 Poster: A snowHead
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We're 4 guys who are looking for a catered chalet, good skiing and good aprés ski - has anyone stayed at Chalet Sophie before? What is Courchevel like?
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brian
brian
Guest
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Nick-o, which bit of Courchevel ?
1850 is most expensive, liveliest, has 2* Michelin restaurants, fur coats (and nae knickers  ), Roman Abramovich, etc.
1650 is most French, more apartments etc. slightly out on a limb as regards the 3Vs as a whole.
1550 is one lift below 1850, quieter and cheaper.
1300 (Le Praz) is even quieter, again one lift (but it's a long one) from 1850, skiing back is tough-ish runs down through the trees.
La Tania is small and new, has one noisy Brit pub and a couple of restaurants but is only 2 lifts from 1850 or Méribel.
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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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Don't know Chalet Sophie, sounds charming (I've always liked the name Sophie). As you know, Courchevel gives you access to miles and miles of skiing. It has a reputation for motorway skiing, which is broadly deserved, but there are a good number of more interesting runs and some grizzly looking couloirs. I quite like the skiing there, others are dismissive of it. Obviously, the whole of the 3V is at your disposal.
There are several centres making up Courchevel. 1850 is the main one, 1650 is a bit out on its own although conected to the rest (probably a bad choice if you want to ski a lot in other 3V resorts, but I don't really know), 1550 is immediately below 1850, La Praz is below that and then La Tania, or possibly the other way round. Courchevel, 1850 in particular, has a reputation for opulence and expense. Couldn't see it myself; the town looks pretty much like many other French ski resorts you've been to, reasonably easy on the eye (stone built rather than concrete), with the usual selection of bars and restaurants and tedious shops. There are some very smart hotels and restaurants, and some rather nice chalets tucked away by the side of some of the pistes, but overall it's pretty ordinary. No problem in finding grub and drinks at reasonable (by French ski resort standard) prices. 1550 is pretty quiet (1850 isn't a riot), a few bars and restaurants, perfectly pleasant, nothing to write home about. It suited our group of 40 somethings and 8-12 yo kids, may not be ideal for 4 blokes. I got the impression from the chalet girls that 1650 was the best bet for nightlife; that's where they seemed to end up most mornings.
There's no public pool in Courchevel, although some hotel pools are open to the public. The main shopping centre thing at 1850 ha a good ice rink and a few activities in the 'atrium', including swinging across it a just above head height on a long rope.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 4-08-06 12:23; edited 3 times in total
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Courchevel has superb skiing and anyone who says otherwise is full of it. Best nightlife in 1850 but that is also the most expensive village. La Tania best for families. The other villages are smaller, cheaper, quieter than 1850. Beware some of the nightclubs in 1850 they are seriously expensive! £8 a pint!?!  Plenty of cheaper dives but nothing that cheap, it is not Bulgaria!
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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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the ice perv, I agree. Courchevel has some wonderful skiing. What is lacking in the 3v is a Vanoise Express-like fast cable car linking the Saulire with the Mont de la Chambre thus missing out Merihell as IMHO the Belville valley is just as good.
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Frosty the Snowman, splendid idea. Without all the through traffic, Meribel would be much better, as well.
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| richmond wrote: |
| As you know, Courchevel gives you access to miles and miles of skiing. It has a reputation for motorway skiing, which is broadly deserved, |
I was chatting to a woman on a bench there last season - as you do - and she was telling me how scary she found Courchevel because the pistes were so narrow  She said she'd only ever skied Whistler. I advised her to avoid Switzerland for a bit!
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