Courchevel

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Situated right in the middle of the largest interlinked ski area in the world or better known as "Les Trois Vallees" lies the very exclusive resort of Courchevel. This is the place where you want to see and be seen. It is the place where the Paris jet set fly into for a weekend on the piste. It is the place where you could easily find yourself mingling with the uber-rich or indeed the uber-famous The resort is made up of 4 different base towns all at different altitudes and are named as such, except for 1300 which still calls itself Le Prez. The rest are 1550 and 1650. Obviously Courchevel (or 1850) is the king.
Having said this, Courchevel ski holidays offer some of the best skiing in France. The resort leans slightly towards the novice skier with 47 blue runs. Next the intermediates get 38 runs and the experts get 9 full on black runs. There are also 23 gentle nursery slopes for complete beginners. With the right ski pass you can acquire access to over 600 kms of downhill slopes.
The lifts (all 67 of them) carry 68,350 passengers every hour to their relevant destinations. The highest lift scales a height of 2740 metres and the resort altitude is 1300 metres, which gives you some of the best snow conditions in France. That said, there are 617 snow cannons on standby just in case. Courchevel ski opening is on the 03rd December 2011 and the ski season closing on 27th April 2012.
About the village
The apres ski scene as you would imagine varies according to the altitude level you are staying at, with 1850 being the most exclusive. Courchevel popular spots are Les Caves, Piggy's, and Kaliko. If you are down in 1650, then try the Bubble Bar.
As far as accommodation in Courchevel goes, as a general rule of thumb, it gets more expensive the higher the altitude, with 1850 having some of the most luxurious and equally the priciest establishments. For cheaper alternatives you could try staying at 1650, in the Hotel Edelweiss for instance. A hotel such as the Hotel Le Palace des Neiges in Courchevel 1850 could set you back up to €360 per night, however there are cheaper options represented for instance by the Residence Maeva Les Ecrins, which also has facilities at other altitudes in Courchevel.
Courchevel boasts some of the most exclusive restaurants in the Alps and you may well have to reserve a table if you want to experience the sophisticated elegance of its two 2 Michelin starred establishments. If you are looking for cheap and comforting, then why not head down to the Café De La Poste or Le Passage. Or alternatively, how about La Boite A Crepes which serves pizza and mouthwatering savoury and sweet crepes until 11pm.
Courchevel has upmarket jewellery and fashion boutiques in abundance. So if you are planning to shop, do take your credit card.