1850, Moriond, Courchevel Village, Le Praz or La Tania? Sonny, who grew up in Courchevel, explains why budget shapes the choice and what you gain or lose in each village.
The budget decides the village
People ask me which village they should take. I will be honest with you: it is the budget that decides. There is one real choice. You stay in 1850, or you go down one floor.
Sonny: In 1850 everything is there. The night clubs, the shopping, and the properties where our field-verified ski-in/ski-out access is currently the strongest. It is really something complete. If the budget does not follow, we start to go down the floors, to keep something really premium. What you lose is a little bit of this distance to all the shops.
So what you lose when you go down is the shops at your door. It is not the quality of the place, and it is not the staff. At the same service standard the lower villages cost much less than 1850. The measured gaps are further down this page.
I was born in Albertville and I grew up here, in Courchevel. What follows is based on what I lived and on what I like. Do not take it as a sure word. Each village has good points and bad points, and I give you both.
Courchevel 1850
1850 is the number most associated with Courchevel internationally, and for good reason. The Croisette has Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton. The restaurants include multiple Michelin stars within walking distance of each other. The chalets at the top of the market, the ones with indoor pools, private cinemas, and full staff, are mostly here.
Sonny: 1850 is the most international village. And in 1850 I do not choose the area by the name. I choose it by the level of skiing.
The Chenus side has ski-in ski-out, and luxury chalets are starting to come there. The only bad thing would be the slopes: on this side of the resort they are much more difficult than on the other side. If your group skis at a good level, I would say Chenus.
If you have beginners, I would say Jardin Alpin, Cospillot or Nogentil. Cospillot, Nogentil and Pralong are above the resort and they are really worth it. There is less ski-in ski-out up there.
There is no small area in 1850 that is much better than all the others. It is not that complicated.
What it means for the place you pick. In 1850 you find the top of the market: the chalets with full staff and a chef. Tell me the level of the weakest skier in the group before you pick the chalet. It changes the side of the resort.
- All properties in Courchevel 1850
- By area: Chenus · Jardin Alpin · Nogentil · Pralong
- Chalets with a chef and staff
French-speaking readers can find our dedicated comparison of renting and investing in the two main villages in Courchevel 1850 ou 1650 : louer ou investir.
Courchevel Moriond (1650)
Moriond: on our own catalogue on 25 September 2026, taking each property's median winter week and holding the service standard equal, a Comfort self-catered chalet in Courchevel Moriond ran 37% below the same standard in Courchevel 1850 (6 properties against 8), a Comfort self-catered apartment 57% below (11 against 22), and an Essential self-catered apartment 45% below (46 against 24).
Aquamotion, the purpose-built aquatic and wellness centre, is a short walk away, between Moriond and Courchevel Village.
Sonny: Moriond is more seasonal and more English. The slopes are much more simple than in 1850.
In Sonny's experience, the higher parts of Moriond, including the Belvédère area, can offer a particularly practical relationship with the slopes, but we have no field-verified ski-in/ski-out property in Moriond yet, so each property still needs to be checked. The only bad thing: it starts to be far if you do not have a car.
To go to 1850 from Moriond there is a free shuttle, and it works really well.
Sonny: I would say the car is a must in 1650.
What it means for the place you pick. In Moriond you get a real place on the same ski area. If you plan dinners in 1850, take a place with a driver, or come with a car. If you want quiet, look at the high part of Moriond, check the recorded ski access of each property, and plan the car.
Courchevel Village (1550)
Sonny: For me 1550 is the floor of the resort that is coming up. The chalets that were built there are really modern, and the prices are really lower than in 1850.
You are next to 1850. There is a small shopping street with a few restaurants and a few shops. Aquamotion is next to it. The village is really small.
The ski shops are really good and the service is really good. You start to get ski fitting at the chalet too. So the service is arriving. This is why I say it is coming up.
It is more French families, and Brazilian families, with middle budgets.
The only bad thing would be the ski-in ski-out. There is not much of it. Most of the chalets come with a driver and a shuttle, and that fixes it.
A gondola goes from Courchevel Village straight to 1850, and it runs in the evening. So dinner in 1850 is not a problem.
On our own catalogue on 25 September 2026, taking each property's median winter week and holding the service standard equal, a Prestige chalet in Courchevel Village ran 53% below the same standard in Courchevel 1850 (8 properties against 5), a Comfort self-catered apartment 53% below (32 against 22), and an Essential self-catered apartment 21% below (13 against 24).
What it means for the place you pick. If you want a recent chalet for a family at a really good price, and 1850 one gondola away for dinner, this is the village I would look at first. Ask if the driver is included in the price of the chalet. At 1550 it changes the week.
Le Praz (1300)
Sonny: Le Praz is magnificent. It is a small village that is still rustic, it kept its soul of a mountain village. And there are really luxury chalets there, with staff, with really nice pools and really nice spas.
There are a few restaurants, and a cooperative where you buy cheese. Local people live there all year, so it is a real mix of families and locals. The 1992 Olympic ski jump is here.
Most people who write to me expect something ultra in Courchevel. Ultra luxury, ultra expensive. Le Praz is the village where that expectation often changes.
Sonny: When they have a more moderate budget and we propose a chalet in Le Praz, they see that there is an atmosphere in this village. It is really a family village. It is cosy, there is snow, the roads are white, there is no traffic. You can ski on the road. Sometimes people fall in love with the place.
You do not have the energy of Courchevel 1850 there. You have a mountain village.
I will be honest with you about the bad points. You are lower, at 1,300 metres. The snow is not as good, and sometimes there is no snow in the village. On ski access we have no field-verified ski-in/ski-out property in Le Praz yet, and only a few of the properties with a recorded piste distance are within 50 metres of a piste, so check the recorded distance of each property before counting on coming back on skis. And it is not the heart of the resort with all the shops.
A gondola goes from Le Praz straight to 1850, and it runs in the evening. After that there is always a taxi or a driver.
On our own catalogue on 25 September 2026, taking each property's median winter week and holding the service standard equal, a Prestige chalet in Le Praz ran 59% below the same standard in Courchevel 1850 (7 properties against 5), and an Essential self-catered apartment 26% below (12 against 24).
What it means for the place you pick. Le Praz is for the family that wants to be quiet in the evening and really use the chalet: the pool, the spa, the staff. It is the wrong choice if you want your skis on at the door, sure snow in the village, or a night life.
La Tania
Sonny: The official story is true. La Tania was built for the 1992 Olympics. It still has charm, it gets old well, and there are really good restaurants.
It is a very English village. People speak English everywhere, in the bars and in the pubs too.
We do not publish a price gap for La Tania: our September 2026 catalogue holds three apartments and one chalet in the village, and we do not publish a median on fewer than five properties on each side of a comparison.
What it means for the place you pick. La Tania is a small apartment village for a small group, on the same ski area. There are very few places there, so if your dates are fixed, ask me and I will tell you what is really free.
Dinner in 1850 when you sleep lower
From Le Praz and from Courchevel Village there is a gondola straight to 1850, and it runs in the evening.
Sonny: So it is a first option to go to 1850 without a problem. After that there is always the taxi or a driver.
From Moriond, plan a car or a driver for the evening. There is a free shuttle between the villages and it works really well.
What it means for the place you pick. If you want to eat in 1850 most evenings and you do not want a car, Le Praz and Courchevel Village are easier than Moriond. If you take Moriond, take the driver with it.
