Courmayeur
Charming Italian ski resort with cobbled streets and 'old world' feel - great for a ski weekend
Courmayeur resort guide - a general overview
Courmayeur is an old traditional Italian mountaineering town that, despite the nearby Mont Blanc tunnel road and modern hotels, has retained much of its old-world feel. The town has a charming traffic free centre with cobbled streets, many attractive shops, bars, restaurants and many a lovely hotel. Courmayeur's centre comes alive for apres ski, with people filling up the bars and others wandering in and out of the many shops before heading back to their accommodation. Courmayeur town is quite large, and its huge cable car to Plan Chercrouit (mid-station) is found on the Southern Edge. Ski holidays in Courmayeur are made easier staying as close to the cable-car station as possible as this will make your life much easier, there are a few places to choose from including some great hotels. Courmayeur has only one other alternative way up the mountain which is to take the cable car from Entreves, a short car or bus ride away. Up at Plan Chercrouit (mid station) you will find ski hire shops, ski schools, the lifts and various bars and restaurants. We recommend leaving your skis and boots at one of the shops up here to make things a little easier while on your ski holidays! Courmayeur's pistes mainly suit intermediates (experts should head off-piste) and although the area is rather limited it is the perfect place to spend a long weekend.
Resort stats
41km
1,225m - 2,755m
Level of skiing
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Experts
- Snow sure
- Off-piste
- Ski area
Qualities
- Charm factor
- Non-skiers
- Nightlife
- Resort layout
- Fine dining
- Short transfer
- Resort value
Airports
- Geneva
- 1hr 45mins
- Turin
- 2hrs
- Milan malpensa
- 2hrs 15mins
11 hotels in Courmayeur, Italy View All
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Charming old town, with car free pedestrian area with stylish shops and bars
- Heli-skiing is possible from here and there is a large area of off-piste terrain
- Very good mountain restaurants
- Day trips and the Vallee Blanche run possible into Chamonix
- Effective snowmaking facilities
Cons
- Relatively small ski area by jumbo resort standards
- No tough pistes unless you can ski off piste
- Can get crowded on the weekends
Restaurants
Courmayeur Resort Restaurants
Where do you start? Courmayeur has so many amazing restaurants. Some of our favourites are Pierre Alexis, Cadran Solaire, the Mont-Frety, The Padella and the Vieux Pommier, Brasserie Judith, Al Camin. If you want something less expensive like a classic pizza or pasta meal, we suggest La Piazzetta Du Tunnel or La Terrazza - they serve the best pizza, ever! In Entreves a short taxi ride away you could try the famous 36-dish feast at Maison de Filippo, or the giant steaks at the Brenva.
Courmayeur Mountain Restaurants
You will be spoilt for choice as there are 27 establishments ranging from large self-service places to rustic little huts and chalets. Courmayeur 's Chiecco is a fine spot as is Christiania and the Courba Dzeleuna. We recommend Maison Vieille with its delightful owner Giacomo serving homemade pastas in a rustic atmosphere. On the other side of the Mountain at Val Veny we recommend trying the friendly Grolla, where you can sit on the sunny terrace in front of the Mont Blanc. The Fodze is a good snack bar, as is the Zerotta and the Petit Mont Blanc. La Chaumiere is another great spot for lunch. Our favourite is however a small little chalet called Chateau Branlant at Plan Chercrouit. Don' t let the name fool you as this is actually a small venue so pre-booking a table is essential. The food is out of this world and the wine list is as impressive.
Courmayeur Apres Ski
Stylish bars with comfy sofas or arm chairs to relax in are the order of the day. Our favourite the Bar Roma serves free canapes in the early evening while the Caffe della Posta and the bar delle Guide are also worth trying. The Cadran Solaire is where the hip from Milano hang out, while the bar Prive makes some great cocktails, the American bar has good music and a fine selection of wines. Most will be a short stroll away from your accommodation! Courmayeur has a lovely pedestrianised street too, so it is very pleasant to walk from each bar back to your home for the week.
Courmayeur Nightlife
The evening scene is lively - at the weekends anyway! There are plenty of stylish bars. The Prive serves lovely cocktails and Poppy's is a popular place for drinks. For those looking for good music at the end of the evening before heading back to your hotel, Courmayeur's American Bar is good fun.
Funicular
Cable Car
Gondola
Chair lift
Drag lift
Property
