Courchevel in Winter: Drive, Take a Transfer, or Both

Courchevel is easy to reach by car in winter, as long as you have the right car and the right equipment. From 1 November to 31 March, French law requires either four winter tyres marked 3PMSF, or snow chains or socks in the car, when you drive in Courchevel and the rest of the Savoie mountain area. An all-wheel-drive SUV on winter tyres is the right choice for the climb from Moûtiers. Plan about 1 hour 30 minutes from Chambéry airport and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Geneva or Lyon, and more on Saturdays. If you'd rather not drive up after the flight, take a private transfer and have the car delivered to your chalet.

This winter, DeGa Auto's Alps cars are based about 30 minutes from Courchevel, and we deliver them to chalets and hotels in the resort. This guide answers the questions our clients ask before they arrive.

How long is the drive to Courchevel?

Times are for normal traffic and dry roads. On Saturdays, when most chalets change guests, the Tarentaise valley is often congested and the drive can take much longer. If your dates allow, arrive on a Friday or a Sunday, or travel early in the morning. Bison Futé, the French road traffic service, publishes traffic forecasts for winter weekends.

The road up from Moûtiers

The last part of the drive is the climb from Moûtiers to the resort: about 1,300 metres of altitude in 25 kilometres of hairpin bends. Snow can fall at any hour, and the road can be icy in the morning and after dark, even when the valley is dry.

Courchevel has several villages at different heights: Le Praz (1300), Courchevel Village (1550), Moriond (1650) and Courchevel 1850, the highest and best known. The higher your chalet, the more the car matters.

Winter tyres and snow chains: the rules

France's Loi Montagne sets out what you need in mountain areas in winter. In Savoie, the rules cover Courchevel and about 280 other mountain communes.

• When: from 1 November to 31 March. The prefect can adjust the dates.
• What: either four winter tyres marked with the 3PMSF symbol (a mountain with a snowflake), or snow chains or snow socks in the car for at least two drive wheels. Since November 2024, tyres marked only "M+S" no longer count.
• Where: blue signs mark the start and the end of the area where winter equipment is required.
• Chains-required signs: where a round blue sign showing a tyre with chains is displayed, chains or socks must be fitted on the drive wheels, even if the car has winter tyres.
• Fines: €135, reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days, and the car can be stopped until it is properly equipped.

Every DeGa Auto car in the Alps runs on winter tyres, included in the price. We confirm the car's equipment with you when you book.

Which car to rent for Courchevel

For winter in Courchevel, choose an all-wheel-drive SUV on winter tyres. Ground clearance helps on snowy chalet driveways, and you will need space for skis, boots and luggage. These are the cars we deliver in Courchevel, with starting prices per day:

• Range Rover Autobiography, from about €700: the most comfortable for the long drive from Geneva, with space for four adults and their luggage.
• Mercedes-AMG G 63, from about €900: the classic mountain car, high and very capable on snow.
• Bentley Bentayga, from about €1,200: quiet and very comfortable, with all-wheel drive.
• Lamborghini Urus: the sporty choice, if you still want a supercar feel in winter.
• Rolls-Royce Cullinan, from about €3,400: the most spacious and the most exclusive.
• Mercedes V-Class and other minivans, from about €400: for groups and families with a lot of ski bags.

Every rental day includes 150 km, and the price per extra kilometre is shown on each car. A return trip from Geneva airport is about 380 km by motorway, so tell us your plans when you book. The minimum rental is one day. Christmas, New Year and the February school holidays are the peak weeks and cost more.

A Ferrari or a Lamborghini Huracán is not made for snow, so in peak winter we recommend an SUV. From late spring to October, a supercar is a wonderful way to drive the Alpine passes, such as the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier.

Delivered to your chalet

We deliver the car to your chalet or hotel in Courchevel 1850, 1650 or 1550, to the altiport, or to Geneva or Chambéry airport when you land. The delivery fee depends on the date and the address, and we quote it with the rental.

We send our cars to the Alps as bookings come in, so for Christmas, New Year and February, book as early as you can.

To book, send us a photo of your driving licence and of your passport or ID card. You need to have held your licence for at least five years, and the minimum age is usually 25 to 27, depending on the car. A prepayment of 30 to 50% reserves the car, and the security deposit is held on a credit card when the car is delivered. The full conditions are in our rental terms.

Drive, take a transfer, or both

You don't have to choose between a rental car and a transfer:

• Car only: we deliver the car to you at Geneva, Chambéry or Lyon airport, and you drive up. Best if you are comfortable on mountain roads and want the car from day one.
• Transfer only: a private driver meets you in arrivals and takes you to the chalet. Best after a long flight, when you land in the evening, or if your chalet is ski-in, ski-out and you won't leave the resort.
• Both: take the transfer up after the flight, and we deliver the car to your chalet for the days you want to drive, to Méribel, Val Thorens or down the valley. We collect it at the end.

Private transfers to Courchevel are arranged by DeGa Collection, DeGa's concierge service: from about €450 from Chambéry and €650 from Geneva in a Mercedes V-Class, per car. Times, prices and how to combine both are in the Geneva to Courchevel transfer guide.

Before you set off

• Check that the car has 3PMSF winter tyres, or chains or socks on board. All our Alps cars run on winter tyres.
• Check the weather and the Saturday traffic forecast.
• Keep the chalet's exact address and access instructions to hand: many chalets are on steep private driveways.
• Send us your flight number, so the car is waiting when you land.

More: Courchevel luxury car rental · Geneva airport delivery · Chambéry airport delivery · Lyon airport delivery · En français : location voiture de luxe Courchevel

Source for the winter equipment rules: French government, winter equipment in mountain areas.