Courchevel 1650

Courchevel 1650 - Piste Ratings
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Courchevel 1650

Courchevel has the reputation of being the world’s best ski resort and is undoubtedly the chicest in France.  The resort is split into four quite separate villages at different altitudes and between them they offer something for everyone.  They are brilliantly linked both to each other and to the whole of the Trois Vallees area, which includes the resorts of Val Thorens and Meribel.  The scenery here is beautiful and the pistes are immaculate.

The skiing is truly outstanding and on an incredible scale with over 600km of piste in the Trois Vallees area.  From 1850 the pistes and gondolas spread out in all directions providing lots of picturesque, gentle skiing for beginners or those who just want to take it easy.  For a more vertical challenge experts can head up to the highest point Souliere with the infamous Couloirs.  Only the grand couloir remains a marked piste, but it is something of a rite of passage for all good skiers and is much trickier than it looks. 

Courchevel is just as entertaining for non-skiers with swimming, ice-skating, bowling, climbing, snow-mobiling, paragliding, a 2km sledge run from 1850 down to 1550 and 20km of groomed hiking trails.  Or alternatively flex your credit card and hit the plethora of shops.

1650 has a more authentic village feel than its noisier neighbours.  Its adjacent ski area is probably the best in the resort.  It is off the beaten track of the Trois Vallees and as a result has far fewer crowds than higher up.  The skiing at this altitude is especially kind to intermediates, with long, sweeping blues and reds.  The village is a much quieter base than 1850 and caters to a much more modest budget.  This makes it a popular choice for families and there is a wide choice of childcare available.

Joanna Symons, writer for the Daily Telegraph, spent a week in Courchevel 1650 with her family last year and was pleasantly suprised (she usually stays in 1850), she said 'unusually, the skiing at Courchevel 1650 really does work for all levels of skier, making it a good choice for family or group holidays. This resort isn't a budget option – there will be few of those in the Eurozone this winter. But neither is it a rip-off. You get access to some of the best skiing in the Alps, without the indignity of feeling like the poor relation. My advice is to get there quickly before everyone else catches on.'

Check out our Courchevel 1650 Summer page

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Recommended Runs

Top-Bottom Suisses Lift
'Suisses' - 550m vertical

Chanrossa Lift-Fruit Junction

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