The smartest address in the Three Valleys, and arguably in the Alps. If you want polished, ski-in-ski-out family skiing with three Michelin stars on your doorstep, this is it.
Altitude
1850m
Pistes
600km
Season
Early December – Late April
Family rating
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Overview
Courchevel 1850 is the most luxurious ski resort in the French Alps and one of the most rewarding family ski destinations in Europe. Sitting at altitude in the Three Valleys, the largest linked ski area in the world, it offers genuine ski-in-ski-out access to 600km of pistes, the best children's ski school in the Alps (Le Village des Enfants), and an evening offering that runs from family pizzerias to three-Michelin-starred tasting menus, all within a five-minute walk of where you are staying.
Is it worth it?
Let's get the obvious out of the way: a Courchevel 1850 family ski holiday is expensive. It is the most expensive resort in France, and at the smartest end (Le K2 Palace, Cheval Blanc, Les Airelles) it is one of the most expensive holidays you can take anywhere in the world. We mention this upfront because there is no point pretending otherwise, and because the question we get asked most often about Courchevel is whether it is worth it for a family.
Our answer, after many seasons there with our own children, is that for the right family, in the right week, it absolutely is. What you are paying for is not really the skiing (though the access to the Three Valleys is unbeatable). You are paying for an entire mountain village engineered around making your week effortless: ski-in-ski-out access from your luxury chalet or hotel, ESF instructors who handle five-year-olds like they have been doing it for decades (because they have), and a level of polish on the ground that genuinely shows in how relaxing the week feels.
If your family includes confident intermediate skiers, your Courchevel ski holiday also includes unrestricted access to the Three Valleys: 600km of pistes, three valleys to explore, and properly snowsure conditions from early December through to late April. Courchevel 1850 sits at altitude, faces north-east, and tends to hold its snow better than most.
For first-timers or families with very young children, the lower-altitude Courchevel resorts (1650 Moriond, 1550 Village, 1300 Le Praz) offer a softer landing at considerably lower cost while still sharing the same lift system. We would rate them highly too. But if you have one Courchevel week in you and want the full luxury family ski holiday experience, 1850 is where to spend it.
Best for
The ski area
Courchevel 1850 connects directly to the largest linked ski area in the world, and the lift system that joins Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens, Saint Martin de Belleville, and the smaller satellites is genuinely seamless. From the centre of 1850 you can be in Val Thorens for lunch via four lifts and a couple of pistes, or in La Tania via the Loze ridge in about half an hour.
Courchevel 1850 itself sits in a natural bowl with skiing in three directions. The Verdons and Pralong gondolas take you up to the Saulire and Vizelle peaks for the long, north-facing reds and blacks back to resort. The Loze chair takes you over to La Tania and the wider Three Valleys system. The cluster of nursery and easy-blue terrain at Pralong and the Bellecote area gives beginners and younger children plenty of space to find their feet within sight of the village.
Strong intermediates will get the most out of skiing in Courchevel. The blue and red runs from Saulire down through the Combe de la Saulire are some of the most enjoyable cruisers in the Alps, and the Creux bowl on the Meribel side is a proper big-mountain blue when conditions are right. Confident reds skiers can ski the Three Valleys end-to-end in a day, which we would recommend doing once even if you do not usually venture far from base.
It is a quieter resort for advanced skiers than its neighbours; Val d'Isère and Tignes have more obviously serious terrain on the doorstep. But the off-piste off the back of Saulire (heading towards Meribel) and the couloirs above La Vizelle reward the confident, especially after fresh snow. A mountain guide is non-negotiable.
Dining highlights
Courchevel takes its dining seriously. There are seven Michelin stars across the resort, and the on-mountain restaurants are some of the best in the Alps. A few we keep going back to:
Le Cap Horn at the top of the Pralong gondola is the classic high-altitude lunch spot, with proper white tablecloths, attentive service, and views straight down the bowl back to 1850. Pricey but worth it for one lunch in the week. La Soucoupe at Loze is a more relaxed alternative, and a good one for families: classic Savoyard food, sun terrace, easy ski back down to either Courchevel or La Tania.
For an evening with children, La Mangeoire in 1850 is a long-running favourite. The Genepi (Italian, family-friendly, generous portions) is another reliable choice. For something special, Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc holds three Michelin stars and is genuinely worth a babysitter night, but you will need to book months ahead.
Le Tremplin is the Courchevel staple: pizza, salads, brasserie food, the whole resort drifts through at some point. Bistrot Le C is more bistro-than-brasserie and consistently good value. Pralong's chocolate shop and the boulangerie next door (which opens at six) are essential for early-morning provisioning.
After the lifts close
Apres-ski in Courchevel 1850 is more glamorous than rowdy. The classic stop is Le Cap Horn (yes, the lunch place) for late-afternoon champagne on the terrace. The Schuss bar in the village picks up later. For something more relaxed with children, the gelato at Le Chabichou or hot chocolate at any of the patisseries does the job nicely.
Beyond the bars, the village offers an ice rink in the centre (free for children, lovely after dark), the Aquamotion complex (a serious indoor pool, slides, a wave pool, a wellness centre, all of it; expect to spend half a day if it is your rest day), and an evening luge run with floodlights from the Foret restaurant. Toboggan rentals are available at the bottom; under-12s love it.
Getting there
From the UK, Geneva is the obvious airport: 2h 15m flying, then a 2h 30m to 3h transfer depending on traffic and time of arrival. Chambery and Lyon are the alternatives, and both are slightly closer (around 2h transfer) but with fewer flight options. From mid-week peak season, Saturday transfers from Geneva can be slow; aim for a Friday or Sunday flight if you can.
If you would rather not fly, the Eurostar Snow Train from London St Pancras runs direct to Moutiers in season; a quick 25-minute taxi or transfer takes you up to 1850 from there. We have done it with children: the door-to-door time is similar to flying once you account for transfers, the carbon footprint is dramatically lower, and you start the holiday in a much better mood than you would after a security queue.
Driving from Calais via the Channel Tunnel is doable in a day if you set off early; it is roughly 750km and around 7-8 hours. Worth considering if you want to take ski kit and do not fancy paying airline ski-bag fees.
In pictures
Common questions
Yes, particularly through Le Village des Enfants, which is one of the best children's ski schools in the Alps. The nursery and easy-blue terrain at Pralong gives beginners and younger children plenty of space to find their feet within sight of the village. Lower-altitude Courchevel villages (1650, 1550, 1300) offer gentler beginner terrain and lower prices while sharing the same lift pass.
Mid-January is the quietest week with reliably good snow. February half-term and Easter are the busiest but with the longest days. Late March to early April offers the best combination of snow quality, weather, and value. Courchevel 1850 sits at altitude and reliably skis from early December through to late April.
A week in a four or five-star Courchevel hotel for a family of four typically runs from £8,000 to £25,000 depending on season and accommodation, with the very top-tier properties (Cheval Blanc, Le K2 Palace, Les Airelles) significantly higher. The lower-altitude villages of Courchevel (1650, 1550, 1300) offer more accessible prices while sharing the same Three Valleys lift pass.
Geneva is the main airport, around 2h 15m flying followed by a 2h 30m to 3h transfer. The Eurostar Snow Train runs direct to Moutiers from London St Pancras in season, with a 25-minute transfer up to 1850. Driving from Calais takes around 7-8 hours via the Channel Tunnel. Chambery and Lyon airports are slightly closer than Geneva but have fewer flight options.
Both sit in the same 600km Three Valleys ski area and share a lift pass, so on snow your family has identical access from either base. The difference is in character and cost. Courchevel 1850 is the more polished and expensive of the two, home to the area's finest hotels, dining and ski-in ski-out luxury, which suits families who want the very top end and don't mind paying for it. Méribel, sitting centrally in the valley, offers a warmer, more informal British-chalet atmosphere at considerably lower cost, which many families find the easier and friendlier week. If budget is the deciding factor, look closely at Méribel or at Courchevel's lower villages (1650, 1550, 1300), which share the same mountain at gentler prices.
From the journal
destinations
The most expensive resort in France is not the obvious choice for a family ski holiday. After ten years of going back, we put together the case for why it might be the right one anyway, especially if you're choosing one big week and want it to count.
28 December 2025 · 8 min read
guides
They share the same lift system and roughly the same skiing, but the experience on the ground is quite different. We break down which Three Valleys resort suits which kind of family week, with a few practical pointers we wish someone had given us early on.
20 November 2025 · 6 min read
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