Courmayeur ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Courmaueur
Overview
Courmayeur is a pretty ski resort sitting at the top end of Aosta Valley at the foot of Monte Bianco, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range.
It was founded in the 17th century as a spa town and has grown up since to be a very popular all year round resort.
Après-Ski
Come nightfall, there’s a bewildering selection of restaurants to choose from in the charming, medieval village, which is also liberally sprinkled with bars, boutiques and fur-coated Italians - and, that's why Courmayeur attracts so many non-skiers all year round.
At weekends, the resort gets very busy and the night life post dinner is centred on stylish bars serving up a fine selection of cocktails and exquisite wines.
| Key information (local area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1224m |
| Top lift | 2755m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 100 |
| Longest run | 24 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 51 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & Sophisticated |
Courmayeur ski area guide
If this is your first ski holiday in Courmayeur, either as a skier or boarder, you will either love or hate it. On the one hand, it has some of the most challenging off piste around yet for the intermediates, there is just not enough to keep you occupied for more than a few days.
The main ski areas are the east-facing Checrouit area and Val Veny. Checrouit gets the morning sun and has wide open slopes which are ideal to start the week on. To get to the top, take the Youla cable car followed by another tiny cable car to Cresta d’Arp. This is where the real off-piste starts!!
In the afternoon, those wanting to top up their tan usually head towards Val Veny with stunning views of Mont Blanc. This area is also good when visibility is poor as there are many tree-lined pistes. The Val Veny slopes are also accessible by cable car from Entrèves, a few miles outside Courmayeur.
A little way beyond Entrèves is La Palud, where a cable car goes up in three stages to Punta Helbronner - the Italian starting point for the famous Vallée Blanche run to Chamonix (you get the bus back through the Mont Blanc tunnel). On the Italian side of Mont Blanc there are tougher off-piste runs – notably the Toula glacier route beside the cable car.
When its time to stop for lunch, you dont need to look far. Courmayeur has more mountain restaurants than ski lifts and skiers from neighbouring Chamonix often head to Courmayeur for a culinary treat serving up delicious pizza, pasta and other local dishes.
Beginners
Courmayeur has excellent nursery slopes around the village and also further up the mountain. There is a free lift on the beginner slope at Plan Checrouit. The best starting point for beginners is at the top of the Entrèves cable car, where there is a beginner slope and easy longer runs coming off the Peindeint lift.
Intermediate
The ski areas that Courmayeur offers are mainly geared up for the intermediate skier with some great Red runs - the problem is that there are not enough of them to go touring. If you want to ski non-stop for a day, we would suggest the Vallée Blanche or heli-skiing.
There are some good long runs – it’s 700m vertical from Col Checrouit to Zerotta, and 1400m vertical from Cresta Youla to Dolonne. On the steeper Val Veny side of the ridge there are more challenges with a few easy blacks dropping down to the valley.
Advanced
Courmayeur is more about off piste with some superb trails starting at Cresta d’Arp - Arp Vieille heading in to Val Veny with close-up views of the Miage glacier. You also have the route through "ghostown" valley to Dolonne or Pré-St-Didier or through the Youla gorge to La Balme, near La Thuile.
Cross-country
Courmayeur has 30km of beautiful trails of which the best 20km are at Val Ferret. There are also a few short trails at Dolonne.
Snowboard
Courmayeur’s blue and red pistes suit beginners and intermediate boarders. For the more adventurous, there are good off-piste routes starting at the top of Cresta d’Arp and there is boardercross park at Dolonne.
Things to see & do
If you fancy a break from skiing, Courmayeur offers plenty of other activities...
- The thermal baths at Pré-St-Didier – with over 40 spa ‘experiences’ including saunas, waterfall and outdoor thermal pools is a great day out to get pampered
- Sledging
- Parapenting
- Winter hiking trails
- Snowshoeing
Off the beaten track
One of the best experiences on skis is the 6 day trip doing The Haute Route, linking Chamonix to Zermatt passing through the 4 Valleys. This is not only a spectacular and demanding tour staying overnight in the mountain refugees but a unique and unforgettable experience.
Heli-skiing
One of the best heliski tours is the 20km run from the Ruitor glacier into La Rosière. Getting back isn't too bad - you take the lifts back up and ski in to La Thuile then take a taxi back to Courmayeur, Evolution 2 can organise your heli-skiing tours.
Featured ski chalets
Courmayeur has an excellent selection of accommodation from holiday rentals including ski chalets and apartments to rent to fantastic hotels. However, there are very few properties where you can walk to the ski lifts but the ski bus is regular and very efficient.
See all rentals
Our view on Courmayeur ski resort
Ski holidays in Courmayeur - a ski resort thats full of charm, its chic and fun and also well suited to non-skiers or those wanting to mix their ski holidays with some gentler pursuits.
- We would certainly recommend doing the Vallée Blanche - this requires a guide as it is just too dangerous to attempt by yourself
- A day trip to the local market in Chamonix - this is held every Saturday morning throughout the year selling all kinds of local produce - great pasta stall selling all shapes and sizes that you never see at home
If you like Courmayeur, you may also want to look at Cervinia and Livigno
