Courmayeur
Often favoured for long weekends due it its short travel time (just 1 hour 40 minutes from Geneva Airport) city dwellers from Geneva, Turin and Milan flock to Courmayeur. To reach Courmayeur from Geneva Airport there is simple access via the motorway to Chamonix before turning off into the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Please note that this journey may require a vehicle change in Sallanches or Les Houches. AostaExpress offer one of the only shared transfer services to the Aosta Valley, starting from as little as 49.50.
Set in the Aosta Valley in Italy, Courmayeur sits at 1224m at the foot of Mont Blanc (or Monte Bianco as known by the locals.) It has attracted keen alpine enthusiasts for decades. Courmayeur is well known for being the sunny side of the valley and is traditional, yet stylish with cobbled streets and slate roofs. The Via Roma part of the village is mostly pedestrianized and has a great atmosphere, remaining rather unspoilt by tourism despite its year-round attraction.
Coming alive for peak après ski time, there are plenty of bars, top restaurants and luxury hotels all with typical Italian generous hospitality.
The ski area, although relatively small in comparison to the giants of the man made ski resorts, is still plentiful, with the Courmayeur only pass you can access 141km of runs. The Mont Blanc Unlimited pass covers all of Courmayeur, Chamonix and Verbier but is normally more suitable for the advanced skier seeking the off piste adventures. The Valle d’Aosta pass is generally the most popular, giving you access to the Courmayeur area as well as surrounding resorts like well known La Thuile and Pila.
For skiers interested in the off piste capability of this resort, take the La Palud near Entrèves, the cable car runs from here to the Punta Helbronner which offers a vast quantity of off piste including the Vallée Blanche run down Chamonix. Here you can experience the three-stage cable car, the Skyway Monte Bianco with it 360 degree rotating cabins – worth a visit even as a foot passenger.
For the less adventurous of those just starting out, there are 3 learner pistes in Courmayeur near to the base of the resort, plus the resort itself has plenty or reds and blues to please most group abilities. For those seeking the park life, there is one located between Colle and Aretu ski runs, it has enough features to keep most entertained as well as some large kickers and even an airbag for the more daring.
The snow record in Courmayeur is generally excellent and although close to neighbouring Chamonix the weather is often quite different - a cloudy day in Chamonix could mean a sunny day in Courmayeur. Its snow record is backed up by Freeride World tours making a stop here year after year, enjoying the vast powder and off piste options in this resort. As always, a guide is recommended and with plenty of ski schools on offer you won’t have an issue finding someone to help you explore.
Courmayeur and the Aosta Valley have been a favourite amongst skiers and snowboards for some time now and we can see why- a great variety of accommodation available, fabulous food and après ski - as well as the legendary skiing on offer.
The resort ski lifts open on the 2nd of December 2018 and usually close mid April, both dates will be dependent on the snow fall.
For further questions about Courmayeur and the transfer services we offer to reach it, give us a call or send us an email, we would be happy to help.
