Apartment Marcel

Apartment Marcel can be found overlooking the snow-capped mountains of the French Alps, nestled in the heart of exclusive Courchevel Village. 

There’s a choice of ways  to reach your holiday home, all within a three hour radius. In peak season fly into the major international airports of Geneva and Lyon, or the more local, but less well served, Chambery and Grenoble. From the airport take a taxi, private hire car, or jump aboard one of the regular shuttle services, and enjoy the drive through Alpine forests. For those of you feeling flush, charter a helicopter and arrive in style.

Courchevel Village at 1550m above sea level is the lowest of the Trois Vallees resorts, and is famous for being family-friendly, peaceful, and populated with traditional wooden chalets. 

The apartment is at the epicentre of the action, everything you will need is within walking distance. Local shops and stores are stocked with provisions to cater for your holiday, and a Tuesday market is a French foodie heaven, selling ripe cheeses and hand cured meats. For information about what to do and see there is a handy tourist office. A ski school and kindergarten is almost on your doorstep, perfect for your young ones and beginners.

It’s a short twenty metre walk to the nearest ski slope, and only one hundred metres to the ski lift, which connects with the other two Trois Vallees resorts, and a plethora of six hundred kilometres of ski runs of every colour.

For those who may not want to ski, or if you fancy doing something different, there’s lots of activities to keep you busy, starting with the apartment’s gym and spa. Nearby is the Aquamotion Aquatic Centre, a six pool swimming complex, which offers a wide range of fun and relaxation activities for people of all ages. Take a gondola to the other two resorts and explore what they have to offer, especially the top of the world, jet-set Courchevel 1850, where you can wander through the quaint streets lined with luxury boutiques, and shop for souvenirs, ski wear, designer labels, and fabulous French food. For the adrenalin seekers, paraglide over the peaks, for the romantics, see the mountains from the comfort of a horse drawn sleigh. There’s a whole host of seasonal sports to keep you amused, including walking and mountain biking, canyoning and archery, kayaking and horseriding, golf and climbing, and cookery classes for the not so inclined.

As dusk falls and après ski beckons, head to the local sports bars for a fun night out, or dine at one of the many restaurants serving French delicacies and international cuisine. 

Read more about Courchevel

Courchevel is made up of six satellite villages, each with their own distinct style and atmosphere, and picturesque forest roads to lead you in-between. Most well known is the illustrious Courchevel 1850 with its reputation for exclusivity and an A-List clientele. 1850 is certainly the place to go for five-star hotels, swanky bars and extravagant nightlife. The other Courchevel villages (such as Courchevel Moriond) have a much more laid back vibe and are certainly the more affordable choice.  

The skiing in Courchevel is split into four levels and you can take an excellent free ski bus in between. At the resort itself you have 150 kilometres of pistes at your feet and while you can get a Courchevel lift-pass you can also ski the whole of the Three Valleys with an area-pass. Since the slopes here face north, the snow at Courchevel is more reliable than elsewhere in the Three Valleys. Courchevel pistes are absolutely unrivaled, meticulously maintained and perfectly positioned to align with the landscape.

With its highest lift at 2740m altitude, Courchevel is exceptionally good for high altitude skiing with incredible alpine views, and the most impressive runs are best suited for intermediate and advanced skiers. But for the little ones just finding their snow legs, the resort has a fantastic children’s village where they can learn in a stress-free environment. Ski season here lasts until late April and even if you prefer not to ski at all, you’ll be well entertained with everything from scenic walks to classical music concerts. 

In the evenings, the Courchevel night skies are lit up by spectacular firework displays that could get anyone in the mood for a night on the town. The bars here are a good mix of casual and upmarket, so there’s plenty for all tastes to enjoy when it comes to après-ski. Courchevel also has a well-earned reputation for being the best ski resort when it comes to gastronomy.