Courchevel france
Review of snowboarding and skiing in Courchevel France.
Courchevel Ski Holiday Facts
Established in 1946 the French ski resort Courchevel lies at 2707 metres altitude in the Savoie region of the French Alps / Alpes. With the highest lifts and ski slopes above 2500m Courchevel ski area is snow sure. Over 617 snow cannons ensure artificial Courchevel snow making covers 21km of ski trails, which equates to around 43 of the ski slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Courchevel (France) is Geneva at a distance of 141km or approximately 150 minutes driving time. Courchevel ski season runs from December to April.
SNO-man says
Arguably France's most exclusive resort, well located in the world's largest truly inter-connected ski area (Trois Vallées) and with some of Europe's best infrastructure, Courchevel would rate in the top 10 selection of resorts around the world for most dedicated skiers. Courchevel has it's own special Charter which ensures hotels, restaurants, shops and other businesses provide the best possible service and open as advertised throughout the season. The resort is made up of four different base stations, all self-contained villages and all known by their altitudes, except for 1300 which still calls itself Le Praz. The best known is Courchevel 1850.
alpine downhill runs to ski in Courchevel France
Beginner Trails
 15 runs ?km |
16% |
Intermediate Trails
 34 runs ?km |
36% |
Advanced Trails
 35 runs ?km |
37% |
Expert Trails
 9 runs 9km |
9% |
Courchevel Resort & Holiday Info
| Beginners learning to ski |  |
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Expert Skiers | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family friendly | |
| Snowsure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Ski Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | €114 - €190 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Ski Resort Opens | Dec 2011 |
| Ski Resort Closes | Apr 2012 |
| (snow conditions often influence resort opening & closing) |
Ski Area Courchevel Mountain
| Downhill Ski Runs | 150km |
| total length of Courchevel trails |
| Longest lift serve Run | 7.7km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by ski lift |
| Ski Slope Orientation | N |
| direction Courchevel ski areas face |
| Top Altitude | 2707m |
| top station of highest ski lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1300m |
| bottom of lowest ski run |
| Resort Altitude | 1850m |
| centre of Courchevel ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 1400m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 1400m |
| can include extra hike up which may be possible above top lift - stat used by some resorts to con us about true "vertical drop" which is lift-served |
Skiing in Courchevel
Skiing Courchevel you'll enjoy 93 pistes and trails and that means approximately 150km of ski runs. Courchevel lifts number 61 with the capacity to uplift 70160 skiers up the mountain per hour. The longest ski run in the French ski resort of Courchevel is over 7.7km long. Ski Courchevel summer or winter as there is also glacier skiing in Courchevel.
SNO-man says
Courchevel skiing is amongst the world’s best, especially as it is part of the Three valleys ski area, which cover more than 600 km of slopes, 500 pistes all served by 200+ lifts and takes in the ski areas of Val Thorens, Les Menuires, St Martin de Bellville, La Tania, Meribel as well as the Courchevel ski resorts.
Courchevel's own ski are has 150km of local trails catering for all abilities and plenty of off-piste opportunities, and a really high tree line to enhance the experience. There are five ski areas to Courchevel itself:
Signal, with cruisy blues and reds and off-pistes terrain below the main chairlift ;
Chanrossa, with gentle blues that join up with runs lower down to take you into Courchevel 1650, there is also a long black mogul run in this area;
Boillay, great for beginners with easy greens and long wide blues;
Saulire,has the more challenging runs, including the well known couloirs, the Ugly sisters and Loze, has a number of popular black runs, the Jockeys or Jean Blanc.
Courchevel Ski Area
Courchevel ski area has 16% beginner ski runs or nursery slopes, 36% intermediate, 37% advanced ski slopes and 9% for expert skiers - the most difficult Courchevel piste is the ?km Couloirs de la Sauline run, with a steepness/slope angle of 62%. You can't ski Courchevel after dark.
Courchevel for skiing gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in Courchevel
If you snowboard Courchevel you'll want to know that, of the 61 ski lifts in total, 28 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives a good indication of how modern the lift system is and well set up Courchevel snowboarding is - especially for beginners learning to snowboard. Courchevel snowboard facilities include 1 terrain parks and 1 half pipe (longest half pipe length is ? metres), 0 quarter pipe and 1 boardercross courses.
SNO-man says
Courchevel has plenty to offer boarders of all abilities, with a snow park, the Plantrey park , exclusively for snowboarders, which features half pipe, baby pipe, table and hips. Open to all sliders, with the main goal of being air bound, are The Verdons canyons. Snowboard Courchevel’s “the Lip” found by the Boillay chair lift, if you are looking to get some big air. Off piste snowboarding in Courchevel presents an abundance of possibilities to be investigated.
Courchevel for snowboarding gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Courchevel Apres Ski
The apres ski Courchevel scene and off-slope or "non-skier" activities include:
50 apres ski bars 70 restaurants 1 bowling 3 night club 3 cinema 2 billiards / pool 1 games room 0 concert 22 indoor swimming 0 outdoor heated pools 26 saunas 19 hot tubs 0 solariums 4 masseurs 1 indoor ice skating 1 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 0 squash racquetball 4 sleigh rides 1 ballooning 0 horse riding 17 prepare winter walks 2 climbing 1 golf 0 fishing 0 museum 1 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Climbing Wall (Courchevel 1850), Helicopter Flights, Flights, Savoyard Evenings, Ski Jumps, Slalom Course, Speed Skiing Course, Snow Rafting, Torchlit Descents.
SNO-man says
There's an awful lot to do besides skiing and 'boarding in Courchevel. And there's an awful lot to do on skis besides slide downhill. Equally adventurous is an ascent of the altipont frozen waterfall - or a spot of paragliding (5 schools) or hang-gliding. Also up in the air you may purchase the services of a hot air ballooning company, and two flying companies, helicopter services - either learning to fly or taking a scenic flight.
Back down to earth and on to the snow for ice karting, tobogganing (a floodlit run is open down from Courchevel 1850 to 1550), snowmobiling, quad biking, snowshoeing and torchlit descents. The forum at 1850 houses the Olympic-sized ice skating rink, a 13 metre (45 feet) high climbing wall, games room and ten-pin bowling alley.
The 120 metre Olympic Ski jump at Le Praz often stages spectacular competitions and is open for tours, also 90, 60 and recently 25 metre ski jumps. Numerous massage, health and fitness facilities are on offer to the public through private hotels in 1850, as well as a team of beauticians.
Courchevel for apres ski gets 5 stars out of 5 overall
More Courchevel Snow Ski Area and Resort Information
Courchevel resort - ski Courchevel by any other name
The French ski resort of Courchevel ski resort is also known as Courchevel and has the following common misspellings: Chourchevel, Corcheval, Corcheval, Corchevel, Corchevel, Coucehevel, Couchevel, Courcevel, Courchaval, Courchavel, Courcherval, Courcheval, Courchevelle, Courchevelle
Courchevel ski area has ski slopes which face N
The direction which the various Courchevel ski slopes face can make or break your skiing or snowboarding holiday. If you want to guarantee good snow and ski conditions, you should choose a resort with ski slopes which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February you need a ski resort with some sunny south facing ski slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a ski resort with some cool and shady north facing slopes will ensure you're not skiing on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best ski resorts have ski areas and slopes which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating skiing whatever the weather. Courchevel ski resort has ski slopes facing N.
Courchevel for snow gets 4 stars out of 5 overall