Ski holidays in Courchevel, France

Courchevel is the most exclusive resort in Les 3 Vallées and one of the world's most prestigious ski destinations. The resort comprises several villages at different altitudes, with Courchevel 1850 (now simply Courchevel) being the best known for its luxury hotels, designer boutiques and gourmet restaurants. A ski holiday in Courchevel appeals to those wanting to combine world-class skiing with the very best service.

The ski area offers 150km of its own pistes with an unusually good spread across all levels. The wide, well-groomed runs above the treeline are among the best in the Alps for families and intermediate skiers. Courchevel invests more in piste grooming than anywhere else, and the quality of the surface is clearly noticeable.

The resort isn't just one place but four levels: Le Praz (1,300m) with its Olympic ski jump, Courchevel Village (1,550m) which is quieter, Moriond (1,650m) with more favourable prices, and Courchevel 1850, the luxury destination. All share the same lift system and provide access to the Les 3 Vallées network's 600km of pistes in total.

Courchevel 1850 has a concentration of five-star hotels and gourmet restaurants unmatched anywhere in the ski world. Several restaurants hold Michelin stars, and the shopping includes the most exclusive international brands. Despite its luxurious profile, more affordable accommodation can be found in the lower village areas.

5 tips about Courchevel

1. Best for beginners The wide open areas at Pralong and Bellecôte are large, gentle and well laid out, perfect for anyone who has just started skiing.
2. Good-value accommodation Stay in Le Praz, Courchevel Village or Moriond rather than in the 1850 part; you get the same lift system but at a lower cost.
3. Make the most of the big pass One lift pass gives you access to the whole of Les 3 Vallées and its 600 km of pistes, so plan a day trip to the neighbouring resorts for a change of scene.
4. Stay high up Head up towards the Saulire summit at 2,738 metres when the snow is poorer down in the valley, as conditions hold up considerably better up there.
5. Avoid the peak weeks Travel outside the school holidays to enjoy the legendary piste grooming and service without the highest prices and the queues.

Pistes and lifts in Courchevel

Courchevel offers 150km of pistes and 58 lifts, with direct access to the Les 3 Vallées network's 600km in total. The piste grooming is among the very best in the Alps. The mix favours wide, well-groomed runs suited to families and intermediate skiers. The Saulire peak (2,738m) connects through to the Méribel side. The beginner areas at Pralong and Bellecôte are large and well organised.

Piste map for Courchevel

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The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Courchevel

Courchevel sits at 1,850 metres in the main village, but the ski area reaches all the way up to 2,738 metres at Saulire, which provides good conditions for a stable snow cover high up in the system for much of the season.

The lower villages, such as Le Praz at 1,300 metres, Courchevel Village at 1,550 metres and Moriond at 1,650 metres, lie considerably lower and can be more affected by milder spells. All the same, the combination of a high top altitude and Courchevel's ambitious piste preparation means the skiing is of a high standard right across the area.

Best time to travel to Courchevel

December to April, with the best conditions in January and February. Courchevel's north-facing slopes hold their snow well. Russian New Year (7 January) and the February half-term weeks are extremely popular, with high prices. March offers quieter conditions.

Will there be lift queues in Courchevel?

Courchevel is part of Les 3 Vallées, and the lift system there carries 290,342 people an hour across 159 lifts. 90 of the 159 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 12 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,000 people an hour, for example Menuires. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.

When is Courchevel busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Courchevel in the 2026/2027 season.

• France: The French winter holidays roll through three zones and together cover 6 February to 8 March. All three zones head for the same valleys, so the whole period is busy.
  6 to 22 February: zone C, including Paris and Toulouse
  13 February to 1 March: zone A, including Lyon and Bordeaux
  20 February to 8 March: zone B, including Marseille and Strasbourg
• England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
  8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
  15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
  26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
• Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
  20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
  22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
  3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
• Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
  26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
  6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
  27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
  1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

The weeks before 6 February and after 8 March are noticeably quieter and cheaper. January is the best time for anyone who wants the pistes to themselves.

Major events in Courchevel

• ★ World Cup night slalom, 22 December 2026. The women race a floodlit slalom two days before Christmas Eve. An evening of celebration before Christmas week gets going.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 15 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Vallée de Courchevel lift pass, which covers 150 km of piste. The pass is worth around €526.

How to get to Courchevel

Last-minute deals in Courchevel

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Courchevel is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Courchevel