How do I get to Courchevel?

Geneva (GVA, 2 hr by car), Chambéry (CMF, 1.5 hr) and Lyon (LYS, 2 hr) are the closest international airports. The Courchevel Altiport, 4 km from Courchevel 1850, handles helicopter and private jet arrivals. Train: TGV to Moûtiers (1 hr 45 min from Lyon), then 45-minute road transfer up to the resort.

What's the difference between Courchevel's five villages?

Courchevel 1850 is the highest and most prestigious, with palace-tier hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury boutiques concentrated there. 1650 (Moriond) is smaller and family-oriented; 1550 (Village) handles the budget end; 1300 (Le Praz) sits at the base with original Savoyard character; Saint-Bon-Tarentaise is the historic commune at the foot of the road up. All five share the Trois Vallées lift network.

What is the Courchevel Altiport?

The Courchevel Altiport is a 537-metre runway on an 18.5% slope at 2,008 metres altitude, sitting 4 km from Courchevel 1850. It handles helicopters year-round and ski-equipped fixed-wing aircraft in winter. Private jets typically land at Chambéry, with helicopter transfer to the Altiport in 15 minutes.

When does Les Trois Vallées open and close?

The lift system typically opens in early December and closes in late April / early May. Val Thorens, the highest resort at 2,300 metres, extends the season at both ends; glacier skiing runs into early summer in certain years.

Boutique Hotels in Courchevel, France

Courchevel 1850

The Vieille Ville (Old Town) sits on a small hill above the harbour, walled on three sides by the original Genoese fortifications. The Porte Génoise is the surviving fortified gate; the Bastion de France carries the principal viewing terrace over the harbour and the gulf beyond. The harbour itself runs between the Old Town and the marina, with the working fishing port at one end and the contemporary leisure marina at the other. Daily ferries connect Porto-Vecchio to Marseille, Toulon and Nice in mainland France, and seasonal services to Sardinia operate during summer. The Tuesday morning market on Place de la République is the weekly working version of the town, with the Corsican charcuterie tradition (figatellu, coppa, lonzu) and the Cap Corse muscat wines anchoring the producer stalls.

Les Trois Vallées

Palombaggia is the most photographed beach in Corsica — a long arc of white sand framed by twisted maritime pines, with the granite Cerbicales Islands visible offshore. Tamaricciu and Folaca sit immediately north as smaller variations on the same coastline; Santa Giulia sits five kilometres south as a shallow lagoon bay; Rondinara sits twenty minutes further south as a near-circular sheltered crescent. The Cerbicales Islands nature reserve is the protected archipelago offshore, five granite islets with restricted access, accessible by skipper boat for snorkelling and observing the protected colonies of Audouin's gulls, shags, and Eleonora's falcons. Les Oliviers de Palombaggia sits above the Palombaggia coastline as a 13-villa estate of restored dry-stone Corsican sheepfolds on two hectares of preserved maquis — Bougon-family-run since 1972, with the working Casa di Petra farm next door.

When to visit

December through April is the ski season. The Christmas / New Year week and the February school holidays carry peak prices and the most crowded slopes. Mid-January, late January and early March offer the best snow conditions without the crowd density. The summer season (July-August) operates a reduced inventory focused on hiking, mountain biking, paragliding and the Courchevel Open tennis tournament. Chalet La Grande Roche operates seasonally.