First time in Courchevel early March

also if blue there is red i should presume red is black that is a bit scary???

what is black there then? 90 degree down? :)

I shouldn't get hooked up on the colour of the runs in Courchevel, if you can ski Red runs in Germany you should be able to take on the whole of the courchevel area and over top to Meribel without problems.

There are of course Black runs, but they don't come into play unless you want to and everything is really well sign posted and marked so you won't make a mistake of oing on a wrong piste, probably the best sign posting in all the resorts I have visited.

The free ski bus between the Courchevel resorts is really easy so if you decide to finish skiing in 1550 you just get a bus up to 1650 or if you stop at the end of the day at 1850 you can get a bus to 1650.

It is possible to ski all the way over to Val Thoren and back if you wish but when I have been with the family we stayed pretty much Courchevel and Meribel areas and down to La Tania, plenty of skiing.

It is probably my favourite place to ski, but price dictates that I don't go very often and don't have a drink or eat at the bottom of 1850 without a clear credit card!!!!

The Three valleys is absolutely huge - just go and look at the statistics!
http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/France/The_Three_Valleys.html
and then go and have a look at how this compares with your usual destination.

Everyone does need to take care that they are going to be back in the correct valley before the lifts start to shut. And for 1650 you have to get back through Pramereul as well, although there is a bus around from 1850 and 1650 as well.

If you were to try to get right over to the other side of Val Thorens (what is becoming called the fourth valley) then it would be a really early start and keeping the speed up to get there and back in a day! The distances are simple huge if you are used to one hill and 5 or 10 lifts.

I doubt anyone would succeed in skiing al the area in a week - in fact just the Courchevel valley is plenty for most people for a weeks skiing.

The piste map is so big it is on several pages !!

After a small German resort 3Vs will blow your mind, it's massive. Don't worry about the run ratings, they aren't that different to what you've seen before. Plus the snow will most likely be better being that much higher.

This will give you a little idea of what there is in Courchevel.

You are best to put on winter tyres. Like this, you are ready for any conditions the mountains may throw at you!

With my Continental 830 tyres, I was driving past 4x4's and other fancy cars stuck on the side of the road due to a sudden dump of snow.

Have a wonderful time in Courchevel!
David

Take LOTS of cash. We paid 22 euro for fries and a coke a few years ago.
The setting was amazing, but Courchevel is very expensive.

There are plenty of excellent value restaurants in Courchevel too.