Much is said about Courchevel once you are there. Far less about getting there. Yet that is where the first day is often won or lost: on a Saturday in February, the Tarentaise valley can turn an hour’s drive into three.
This is how we think about it, before every season.
Choosing your airport
Geneva remains the busiest gateway, with the most flights and private operators. Allow around two and a half hours by road in good conditions, longer on changeover days.
Chambéry is the closest: a little over an hour and a half’s drive to the resort. The airport lives mostly in winter, to the rhythm of weekends, and receives business aviation.
Lyon offers more international connections, at the cost of a longer drive.
The right choice depends less on distance than on your arrival time, the day of the week and the forecast at altitude.
The helicopter, when the sky allows
From Geneva or Chambéry, a helicopter shortens the climb to around half an hour. It depends on visibility: a low ceiling is enough to keep it on the ground. So we always keep a car in reserve, ready to leave at once if the flight is cancelled.
The altiport
Courchevel has its own altiport, one of the most demanding in Europe: a very short, steep runway reserved for certain light aircraft and pilots with a specific qualification. For most travellers, it is a connection rather than a direct arrival from abroad.
The train
On winter weekends, TGV services link Paris to Moûtiers. From there, it is about forty minutes by road to the resort. A calm option for those who would rather avoid the airport — provided the car is waiting on the platform.
What we prepare
- Winter equipment: in the Savoie, it is mandatory from November to March. Rental cars are not always; we check the one waiting for you.
- Timing: arriving on a Saturday between noon and five means arriving with everyone else. A Friday evening or a Sunday morning changes everything.
- The chalet: warm, open, fridge full, before you leave the airport.
- Skis: set to your measurements and delivered to the chalet, so the first afternoon is not spent in a shop.
In short
There is no best route, only the right one for your day, your hour and your sky. We decide it the evening before, and adjust it that morning.
To prepare your season, see our Courchevel page, or talk to us directly about private aviation and chalets.
