Resort height: 1850m
The mountains
Courchevel is the eastern-most of the famous Three Valleys - one of the largest networks of lifts and pistes in the world. It's also, from an intermediate skier's point of view, the best - thanks to its gentle slopes and north-facing bowls. Lower down, the snow can be patchy, but in the top half of the resort the snow is almost always good.
Getting there
Transfers take about 90 minutes from Chambéry, and three hours from Lyon or Geneva. Courchevel is well-served by the French motorway network, and you can catch two Eurostars a week direct from London St Pancras, direct to Moutiers, in the valley beneath the resort
Rating: 
6/10
Après-ski
Courchevel's nightlife suffers from the fact that this is not one town, but four separate villages. The after-hours energy never quite reaches critical mass as a result. Courchevel 1850 is the place to go to look for a buzz. Prends Ta Luge et Tire-toi, the Milk Pub and Kalico are the best bars for a younger crowd. Grown-ups tend to congregate in the hotel restaurants - and no wonder, given that two of them, Le Chabichou and Le Bateau Ivre have two Michelin stars each. Courchevel 1650 is the place to go for a more low-key evening: start at the the Bubble bar, and have dinner at L'Eterlou.
Rating: 
7/10
Non-skiers
Money to burn? Then take a sight-seeing flight from Courchevel's own airport. More down-to-earth pleasures include an ice rink, bowling and snow-shoeing through the trees in the lower slopes of the resort. It's also easy for pedestrians ride to the top of the resort at La Saulire, to rendezvous with skiers lunch and stunning views.
Rating: 
9/10
Cost of living
Courchevel has always been expensive, but recently it's become absurd, thanks to the popularity of the resort with Russian billionaires. To keep costs down, avoid the mountain restaurants, and drop back into Courchevel 1850 or Courchevel 1650 for lunch in one of the cheaper creperies or pizzerias, or else pack rucksack with sandwiches and have yourself a picnic.
Rating: 7/10
Attractiveness of the resort
Striking mountain scenery at the top of the lift system isn't matched by Courchevel's villages - which, despite a reputation for glamour, look dated in their more public areas.
