Courchevel's Folie Douce is a must-visit après classic
Courchevel is one of the crown jewels of French skiing. It provides instant access to the biggest ski area on Earth - The Three Valleys - and offers plenty to do once you’re off the slopes.
Made up of four smoothly linked villages, the resort has a reputation for its glitzy guests and luxurious hotels and nights out. Don’t be put off though! While there are areas where this is certainly the case (Courchevel 1850, to be specific), all the other villages have a wealth of accommodation to suit all pockets - from budget friendly apartments to half board hotels.
Indeed, Courchevel Moriond (1650) is now the unofficial hotspot for bars and clubbing, despite Courchevel 1850 being the main village. Other villages also offer some great spots, and whether you’re looking for slopeside partying in Folie Douce, a quieter pint or glass of wine in town, or a proper night out until the early hours, we’ll point you in the right direction.
The vast majority of the Iglu Ski staff have been to Courchevel, given how popular it is for Brits. We’ve liaised with them to easily come up with a list of the must-visit bars and après spots.
For clarity, we’ll quickly run through the villages in Courchevel. If you see a number next to the name, that’s referring to the altitude in metres.
At the top there is Courchevel 1850. Known to locals simply as Courchevel, this is where celebrities like David Beckham and Prince William stay, with plenty of five- and six-star hotels.
Next down in terms of altitude is Courchevel Moriond (also known as Courchevel 1650). Popular for groups and families hoping for more casual accommodation than 1850, this is also Courchevel’s nightlife capital.
Next up are the quieter Courchevel Village (1550) and Courchevel Le Praz (1300).
READ MORE: If you're keen on France, but looking to avoid the wild crowds, then find out all about La Rosière's bars and drinking spots.
Our must-visit après ski bars and nightlife hotspots in Courchevel are:
1. Folie Douce
2. L'Elephant
3. Le Pelican
4. Funky Fox
5. Le Mangeoire
6. Les Caves de Courchevel
7. Le Caterail
8. The Gatekeeper
9. Le Schuss
10. Le Tremplin
The best bars for mountain partying
France’s most well-known après chain also has a presence in Courchevel - and you can have a blast dancing on the tables from almost midday onwards. You can expect typical French flamboyancy in an array of colourful costumes and booming music.
La Folie Douce is nestled high in the mountains right by the Saulire Express gondola station. There’s a huge sun terrace with mesmeric sweeping views of the mountains. You’ll be able to see the stage from most places, on which live bands or DJs get the crowds going.
The last gondola back towards Courchevel is at 4:30pm - unfortunately you can’t ski back down directly, so make sure you don’t miss it, otherwise it’ll be an expensive taxi ride back from Méribel!
The best bars for live music and a lively evening
- Le Pelican (1650)
- L'Elephant (Le Praz)
Before we start on the above bars, it’s important to know that Courchevel is packed full of music and lively bars, and that it shouldn’t be hard to find if you just go on a stroll. Indeed, some of our bars in later categories could easily make it into this one.
A couple of examples might include Le Pelican (formerly La Boulotte) in Courchevel 1650 - it’s a small bar that attracts plenty of locals. There’s music pretty much daily at 4pm, and the genuine alpine character really reminds you where you are.
They also do lovely home-cooked food for lunch and snacks later, while prices are decent as Courchevel goes. It attracts local ski instructors and seasonaires, and can get quite energetic later on, with dancing on tables a common sight.
Meanwhile, L’Elephant in Courchevel Le Praz opens at 4pm every day and often has live music ringing out. It does nice comfort food, with pizzas, burgers, steaks and sharing platters making their way round. Open until the early hours of the morning, it’s a good choice if you’re based in La Praz and want something very local.
The best nightclubs for partying ‘til the early hours
- Funky Fox (1650)
- Le Mangeoire (1850)
- Les Caves de Courchevel (1850)
The Funky Fox is likely to be your number one choice - packed full of Brits and in the slightly more (financially) accessible village of Courchevel Moriond (1650), it’s where all the seasonaires and ski instructors head to most nights.
Iglu Ski’s Alice Barlow did a season in Courchevel, with Funky Fox being among her favourites. She says “it doesn’t close until 4am, meaning pretty much everyone is there by the end of the night. There’s a proper après vibe to this place, with loads of live music and DJs. Everyone’s dancing by the end of the night”.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of glamorous nightclubs up in swanky Courchevel 1850. Le Mangeoire has a heavy focus on soul music, with a piano bar providing the tunes all night.
Les Caves de Courchevel welcomes loads of top-notch DJs, with a different theme each night of the week - whether that’s hip-hop, dance or Abba-style classics, there should be at least one night during your stay that is what you want. Slightly more upmarket than most, you could even even rub shoulders with some celebrities while you're there!
Best bars for watching sports
- L'Elephant (Le Praz)
- Le Caterail Bar (Village)
L’Elephant in Le Praz is a good shout for live sports - with its pizzas, burgers and sharing plates and various beers on tap, you’ll enjoy yourself in here.
Le Caterail is found on the main street close to the roundabout in Courchevel Village (1550). It’s always got important sports matches live on its big screen, and it’s got a cool vodka and cocktail menu, too. There’s also live music every Thursday evening from 10pm, and it remains open until 2am every day.
Meanwhile, in 1650, the Funky Fox is also a good place to watch football, rugby and cricket (and more).
Best bar for craft beer
Again, there’ll almost certainly be a number of options selling nice beers on tap. The Gatekeeper is one of those - this one’s a cosy English-style pub in Courchevel 1850. It’s got a darts board, plays host to regular quiz nights and has a happy hour between 7pm and 8pm.
Best bar for something a bit more relaxed
- Le Schuss (1650)
- Le Chabichou Bar (1850)
Le Schuss is a cosy getaway which has a welcoming vin chaud aroma and a relaxed afternoon atmosphere. The drinks are relatively cheap and there’s plenty of space to be found. That being said, as the evening progresses, so does the après-style energy, so be sure to get there earlier for the most relaxed time.
Meanwhile, the bar inside Le Chabichou hotel is a great place for a relaxed drink. Sat next door to the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant, the bar is really nice, with great service and a wide selection of drinks.
Where to stay if you want to be near Courchevel’s après hotspots
Courchevel is a huge resort when all the various villages are considered. We’d recommend staying in Courchevel Moriond (1650) where there’s a number of great hotels, apartments and chalets. It’s in this resort that much of the action is happening.
Good options include the Ecrin Blanc hotel, while Hotel Fahrenheit 7 is also very popular with Iglu Ski customers. Chalets are also in high demand - Chalet Estrella and Chalet Agathe Blanche, particularly, are top sellers.
Of course, Courchevel has a reputation for being a bit pricier than most. That doesn’t mean there aren’t cheaper options like above though - and if you really are on a tight budget, you’ll find plenty of basic self-catering apartments. Good examples of these include Apartment Reo12s and Apartment Primevères 2.
Discover the Courchevel après scene with Iglu Ski
If this guide has got you keen to get out to the French mountains, then why not have a browse of the best ski holidays in Courchevel that we have to offer.
All of our sales staff have done ski seasons and have extensive knowledge of resorts like Courchevel and many more. We can help you build your perfect ski holiday according to your requirements. No matter how big or small your group, we can help - there’s a reason we’re the UK’s biggest ski travel agency.
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