Courchevel

Pros: Great for couples and families. Nice, cosy village. Massive ski area. Cool apres ski activities.
Cons: Expensive. No fun for good skier/snowboarders. Poor night life.

My fiancee and i spent 10 days at Courchevel 1850 from 25nd Dec.03 till 3rd Jan. Here's what we have to say: Who should go there? It's a cosy, warm, friendly village. Can be very romantic, excellent for families with kids (we saw a lotta'em). It's ...

Pros: Miles of good skiing, food and wine
Cons: None really

Courcheval offers some of the widest range of ski slopes around. As part of Les Trois Vallées (include Meribel and Val Thorens) it has probably the largest ski area in the world. There's over 600km of downhill ski runs and and over 100km of cross country...

Pros: Great slopes, Great facilities, Wonderful views
Cons: Village has less ambiance than other European resorts

The French are famous for the quality of their lifts and the grooming of their runs. Courchevel takes no exception to this. From the smallest poma lift to the most modern cable car, everything was fast and in great shape.

The runs here are...

Pros: Skiing
Cons: a sense of adventure

I am 16, and have been going to Courchevel every year since I was 6. I adore it! The slopes are fabulous to ski on because the snow it so good. It is a resort for many different ages and abilities; there is a good supply of red and blue slopes....

Pros: the piste was massive and there was an extensive choice of runs.
Cons: The fur posing french and the slight smell of snobbery during the apres ski.

Courchevel is gorgeous and the slopes were amazing, good lifts and glorious sunshine made it a wonderful holiday. It is a little pricey but if you are on a budget getting to know the seasonnaires can help you to dig out the cheaper places to go. The green and blue runs that I needed to keep me upright on my board were comfortable enough for me to feel confident on yet challenging enough to get me out of my comfort zone.

Pros: Best of Europe. Good access to Meribel and Val Thorens. Can be utter Luxury
Cons: Expensive. Some people go to courchevel to show off their minks rather than ski.

I am an advanced snowboarder. The style of riding that i enjoy most is freeriding, carving the powder etc. Courchevel is well worth a visit. Maybe Meribel is better for the super keen rider (get good access to courchevel and val thorens). The potential for challenging off piste riding is huge. It is an incredible place when there is fresh snow. Febuary or late January is the time to go. Courchevel is expensive and is abit too posey for my liking, but also can be quite amusing. First thing in the morning a MUST is to head to the top of Courchevel and catch the fresh snow. Courchevel is the kinda place where blacks dont always come across your path unless you go out to find them. It is quite easy to miss the entry for some of the best black runs. But they are there and are excellent. Lower down the mountain is a branch of blues and greens that all cross on to a hugely wide, long beginners' run. Courchevel is simply superb for beginners.