Christmas and New Year in Courchevel, Megève or Val d’Isère: how to plan your stay
Every winter, the same thing happens: a few weeks before Christmas, the most sought-after chalets are fully booked, Saturday transfer slots fill up one after another and the best tables for Christmas and New Year’s Eve stop taking reservations. The festive season is the busiest time of the year in the French Alps. The people who enjoy it most are rarely those who spent the most: they are the ones who planned early.
At MasterKeys, we look after our clients in Courchevel, Megève, Val d’Isère and Tignes. Here is what you need to know to plan your stay with peace of mind, from your arrival at the airport to the last glass on 31 December.
Courchevel, Megève or Val d’Isère: which resort for the holidays?
Each of the three resorts has its own character, and the choice depends as much on the atmosphere you are looking for as on the skiing.
Courchevel is the most international. Palace hotels, boutiques of the great fashion houses, Michelin-starred restaurants and direct access to the 3 Vallées: it is the resort for stays where everything should be within easy reach, with a lively nightlife over the holidays.
Megève plays a different card: that of an authentic Savoyard village, with its illuminated pedestrian streets, horse-drawn carriages and mountain chalets. Closer to Geneva, it appeals to families looking for a warm, elegant Christmas rather than a showy stay.
Val d’Isère, and its neighbour Tignes, are aimed first and foremost at skiers. Their altitude generally means good snow conditions from December, and the Tignes–Val d’Isère ski area is one of the largest in the Alps. A sportier atmosphere, with no compromise on chalet comfort.
Good to know: the major resorts of the Tarentaise valley and the Mont-Blanc area open between late November and mid-December, depending on snow conditions. By the holidays, they are all fully open.
Arrival: the part you should not leave to chance
For Courchevel, Val d’Isère or Tignes, most travellers fly into Geneva, less often Lyon or Chambéry. Megève is only about an hour from Geneva; for the Tarentaise resorts, allow two and a half to three hours by road, sometimes more on changeover Saturdays, when all arrivals and departures converge on the same roads.
This is exactly where a transfer with a private driver makes all the difference. A Mercedes V-Class van comfortably carries a whole family, its luggage and skis, with child seats fitted in advance. The driver tracks your flight in real time: if you are delayed, they are still there. Equipped for snow, they know the mountain roads and their winter driving conditions. You arrive at the chalet rested, and your holiday begins the moment you leave the airport.
Over the holidays, the best-equipped vehicles and the most experienced drivers are booked very early. For a transfer on the busiest dates, around 19 and 26 December, it is best to book now.
The chalet: preparing your arrival before you even leave
A successful holiday stay is prepared before you arrive. The exceptional chalets of Courchevel, Megève or Val d’Isère are often booked months in advance for Christmas and New Year, and the choice narrows quickly as December approaches.
Once the chalet is found, everything that can be arranged in advance is: groceries delivered and the fridge stocked before you arrive, a decorated Christmas tree, the fireplace ready, a private chef for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, household staff for the length of your stay. Ski passes and equipment, fitted to your size, can be waiting for you at the chalet. When you arrive, all that is left to do is put down your bags.
During your stay: a driver at your disposal
In a ski resort, distances look short on the map, but not always in winter. Between the chalet, the mountain restaurant at lunchtime, the boutiques and dinner in the evening, a driver at your disposal for the day, the evening or your entire stay spares you waiting in the cold and the hassle of parking.
It is also the simplest option for evenings out: no car to drive back, no hunting for a taxi at two in the morning. And for those who want to enjoy the mountains differently, we arrange private activities and exclusive experiences : a private ski instructor for the whole family, a snowmobile outing at dusk, lunch at altitude away from the busiest slopes.
New Year’s Eve: booking your table at altitude
On the evening of the 24th, and above all the 31st of December, the best tables in the Alps are in high demand. Courchevel alone is home to several Michelin-starred restaurants, and Megève is not far behind. We have written a full article on the Michelin-starred restaurants of the French Alps : where to dine, where to stay and how to make a trip of it.
For the festive dinner, there are two options. The first: book a table very early at a Michelin-starred restaurant or at a mountain restaurant offering a festive dinner. The second, often preferred by families: bring a chef to the chalet for a tailor-made dinner, with no set times and no journey home. Either way, the driver and the return to the chalet are arranged in advance.
Our advice: plan now
For the holidays in the Alps, everything is decided between October and mid-November. After that, there are still options, but less choice: fewer chalets, fewer transfer slots, fewer tables. Planning your stay now means making sure you spend the holidays exactly as you imagined.
Our French Alps agency coordinates your entire stay: the transfer from Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, the chalet, the driver on site, activities and the festive dinner. A single point of contact who knows the resorts, their partners and their ways.
Planning Christmas or New Year in Courchevel, Megève, Val d’Isère or Tignes? Contact MasterKeys: we organise your stay, from the airport transfer to the New Year’s Eve dinner.
