5 Reasons to Ski in Courchevel Le Praz

Sitting at 1,300m altitude, Courchevel Le Praz is a lovely alpine village that is sometimes overlooked for its larger, flashier neighbours. The friendly community and relaxed feel have helped the resort retain its authentic French atmosphere, and it's a popular spot for local skiers. With great access to the 600km of runs in the Three Valleys ski area, we think it's an excellent destination for your next ski holiday!

1. Great Connections

Courchevel Le Praz has two high-speed lifts, giving it great connections to the rest of the Three Valleys ski area. 

The new Alpinium building opened in December 2019, and it houses the new 10-man gondola that gets skiers up to Courchevel 1850 in under 6 minutes. The Foret chairlift takes skiers over to Bouc Blanc above La Tania, and catching 1 more lift gets skiers down into Meribel. 

2. Scenic Runs

Courchevel le Praz is surrounded by beautiful tree-lined pistes, perfect for when the weather comes in. Trees allow for better visibility of the slopes than the exposed runs higher up the mountain. They also hide areas of untracked powder, which don’t get tracked out as quickly! The run back down to Le Praz is arguably one of the best home runs in the whole Three Valleys area!

Many properties within the village also have amazing views across the valleys and mountains of the Vanoise National Park. There are also a number of pretty walking trails for non-skiers to enjoy.

3. Traditional French village

If you prefer a more authentic village atmosphere for your ski holidays, Courchevel Le Praz is perfect. Strict building regulations have helped the village keep its charm, with buildings kept to around 2 stories and rustic cobbled streets. With its year-round population and strong local community, there is less of a seasonal-resort feel. The village is a popular spot for local French skiers and has far fewer British skiers than some of its neighbouring resorts!

4. Delicious Food

With everything from atmospheric vaulted wine bars to Michelin star restaurants, burger joints, elegant hotel restaurants. There’s plenty to choose from on your chalet hosts night-off. As prices are typically more affordable for lunch than mountain restaurants. For the best apres ski, enjoy a glass of vin chaud on the terrace outside Table de Mon Grand-Pere, or listen to live bands at L’Elephant. The Alpinium gondola also stays open later than the slopes, so you can spend some time in Courchevel 1850 before getting the lift back down.

5. Try Something New

Courchevel Le Praz has lots of fun activities to try if you’re feeling adventurous

• Cross-country skiing: Le Praz is a popular destination for cross-country skiers. It has a beautiful cross-country track through the forest, which you can find opposite the bottom of the ski jumps. Hire equipment from one of the local ski shops, and see the mountain and the village from a new perspective!
• Ski touring: if you’re feeling bold, skip the ski lifts and head up the mountain on foot! You can hire ‘skins’ for your skis from local ski shops, and head up ‘ski de randonnee’ to 1850. Ski touring is even better exercise than normal skiing, and is a great way to experience the best off-piste a resort has to offer. 
• Paraskiing: launch yourself off the side of the slopes and fly high above the mountains. Paraskiing is an incredible experience, adding an extra thrill-factor to your ski holiday and giving you stunning views of the resort that hardly anyone gets to see!
• Ski jumps: Courchevel Le Praz is home to 2 giant ski jumps, which are used for international competitions (like the 2013 Ski Jumping World Cup). Head over to watch the professionals practising their amazing skills!

With its fantastic blend of friendly atmosphere, scenic views and great skiing, Courchevel Le Praz offers a great base for a ski holiday in the Three Valleys. The village has a transfer time of around 2 hours from Chambery, Grenoble, Lyon and Geneva airports. We particularly recommend it for families with children, and we offer a number of beautiful chalet properties within the village. 

Our Top Picks for Chalets in Courchevel Le Praz

Catered: Chalet Loup Blanc

Prices from £1,000pp for 2020 dates

Chalet Loup Blanc sleeps between 10 and 11 guests in 5 gorgeous ensuite rooms. Situated just 200m from the Les Brigues piste, it is possible to ski almost to the door of the chalet at the end of the day. The open plan living and dining has a cosy, alpine atmosphere with a large log fire, and outside there is a lovely terrace with great views of the mountains. There is also a beautiful spa area, with heated indoor swimming pool and steam room.

More Information about Chalet Loup Blanc

Self-Catered: Chalet Ellanar

Prices from £400pp for 2020 dates

Chalet Ellanar is situated in the centre of Courchevel Le Praz. There are 5 ensuite bedrooms sleeping up to 10 guests. The spacious living area consists of a sitting room with open log fire, a modern, well-equipped kitchen and a large dining table. Outside, there is a beautiful terrace with outdoor hot tub, perfect for enjoying the great views over the garden. Whilst Chalet Ellanar is self-catered, there is a daily housekeeping service and a chef can be arranged at an additional cost. There are also several great meal delivery services available, please ask for further details.

More Information about Chalet Ellanar

For more information about Courchevel Le Praz and help booking your next ski holiday, give one of our ski holiday specialists a call on 020 7801 1080. We've booked thousands of ski holidays, and we can help you organise an amazing trip with the perfect accommodation for your group's requirements, all at no extra cost to you!