Courchevel is one of the most famous ski resorts in the world: a string of villages on a sunny mountainside above the Tarentaise valley in Savoie, at the eastern end of Les 3 Vallées, the largest linked ski area anywhere. You come for wide, beautifully groomed slopes, ski-in ski-out chalets, Michelin-starred mountain restaurants and the glamour of Courchevel 1850, but also for quieter family villages lower down and, in summer, for lakes, hiking and cycling at the gates of the Vanoise National Park. Give it a week in winter (most stays run Saturday to Saturday), or two or three days in July and August.
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Courchevel at a glance
- Best for: skiing and snowboarding for all levels, the huge 3 Vallées ski area, luxury hotels and fine dining, family ski holidays, and summer hiking, lakes and cycling.
- How long: a week for a ski holiday; 2–3 days in summer.
- Best time: mid-January to March for snow and fewer crowds outside the school holidays; July and August for the summer lifts and Lac du Praz.
- Season dates: the Courchevel ski area is open from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, with the 3 Vallées links open from 5 December.
- Getting in: train to Moûtiers, then about 30 minutes up by bus or taxi; Geneva and Lyon airports are about 2 hours away by road.
- Getting around: free shuttle buses link all the villages in winter and summer, plus lifts that double as transport.
- Before you go: entry rules, money and general safety are in our France travel guide; for another great Alpine base, see Chamonix.
Courchevel’s villages and who each one suits
Courchevel is both a resort and, since 2017, a commune of its own, formed from the old communes of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise and La Perrière. The villages are named after their rough altitude in metres, and they climb the slope one above the other, linked by road, shuttles, lifts and ski runs. Each has its own character, and many visitors stay in one and ski, eat or shop in another.
Courchevel 1850
The highest and most famous village, the one most people mean by “Courchevel”: palace hotels, luxury boutiques, chalets on the slopes, top restaurants and lively après-ski, with the main lifts towards La Saulire and the 3 Vallées leaving from the Croisette in the centre. Best for: keen skiers who want the best snow and lift access, and travellers looking for luxury. Prices are among the highest in the Alps.
Courchevel Moriond (1650)
A sunny, relaxed village with its own sector of the ski area, good intermediate slopes and a slightly more down-to-earth feel than 1850, though still with smart chalets and hotels. Best for: families and intermediate skiers who want ski-in ski-out at a calmer pace.
Courchevel Village (1550)
A compact village of chalets and residences linked to 1850 by the Grangettes gondola, home to the Aquamotion water and wellness centre. Best for: families and good-value apartment stays close to the action.
Courchevel Le Praz (1300)
The original farming village, with stone-and-wood chalets, a small lake and the Olympic ski jumps built for the 1992 Albertville Games. A gondola climbs to 1850, and tree-lined runs come back down through the forest. Best for: a traditional village feel, summer stays by the lake and skiers happy to ride a lift each morning.
La Tania and Saint-Bon
La Tania, built in the forest for the 1992 Olympics, sits between Courchevel and Méribel and is part of the Courchevel ski area and commune: car-free in the centre, family-friendly and usually cheaper than the Courchevel villages. Saint-Bon, below Moriond, is the old parish village with its baroque church. Best for: budget-minded families and anyone who prefers wooded slopes and quiet evenings.
Top things to see and do in Courchevel
Prices and dates below were checked on the official lift, resort and tourist office websites in October 2026. They change, so check before you go.
Skiing the Courchevel valley
The Courchevel ski area alone has about 150 km of slopes across 1850, Moriond, Village, Le Praz and La Tania, with runs for every level and fun zones for children. Beginners have dedicated “Easy Rider” learning zones near the villages, intermediates have long, wide cruising runs, and experts head for the steep couloirs below La Saulire. The resort is famous for its grooming and its sunny, north-facing snow that keeps well.
Lift passes 2026/27. In high season (19 December 2026 to 9 April 2027), a Courchevel valley pass costs €77 for one day for an adult (18–74) and €63.10 for a child (5–17); six days cost €385 and €315.50, which the resort sells as “6 days for the price of 5”. Passes are free for under-5s and for skiers aged 75 and over with proof of age. Low-season days at the start and end of the winter are cheaper. A “Minipass” for beginners costs €39.50 a day, and the Family Flex offer lets a family of three or more (one or two adults with one to six children) all ski at the child price. Buy online at skipasscourchevel.com, in the 3 Vallées app or at the ticket offices in every village.
Les 3 Vallées
From Courchevel you can ski across to Méribel, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle: about 600 km of linked slopes, half of them green and blue. A full day crossing to Val Thorens and back is a classic for confident intermediates; start early and watch the time, because the last links close in the afternoon. As of October 2026, a 3 Vallées pass in high season costs €84.20 for one day for an adult and €69 for a child, €421 and €345 for six days, and €21 a day for skiers aged 75 and over; it is free for under-5s. If you are on a Courchevel pass, a one-day 3 Vallées extension is sold at the ticket offices for €51 (adult) or €41.80 (child). The 2026/27 season starts on 21 November in Val Thorens and Orelle, and the links between the valleys open from 5 December 2026.
La Saulire and the Col de la Loze
La Saulire, at about 2,700 m, is the high point above 1850, reached by gondola and cable car, with a panorama over the Vanoise glaciers and, on clear days, Mont Blanc. The Col de la Loze, between Courchevel and Méribel, is a famous ski crossing in winter and, in summer, one of the hardest road-cycling climbs in the Alps, made famous by the Tour de France.
Lac du Praz
In summer, the little lake at Le Praz has a beach, pontoon, picnic area and lifeguards. In 2026 swimming was supervised every day from 4 July to 30 August, with free access; dogs are allowed around the lake. Parking and a tourist information point are in the nearby Alpinium building. The lake is a lovely place for an evening walk at any time of year.
Lac de la Rosière and the Vanoise
Below the Dent du Villard, the turquoise Lac de la Rosière, ringed by fir forest, is an easy family walk and a protected site. Courchevel is a gateway to the Vanoise National Park, France’s first national park, with more than 200 km of marked trails, mountain huts such as the Refuge du Grand Plan and wildlife including marmots, chamois and ibex. Inside the park, picking plants, fires and leaving the paths are forbidden; dogs are not allowed in the park’s core area, so check the rules before setting off with one.
The altiport
Just above 1850, Courchevel’s altiport is one of the best-known mountain airfields in the world, with a short, steeply sloping runway that only specially trained pilots may use. It receives private and some commercial flights, and helicopter and small-plane transfers connect it with airports and other resorts. Even if you never fly, it is worth walking or skiing past to watch a landing; scenic flights over the Alps can be booked locally.
Summer in Courchevel
Courchevel’s summer is short and quiet compared with winter, but it is a superb base for walking, mountain biking and road cycling. In 2026 the summer lifts ran from 4 July to 30 August, and the free shuttle buses ran from 11 July to 30 August; expect similar dates in 2027, and check courchevel.com in spring. Lifts are free for the ride down.
- Pedestrian passes: as of October 2026, a one-day 3 Vallées pedestrian pass cost €23.50 for adults and €17.60 for children aged 5–17 in summer 2026, and €65.50 and €49.10 for seven days. Single rides on the Saulire, Chenus or Verdons lifts cost €10.80 (€7.70 for children), and on the Praz lift €4. Pedestrians aged 75 and over ride free.
- Hiking: from easy lakeside strolls to the climb of the Mont Jovet (2,733 m); pick up the free summer walks map at the tourist offices. See our hiking guide.
- Cycling: lift-served mountain-bike trails and the legendary Col de la Loze climb. See our cycling guide.
- Via ferrata and climbing: routes between Courchevel and Méribel, with guides for beginners.
- Swimming: Lac du Praz, the heated outdoor pool at La Tania, and the indoor and outdoor pools of Aquamotion in Courchevel Village. At the public pools, only close-fitting swim trunks are allowed, not shorts.
Day trips from Courchevel
Méribel and Val Thorens
In winter the neighbouring resorts are a ski away. Méribel, with its chalet-style village, is the nearest; Val Thorens, at 2,300 m the highest resort in the 3 Vallées, is a full day out and back.
Pralognan-la-Vanoise
Just over the ridge to the south-east, but reached by road via Moûtiers and Bozel, Pralognan is a traditional mountain village deep in the Vanoise, loved by hikers and climbers in summer and cross-country skiers in winter.
Annecy, Chamonix and Lyon
Lake Annecy and its canal-side old town are about 1½–2 hours away by car, and Chamonix and Mont Blanc a little over 2 hours. Lyon, France’s food capital, is about 2 hours by road and makes a good stop on the way in or out.
Nearby destinations
Getting there and getting around
By train to Moûtiers
The nearest station is Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, in the valley about 25 km below the resort. In winter, extra TGVs run from Paris, mostly on Saturdays, and regional trains connect via Chambéry and Albertville; book on SNCF Connect. From London, the seasonal Eurostar Snow train runs on Saturdays from 19 December 2026 to 20 February 2027, via Lille Europe, and stops at Moûtiers, with returns from 27 December 2026 to 28 February 2027.
From Moûtiers, the Altibus line S65 runs up to Courchevel all year, more often in the winter and summer seasons; booking online more than 48 hours ahead saves 10%. Altibus says sales for winter 2026/27 open in mid-October 2026. Taxis wait at the station and can be booked in advance.
From the airports
The resort puts Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport at 176 km and Geneva airport at 179 km, both about 2 hours by road in normal traffic (much longer on winter Saturdays). In winter, Altibus runs a daily coach from Geneva airport and a Friday-to-Sunday coach from Lyon airport, and private transfer companies serve both. Chambéry airport is closer, about 1¼ hours away, with mostly seasonal flights. The altiport takes private flights and helicopter transfers.
Driving and winter equipment
Motorways and a dual carriageway lead to Moûtiers, then a wide mountain road climbs to the resort in about 30 minutes. Under France’s mountain law (Loi Montagne), from 1 November to 31 March every car, van and motorhome driving in Savoie, which covers the whole department, must either have four winter tyres marked with the “3PMSF” alpine symbol or carry snow chains or snow socks for the drive wheels; studded tyres are also accepted. Carrying chains is wise even with winter tyres, and police can turn back badly equipped vehicles when the road is snowy. Traffic jams are heavy on winter Saturdays; for road conditions in Savoie, check savoie-route.fr or Bison Futé. Parking in the resort is mostly in paid covered car parks, so book ahead in high season.
Getting around the resort
Free shuttle buses run between all the villages and nearby hamlets in winter and summer, with live times in the “Mobilité Courchevel” app, and the Grangettes gondola links Village and 1850. In winter you rarely need a car once you have arrived. Courchevel also runs a free, no-booking car-sharing scheme, Covoit’go, for short local trips.
When to go and how long to stay
Courchevel has a cold, snowy mountain winter and a short, fresh summer with afternoon storms. Météo-France does not publish a full climate sheet for Courchevel itself, so the table uses its 1991–2020 normals for Pralognan-la-Vanoise, the next valley, at 1,420 m. Courchevel 1850 is about 400 m higher and the slopes rise to over 2,700 m, so expect it to be colder than the table: roughly 2–3 °C cooler in the villages and far colder on the summits, especially in the wind.
| Season | Average high / low | Rainy or snowy days per month | What it’s like | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 1–3 °C / −7 °C | 9–11 | Cold, snowy, frost every night; short days | Skiing, Christmas and New Year, snowshoeing |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 7–15 °C / −3 to 4 °C | 10–13 | Sunny spring skiing in March, then snowmelt; lifts close mid-April | Spring skiing, quiet shoulder season |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 19–21 °C / 8–9 °C | 11–12 | Warm days, cool nights, frequent afternoon storms | Hiking, cycling, Lac du Praz, summer lifts |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | 16 °C falling to 6 °C / 6 °C falling to −2 °C | 10 | Golden September, then very quiet; most hotels close | Walking, cycling the cols, first snow in November |
Pralognan gets about 1,100 mm of precipitation a year, spread through every season. For skiing, the Christmas, February and Easter school holidays are busiest and most expensive; January and March usually offer the best mix of snow, sunshine and space on the slopes.
A week of skiing, and 2–3 days in summer
Ski week: spend the first two days learning the Courchevel valley (Moriond and La Tania for warming up, La Saulire for the views), day 3 in Méribel, day 4 on a long crossing to Val Thorens, day 5 back home with a long lunch in a mountain restaurant, and the last day on your favourite runs or with a ski instructor on the steeper couloirs. Summer, 2–3 days: day 1, ride to La Saulire and walk to a lake; day 2, Lac de la Rosière and an afternoon at Lac du Praz; day 3, cycle the Col de la Loze or hike into the Vanoise.
Where to stay in Courchevel
- Courchevel 1850: palaces, five-star hotels and luxury chalets on the slopes; the best lift access and nightlife, at the highest prices.
- Moriond (1650): sunny ski-in ski-out hotels and apartments, more relaxed and a little cheaper.
- Village (1550): apartments and chalets for families, linked to 1850 by gondola.
- Le Praz (1300): traditional chalets and the lake, good in summer and for a quieter winter.
- La Tania: forest setting, car-free centre and generally the best value.
Winter stays usually run Saturday to Saturday, and most hotels and many shops close between seasons, from late April to late June and from September to early December. The Commune of Courchevel adds a nightly tourist tax (taxe de séjour) per adult; under-18s are exempt. In its latest rates published in the French tax authority’s data (in force since 2025), the tax is €1.87 per adult per night in a 3-star hotel or rental, €2.86 in a 4-star, €3.85 in a 5-star and €5.28 in a palace, including the department’s surcharge; unclassified rentals pay 5.5% of the nightly price per person, up to a cap. Your host will add it to the bill.
Practical tips for Courchevel
- Book early: Christmas, New Year and February half-term sell out months ahead, and transfers, ski hire and lessons should be booked with your accommodation.
- Buy passes online: it saves queues; reusable cards can be reloaded on skipasscourchevel.com or in the 3 Vallées app.
- Insurance: make sure your travel insurance covers skiing and mountain rescue, or add the Carré Neige option when you buy your pass (€3.50 a day as of October 2026).
- Off-piste: go only with a qualified guide and avalanche equipment; check the daily avalanche risk shown on the resort website.
- Sun and altitude: UV is strong at 2,000 m and above, even on cloudy days.
- Emergencies: call 112; on the slopes, tell the nearest lift operator or ski patrol.
What to pack for Courchevel
In winter: a waterproof ski jacket and trousers, thermal base layers, a fleece or down mid-layer, warm gloves or mittens, a helmet, goggles and sunglasses, a neck warmer and high-factor sunscreen. Bring snow boots with good grip for icy streets, and smart-casual clothes for the evening if you plan to eat in the top restaurants. Drivers need chains or socks in the car. In summer: hiking shoes, a waterproof jacket, a warm layer for the summits, sunscreen, a hat, swimwear for the lake and a refillable water bottle.
Courchevel travel FAQ
When does the 2026/27 ski season start in Courchevel?
The Courchevel ski area opens on Friday 4 December 2026 and closes on Sunday 18 April 2027. The links across Les 3 Vallées open from 5 December 2026, and Val Thorens and Orelle open earlier, on 21 November.
How much is a Courchevel lift pass in 2026/27?
As of October 2026, in high season (19 December to 9 April) a one-day Courchevel valley pass costs €77 for an adult and €63.10 for a child aged 5–17, and six days cost €385 and €315.50. Under-5s and skiers aged 75 and over ski free on the Courchevel pass; low-season days are cheaper.
How much is a 3 Vallées pass?
As of October 2026, a high-season 3 Vallées pass costs €84.20 for one day for an adult and €69 for a child, and €421 and €345 for six days. Skiers aged 75 and over pay €21 a day, and under-5s ski free.
Should I buy a Courchevel or a 3 Vallées pass?
Beginners and relaxed intermediates will find 150 km of slopes in the Courchevel valley more than enough. Confident skiers on a week’s holiday usually prefer the 3 Vallées pass; if you only want one day elsewhere, a one-day extension costs €51 for adults at the ticket office (as of October 2026).
Which Courchevel village is best?
Courchevel 1850 for luxury, nightlife and the best lift access; Moriond for sunny, relaxed ski-in ski-out; Village and La Tania for families and better value; Le Praz for a traditional village and summer by the lake.
How do I get from Moûtiers station to Courchevel?
By the Altibus line S65, which runs all year, or by taxi; the road climb takes about 30 minutes. Book Altibus online more than 48 hours ahead for a 10% discount; winter 2026/27 sales open in mid-October 2026.
Is there a ski train from London to Courchevel?
Yes. The Eurostar Snow train runs on Saturdays from 19 December 2026 to 20 February 2027, via Lille Europe to Moûtiers and other Tarentaise stations, with returns from 27 December 2026 to 28 February 2027. From Moûtiers, take the bus or a taxi up to the resort.
Do I need snow chains to drive to Courchevel?
From 1 November to 31 March, every vehicle in Savoie must have four 3PMSF winter tyres or carry chains or snow socks. Even with winter tyres, carrying chains is strongly advised for the climb from Moûtiers.
Is Courchevel open in summer?
Yes, for a short season. In 2026 the lifts ran from 4 July to 30 August, with a one-day 3 Vallées pedestrian pass at €23.50 for adults, and the lifeguarded beach at Lac du Praz was open daily in the same period, free of charge.
How much is the tourist tax in Courchevel?
In the commune’s latest published rates, €1.87 per adult per night in a 3-star hotel or rental, €2.86 in a 4-star, €3.85 in a 5-star and €5.28 in a palace; unclassified rentals pay 5.5% of the price per person, up to a cap. Under-18s are exempt.
Is Courchevel good for beginners?
Yes. It has dedicated beginner zones near the villages, many green and blue runs, and a €39.50 Minipass for learners (as of October 2026). Ski schools in every village teach in English.
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🇫🇷 Useful French phrases for Courchevel
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Sources · last reviewed 4 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Season dates, lift pass and pedestrian prices: the Courchevel lift operator’s official site (skipasscourchevel.com) and Les 3 Vallées; villages, Lac du Praz, shuttles, access and summer lift dates: Courchevel Tourisme (courchevel.com); buses from Moûtiers and the airports: Altibus; ski train: Eurostar; winter equipment rules: the French government and the Savoie prefecture; tourist tax: the French tax authority’s open data; climate: Météo-France normals for Pralognan-la-Vanoise. Prices, timetables and conditions change, so check the official sites before you go. For entry rules, money and general safety, see our France travel guide.
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Rates: ECB · Costs: World Bank ICP and price levels · Wikidata (CC0)