 Poster: A snowHead
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I've skied in Meribel, Val Thoren, and La Tania... and I've decided that MrsC would really like the slopes around Courchevel next year.
I think we'd like to do an apartment... but go out to eat each evening (it's a model that works well for us, DIY breakfast and then no washing up at night!).
I found the options to eat out in LaTania a little limited (fine for a weekend, but repetitive if there for a week), and if we assume that I am NOT going to be eating out in Michelin restaurants then the question is:
Which of the (many) Courchevel villages would provide the most options for eating out at night? Anything from Pizza, Savoyard, Burger&Chips.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Short answer is probably 1650
1850 has the most restaurants but is by far the most expensive and not so many apartments to rent.
1650 has slightly more than LT (tapas and fish/sushi options) and plenty of apartments but is also creeping upscale.
1550 less than LT but plenty of apartments and pedestrian gondola to 1850 for their restaurants.
1350 similar options to LT but few apartments.
La Tania, in its defence, has 6 different restaurants excluding the Michelin-starred Le Farcon and loads of apartments. So not that repetitive.
Marmottons - Pizza
La Ferme - Savoyard
Ski Lodge pub - burger & chips/ pub grub
Bistro Machet - French gastronomique
La Taiga - a la carte
Hotel Montana - open to non residents a la carte
Longer answer is stay where you like and take the bus a couple of nights if you want more variety.
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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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Another vote for 1650. I've not stayed there for years, but we absolutely love the tapas at Copina-I've met people who say it's better than they ever get in Spain, and I would tend to agree, albeit I've not been to Spain much.
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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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@Perty, sadly the Head chef there has moved on and not quite as good but still not too bad..
another vote fro 1650 of all the courchevels
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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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Courchevel 1850.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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To save you time: if you see an advert or online listing about any accommodation described just as "Courchevel": they mean 1650.
If they meant anywhere else is the area, especially 1850, they would have said so.
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@skimottaret, Yes, Copina perhaps not quite as good as it first was, but it's our go to restaurant when we ski over to 1650 for lunch (which is often!). I have never eaten better calamari, the fried chorizo in sherry...mopped up with fresh bread...mmmmmm (tummy rumbling!)
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Thanks all.
By the sounds of things, 1650 is the right place (I was concerned it was too far on a limb, but having food options counterbalances that).
I didn't find all the LT restaurants when I was there... but that could be more due to tiredness after the (2) failed attempts at Escapade rather than because they were hiding 
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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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| jamescollings wrote: |
| I didn't find all the LT restaurants when I was there... but that could be more due to tiredness after the (2) failed attempts at Escapade rather than because they were hiding |
That was my first thought when I read your comment hence why I listed them.
If you walked down the "High St" just once (all 100m of it!) then you walked past 5 of them. La Ferme and Marmottons are next door to each other opposite the Bistrot Machet (which is the one with a piste side terrace). The Ski Lodge and the Hotel Montana bookend the High St. Le Farçon is opposite the Ski Lodge terrace next door to the delicatessen. The only restaurant that's not in the pedestrian zone is La Taiga which is on the main road opposite the bus stop but there's a public lift and stairs to the bus stop between the Hotel Montana and the ex P&V Christiana building.
There used to be one more in the Hotel Telemark up in the chalets area but it's closed as a hotel for now and apparently unlikely to reopen as one. There should be one, probably two, more restaurants when the new Orso development opens on the old car park on the opposite side of the gondola. This development is currently under construction and consists of upscale apartments and possibly another hotel due to open (I think) in winter 25-26.
At that point I think La Tania becomes a very strong rival to 1650 in terms of reasonably priced variety without, as you say, being on a limb like 1650 is.
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@peerless ploughman,
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To save you time: if you see an advert or online listing about any accommodation described just as "Courchevel": they mean 1650.
If they meant anywhere else is the area, especially 1850, they would have said so.
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The other names used are Courchevel Moriond (which is 1650). Courchevel Village (1550). Courchevel La Praz (1300).
Courchevel 1850 has the central lift hub for the Courchevel area and is the most exclusive and expensive of the three. It's real altitude is a bit below 1800m, marketing hype implies its at 1850m.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's real altitude is a bit below 1800m, marketing hype implies its at 1850m.
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I beleive that this was to make it appear higher than its rival Val d'Isere.
The numbers attached to ski resort names are only vaguely related to elevation. For example Arc 1800 is actually largely below 1700m Arc 2000 is at 2150 and Arc 1950 is at 2050, but they couldn't call it that when it is clearly below Arc 2000
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| I beleive that this was to make it appear higher than its rival Val d'Isere. |
There's a nice article on the history of the Courchevel names here: https://www.seecourchevel.com/history
It was a (fairly large) bit of artistic licence but TBF to 1850, it's not such a misnomer anymore because although the centre is closer to 1750m, the entire Bellecote and Jardin Alpin areas do average 1850m in height and they probably cover around 50% of the resort geographically. But it's taken 50 odd years to get there; the developers were obviously true visionaries!
Almost all of 1550 is a little below 1500m and almost all of 1650 is a little below 1600m. I suspect they were all mislabelled as a knock on effect of inflating the headline resort.
The odd one out is Le Praz. It was accurately listed as Le Praz 1250 on early maps but gained 50m to Le Praz 1300 in the 70s or 80s. But nothing's changed. If you go on Google Earth there isn't one single building in Le Praz at 1300m and almost all of it is between 1240-1260m, same as it ever was. Maybe they just felt left out with everyone else inflating their altitudes.
La Tania gained 50m around 2006, it was originally (and accurately) La Tania 1350m before then. The change to La Tania 1400m is reasonably fair though, because it coincides with the development of the entire chalets area which is now about 50% of the resort and is at 1400m.
Changing altitudes is not a Courchevel only practice though, I note that both St Martin and Les Menuires have gained 50m since the early 2000s; I don't know if that's development justified or not.
Credit to the Meribel valley resorts which seem to be both accurate and consistent over time.
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