The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
I’ve skied over 100 resorts in France – and this is the best
Dave Watts rates Courchevel for its varied skiing, vast terrain and affordable restaurants
Ifirst visited Courchevel on my debut skiing holiday, back in 1978, when I was staying at a chalet in neighbouring Méribel. Towards the end of the week, my friends persuaded me to take the gondola to the top of La Saulire mountain and plunge down the red Combe Saulire piste. At the time, as a beginner, it was pretty daunting – but it later became one of my favourite runs on the planet.
Courchevel has also grown on me tenfold – and having now skied in more than 100 resorts in France, it tops my chart of go-to destinations. Since that first foray on the slopes, I have stayed in Courchevel more than a dozen times, sometimes for a week’s holiday with friends and my non-skiing wife. It has never failed to please.
The resort has five distinctly separate villages – each with its own personality. All are linked by lifts, pistes and a road which winds its way up through Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel Moriond to the highest base, simply known as Courchevel 1850. Off the road are Courchevel Village and La Tania.
Admittedly, Courchevel has an international reputation for being the mountain playground of the rich, famous and fashionable – with prices to match. But don’t be put off. There are plenty of affordable and down-toearth spots too. And, for those in search of the best skiing in France, it has the most compelling and varied slopes of the entire Trois Vallées area.
Compelling and varied skiing Courchevel’s local slopes offer 150km of pistes, served by 58 lifts, and, despite it being part of the world’s largest ski area, many visitors are quite happy to venture no further during a week’s holiday. There is something for all standards, including great beginner areas in both 1850 and Courchevel Moriond. I have always enjoyed the gentle green and blue runs that abound – all are immaculately groomed every night, usually have great snow thanks to their north-facing geography, and have excellent snowmaking.
My highlights include the Combe Saulire red slope. Tackle it first thing in the morning, when it is delightfully quiet and has virgin corduroy snow, and you can safely cruise down it a couple of times at high speed before the crowds arrive. I also love the Chapelets and Rochers slopes at the edge of the local ski area above Moriond – they are pleasantly quiet as the hordes head off towards the wider appeal of the Trois Vallées.
When the black runs – such as Suisses, M, Pylones and L’Eclipse (the downhill race run created for the 2023 World Championships) – are groomed, they are a blast. In my younger days, I loved the unpisted Grand Couloir, reached by a narrow bumpy ridge from the Saulire cable car. It is the steepest piste in Courchevel, but wide – and you can inspect it on the cable car ride up before committing (stand on the right for the best view).
When it is snowing heavily and visibility is tricky, the best place to be in the whole of the Trois Vallées is in the trees above Le Praz and La Tania, where there are runs of every variety and the powder stays fresh.
Explore the rest of the Trois Vallées Undeniably, keen piste bashers will want to head out to explore all the 600km of pistes offered by the Trois Vallées – the world’s largest ski area. If you drop over from Saulire and head towards Méribel Mottaret, you only need two fast lifts to reach the far end of the area at Val Thorens.
But going straight to the ski area’s furthest reaches means you overlook two of its best runs. Don’t miss the long, steep, north-facing Combe du Vallon red piste from Mont Vallon – almost always groomed – and consider a detour to Les Menuires to ski the long, north-facing runs from the top of La Masse. If you make it to Val Thorens head to the top of the Cîme de Caron at 3,200m. If the descending black run is open, don’t miss it – it is wide, with good snow and a wonderful fast cruise.
Affordable mountain restaurants Most of Courchevel’s mountain restaurants charge eye-watering prices. An exception is Bel Air, at the top of the gondola from Moriond. I have had lots of excellent, good-value meals here on the splendid tiered terrace and in the nice woody interior. The service is good, as are the plat du jour and the reasonably-priced house wines – a rarity in such a high-profile resort.
Just below the top of the gondola up from La Tania is another underrated venue, Le Bouc Blanc. This is even better value. The plat du jour is a bargain and always reliable – I have also enjoyed delicious, huge lamb shanks and varied linguine dishes without breaking the bank.
Authentic, good-value appeal Despite the decline in visits by Russian oligarchs in recent years, glitzy Courchevel 1850 is still the super-luxe, mega-priced bolthole it always was. Home to a host of five-star and palace hotels, plus several Michelin-starred restaurants, this is where the A-list come to ski and be seen.
I have always preferred to stay further down the valley in more affordable Courchevel Moriond or Le Praz, which are smaller scale and have much more of a village atmosphere.
Off the slopes, below Moriond, the huge Aquamotion leisure complex includes indoor and outdoor pools, slides, indoor surfing, steam rooms, saunas and more – I could happily spend a whole day there.
For those in search of traditional après-ski, I have regularly returned to Fire and Ice – the big outdoor terrace of Hotel Portetta at the foot of the Moriond slopes, with heaters, log fires and comfy sofas. Opposite the gondola base, Le Schuss is another of my favourites as the lifts close – head to the back for great views over the valley, spectacular sunsets and a taste of the down-to-earth side of Courchevel that so many have forgotten.