed in the park’s core zone, and it’s one of the most common offences, so leave yours behind. Check the hut is open before you set off.

Vanoise

Courchevel is one of the gateways to the Vanoise National Park. Trails for every level leave from the villages, from forest loops around Moriond and Le Praz to climbs towards cols and huts. There’s also a nature trail for families. On high routes, carry water and a jacket: even in summer the weather turns quickly.

Cycling the Col de la Loze

The Col de la Loze, at 2,304 metres, links Courchevel and Méribel by a road reserved for bikes, opened in 2019: about 6.5 km on the Courchevel side, with stretches steeper than 20%. The Tour de France finished a stage here in 2020 and 2023. E-bikes are allowed too, handy if you’re not in race shape. The resort also has mountain-bike trails.

Other activities

The valley offers via ferrata, canyoning, rafting, rock climbing and a golf course. With kids, try the Lac de la Rosière, the little lake at Le Praz, Aquamotion and the treetop adventure courses. Courchevel holds the Famille Plus family label.

• Méribel: the next valley, by car via Moûtiers or by bike over the Col de la Loze. Above Méribel-Mottaret is the Lac de Tuéda, in a nature reserve.
• Val Thorens: at the head of the Belleville valley, the highest resort in Les 3 Vallées.
• Moûtiers: the town at the bottom of the valley, with the station and supermarkets.
• Brides-les-Bains: a spa town near Moûtiers, linked to the ski area.
• La Thuile and the Aosta Valley: in summer, over the Little St Bernard Pass into Italy.
• Chamonix: the French side of Mont Blanc, if you want to add a few days to the trip. From there the Mont Blanc tunnel leads to Courmayeur.

The higher you go, the more you pay. Pick your village by budget and plans: with the free shuttles and gondolas you can get between all of them anyway.

• Courchevel 1850: for ski-in ski-out at the top and evening life. Chalets and top-end hotels, with some of the highest prices in the Alps.
• Courchevel Moriond (1650): for families and intermediates. Sunny, easy pistes nearby, apartment residences and self-catering flats.
• Courchevel Village (1550): close to 1850 for less money. Gondola up, Aquamotion on the doorstep.
• Le Praz (1300): for a real village and lower prices. The gondola runs up to 1850 until late evening.
• La Tania: for families on a tighter budget. In the forest, ski-in ski-out, quiet.
• Saint-Bon: for drivers who want peace and quiet.
• Moûtiers and Brides-les-Bains: the cheapest option, but you’ll need to drive or take the bus up every day.

For Christmas, New Year and the February holidays, book well ahead. In summer prices are lower and there’s more choice.

By car

Every route goes through Moûtiers, then about 30 minutes up a wide mountain road. From Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, take the motorway to Albertville and the expressway to Moûtiers. Holiday Saturdays bring heavy traffic in the Tarentaise valley: set off early.

From Italy, take the A32 from Turin to Bardonecchia (73 km) and the Fréjus tunnel (12.9 km, with a second bore open since summer 2025), then the Maurienne valley to Albertville and up the Tarentaise to Moûtiers. From the Aosta Valley, in summer only, the Little St Bernard Pass runs from La Thuile to Bourg-Saint-Maurice; it’s closed in winter, usually from November to late May. Winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory in winter.

By train

The nearest station is Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, about 30 minutes away. It’s served by regional trains from Chambéry and TGVs from Paris, direct in winter. From London, the Eurostar Snow runs on Saturdays in winter until late February. Times and tickets on SNCF Connect.

By bus

From Moûtiers station, Altibus coaches run up to Courchevel; the same company runs transfers from Lyon and Geneva airports and from Chambéry. Seasonal timetables on the Altibus website. Taxis wait at the station. In the resort, free shuttles serve every village.

By plane

In winter Chambéry airport, 95 km away, is the closest, with direct flights from many European cities. Otherwise Lyon-Saint-Exupéry (176 km) and Geneva (179 km), both about two hours away. If you’re flying to Turin, rent a car and drive through the Fréjus. Courchevel’s altiport only takes some private and commercial flights.

Parking

The resort has 11 car parks, linked by the free shuttles. Most are paid and fill up in winter: if your accommodation has a space, leave the car there. List and rates on the Courchevel website.

COURCHEVEL Meteo