Family skiing in Courchevel 1850

We’ve skied a number of times since having the children (once in Val Thorens and the other time at Grindelwald in Switzerland). I’ve also written a blog entry with my top tips for family skiing.

In recent years we’ve taken to skiing in Courchevel 1850.

**I’ve just updated this blog post – February 2024 **

Accommodation

In recent years, we’ve chosen to stay down the valley in a small (but gorgeous) mountain village called Bozel. This decision was driven largely by the cost and value for money. You simply get so much more for your money out of resort. The added bonus is that the cafes etc are also better value (wouldn’t go as far as saying good value!) and there are also more amenities – butcher, bakeries and you’re generally closer to a large supermarket. We’ve stayed in several different apartments (some more central and others down by the lake). There are a number of rental properties in the village so well worth checking out the various rental pages. Generally there is plenty of on street parking in Bozel which is also a handy addition if you apart doesn’t come with a reserved space.

Getting to the ski resort

The obvious downside to staying down the mountain is that you’ll need to make your own way to whichever resort you plan to ski in (but it does also give you a little more flexibility in terms of where you ski which can be handy if some resorts have more/less snow than others). Bozel is on the free ski bus up to Courchevel 1850. This runs throughout the day (and night!). Alternatively, you can drive to Le Praz and park in the newly built multi-storey car park – the Alpinium (there are also lockers and a lift pass stand etc). From here it’s an 8 min gondola ride up to Courchevel 1850 (competent skiers can ski back down at the end of the day but that’s not me!). It’s also worth noting that children get one free lift up in the Gondola before ski school so no need for a ticket or lift pass for them). From Bozel, you could also drive to Brides les Bains and ski in Meribel. There are also lesser known resorts nearby (pop me an email if you’d like to know more!).

Ski lessons

Both children are typically booked into the Ecole Ski Francais ski school in Courchevel 1850. We book online before we leave (definitely need to do this if you’re travelling at peak time!). The ski school itself is at the bottom of the Forum building (a handy place with lots of restaurants and cafes – there are also some toilets at the very bottom near the slope). It’s a magical place to learn to ski – it has pistes through a wooden castle, a number of completely private slopes and their own bucket lift. On all occassions, the children have had a fab week and made loads of progress. Ours typically go only in the morning (9.30am until 12midday) but plenty were staying in the afternoon and were given lunch. If you’d prefer your children to be with an English ski instructor then there are plenty of other companies offering lessons (Oxygen Ski, New Generation etc).

Apres ski activities

Choosing to pick the children up at lunch time means finding fun filled ways to spend the afternoons. There is no shortage of things to do in the area.

• A firm favourite for us is pancakes (there is a wonderful take away place up by the Christmas tree in Courchevel 1850). The ‘small cantine’ on the slopes (under the Forum) also offers yummy but cheaper pancakes.
• Sledging. You can hire sledges from all the ski shops and Courchevel 1850 has two dedicated sledge areas – one free and ideal for little ones and the other a sledge park. You can also buy the bum board sledges in the supermarkets (or pack them in your bags) and Le Praz has plenty of free areas to sledge (the area by the magic carpet is particularly nice when the sun is out!).
• Swimming at Aquamotion. You used to get one free visit here with your area lift pass but this hasn’t been the case in recent years- worth checking though! The pool has an outdoor heated pool, various indoor pools and some slides. There is also a fitness area and spa. There is some parking at the pool or alternatively you can take the free shuttle bus.
• Watching films – we tend to download some on Netflix etc.
•  There is also a whole host of other options like husky rides etc (we did this last year with Nordic Adventures – highly recommend!). You can find out more about excursions in the main building in Courchevel.
• Bowling and Ice Skating/Soft Play – Courchevel has both of these.

Eating out on a budget in Courchevel 1850

So it kind of goes without saying that Courchevel 1850 is not the cheapest place to hang out (are any ski resorts?). Over the years we’ve found several ways around this:

• There are several cafes and bakeries offering take out sandwiches – they are delicious. The best one (in our opinion) is the one in the Forum building. They also sell yummy pastries and cakes so perhaps pick something up for dinner! The Polar Cafe near the Croisette is also reasonably good value.
• The Sports Bar in the Forum building serves yummy pizzas and is also very reasonable priced.
• There are several picnic rooms around the resort. My personal favourite is at the top of the Verdons gondola. It is newly done up and has microwaves etc. Non-skiers could easily take up the gondola (note that lift passes are free for those under 5 but you’ll need to show a passport).

If you’re looking for something a little fancier

• There’s no shortage of places to splash the cash in Courchevel 1850. If you are looking for something a little fancier then we like to go to the restaurant at the top of Verdons (you can sit outside on a nice day) – you can either take the gondola back down or ski via plenty of greens/blues.
• Another firm favourite is La Cantine –  ideally located in the centre of Courchevel 1850 with direct access from the slopes (and near the ESF ski school).

If you’ve been to Courchevel and have any other top tips do let me know!