 Poster: A snowHead
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find yourself always skiing to visit different parts
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FIFY
2 lifts and 2 runs and you're out of 1650 and have a choice of 1850 or Meribel. 2 further runs (think if you're clever you can do it in 1) and 1 lift and you're into la Tania.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Motherofthree, It depends on your priorities. If your family love cruising for miles visiting different area and villages each day then the large inter-connected French resorts are hard to beat. Trois Vallees is one of the best, with better links than most of the others, and Courchevel 1650 is a good choice. You will save some hours each way driving compared to most of Austria.
We have a big breakfast and dinner, so don't need a big lunch: just drinks and a snack. We tend to stop twice, late morning and mid-afternoon, to avoid lunch crowds, and some of the best skiing is when everyone else stops for lunch. Mountain restaurants everywhere cost more than village snowfront restaurants, which are more than those a bit further away. (And as others have said some mountain restaurants, particularly above 1850, are very expensive). If money is really tight one of you can always walk a short distance to the supermarket in 1650, 1550, Mottaret etc to pick up baguettes, cheese, drinks., .... Or take a picnic.
You should find somewhere reasonable for one or two evenings out, but have a look around when you first arrive and book something early.
Not sure about the impact of the World Champs. If plenty of people gravitate towards the race pistes, it may even reduce lift queues and piste crowds in the rest of the area.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| PeakyB wrote: |
If you prefer mostly green, blue, maybe easier reds, then you've made a good choice with Courchevel 1650. It will almost certainly be less crowded than Meribel valley and Les Menuires, as they're both on the main routes around the 3 Valleys. Not that it would be quiet at Feb half term.
Whether a full area pass is worth the extra for 5 of you depends on how adventurous your skiing is and whether you enjoy touring around. Did you have a full area pass for Paradiski or just La Plagne?. Reasonably confident intermediate skiers can comfortably ski over to Les Menuires, further if you enjoy getting a wiggle on.
Sign up to various ski rental suppliers for discount offers, though these might be scarce, again because of half term high demand. Skimium (Decathlon partner) worth a look. They offer discounts for group bookings (4 or more sets, 5% off; 10 or more 10% off). Might be able to find other snowHeads there that week to join with your booking for that extra 5% off? They also discount another 5% if you have a Decathlon card. Their base in 1650 (Francis Blanc Sport) is very central and conveniently located for the main gondola.
I'd recommend La Table de Marie for unpretentious, relatively good value eating out. Also the bakery / patisserie just uphill from the centre, right hand side, does good sandwiches etc. In 2019 we were getting a baguette or sandwich plus a drink to take away for 10 euros. Stocking up with food at Moutiers is cheapest but doubt you'll have much spare room in your vehicle.
Avoid the overpriced mountain restaurants in and above Courchevel 1850. There's one more reasonable place I know of that does good lunchtime burgers. On the left, just after passing under the bridge near the main lift hub in 1850. There are one or two more reasonable and good value lunch restaurants over in Les Menuires and en route to Val Thorens.
Hope that helps.  |
Thanks for your reply. Yes, we prefer green and blue runs, that's the main reason why we booked Courchevel 1650 in the first place.
Is it possible to ski to Les Menuires or Val Thorens on just blue and green runs from 1650? If so, we will get the 3V pass. If not, we will stick with just the Courchevel area. When we stayed in Belle Plagne in 2019, we just got the La Plagne pass and that was more than enough for us then. But that was the first time our children went skiing, and they are more confident now.
Thanks alot for the ski hire tips. We do have a Decathlon card so will look into Skimium.
I've noted your eating out tips and we will try to avoid the overpriced mountain restaurants in and above 1850. I'm thinking that we might be able to stop for lunch/hot chocolate in Meribel if we ski over there at lunch time.
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| Raceplate wrote: |
| Motherofthree wrote: |
| Our budget for a main course in the evening is about €30 per person and for lunch about €20 per person. We found places within this budget even in Verbier (which is also regarded as an expensive resort, although we found it surprisingly affordable), where we skied last winter. Baguettes and paninis are fine for lunch, but in the evening we would like hot food like raclette, fondue, tartiflette and burger/pizza. |
If that is your budget for main course only, you will have no problem whatsoever in finding nice places to eat for both lunch and dinner. Don't be put off the 3Vs by the scaremongers who wandered into a Russian oligarch oriented establishment. It does happen but it's not the overall picture. When I said you can get a good meal for €30-40, I meant including a beer/house wine and a coffee. In some places that would cover a beer, a pichet, a coffee and a freebie digestif as well as an excellent plat du jour. You can find Magret de Canard or a Filet de Bouef as a main course for €26-28 in plenty of places. At lunch. plat du jours are typically €15 as are burgers, pizza, spag bol etc. so your budget is more than realistic. The menu skieur in the bakery used to be €9.90 for a drink, baguette or panini and a cake from the patisserie. I suspect that will be more like €11-12 this season but it's still well within your budget.
Regarding drinks, I tend to deliberately drink allonge (long black coffee) because the average price is around €2.60. You do tend to get stiffed a bit on cafe au lait, hot chocolate etc. in comparison but in most places those drinks would be €4. It's still less than a Starbucks. By law, all restaurants have to have a price list outside so it's not difficult to make sure you don't wander into an overpriced place.
You're right that most restaurants are probably closed right now because it's between seasons so just make sure to make the bookings in early December.
C1650 is probably the best of the Courchevel villages (other than my own La Tania, obviously  ) so I think you'll regret it if you change your mind and decide not to go. |
Thanks for your reply, it's reassuring to hear that Courchevel 1650 can be done within our budget and that it's a nice village. I also get the impression that Courchevel is a nice ski area for people like us who prefer green and blue runs and we will definitely keep our booking for now.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| franga wrote: |
| I don’t want to sound mean but if you’re on a very tight budget then you might want to look at other resorts … granted, 1650 is not necessarily the most expensive village in the 3Vs but you’re still paying a premium for being there. For me a family ski holiday is a treat and something to enjoy without worrying about how much it would cost to have a mid-morning coffee etc. There are myriads of other resorts that don’t carry the “air of exclusivity” that (disappointingly) some of the big French areas do. Austria and Italy are more reasonably priced in general. Or have you thought about staying in a “peripheral” village that would still give you access to lots of skiing? Montriond for the PdS is an example. |
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate your honesty. I agree that worrying about prices for food and drinks takes away some of the fun of being on a ski holiday. We did look into driving to Austria, but found that accommodation, lift passes and ski hire there seems to be more expensive than in France overall, plus it's a longer drive, which is why we settled on France. We would also like to stay as central as possible and avoid ski buses, which is why a "peripheral" village wouldn't be suitable for us.
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| YellowAndBlue wrote: |
I'd agree with many of the comments above. I'd say you want to go to a resort where people are already doing self-catering to keep the costs down, not a resort that offers the 3V on the semi-cheap. Somewhere like Vars would be ideal, lots of ordinary French people visit on a budget, lots of self-catering apartments available to choose from, and lots of services available for those who are self-catering to make good use of. Also, my understanding is that two of the main lift problem areas in Vars are being upgraded this year, you'll get a great ski area with a great lift system and be able to keep the costs down. Vars can't be described as a 'looker', but Risoul over the hill is attractive enough for a week in the mountains and, again, is set up for those self-catering.
When I visited Courchevel 1650 in 2008 (I think), I enjoyed my stay. However, it is of course at one extremity of a large ski area and you find yourself always travelling to visit different parts of the ski area. For skiing, I'd prefer to have good access to a medium size ski area than peripheral access to a large sized ski area. Just my opinion, of course. |
Thanks for your reply. I haven't heard of Vars actually but it sounds good with regards to it being reasonably high and with upgraded lifts. I quite like the ski area to be beautiful though as I like taking lots of photos and posting on social media. Silly, I know.
Yes, I'm aware Courchevel 1650 is at the very edge of the 3V and that's a disadvantage imo as it will take us longer to ski to the other areas of the 3V, if we decide to venture that far afield.
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You could definitely get across to les men just on blues (not greens), but as always a runs colour does not always indicate its real level of difficulty.
Something like
Ariondaz bubble up,
Petite bosse down to augille de fruite chair.
Down altiport run to pick up Suisse chair
Down biche to pick up Tourette out of meribel
Down gros tune to pick up oranges chair
Then down into les men.
As above colour doesn't always mean difficulty, as an example the last bit of petite boss to the agile chair is quite steep, gets ski's out and can be a bit icy/boiler plate.
Difficult on the brain but sometimes the harder colour is the easier run to ski.
Someone will be along to correct me soon I'm sure.
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| ecureuil wrote: |
@Motherofthree, It depends on your priorities. If your family love cruising for miles visiting different area and villages each day then the large inter-connected French resorts are hard to beat. Trois Vallees is one of the best, with better links than most of the others, and Courchevel 1650 is a good choice. You will save some hours each way driving compared to most of Austria.
We have a big breakfast and dinner, so don't need a big lunch: just drinks and a snack. We tend to stop twice, late morning and mid-afternoon, to avoid lunch crowds, and some of the best skiing is when everyone else stops for lunch. Mountain restaurants everywhere cost more than village snowfront restaurants, which are more than those a bit further away. (And as others have said some mountain restaurants, particularly above 1850, are very expensive). If money is really tight one of you can always walk a short distance to the supermarket in 1650, 1550, Mottaret etc to pick up baguettes, cheese, drinks., .... Or take a picnic.
You should find somewhere reasonable for one or two evenings out, but have a look around when you first arrive and book something early.
Not sure about the impact of the World Champs. If plenty of people gravitate towards the race pistes, it may even reduce lift queues and piste crowds in the rest of the area. |
Thanks for your reply. We will probably take a picnic most days, having read previous replies in this thread. Sounds like a good idea to visit the mountain restaurants mid-morning and mid-afternoon rather than at lunch time, although I remember that the most popular mountain restaurants in Verbier were busy all day when we were there during February half term this year.
Let's hope the World Champs will reduce lift queues and piste crowds in the rest of the area, rather than the other way round.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| ansta1 wrote: |
You could definitely get across to les men just on blues (not greens), but as always a runs colour does not always indicate its real level of difficulty.
Something like
Ariondaz bubble up,
Petite bosse down to augille de fruite chair.
Down altiport run to pick up Suisse chair
Down biche to pick up Tourette out of meribel
Down gros tune to pick up oranges chair
Then down into les men.
As above colour doesn't always mean difficulty, as an example the last bit of petite boss to the agile chair is quite steep, gets ski's out and can be a bit icy/boiler plate.
Difficult on the brain but sometimes the harder colour is the easier run to ski.
Someone will be along to correct me soon I'm sure. |
Thanks, sounds great. Yes I'm aware that not all blue runs are easy ones, but we should be able to manage even the trickier blue runs by now.
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Excuse the auto correct on some of those names.
Tourette - should be tougnette
Gros tune - should be gros tougne
Oranges - should be granges
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Motherofthree,
Have a look at the 3 valleys piste map - download it from this page: www.les3vallees.com/en/guide/the-world-s-largest-ski-area/ski-area-map
I think you will get bored if you only stick to the 1650 sector even though the blue runs there are good and quite long. You're only saving 35 euros by buying that pass as opposed to the 3V pass. Spending the extra will give you access to the lovely green runs above 1850 and also the greens near the Meribel Altiport.
If you do make it to Meribel centre, we almost always take the Legends chair and then there is a short ski to the Tougnete 2 chair, after which you can follow the Gros Tougne blue run all the way into Les Menuires. There are lots of restaurants in Mottaret, including the reliable Pizzeria du Mottaret, and a row of reasonable ones beyond the Plattieres gondola. Beware trying to get there by the red Aigle run as it's often hard and icy.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| andy1234 wrote: |
@Motherofthree,
Have a look at the 3 valleys piste map - download it from this page: www.les3vallees.com/en/guide/the-world-s-largest-ski-area/ski-area-map
I think you will get bored if you only stick to the 1650 sector even though the blue runs there are good and quite long. You're only saving 35 euros by buying that pass as opposed to the 3V pass. Spending the extra will give you access to the lovely green runs above 1850 and also the greens near the Meribel Altiport.
If you do make it to Meribel centre, we almost always take the Legends chair and then there is a short ski to the Tougnete 2 chair, after which you can follow the Gros Tougne blue run all the way into Les Menuires. There are lots of restaurants in Mottaret, including the reliable Pizzeria du Mottaret, and a row of reasonable ones beyond the Plattieres gondola. Beware trying to get there by the red Aigle run as it's often hard and icy. |
Thanks for your reply. It looks like Les Menuires is a long way away when looking at the map, but it might be quicker to get there than it seems.
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@johnE, where in Les arcs, 1600 in a cafe, surely not up the mountain ?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Motherofthree, it’s difficult to estimate how long it could take for a family group like yours to start in 1650, reach Les Menuires, ski that area, then return in good time for last lifts in Courchevel on return journey.
Big variables, which include visibility, snow conditions, piste crowdedness, lift queues, route taken, frequency of stops etc.
I don’t think of myself as a very fast skier, though don’t hang around, when on a long distance day trip. Medium paced I’d say.
On my last visit to 3V we stayed in La Tania. One day we skied from La Tania, across to Courchevel 1650, did about an hour there, then gradually skied our way across to Val Thorens, then over to 4th Valley. Skied a couple of hours in 4th valley. Went right down to gondola base station at Orelle. Then back to La Tania.
I happen to have a ski app summary for that day, which a friend sent to me.
Also skied from 1850, 9.15am start, to Val Thorens. Then back to Courchevel 1850 for an early lunch at 12.
Hope this helps.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
where in Les arcs, 1600 in a cafe, surely not up the mountain ?
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Well not at the very top of the mountain but places like Arpette, the mushroom (I forget its real name) above 2000, Enfant Terrible above Vallandry
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| PeakyB wrote: |
If you prefer mostly green, blue, maybe easier reds, then you've made a good choice with Courchevel 1650. It will almost certainly be less crowded than Meribel valley and Les Menuires, as they're both on the main routes around the 3 Valleys. Not that it would be quiet at Feb half term.
Whether a full area pass is worth the extra for 5 of you depends on how adventurous your skiing is and whether you enjoy touring around. Did you have a full area pass for Paradiski or just La Plagne?. Reasonably confident intermediate skiers can comfortably ski over to Les Menuires, further if you enjoy getting a wiggle on.
Sign up to various ski rental suppliers for discount offers, though these might be scarce, again because of half term high demand. Skimium (Decathlon partner) worth a look. They offer discounts for group bookings (4 or more sets, 5% off; 10 or more 10% off). Might be able to find other snowHeads there that week to join with your booking for that extra 5% off? They also discount another 5% if you have a Decathlon card. Their base in 1650 (Francis Blanc Sport) is very central and conveniently located for the main gondola.
I'd recommend La Table de Marie for unpretentious, relatively good value eating out. Also the bakery / patisserie just uphill from the centre, right hand side, does good sandwiches etc. In 2019 we were getting a baguette or sandwich plus a drink to take away for 10 euros. Stocking up with food at Moutiers is cheapest but doubt you'll have much spare room in your vehicle.
Avoid the overpriced mountain restaurants in and above Courchevel 1850. There's one more reasonable place I know of that does good lunchtime burgers. On the left, just after passing under the bridge near the main lift hub in 1850. There are one or two more reasonable and good value lunch restaurants over in Les Menuires and en route to Val Thorens.
Hope that helps. |
A key point raised here in relation to full area pass. A quick internet search (so better deals may be available) show that a 3V pass for a family of 5 comes in at €1,400 for 6 days. We are going to Montgenevre this year and a pass for the Montgenèvre + Monts de la Lune ski area for 5 of us seems to come in at €842. That's a difference of €558 which would get you some nice meals out! I know i'm not close to comparing like with like in terms of the ski areas that the passes cover. However on our last trips to 3V and Tignes we haven't come close to getting value from our lift passes as we have to be back to collect kids from ski school etc. Not sure what ages your kids are or what their abilities are so maybe you would get much more mileage under your belt than we do (our kids are young). But the point is you need to factor in everything from lift passes, equipment hire, cost of lessons etc when looking at the cost of the holiday. Whether you pay €3 or €5 for a coffee might make a €20 difference over the course of the week. Whereas the price differential in the big ticket items to me seems to be quite a lot between the very large resorts and the not so large.
Having said that we stayed in 1650 in 2018 and loved it. Great base and the skiing suited our group perfectly. We self catered and didn't eat any main meal out mainly due to restrictive dietary requirements. However, we would treat the kids to pizza, crepes etc at lunchtime or whatever and we definitely enjoy a coffee out on the slopes.
My advice is to get the dreaded spreadsheet out and price everything as best you can if you haven't already. Travel, lift passes, ski hire, lessons, clothing etc can all be costed very accurately at this point. See where you're at in terms of your budget. If you're ok at that point then stick with 1650. You'll have a ball and there are plenty of ways of being sensible in relation to food when you're there as everyone else has outlined. That then should leave you enough wriggle room to have a couple of treat meals out in the less pricey establishments.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Just don't go to the Chinese restaurant in 1850!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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1650 is about as affordable as most other big French ski resorts IMO, but better than most. Creux, Saulire and Folyeres are about as good as it gets for on-piste skiiing.
When there's a group of you SC, then making your own sandwiches and packing snacks for the slopes is a no brainer. Not only will it save you 100s during the week, but you may end up eating in some nicer spots (weather dependent of course). I know that there are also some cheapish options to eat at. e.g. The Bubble bar in 1650 used to do paninis for about 6EUR, you've also got a load of sandwich shops in the villages.
Adriangrogan's point above is valid. Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Ryunis wrote: |
| Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though) |
I agree with you. I did a season in VT and always looked forward to the perfect piste skiing in Courchevel. Still not sure I’ve skied anywhere else that matches it purely for the piste skiing.
St Martin was the other place with long nice cruisey runs.
Meribel always seems busier (and icier - aspect?). Mottaret, especially Mont Vallon) is great but more red than blue.
VT also has some nice pistes but it’s a trek from 1650 and you’ll not be able to avoid red runs.
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@BobinCH, totally agreed on all counts
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
| Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though) |
I agree with you. I did a season in VT and always looked forward to the perfect piste skiing in Courchevel. Still not sure I’ve skied anywhere else that matches it purely for the piste skiing.
St Martin was the other place with long nice cruisey runs.
Meribel always seems busier (and icier - aspect?). Mottaret, especially Mont Vallon) is great but more red than blue.
VT also has some nice pistes but it’s a trek from 1650 and you’ll not be able to avoid red runs. |
Also agree with this. From my experience I much prefer Courchevel than Meribel.
Not sure what the difference is in price between a 3V list pass and a Courchevel only one.
There is fantastic piste skiing in Courchevel/La Tania so unless you expect to cover a lot of miles and are keen to explore further then maybe it would be worth looking into the Courchevel passes.
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I always say they should rename Meribel-Mottaret to Courchevel-Mottaret 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Motherofthree, I think you're worrying too much about "getting round the 3V". Courchevel, setting aside the other parts entirely, is one of the world's great ski resorts. I wouldn't bother wasting timing poring over piste maps about how to get somewhere like Meribel (which is not nearly as good.......) and how to get back. The point made earlier about skiing through lunchtime is spot on - it will be very busy. Why waste the best couple of hours of the day, with quiet pistes, spending more money than you like in a crowded restaurant on a pretty ordinary sort of lunch? And a POSOL is all that is really affordable for a family of 5!!
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| I always say they should rename Meribel-Mottaret to Courchevel-Mottaret |
Yes!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| PeakyB wrote: |
@Motherofthree, it’s difficult to estimate how long it could take for a family group like yours to start in 1650, reach Les Menuires, ski that area, then return in good time for last lifts in Courchevel on return journey.
Big variables, which include visibility, snow conditions, piste crowdedness, lift queues, route taken, frequency of stops etc.
I don’t think of myself as a very fast skier, though don’t hang around, when on a long distance day trip. Medium paced I’d say.
On my last visit to 3V we stayed in La Tania. One day we skied from La Tania, across to Courchevel 1650, did about an hour there, then gradually skied our way across to Val Thorens, then over to 4th Valley. Skied a couple of hours in 4th valley. Went right down to gondola base station at Orelle. Then back to La Tania.
I happen to have a ski app summary for that day, which a friend sent to me.
Also skied from 1850, 9.15am start, to Val Thorens. Then back to Courchevel 1850 for an early lunch at 12.
Hope this helps. |
Thanks for your reply. We are quite slow skiers, so probably would take longer than this to reach Val Thorens from Courchevel 1650 and I have a feeling we might struggle to get back in time before the lifts close...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| adriangrogan wrote: |
| PeakyB wrote: |
If you prefer mostly green, blue, maybe easier reds, then you've made a good choice with Courchevel 1650. It will almost certainly be less crowded than Meribel valley and Les Menuires, as they're both on the main routes around the 3 Valleys. Not that it would be quiet at Feb half term.
Whether a full area pass is worth the extra for 5 of you depends on how adventurous your skiing is and whether you enjoy touring around. Did you have a full area pass for Paradiski or just La Plagne?. Reasonably confident intermediate skiers can comfortably ski over to Les Menuires, further if you enjoy getting a wiggle on.
Sign up to various ski rental suppliers for discount offers, though these might be scarce, again because of half term high demand. Skimium (Decathlon partner) worth a look. They offer discounts for group bookings (4 or more sets, 5% off; 10 or more 10% off). Might be able to find other snowHeads there that week to join with your booking for that extra 5% off? They also discount another 5% if you have a Decathlon card. Their base in 1650 (Francis Blanc Sport) is very central and conveniently located for the main gondola.
I'd recommend La Table de Marie for unpretentious, relatively good value eating out. Also the bakery / patisserie just uphill from the centre, right hand side, does good sandwiches etc. In 2019 we were getting a baguette or sandwich plus a drink to take away for 10 euros. Stocking up with food at Moutiers is cheapest but doubt you'll have much spare room in your vehicle.
Avoid the overpriced mountain restaurants in and above Courchevel 1850. There's one more reasonable place I know of that does good lunchtime burgers. On the left, just after passing under the bridge near the main lift hub in 1850. There are one or two more reasonable and good value lunch restaurants over in Les Menuires and en route to Val Thorens.
Hope that helps. |
A key point raised here in relation to full area pass. A quick internet search (so better deals may be available) show that a 3V pass for a family of 5 comes in at €1,400 for 6 days. We are going to Montgenevre this year and a pass for the Montgenèvre + Monts de la Lune ski area for 5 of us seems to come in at €842. That's a difference of €558 which would get you some nice meals out! I know i'm not close to comparing like with like in terms of the ski areas that the passes cover. However on our last trips to 3V and Tignes we haven't come close to getting value from our lift passes as we have to be back to collect kids from ski school etc. Not sure what ages your kids are or what their abilities are so maybe you would get much more mileage under your belt than we do (our kids are young). But the point is you need to factor in everything from lift passes, equipment hire, cost of lessons etc when looking at the cost of the holiday. Whether you pay €3 or €5 for a coffee might make a €20 difference over the course of the week. Whereas the price differential in the big ticket items to me seems to be quite a lot between the very large resorts and the not so large.
Having said that we stayed in 1650 in 2018 and loved it. Great base and the skiing suited our group perfectly. We self catered and didn't eat any main meal out mainly due to restrictive dietary requirements. However, we would treat the kids to pizza, crepes etc at lunchtime or whatever and we definitely enjoy a coffee out on the slopes.
My advice is to get the dreaded spreadsheet out and price everything as best you can if you haven't already. Travel, lift passes, ski hire, lessons, clothing etc can all be costed very accurately at this point. See where you're at in terms of your budget. If you're ok at that point then stick with 1650. You'll have a ball and there are plenty of ways of being sensible in relation to food when you're there as everyone else has outlined. That then should leave you enough wriggle room to have a couple of treat meals out in the less pricey establishments. |
Thanks for your reply. Having read all the replies in this thread, I think we will stick to the Courchevel ski area only. Our budget is as follows for this trip:
Apartment rental Courchevel 1650 - £1125 (already paid)
Ski pass x 5, Courchevel area for 6 days - £1100
Driving from Surrey - £375 (petrol and tolls)
Eurotunnel - £250 (we are using Tesco vouchers as part payment)
Accommodation en route in an Airbnb x 2 - £200
Ski hire - £500
Food and drinks - £450 (self catering plus a couple of dinners/lunches out)
Total: £4000
We already have all the ski gear and snow chains for the car and our three children already know how to ski, so won't need ski school this time. I think this is a realistic budget and a very affordable final price for a family of 5 in Feb half term, compared with booking a packaged holiday.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 26-09-22 20:30; edited 1 time in total
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| Ryunis wrote: |
1650 is about as affordable as most other big French ski resorts IMO, but better than most. Creux, Saulire and Folyeres are about as good as it gets for on-piste skiiing.
When there's a group of you SC, then making your own sandwiches and packing snacks for the slopes is a no brainer. Not only will it save you 100s during the week, but you may end up eating in some nicer spots (weather dependent of course). I know that there are also some cheapish options to eat at. e.g. The Bubble bar in 1650 used to do paninis for about 6EUR, you've also got a load of sandwich shops in the villages.
Adriangrogan's point above is valid. Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though) |
Thanks for your advice, I think we will stick to Courchevel only and have a relaxing time, rather than trying to see as much as possible of the 3V. We are only confident on green and blue runs when skiing with the children, so it makes sense to stick to one area.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Mon 26-09-22 20:43; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
| Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though) |
I agree with you. I did a season in VT and always looked forward to the perfect piste skiing in Courchevel. Still not sure I’ve skied anywhere else that matches it purely for the piste skiing.
St Martin was the other place with long nice cruisey runs.
Meribel always seems busier (and icier - aspect?). Mottaret, especially Mont Vallon) is great but more red than blue.
VT also has some nice pistes but it’s a trek from 1650 and you’ll not be able to avoid red runs. |
Sounds like we chose the right base then when we chose Courchevel 1650, which I'm glad about. If we can't ski to VT on blue runs only, it seems pointless to have the full 3V ski pass for us, as we can't really ski on red slopes with the children.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| adriangrogan wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
| Courchevel on its own is a fantastic ski area and should provide enough skiing for most punters. Especially given that 1650 is right at the far end of the3V, it may be worth considering sticking to Courch only and saving quite a bit without spoiling your trip. My experience of Meribel is that it's more of a junction to Val T than a ski resort in itself anyway (fully expect to be shot down for this though) |
I agree with you. I did a season in VT and always looked forward to the perfect piste skiing in Courchevel. Still not sure I’ve skied anywhere else that matches it purely for the piste skiing.
St Martin was the other place with long nice cruisey runs.
Meribel always seems busier (and icier - aspect?). Mottaret, especially Mont Vallon) is great but more red than blue.
VT also has some nice pistes but it’s a trek from 1650 and you’ll not be able to avoid red runs. |
Also agree with this. From my experience I much prefer Courchevel than Meribel.
Not sure what the difference is in price between a 3V list pass and a Courchevel only one.
There is fantastic piste skiing in Courchevel/La Tania so unless you expect to cover a lot of miles and are keen to explore further then maybe it would be worth looking into the Courchevel passes. |
Thanks for your reply. I can't find the exact price for the lift passes in Courchevel only, but someone in this thread said it's about €35 cheaper per person than the 3V lift pass. Having studied the 3V piste map, I like the look of all the green and blue runs in the Courchevel villages, they will suit us perfectly. I think we will stick with only Courchevel, if it's possible to buy a lift pass for just that area.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| @Motherofthree, I think you're worrying too much about "getting round the 3V". Courchevel, setting aside the other parts entirely, is one of the world's great ski resorts. I wouldn't bother wasting timing poring over piste maps about how to get somewhere like Meribel (which is not nearly as good.......) and how to get back. The point made earlier about skiing through lunchtime is spot on - it will be very busy. Why waste the best couple of hours of the day, with quiet pistes, spending more money than you like in a crowded restaurant on a pretty ordinary sort of lunch? And a POSOL is all that is really affordable for a family of 5!! |
Thanks for your reply, I agree and I think we will stick to the Courchevel area this time. What does POSOL stand for?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Motherofthree, pretty ordinary sort of lunch. Took me a while
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @Motherofthree, pretty ordinary sort of lunch. Took me a while |
I see, thanks lol.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Motherofthree wrote: |
| adriangrogan wrote: |
| PeakyB wrote: |
If you prefer mostly green, blue, maybe easier reds, then you've made a good choice with Courchevel 1650. It will almost certainly be less crowded than Meribel valley and Les Menuires, as they're both on the main routes around the 3 Valleys. Not that it would be quiet at Feb half term.
Whether a full area pass is worth the extra for 5 of you depends on how adventurous your skiing is and whether you enjoy touring around. Did you have a full area pass for Paradiski or just La Plagne?. Reasonably confident intermediate skiers can comfortably ski over to Les Menuires, further if you enjoy getting a wiggle on.
Sign up to various ski rental suppliers for discount offers, though these might be scarce, again because of half term high demand. Skimium (Decathlon partner) worth a look. They offer discounts for group bookings (4 or more sets, 5% off; 10 or more 10% off). Might be able to find other snowHeads there that week to join with your booking for that extra 5% off? They also discount another 5% if you have a Decathlon card. Their base in 1650 (Francis Blanc Sport) is very central and conveniently located for the main gondola.
I'd recommend La Table de Marie for unpretentious, relatively good value eating out. Also the bakery / patisserie just uphill from the centre, right hand side, does good sandwiches etc. In 2019 we were getting a baguette or sandwich plus a drink to take away for 10 euros. Stocking up with food at Moutiers is cheapest but doubt you'll have much spare room in your vehicle.
Avoid the overpriced mountain restaurants in and above Courchevel 1850. There's one more reasonable place I know of that does good lunchtime burgers. On the left, just after passing under the bridge near the main lift hub in 1850. There are one or two more reasonable and good value lunch restaurants over in Les Menuires and en route to Val Thorens.
Hope that helps. |
A key point raised here in relation to full area pass. A quick internet search (so better deals may be available) show that a 3V pass for a family of 5 comes in at €1,400 for 6 days. We are going to Montgenevre this year and a pass for the Montgenèvre + Monts de la Lune ski area for 5 of us seems to come in at €842. That's a difference of €558 which would get you some nice meals out! I know i'm not close to comparing like with like in terms of the ski areas that the passes cover. However on our last trips to 3V and Tignes we haven't come close to getting value from our lift passes as we have to be back to collect kids from ski school etc. Not sure what ages your kids are or what their abilities are so maybe you would get much more mileage under your belt than we do (our kids are young). But the point is you need to factor in everything from lift passes, equipment hire, cost of lessons etc when looking at the cost of the holiday. Whether you pay €3 or €5 for a coffee might make a €20 difference over the course of the week. Whereas the price differential in the big ticket items to me seems to be quite a lot between the very large resorts and the not so large.
Having said that we stayed in 1650 in 2018 and loved it. Great base and the skiing suited our group perfectly. We self catered and didn't eat any main meal out mainly due to restrictive dietary requirements. However, we would treat the kids to pizza, crepes etc at lunchtime or whatever and we definitely enjoy a coffee out on the slopes.
My advice is to get the dreaded spreadsheet out and price everything as best you can if you haven't already. Travel, lift passes, ski hire, lessons, clothing etc can all be costed very accurately at this point. See where you're at in terms of your budget. If you're ok at that point then stick with 1650. You'll have a ball and there are plenty of ways of being sensible in relation to food when you're there as everyone else has outlined. That then should leave you enough wriggle room to have a couple of treat meals out in the less pricey establishments. |
Thanks for your reply. Having read all the replies in this thread, I think we will stick to the Courchevel ski area only. Our budget is as follows for this trip:
Apartment rental Courchevel 1650 - £1125 (already paid)
Ski pass x 5, Courchevel area for 6 days - £1100
Driving from Surrey - £375 (petrol and tolls)
Eurotunnel - £250 (we are using Tesco vouchers as part payment)
Accommodation en route in an Airbnb x 2 - £200
Ski hire - £500
Food and drinks - £450 (self catering plus a couple of dinners/lunches out)
Total: £4000
We already have all the ski gear and snow chains for the car and our three children already know how to ski, so won't need ski school this time. I think this is a realistic budget and a very affordable final price for a family of 5 in Feb half term, compared with booking a packaged holiday. |
Sounds like you have everything well under control. Now relax and look forward to your trip. You'll have a ball and no doubt will love the area. Don't forget to let us know how you get on!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@adriangrogan - Thank you, will do! And thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Motherofthree, if you have some stronger skiers you can (used to be able to?) buy a 1 day 3V extension to your local lift pass for them to go and explore the 3V’s. It’s worth it for Mottaret and Val Thorens on a good weather/good snow day. I would imagine skiing from 1650 to 4th Valley and back is about as far as you can travel on skis in the Alps without skiing the same piste twice - it would make for a cracking day.
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@Motherofthree, yes, I think you've made sound decisions there. You've done exceptionally well on the budget. Hopefully the exchange rate won't be too bad 5 months from now. Stash away a couple of gold bullion bars in case
As @adriangrogan, says, Relax and look forward to it. Also do a bit of more detailed research in those spare moments a @Motherofthree, gets. 
SnowHeads who know the area like the back of their mittens will give great advice free. Seemingly small stuff that really makes a difference, like:
- aspect of slopes at certain times of day to get best conditions
- routes and times to minimise lift queues (important at half term)
- latest news on the evolving eats 'n' drinks scene
- more challenging blue and easier red runs you might progress on without much risk
- good toilets and ones to avoid
- which mega celebrities are in town this week (eg George Clooney, Holly Willoughby, Heidi Klum, various snowHeads).
If a glossy paper piste map helps planning at all, I'll have a spare one somewhere I could send you, just PM me.
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@Motherofthree, looks like you made a good call in choosing the Courchevel ski pass, that will give you access to loads of runs to suit your abilities and you won't have the stress of worrying about will I make it back before the lifts close. Have fun
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| andy1234 wrote: |
| @Motherofthree, looks like you made a good call in choosing the Courchevel ski pass, that will give you access to loads of runs to suit your abilities and you won't have the stress of worrying about will I make it back before the lifts close. Have fun |
+1, especially the have fun bit!
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| @Motherofthree, if you have some stronger skiers you can (used to be able to?) buy a 1 day 3V extension to your local lift pass for them to go and explore the 3V’s. It’s worth it for Mottaret and Val Thorens on a good weather/good snow day. I would imagine skiing from 1650 to 4th Valley and back is about as far as you can travel on skis in the Alps without skiing the same piste twice - it would make for a cracking day. |
Great idea ... and you don't have to go all the way to Orelle to feel a sense of achievement. Even getting down to the Altiport area of Meribel and spending some time lapping the Golf chair / venturing as far as the Chaudanne up the Tougnette bubble and back down to Meribel on just 2 greens will be a massive boost for everyone's confidence. You'll have a blast. Enjoy!
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FAQ
