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Courchevel was not a prestigious ski resort until late 1940s. It was an ordinary mountainous area. Оf course some skiers came in the winter, but during the summer period local shepherds grazed cattle here. Only in 1946, the General Council of Savoy (an area in southeastern France, at the foot of the Alps) proposed to turn the modest commune into a robust ski resort.
The location became popular immediately - and not only due to its location, but also due to serious work on the trails. Then the study of the local slopes, mapping and the creation of a plan and concept of the resort was taken up by a keen skier, architect and urban planner Laurent Chappis. He even wrote a book!
According to Chappis’ idea, the station had to meet two requirements:
This concept was truly innovative - the skiing area ceased to be just a slope, but became a full-fledged complex with the entire specter of infrastructure. The implementation of the idea was so successful that other resorts began to copy it.
The development of Courchevel continues even today: good maintenance of the slopes, the latest systems of the ski-lifts, professional instructors and lifeguards, the top-ranked hotels, Michelin restaurants, boutiques ... All these factors help Courchevel to keep the status of the most prestigious, comfortable and well-designed resorts in terms of infrastructure.
By plane
Altibus shuttles make scheduled trips from everywhere, and AGBus run from Grenoble airport.
Courchevel also has its own airport in the mountains with a very short runway. However, it only accepts private jets and helicopters. Therefore, truly wealthy people may afford to use it.
By train
The closest railway station to the resort is located in Moutiers, 30 km away. High-speed trains arrive here from Paris (4.5 hours) and even from London (8 hours), as well as regular trains (from Brest, Le Havre, Versailles, Poitiers, Tours and other cities). Travel time from the station is about half an hour by taxi or bus.
Courchevel is part of the ski resort Les 3 vallées ("Three Valleys") - it is associated with the resorts of Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires and Brides-les-Bains.
In the common sense Courchevel is one point with slopes going down in different directions. In fact, these are six villages located one after another at different levels. You may move between them by means of ski lifts or by free buses.
In fact, the history of the resort began from here: the first hotel Lac Bleu ("Blue Lake") was built here in 1908. Now it is a small but fully functional town where you can live all the year round - there are schools, clinics, shops, and even a baroque church, included in the list of historical monuments.
Most of the people here are locals, the majority of them live at the expense of tourists - they run restaurant business, rent out housing, own shops, work at the stations, and so on.
There is a free shuttle from Saint-Bon to the next peak - Le Pra, it is located a few minutes away.
The second level of Courchevel also proposes year-round living. The small houses and chalets are built along the winding narrow mountain streets. Despite the fact that it is a classical village with a rural flavor and steady way of life, the French ski jumping center is located here. The are ski jumping boards which were used in the Olympic Games of 1992 (although some of them were built in the 40s of the last century) as well.
You may get to the highest point of the resort – the station Courchevel 1850 in just eight minutes by a free shuttle bus or cable railway and ski back down.
It is the youngest ski resort in the Saint-Bon Valley and it was opened during the Olympics games in order to accommodate athletes and media representatives.
The resort is very small and cozy and specially designed for pedestrians. You are allowed to come here by car, but you will need to leave it in the parking lot at the entrance. There is a green area around with the Folière trail runs. Snowshoeing and hiking trails, paragliding and ballooning are also available.
This location for recreation is often chosen by families with children. Numerous entertainment programs are held for them here. In addition, there is a ski kindergarten and a sports club for children from 6 to 11 years old.
The place is considered optimal in terms of prices and quality.
The village is located at the foot of the ski area. The highest point of the resort - Courchevel 1850 is only two minutes away by cable railway. In addition, it is easy to get to other resorts of the Three Valleys and to the Aquamotion water park. You may even walk to the waterpark, as it is only 600 meters away.
There are shops, hotels and restaurants with a simple and cozy atmosphere in the center of the village.
Morion is a place to rest. After a productive day on the slopes (by the way, they are mostly simple and suitable for beginners here), you may spend time in one of the many bars, pubs and restaurants. It is a gastronomic paradise with an English pub, an oyster bar, a Savoy cuisine cafe .
It is the most popular resort in the region. Everything is here: the most luxurious hotels, Michelin restaurants, night parties, the best facilities, designer boutiques.
The resort has gained its notable reputation due to this highest station of Courchevel.
But the main pearl is nature. The two ski lifts will take you to the top of Saulire, the highest point of the resort, located at an altitude of 2738 m.
And Courchevel 1850 differs from its lower counterparts in the variety of buildings. At the rest of the stations, the buildings are mostly of the same type.
Here you may find multi-level houses and chalets, luxury hotels, small rustic-style houses, compact studios and spacious apartments.
Winter in Courchevel is traditionally the highest season. However, the resort is extremely popular in summer too. The fans of mountain air and nature walks prefer to spend this time in Courchevel. Instead of skis and snowboards, people choose hiking, cycling and horseback riding, excursions, golf courses, swimming pools, spas, shopping, restaurants ...
Due to some natural features, a slight decrease in the tourist season occurs in autumn and spring, but it is beautiful even at this time of the year in the mountains!
In general, Courchevel is a year-round resort. Regardless of the tourist flow, local residents feel very comfortable: all the infrastructure is available, as well as the infrastructure of the large cities nearby (for example, Moutiers), you may reach them in literally an hour.
The building landscape of Courchevel is mostly low-rise hotels and chalets. There are also high-rise buildings (eight - ten floors) here, but they were built much earlier- now there is a ban on such construction here. The law is very strict: everything should be in harmony with nature and the landscape and should not block the view.
The housing is usually very decent inside.
New buildings are put into service by developers fully finished, as elsewhere in France, even with a built-in kitchen. The owner only needs to purchase the furniture.
Most of the properties are offered with high-quality repairs, it is almost impossible to find one that still needs finishing. Such variants are regarded as a stroke of luck, since finishing may serve as a reason to reduce the cost.
A typical request from foreigners today is an apartment of 70–150 sq.m. Then there are spacious (200-250 sq.m) and huge (350-500 sq.m) chalets. The latter are already non-standard requests. In addition to their high price (available upon request), they are not always available on the market.
As for the districts, they are all prestigious here - you may buy real estate everywhere. There is no crime or lack of infrastructure. Although buyers are less interested in high-rise buildings, there are no bad locations here.
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The real estate market in Courchevel is rather closed. There is lack of supply, and there are fewer and fewer options every season. It is not easy to obtain information about the properties on your own, as well as to purchase them. The agent is needed even to buy an ordinary studio, let alone exclusive options ... Not every realtor is able enter the market and find valuable information there.
If we talk about purchasing hotel real estate in Courchevel, it is only available through single brokers. However, according to our own experience, we can say: you may find it. The main point is the amount involved!
Foreigners are allowed to purchase a property at any station in Courchevel without any restrictions... except for financial ones. Apartments, flats, houses, chalets - any local property costs a lot.
The most low-cost options are small studios (20-30 sq.m) at the altitude of 1300-1500 m. The cost of a square meter in them starts from €5,000-6,000. Spacious apartments and chalets at the same level are already more expensive - about €10,000 per sq.m.
At the very top location a square meter will cost no less than €20,000! But you should acknowledge that this is the minimum threshold. The price per square meter at this level ranges from €30,000-50,000.
Thus, the minimum amount to enter the local market is €180,000-200,000, which is the cost of a small studio at the foot of the valley. You will not be able to find such prices in Courchevel 1850, a full-fledged apartment there will cost more than €700,000.
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For many foreigners, Courchevel is just a vacation spot; they come here for a few weeks, on vacation. Others look for investment opportunities and purchase rental properties, the yields may vary from 5 to 10%.
The prices are increasing every year, because there is practically no new supply on the market. Even the pandemic has not affected the value of our real estate! In general, high interest in the property objects remained during this period. The housing objects were not empty, the owners preferred to spend quarantine in them.
The cost of maintaining real estate in Courchevel directly depends on the segment: if it is an apartment, then, as a rule, there is a property management company that sets its price.
In private houses or luxury complexes, the situation is different. The cost of service may be as much as €2,000 per year, and €50,000 and more, if we are talking about an object with an extended set of options. The final bill depends on many factors: the availability of a pool, gym, concierge, security, and more.
