Located 200kms east of Lyon in the Trois Vallees, one of the world's most extensive ski areas, Courchevel is a huge, purpose-built ski resort that features ski in/ski out possibilities. Consisting of several resorts that favour all levels and abilities of skiers and snowboarders, Courchevel is cosmopolitan and the most famous resort in the area. It also boasts summer skiing on the Val Thorens Glacier.
The resort encompasses five separate villages, with Courchevel situated at 1,850m above sea level. Other villages include charming Le Praz. Courchevel has easy access to the slopes and boasts superb facilities, with a host of shops, from grocery and bakery stores to gift shops and fashionable boutiques.
There is a huge range of accommodation in dozens of chalets, apartments, tourist residences and two- to five-star hotel/resorts, amounting to over 32,000 beds. There are several mountain restaurants and numerous choices in the village, all offering international cuisines. Nightlife is lively and exciting, supplemented by an array of bars and discos. Kindergartens offer childcare for ages 18 months and up.
Over 100 runs stretch over Courchevel's meticulously groomed, north-facing slopes. The longest run is 3.8kms and there are some spectacular intermediate runs, with beginner and expert slopes also well represented. Sixty-five lifts, including 10 gondolas; 18 chairlifts; 36 surface lifts and a cable car operate over all slopes and have a capacity for 70,000 people per hour.
The Trois Vallees ski region has over 600kms of quality slopes for skiers and snowboarders, with 190 ski lifts serving 250,000 people per hour. Other resorts in the region are: Meribel, St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. La Plagne ski resort is north of Courchevel and offers another 212kms of runs as well as summer skiing.
The ski season at Courchevel runs from late November to early May, and there is July and August skiing on the Val Thorens Glacier, while cheaper rates can be had at the beginning and end of the season. The most practical way to get to Courchevel is to fly to Geneva and transfer by train to Moutiers, and take a bus or taxi from there.
