| Courchevel, France » Location In southeast France, in the heart of the Savoie region. 32 mls southeast of Albertville. 70 mls southeast of Chambery and its airport. 116 mls southeast of Lyon and its airport. 90 mls southeast of Geneva (Switzerland) and its airport. » Position An integral part of the famous Trois Vallees ski-area, comprising 4 villages (Courchevel 1300, 1550, 1650 and 1850) situated at different altitudes along the wide Bozel Valley, all connected by lifts and public transport. » Description One of the most popular and fashionable resorts in France because of the huge choice of runs and a sophisticated range of amenities and shops. It offers a superb choice of top quality hotels with excellent service and friendliness, all of which well-located (particulary in 1850) to access the ski slopes. The 4 centres differ dramatically when it comes to appearance, size and amenities. Courchevel 1300, about 700 yds in length (also known as Le Praz), is the only one that retains any genuine alpine character, with some traditional architecture and a low-key atmosphere. Courchevel 1550, about 800 yds in length, is a purpose-built village with modest local amenities and little charm, although it offers direct access to the extensive ski-lift network. Courchevel 1650, about 1,100 yds in length, is a larger, livelier version of 1550, with a significant commercial hub, abundant accommodation and plentiful restaurants. Courchevel 1850 is nearly 1 ml sq and is the throbbing, sophisticated heart of the resort, with myriad facilities, entertainment and shops; it has a lot of aesthetically challenged 1950s architecture, although contemporary development is more sympathetic. » Suitable for An international favourite with all grades of skier, with enough choice to keep experts occupied and wide slopes for beginners and cautious intermediates. 1850 is the most exclusive of the 4 centres and well equipped to amuse well-heeled nonskiers. » Accommodation A wide choice of hotels, augmented by apartments and catered chalets, most with good access to the piste; some with piste-to-porch ability. 1850 has a preponderance of 4-star hotels, many with in-house leisure facilities. Can be pricey. » Shopping A proliferation of sports and ski-hire outlets with a number of retailers serving everyday needs. 1850 has a large concentration of upmarket boutiques, jewellers, galleries and speciality shops. » Entertainment Daytime: winter activities include alpine, telemark and cross-country skiing, snowboarding (snow park for advanced boarders plus 2 "play zones" for all levels), paraskiing, snowmobiles, tobogganing, ice-skating, walking (with 10 mls of cleared trails), snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice go-karting; also helicopter/plane tours, hot-air balloons, paragliding, fitness centre, bowling, video-games arcade and climbing wall. In summer: rambling, mountain biking, horse riding, climbing, fishing, golf, tennis and swimming. Many hotels have saunas and swimming pools that are open to the public for a nominal fee. Nightlife: 1850 is the liveliest spot for bars and nightclubs; the other centres are generally quieter, and apres-ski tends to be self-made within the apartments and chalets. Floodlit 1-ml-long toboggan run, torchlight descents, themed evenings (including a woodcutter's camp night), and cinemas. » Eating Plenty of choice to suit all pockets, from the good-value "plat du jour" to chic, expensive gastronomic experiences. Regional dishes, local cheeses and hams are particularly prevalent on menus. A few ethnic options, including Chinese and Tex-Mex. Range of mountain restaurants, including meals and music in mountain huts with return by toboggan. » Public Transport A free shuttle service links the different levels together and travels around those areas making most parts within easy reach of transport. It runs frequently until midnight. There are set stops but it will usually pick up or put down anywhere if requested. Regular public buses to Moutiers at the bottom of the valley for rail connections farther afield. Daily coach service to/from Geneva and Lyon airports; must be pre-booked. Taxis. Helicopter transfers from mountain airport (altiport/heliport). Scenic flights with light aircraft. » Excursions Skiing day trips to neighbouring Trois Vallees resorts such as Meribel and Val-Thorens; guided snowshoe outings; various trips to Chamonix, Val d'Isere, Annecy and Chambery. » Skiing Descsription There are a total of 61 ski-lifts in the Courchevel area, consisting of 28 drag-lifts, 20 chair-lifts including some high speed options, 10 gondolas and one 150-person cable car. Some of the longer drag-lifts will require patience and stamina. The principal lift station is at 1850 where a gondola takes skiers up to Verdons to pick up the cable car to La Saulire. From here it is possible to ski the whole Trois Vallees ski-area, with a total of 183 ski-lifts. There can be congestion at the gondola from 1850. Ski-schools at all centres, totalling around 800 instructors, many English speaking; lessons in alpine, telemark and cross-country skiing and snowboarding; children's ski-schools and kindergartens including 2 special beginners' zones. Ski-passes are available for Courchevel only, or for the wider Trois Vallees ski-area. » Statistics Villages: 1300 4,265 ft; 1550 5,085 ft; 1650 5,414 ft; 1850 6,070 ft. Highest lifts: 8,800 ft (resort); 10,500 ft (Trois Vallees). The season runs from the beginning of Dec to April. The area has an exceptional snow record owing to its lofty altitude and over 563 strategically placed snow-making machines. Direct links with the rest of the Trois Vallees ski-area which includes Meribel, Les Menuires and Val-Thorens ensures that there is nearly always good skiing. The Courchevel area boasts 120 downhill runs covering 94 mls of piste. Runs consist of 27 green, 44 blue, 40 red and 9 black. The vast Trois Vallees area has 335 downhill runs covering 400 mls. In the Courchevel area, 1650 and 1850 have the best nursery slopes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hotels in Courchevel, France |
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