Two great names of the Tarentaise, yet two very different ways of spending a winter. Courchevel, planned in 1946, climbs the mountainside in six villages at the heart of Les 3 Vallées. Val d’Isère is an old high-mountain village strung out along the Isère at 1850m, sharing its ski area with Tignes. The question comes up every season: Courchevel or Val d’Isère? Here is how they really differ, point by point.
Courchevel and Val d’Isère at a glance
- Courchevel: six villages from 1100m to 1850m, 150km of pistes linked to the 600km of Les 3 Vallées, season from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027.
- Val d’Isère: a village at 1850m, ski area shared with Tignes, season from 28 November 2026 to 2 May 2027.
- Getting there: Moûtiers station is 30 minutes from Courchevel; Bourg-Saint-Maurice station is about 40 minutes from Val d’Isère by bus.
The feel: six villages or one
Courchevel is arranged in six villages stacked up the slope, from Saint-Bon to Courchevel 1850, which its tourist office describes as the “historic and symbolic heart of the resort”: grand hotels, the boutiques of the rue de la Croisette, life after dark. Further down, Moriond, Courchevel Village and Le Praz are quieter. Our guide to choosing your village in Courchevel compares them one by one.
Val d’Isère, by contrast, is a single village, running from La Daille to Le Fornet. Its tourist office speaks of the “historic heart of Val d’Isère” and of a village “on a human scale” that you “discover on foot”, gathered around the church of Saint-Bernard-de-Menthon and its belfry of 1664. A free shuttle bus known as “le train rouge”, the red train, links the different areas; our guide to the areas of Val d’Isère covers each one.
The skiing: sheer size or altitude
In Courchevel, the ski area runs from 1300m to 2740m, has 150km of pistes of its own and connects via the Saulire and the Col de la Loze to Méribel, then to the 600km of Les 3 Vallées. Here you will find the Grand Couloir, which the ski area presents as the steepest piste in Les 3 Vallées, and the Éclipse, where the men’s races of the 2023 World Championships were held.
In Val d’Isère, everything starts higher: the village sits at 1850m, and the ski area is shared with Tignes, the former Espace Killy. The Face de Bellevarde, a black run of about 3km with 850m of vertical, hosted four men’s events at the 1992 Albertville Olympics. Together with the Oreiller-Killy piste, it is also home to the Critérium de la Première Neige, raced since 1955; this season the men’s event is scheduled for 12 and 13 December. Both resorts will host alpine skiing events at the 2030 Games.
AEC tip. If your dates fall at either end of the season, late November or late April, check the opening calendar first: Val d’Isère opens a week before Courchevel and closes two weeks after it.
The season: longer in Val d’Isère
This is the most tangible difference. Val d’Isère opens on 28 November 2026 and closes on 2 May 2027; Courchevel opens on 4 December 2026 and closes on 18 April 2027, with the links to Les 3 Vallées opening on 5 December. Val d’Isère even keeps some summer skiing on the Pissaillas glacier, which last summer was open from 6 to 21 June.
For families
Both resorts hold the Famille Plus label, Courchevel since 2010. Where they differ is the lift pass for the youngest: it is free for under-5s in Les 3 Vallées, and for under-8s in Val d’Isère this season. Both have free lifts for beginners: about a dozen in Courchevel, and in Val d’Isère the Savonnette drag lift, the Village chairlift and the Lanches drag lift. Our guide to family ski holidays covers childcare and lessons in detail.
Getting there and getting around
Courchevel is reached via Moûtiers station, 30 minutes away by road, or from Geneva and Lyon airports, about two hours away; once there, free shuttle buses serve every village, and the Praz and Grangettes gondolas go up to 1850. Val d’Isère is reached via Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, then about 40 minutes by bus according to the tourist office; the free Val bus shuttles run from La Daille to Le Fornet. The details for Courchevel are in our guide on how to get to Courchevel.
Courchevel or Val d’Isère: side by side
| Criterion | Courchevel | Val d’Isère |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Six villages, from Saint-Bon to 1850 | One village strung out along the Isère |
| Altitude | From 1100m to 1850m | 1850m, 1930m at Le Fornet |
| Ski area | 150km, linked to the 600km of Les 3 Vallées | Shared with Tignes, the former Espace Killy |
| 2026-2027 season | 4 December to 18 April | 28 November to 2 May |
| Railway station | Moûtiers, 30 minutes away | Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 40 minutes by bus |
| Free lift pass | Under-5s | Under-8s |
| Headline event | Women’s World Cup slalom, 22 December | Critérium de la Première Neige, 12 and 13 December |
In short: choose Courchevel for the choice of six villages, an address at 1850 and the sheer scale of Les 3 Vallées; choose Val d’Isère for a true high-altitude village and a season that stretches from late November to early May.
Where to stay
Our chalets and apartments are gathered under our rentals in Courchevel and our rentals in Val d’Isère. To ski straight from the door, see our selections of ski-in ski-out chalets in Courchevel and ski-in ski-out chalets in Val d’Isère; before you book, our guide to renting a luxury chalet answers the practical questions. To see how they compare with the other major resorts, read our guide to luxury ski resorts in France. For life in the resort, see our guides to what to do in Courchevel in winter and what to do in Val d’Isère in winter.
The simplest way is to write to us: tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling, and our agents will put together a selection in one resort, the other, or both.
Then all that remains, one December evening, is to choose between the lights of the Croisette and the red train running beside the Isère.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Courchevel and Val d’Isère?
Courchevel, created in 1946, is arranged in six villages from 1100m to 1850m and opens onto the 600km of Les 3 Vallées. Val d’Isère is a high-mountain village at 1850m, strung out along the Isère, with a ski area shared with Tignes.
Which has the longer ski season, Courchevel or Val d’Isère?
Val d’Isère: from 28 November 2026 to 2 May 2027, against 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027 in Courchevel. Val d’Isère also offered summer skiing on the Pissaillas glacier in June 2026.
Which has the bigger ski area, Courchevel or Val d’Isère?
Courchevel has 150km of pistes on its own and links to the 600km of Les 3 Vallées. The Tignes and Val d’Isère ski area has about 300km of pistes, according to the two tourist offices.
Is Courchevel or Val d’Isère better for families?
Both hold the Famille Plus label. The lift pass is free for under-5s in Les 3 Vallées, and for under-8s in Val d’Isère for the 2026-2027 season.
How do you get to Courchevel and Val d’Isère?
Courchevel is 30 minutes from Moûtiers station and about two hours from Geneva and Lyon airports. Val d’Isère is reached from Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, in about 40 minutes by bus.
What are the big events in Courchevel and Val d’Isère this winter?
Val d’Isère hosts the men’s Critérium de la Première Neige on 12 and 13 December 2026, and Courchevel a women’s World Cup night slalom on 22 December 2026.
Where to stay in Val d’Isère and Courchevel?
In Courchevel, the choice is between six villages, from the buzz of 1850 to the calm of Le Praz. In Val d’Isère, it lies between the centre, La Daille at the foot of the Funival, and the hamlets of Le Laisinant and Le Fornet. Our guides to the villages of Courchevel and the areas of Val d’Isère compare them.
