Skiing in Courchevel, village by village
Which of the six villages to base yourself in, how the slopes suit each level, what non-skiers do all day and how to reach the resort in winter.
Skiing in Courchevel means 150 km of marked slopes of its own, much of it above 1,800 metres, with a direct link into the 600 km of the Three Valleys. It works for every level: beginners have gentle, separate areas close to the villages, and strong skiers have long reds and blacks off the Saulire. The decision that shapes your week is not the slopes but the village you stay in, because it sets your first lift of the morning, your evenings and a good part of your budget.
Courchevel sits in the French Alps, in the Savoie department, on the mountainside above the town of Moûtiers, at the gateway to the Vanoise. It is one commune (2,290 residents in 2023) spread over six villages stacked up the slope, from Saint-Bon at around 1,100 metres to Courchevel 1850. When people talk about the ski resorts of Courchevel, they mean these villages: they share one lift network, one ski area and free shuttles, so you never have to pick between them for the skiing itself.
This guide covers the resort: villages, slopes, days off the skis and the journey in. If you are already choosing a house, our page on luxury chalets in Courchevel lists the residences we rent there, each one visited by our team.
Courchevel in six verified figures
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
The Courchevel ski area has 150 km of marked slopes, with much of the resort located above 1,800 metres.
Source: Courchevel TourismeSnowmaking covers more than half of Courchevel’s slopes.
Source: Courchevel TourismeLes 3 Vallées, which Courchevel opens onto, has 600 km of slopes across seven resorts in Savoie.
Source: Les 3 ValléesThe 2026 to 2027 winter season runs from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027.
Source: Courchevel TourismeGeneva International Airport is 179 km from Courchevel (about 2 hours), Lyon Saint-Exupéry 176 km (about 2 hours) and Chambéry 95 km (about 1h15).
Source: Courchevel TourismeCourchevel co-hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships with Méribel in 2023.
Source: Les 3 ValléesThe ski resorts of Courchevel: six villages compared
The old numbers still cause confusion. Courchevel 1650 is now called Courchevel Moriond and Courchevel 1550 is now Courchevel Village; only 1850 has kept its number. Five of the villages are ski villages with direct access to the slopes, and the tourist office now counts Saint-Bon, the original parish village lower down, as the sixth. The table below sets out what each one is really like to stay in.
| Village | Altitude | What it is like | Best for | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courchevel 1850 | 1,850 m | The historic heart, planned as an integrated resort: grand hotels, boutiques along the Croisette street, most of the restaurants and services | A first stay in Courchevel, groups who want everything on foot, confident skiers heading up the Saulire | The busiest and most expensive address in the valley, above all in school holidays |
| Courchevel Moriond (formerly 1650) | Below 1850, on a sunny balcony | Lively but relaxed, with lifts close to the accommodation and smooth links to the other sectors | Families and mixed-level groups who like a slower pace | Evenings in 1850 mean a drive or a driver |
| Courchevel Village (formerly 1550) | 1,550 m | Calm and established, central in the valley, linked to the other villages by lift and free shuttles | Families who want quiet and direct ski access, with 1850 one gondola away | Fewer restaurants and shops on the doorstep |
| Courchevel Le Praz | 1,300 m | A historic village built around a lake, with a bell tower, narrow streets and the Olympic ski jumps above it | Non-skiers and mixed groups who want a real village feel | The lowest ski village, so the runs home depend more on the weather late in the season |
| Courchevel La Tania | 1,400 m | A discreet village in a forest clearing, simple architecture and a family atmosphere | Families wanting a human-scale base with direct access to the Three Valleys | Very little evening life; 1850 needs transport |
| Courchevel Saint-Bon | Around 1,100 to 1,150 m | The original village, where the first hotel opened in 1908: alleyways, old houses, a baroque church | Guests who prefer a valley-style base and heritage over ski-in access | Check how you will reach the lifts each morning |
Altitudes as published by Courchevel Tourisme and Les 3 Vallées.
The slopes by level, from first turns to the Saulire
The Courchevel ski area is served by gondolas, fast detachable chairlifts and, for children and novices, magic carpets. Because so much of it sits high and more than half is covered by snowmaking, the snow usually holds well through the season. The Saulire, reached by cable car, is the summit that ties the whole area together, with panoramas across the French and Swiss Alps.
Strong skiers know the names: Jean-Blanc, Jockeys and the Combe de la Saulire are the reds and blacks people come back for. There are several secure freeride areas and technical snowparks, plus cross-country and ski touring routes. For days beyond Courchevel, our guide to the Three Valleys ski area explains how the links to Méribel and the valleys beyond work.
| Your level | Where to start | Which pass | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete beginner | The beginner areas at Pralong, Ariondaz or Bellecôte, or the Easy Rider zones reachable from every village | A beginner pass (the resort sells a Minipass); fares on the official website | Book lessons for the first three or four mornings and ski the same area in the afternoons |
| Early intermediate | The gentle runs around 1850 and Moriond, and the Family Park at 1850 | The Courchevel pass is plenty | Stay in your home sector until linked turns feel natural on blue runs |
| Confident intermediate | Long reds from the Saulire and the runs back to the villages | Courchevel pass, or Three Valleys for the days you want to roam | Plan one long day across to Méribel with a lift map and an early start |
| Expert | Jockeys, Jean-Blanc, Combe de la Saulire and the freeride areas | Three Valleys pass | For anything off-piste, go with a qualified mountain guide and check the avalanche bulletin |
Lift pass fares and conditions are published by the resort’s lift company; we can arrange delivery to your chalet.
Is Courchevel good for beginners? Yes, with the right base
Courchevel is one of the better resorts in the Alps for a first week on skis, for three reasons: the beginner areas are separate from the main runs, they are close to the villages rather than at the top of the mountain, and the altitude keeps the snow forgiving. Lessons start from age three, and there is an enclosed children’s area of three hectares where the youngest can play and learn on snow.
The catch is the base. A beginner staying in Le Praz or Saint-Bon will spend the first days riding lifts up to the learning areas, which is tiring for small children. Moriond, Courchevel Village and 1850 put the gentle slopes within a few minutes of the door.
- Families with young children: Moriond or Courchevel Village, with lessons booked before you arrive in school holiday weeks.
- Adults learning together: 1850, so that the beginner zones, the ski school meeting points and lunch are all on foot.
- A mixed group: any village with a chalet driver, so beginners and experts can split for the day and meet again for lunch.
What to do in Courchevel if you are not skiing
Courchevel works well for non-skiers because the pedestrian network and the lifts open up the mountain without skis. A pedestrian pass lets walkers ride selected lifts for the views, and the villages are linked by free shuttles. For ideas that work in any resort, see our guide to ski holidays for non-skiers.
- The Saulire by cable car: the best panorama in the valley, and the easiest way to meet skiing friends at altitude for lunch.
- The aquatic centre: pools and slides for children, and an adults-only wellness area with a sauna, a steam room and a salt cave.
- The Forum: an ice rink and a bowling alley under one roof, useful on a snowy afternoon.
- Out in the snow: snowshoe walks with a guide, a dog sled ride, sledging (including night sessions) and paragliding flights over the peaks.
- Culture and calm: a mountain museum on the history of the Alps and mountaineering, the media library, and the lanes and baroque church of Saint-Bon.
- Le Praz: a walk around the lake and up towards the Olympic ski jumps, the most village-like corner of the resort.
Courchevel après-ski, three different moods
Courchevel après-ski depends on where you are standing when the lifts close. In 1850, it is terraces at the foot of the slopes, then lounges and restaurants for a long evening; dinner tends to be late and dress polished. Moriond is more relaxed, with slope-side bars where families and friends finish the day together. Courchevel Village, Le Praz and La Tania are quiet in the evening, which is precisely why many families choose them.
The useful detail is the lift timetable: the Praz and Grangettes gondolas have extended hours, from 7.45am to 11.30pm, so guests staying in Le Praz or Courchevel Village can go up to 1850 for dinner without driving. Many of our guests, though, spend the evening in the chalet. At Chalet Sally, Courchevel, a red run brings skiers back to the door, and the lower floors hold an indoor-outdoor pool, a spa and an indoor beach of real sand.
Is Courchevel expensive? An honest breakdown
Yes, Courchevel is expensive, and 1850 in the Christmas, New Year and February holiday weeks is among the most expensive places to ski in the Alps. But the price of a week varies a great deal with three choices you control: the village, the week and how you eat. The tourist office itself notes that Courchevel Village offers more moderately priced accommodation, and the lift pass gives the same ski area whichever village you sleep in.
- What pushes the bill up: 1850 at peak weeks, long lunches on mountain terraces, last-minute private instructors in school holidays, and taxis between villages at night.
- What brings it down: a January or late-March week, a base in Moriond, Courchevel Village or La Tania, a chalet with a chef so most meals are at home, and lessons booked early.
- What costs the same everywhere: the snow. The beginner areas, the Saulire and the Three Valleys links are open to every guest on the same pass.
How to get to Courchevel in winter
Every road route ends the same way: motorway, then dual carriageway to Moûtiers, then about 30 minutes up a wide, well-kept mountain road to the villages. Saturdays, the usual changeover day, are the busiest on that road, so an early or mid-week arrival makes the last stretch much easier.
| Route | Distance and time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| From Geneva airport | 179 km, about 2 hours | The usual choice from the UK; our Geneva to Courchevel transfer guide compares car, shuttle and helicopter |
| From Lyon Saint-Exupéry | 176 km, about 2 hours | A good alternative when Geneva flights are full |
| From Chambéry airport | 95 km, about 1h15 | The closest airport by road |
| By train to Moûtiers | About 30 minutes by road from the station | Shuttle buses and taxis run up to the resort; timetables on the French national railway’s website |
| By air to the resort | Lands in Courchevel itself | The Courchevel altiport takes certain private and commercial flights, and helicopters fly in from nearby airports |
Distances and drive times as published by Courchevel Tourisme; allow longer in snow and on Saturdays.
Chalets in three Courchevel villages
One residence in 1850, one in Moriond and one in Courchevel Village, to show how the base changes the week.
Three bases side by side
Valmont is three minutes on foot from the Croisette lift hub, Dace about 400 metres from the slopes in Moriond, and Sally ski-in/ski-out in Courchevel Village.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet ValmontCourchevel | 14 | 6 | 7 | 717 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet DaceCourchevel | 14 | 7 | 6 | 600 m² | Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Garage |
| Chalet SallyCourchevel | 20 | 8 | 9 | 830 m² | Ski-in / Ski-out, Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
How we help with a Courchevel ski week
The questions on this page are the ones Nathalie Nguyen and Adam Haddad answer every winter.
The right village first
We visit every residence, so we can tell you how far each one really is from the beginner areas, the lifts and the restaurants of 1850.
Passes and lessons sorted
Lift passes delivered to the door, private instructors booked ahead of the school holidays, childcare arranged where the chalet offers it.
The journey handled
Transfers from Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, or a landing at the altiport, timed around your flight rather than the Saturday traffic.
Houses not online
Some Courchevel residences are available without being published. Tell us your dates and group and we will suggest them.
Skiing in Courchevel: your questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhere is Courchevel?
Courchevel is in the French Alps, in the Savoie department, above the town of Moûtiers and at the gateway to the Vanoise. Geneva airport is 179 km away, about two hours by road, and Lyon Saint-Exupéry 176 km. The resort is one commune made of six villages, from Saint-Bon at around 1,100 metres up to Courchevel 1850.
Is Courchevel in France or Switzerland?
Courchevel is in France, in Savoie. The confusion comes from Geneva, the airport most British skiers fly into, which is in Switzerland. From the airport the road crosses into France and reaches the resort in about two hours. Courchevel is part of Les 3 Vallées, a French ski area of 600 km of slopes.
How high is Courchevel?
The villages range from around 1,100 metres at Saint-Bon to 1,850 metres at Courchevel 1850, with Le Praz at 1,300 m, La Tania at 1,400 m and Courchevel Village at 1,550 m. Much of the ski area lies above 1,800 metres, and the slopes climb higher still towards the Saulire, reached by cable car.
When does the Courchevel ski season start?
For winter 2026 to 2027, Courchevel Tourisme announces the season from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027. Opening of individual lifts and runs depends on snow, so check the official website in the days before you travel. Christmas, New Year and the February half-term weeks are the busiest of the season.
Which Courchevel is best?
It depends on the group. Courchevel 1850 suits a first stay and anyone who wants restaurants, shops and lifts on foot. Moriond and Courchevel Village suit families who want quieter evenings and gentle slopes nearby. Le Praz and La Tania suit those who prefer a real village feel. The skiing is shared, so choose for evenings and access.
Do you need a car in Courchevel?
Not for the skiing: the villages are linked by lifts and free shuttles, and the Praz and Grangettes gondolas run into the evening. A car or driver helps if you stay in Moriond, La Tania or Saint-Bon and want dinner in 1850, or if you plan days out of the valley. Several of our chalets include a driver.
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Choose the village with us
Tell Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your dates, the levels in your group and how lively you like your evenings. They will suggest the village and the residences that fit, including some not published online, usually within the day. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or email contact@lutetia-group.com.