"the mistakes we made so you dont have to" section:
It is part of the 3 Valles. Along with Meribel, Courchevel 1650, Val Thorens. All of these places are easy to get to skiing, so having lunch on the mountain in these different areas is quite easy if you are a good skier. If you choose to après ski at Val Thorens, be weary that you might want to head home before the last lift. The taxi ride can be up to 1.5 hours and can cost well over 200 dollars. Tip 1—Beware of taxis. If you happen to be staying at a hotel with a car service, take advantage of it. Taxis are very expensive in this area. We had a friend take a taxi from Meribel to Courchevel 1850. It took 45 minutes and nearly 200 dollars. Tip 2: When purchasing a ski pass, purchase for the 3 valles. It is possible to purchase solely for Courchevel 1850 (or the other areas), but you cannot access the whole mountain. Tip 3- Airports that access 3 Valles. 1. Geneva (2 hrs. 45 min) 2. Lyon (2 hrs. 22 min) 3. Chambery (1 hr. 37 min) 4. Grenoble (2 hrs. 22 min). Geneva and Lyon have the most flights. When I was looking to fly to Chambery from London, the flights mainly ran on Saturdays Tip 4: If you rent a car at the Geneva airport, pay attention to whether it is on the French or Swiss side to avoid running around like we did! Ski Rentals: Intersport- I have rented at Intersport in other Swiss mountain towns. They are all fab. Make sure to rent from this address if in town, Le Cristal de Roche, 215 Rue Park City, 73120 Courchevel, France (but double check based on your hotel address). Ski Set- I loved renting from here, it's below Rossignol. I did the intermediate level, which was cheaper than any rentals from Intersport. They ended up giving us brand new advanced level skis from Rossignol. Holy Moly, I have never skied on better skies. They were lovely and stored our shoes here too. I even changed my boots out twice over three days and they were so kind about it. I couldn’t recommend more. Stay Airbnb- there are great options online. We stayed in an Airbnb located right in the center of town. Aman – Ski in and Ski out. rumored to also give away free designer gifts (at least saw it on tik tok). Gorgeous hotel with restaurant and bar/tea room. Bar has live music some nights. Airelles- nicest hotel in 1850. Ski in and ski out. they have everything... i mean spa by la mer, pastries by cedric grolet, wellness room and multiple fancy dining options. Cheval Blanc- Five star hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant. Located next to Airelles. Ski in and ski out. Has lovely bar and more relaxes restaurant (alpine grill) also offers all the amenities of a luxury hotel: car service, spa & wellness etc. Also, this hotel has their own exclusive fragrances for four of their locations sold at the hotel! Hotel Barriere- lovely hotel with branches in Paris, St Barth and now NYC. Fouquets restaurant here too. Hotel de la Loze- small charming hotel. On the less expensive side. Directly below the mountain not ski and ski out but right below the main gondolas. Hotel Le K2 Altitude: we had cocktails here downstairs at 8611. Great hotel not ski in and ski out (on opposite side of street) but has a car service. AnnaPurna Hotel Eat: Fouquets : La Fromagerie : as the same suggests cheese, this spot is the place to book if you are craving raclette or fondu. Maison Tournier owns almost all the restaurants in Courchevel that have a clubby vibe (L’Aventure, L’Anerie, Le Cap Horn) including this one. Le Grill Alpin, Cheval Blanc: If you want to eat delicious food but not break the bank (as much) book this spot as the kitchen and chef is guided by Chef Yannic Alleno (the Michelin starred chef of the other restaurant at this hotel). I love the interiors of this spot as well, very sexy red interiors. Also, not the high chairs as they are cow hide- so fun! Menu consists of fish options, steak options and lots of delicious vegetable options to share. Our group had the beef filet, salmon and dover sole- all fab. L’Aventure: owned by Bagatelle and Maison Tournier (which owns most restaurants on the mountain, the party restaurants) Le Grenier Nama- Sushi restaurant in the Aman hotel Alpage Kinugawa: Japanese restaurant, newer to Courchevel. Sexy interiors & very seafood heavy restaurant. Raw bites, robata, and main fish dishes. L’Anerie : As mentioned above, this is a restaurant by Maison Tournier. Interesting décor inside cant quite describe the vibe here. All of the Maison Tournier restaurants have a funny design to me (this one has clothes hanging from rafters, almost like an attic theme). The menu is pasta, fondu, beef and fish options. Cafes: Seasons- healthy lunch/breakfast café. Has coffee & matcha with dairy alternative milk options- such a win for France. Le Café Lunch on the Mountain: La Cave de Crews Chalet de la Marines La Chalet de Pierres : potentially my favorite spot to have lunch on the mountain. Very close to the bottom of the main mountain and has a Moncler store below it if you happen to have a little too much vino at lunch. This spot has a large patio with a dj, huge inside (two stories). Excellent fish dishes and Restaurant Le Cap Horn : same ownership as L’Aventure aka has the same drummer and clubby vibe. The strangest décor I have ever seen in a restaurant has a pirate ship vibe going on. Interesting menu as well with sushi, pizza, fish… but has excellent truffle fries (but beware you are for sure paying for that fresh truffle). Has a full dessert table downstairs. La Soucoupe: French restuarant on the mountain serving traditional French fare for €€€. Caviar, pate, escargot, beef and fish options. Large patio and medium sized interior with a mountain vibe filled with chandeliers and antique furniture. La Terrasse: technically on/off mountain as this is a ski in/out hotel (Cheval Blanc). This hotel offers their terrace for guests to have lunch. During the winter they have lots of heaters and fires. Lunch includes selection of shell fish, cured meats, seafood, meats and burger options. Apres: Bagatelle : need i say more? Book outside. I was used to cloud 9 and aspen where sitting inside is where the party is at. In the Swiss (and French) alps its all about the outdoor. Live saxophone & dj. Plus the food is surprisingly good! La Folie Deuce: the biggest apres party in Val Thorens but also the youngest, rowdiest crowd. Not the chic apres crowd but party scene. |