The lifts in Courchevel close in the middle of the afternoon, which leaves a long period of daylight and a whole evening to fill. The resort is well set up for it. There is a huge aquatic center, a floodlit toboggan run, dog sledding, paragliding, proper shopping and restaurants that go well beyond a quick lunch on the slopes. All of it is part of luxury travel in Courchevel, and all of it needs arranging. AR Privé in Courchevel takes that on alongside the skiing, so the off-mountain days are set before anyone arrives.
Spas, Pools and Activities
Water and Warmth
The biggest draw off the mountain is Aquamotion, the resort’s aquatic and wellness center, down between Village and Moriond. The leisure area has the pools, the slides and an indoor surf machine, with a 25-meter pool for anyone who wants to swim. The wellness area is quieter. The water is 32 degrees, there is a salt pool you float in, and the saunas and steam room do the rest. Wellness does not have to mean leaving the chalet, though. Some high-end chalets have their own spa, pool or treatment room. A few luxury chalet stays in Courchevel come with a hammam or a therapist on call. The choice comes down to the big public center or something private in the house.
Days Off the Piste
The list of things to do off the slopes is long. A few stand out.
- The Moriond toboggan run drops 3 kilometers through banked bends and tunnels, floodlit some evenings.
- Tandem paragliders launch off the slopes and come down in Le Praz.
- Dog sledding puts you behind a husky team, driving or riding with the musher.
- Snowmobiles, snowshoe trails and the ice rink at Le Forum in 1850 fill the slower afternoons.
- Scenic flights off the altiport give you views of the mountains that most skiers never see.
Dog sledding and a couple of the others need booking in advance. The rest depends on the snow and the weather.
Food, Shops and Nights Out
Lunch here is seldom a quick sandwich on a chairlift. At a place like Le Cap Horn, out by the altiport, it can last from one o’clock until the light drops. Dinner is the same story, from the two Michelin stars at Le Chabichou to a late table in one of the 1850 bars. Shopping is taken just as seriously. Louis Vuitton has a boutique in 1850, the sort of name you would sooner see on a city avenue. AR Privé handles the restaurant reservations and arranges the activities around whatever the group has planned.
A Week That Works for Everyone
A good Courchevel week gives everyone room to do their own thing. On one afternoon, one person can be in the Aquamotion spa, another on the Moriond toboggan run, and a third in the shops in 1850. They all still meet up for dinner. That variety makes luxury travel in Courchevel work for families and mixed groups, where not everyone wants to be on the mountain from the first lift to the last. When the off-mountain days are planned as carefully as the skiing, AR Privé in Courchevel can make sure the week has something for each of them.
