Courchevel (Winter)

Any time of year, the scenery doesn't get much better than in the French Alps, especially in the Trois Vallées of the Haute Savoie, where the vistas stretch from the Mont Blanc massif in the north to the Les Ecrins in the south, and over the Swiss and Italian Alps to the north and east. One of the resorts in the world's largest area of linked ski terrain, Courchevel is part of the three valleys Trois Vallées, which offers 375 miles of maintained ski trails. Courchevel itself has nearly 100 miles of trails, served by 62 chairlifts. Winter sports rule the region: 1300 acres of terrain are devoted to skiing, boarding, cross-country ski trails, ...

Any time of year, the scenery doesn't get much better than in the French Alps, especially in the Trois Vallées of the Haute Savoie, where the vistas stretch from the Mont Blanc massif in the north to the Les Ecrins in the south, and over the Swiss and Italian Alps to the north and east. One of the resorts in the world's largest area of linked ski terrain, Courchevel is part of the three valleys Trois Vallées, which offers 375 miles of maintained ski trails. Courchevel itself has nearly 100 miles of trails, served by 62 chairlifts. Winter sports rule the region: 1300 acres of terrain are devoted to skiing, boarding, cross-country ski trails, winter hiking and other snowy pursuits at all skill levels. The resort's terrain includes the "Zen" zone, dedicated entirely to beginners, with 27 green (novice) trails and 44 intermediate blue trails. Other areas of the mountainsides are dedicated to red and black terrain, with 48 trails for expert skiers. Remember that European ski trails do not always have the same degree of safety barriers as those in America. Ski lifts reach all the way to the summit of the the Trois Vallées massif, Pointe de Thorens (10,715 ft, 3266 m) at Val Thorens. Ten restaurants are located throughout the trail system and off slope, the resort village offers everything from après-ski bars and cafes to Michelin-starred dining.

About the Expert

Lura Seavey is the author of Fun with the Family in Vermont and New Hampshire and she has contributed to several Thomas Cook guidebooks, including Drive Around Catalonia, Travellers Mallorca, and Travellers Barcelona.