Courcheval Holiday

The stylish French ski resort of Courcheval is one of the places to be seen during the winter sports season and has a lot to offer, with picturesque chalet-style hotels, excellent restaurants and shops and a lively atmosphere.

At the heart of the French Alps, the popular resort has 63 ski-lifts, and 117 downhill runs, totalling 150km, and is popular with the downhill, cross-country, mountaineering and snowboarding crowds. Part of Les Trois Vallees, the world's largest ski area, along with Meribel and Val Thorens/Les Menuires, Courcheval is west of the Italian border.

Famous for its great skiing from the beginning to the end of the ski season, thanks in part to an impressive array of snow cannons, Courcheval caters for every standard of skier, from first time novices and families to advanced enthusiasts and professionals. Classes are easy to arrange and there is a dizzying selection of instructors on the piste during the peak season.

The resort, the most extensive sector in the Three Valleys, also provides excellent shopping opportunities, with more than 100 shops full of brand name clothing and accessories. Courcheval is also renowned for its art galleries, with works by famous artists on exhibit, and there are a number of hotels offering relaxing spa treatments and massages.

Accommodation in Courcheval comes in a range of different styles to suit all tastes and pockets, from luxury hotel rooms and charming wooden chalets to holiday centres and apartments. Chabichou, a chalet hotel in the centre of Courcheval 1850, the highest of the five components of the resort, has been owned and run by chef Michel Rochedy and his family for 40 years and is famous for the excellent food in its two Michelin star restaurant.

Each of the Courcheval villages has its own identity, from the quieter and quaint Le Praz and 1650, to the upscale and bustling 1850. The complex lift network means it is relatively easy to ski between villages and experienced skiers can venture off piste. The lower villages tend to be less crowded and easier to negotiate for the beginner.

Food and drink are pricier in Courcheval than many other Alpine resorts and there is a dizzying array of delightful restaurants and bars serving everything from traditional fare to fine dining. Cap Horn is frequented by the well-heeled skiers who jet in to the resort's mini airport, while cheaper dishes can be found in the lower villages.

The bars of Courcheval are warm and inviting and generally packed full of people telling stories from their day on the slopes. There is something at night to suit every taste, including relaxing piano bars, cheerful pubs, energetic nightclubs, DJs, concerts and theme evenings.

Non-skiers can also enjoy a break in Courcheval and festivals, parties and events take place throughout the ski season. The resort houses a two kilometre sledging run, floodlit from start to finish, an ice rink, 17 km of well-kept walking trails, cinemas and a bowling alley. Tourists can also arrange sleigh rides, flights and balloon and snowmobile rides.

A vast array of travel companies offer holiday deals to Courcheval, while a number of airlines fly to the nearby airports of Chambery, Geneva & Lyon.