Courmayeur - Italy

A refreshing diversion from the typical formula of the mega resorts of France, Courmayeur is a grown-up boutique village intent on style and sophistication. With more than 60 restaurants in the village, 23 in the ski domain and over 100 shops and boutiques, Courmayeur is a prime tourist destination – especially for those who like long lunches and lots of shopping with some skiing thrown in. It is also an off-piste and cross-country mecca set on the side of Mont Blanc (or as the Italians call it, Monte Bianco), the tallest mountain in Europe.

All this means it offers the sort of skiing that Chamonix boasts about whilst also catering well for non-skiers and foodies, making it a lot more than just an extreme mountain resort. Whilst the on-piste skiing isn’t extensive and can be covered in a few days, other resorts such as La Thuile and Pila can be easily reached by car or bus and the village’s proximity to the Mont Blanc tunnel means Chamonix is just 24km away. The lift company has also invested heavily in snowmaking, with 80% of their slopes covered by snow cannons ensuring that even in snow-sparse times, Courmayeur is a safe bet.

Key info

Resort altitude	1224m - 1224m
Highest lift	2755m
Lowest lift	1224m
Kms of piste	100kms
No of lifts	24
Black pistes	17%
Red pistes	58%
Blue pistes	25%
Green pistes	0%
Snow parks	0
Glacier	No
Snowmaking	252 cannons

Our penny’s worth

Buy a lift pass for three or more consecutive days and you can ski for a day in other Aosta Valley resorts, Chamonix or the Grand Massif.

Don’t leave Courmayeur without…

Taking the Monte Bianco cable cars all the way up to Punta Helbronner at 3462m to marvel at the tallest mountain in Europe and the distant peaks of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Grande Motte…
…then skiing 20km down the glaciers of Mont Blanc on the Vallée Blanche to Chamonix
Shopping in the many boutiques of Via Roma, from Cartier to Hermès to Gant
Riding a skidoo to the Maison Vieille restaurant for a mountain dinner before skiing back to resort by torchlight
Visiting the thermal spa in Pré-Saint-Didier and letting the healing waters work their magic on your tired legs

At a glance

Nearest airports	Type of resort	Stay in	Go for a
Geneva Milan (Malpensa) Turin	Small alpine village	Hotels Independent Travel Self-Catered Tour operator	Week Week+ Weekend
Good for	On the piste	Children	Food and drink
Cross-country Disabled skiing Heli-skiing Off-piste Ski-touring Snowboarding	Snow sure	Creches Babysitting Ski schools	Apres-ski Evening drinking Resort dining Vegetarian Family friendly Live music Late drinking Mountain dining
Other	Other activities
Internet access Churches	Adrenaline fuelled Sightseeing Relaxation Shopping

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