Overview of Ski Area
Located in the Southern Alps, Serre Chevalier is comprised of a town and string of villages through a valley, which are all linked by a road. It is a family friendly resort with plenty of charming places to visit, eat and drink in the small villages, whilst the skiing is superb, diverse and covers 410 acres of pistes at altitudes between 1200 and 1800m.
Best For:
- Families
- Beginners
- Intermediate
- Experts
- Snowboarders
Overview of Villages in Serre Chevalier
Briançon
A beautiful old walled town above the gondola station, which is also a World Heritage Site, Briançon is known as the “town of art and history”. Here you will find cobbled streets, picturesque buildings, charming cafes and wonderful traditional restaurants in addition to plenty of culture to soak up. There are an Olympic ice rink, bowling alley, cinemas and spa facilities.
Chantemerle
The closest village to Briançon, Chantemerle is a great base for families and is a typical ski resort village, complete with bars, shops, supermarkets and a number of fun sports opportunities. With a calm and welcoming atmosphere, it also has some intriguing history to discover.
Villeneuve
Here you will find the best value accommodation, as well as the busiest nightlife. As a result, this village is usually teaming with young singles and groups and has a fun and electric atmosphere. In addition to the après scene, Villeneuve also features shops, horse riding, paragliding and spa facilities.
Le Monêtier-les-Bains
For those seeking a little R&R, Le Monêtier-les-Bains is a great choice as it is a small rural village with plenty of spa facilities, all within a picturesque and traditional setting with spectacular views. You will also find great skiing options here.
Piste Guide
Serre Chevalier features a decent sized mountain spread across 4 sectors of the main villages. It is a vast region with 250km of well-connected pistes, plus altitude which ranges from 1200 to 2800m; this allows for great views and a special atmosphere high on the mountain. The terrain is diverse with many valley descents, bowls and spectacular tree skiing. Serre Chevalier is also world famous for its off-piste skiing.
Each area has nursery slopes and runs to progress to, but this region is best for intermediates and experts. It is mainly comprised of red runs with plenty of adventure to be had, as well as well-groomed blacks on the lower mountain. The off-piste expeditions are a must for the confident skiers.
Snowboarders are bound to have a fantastic time with great freeriding (although be sure to ask at lift stations for safety) and a designated freestyle zone.
The Serre Che snow park has dozens of great features and zones for all levels. The beginner area is a good place for kids to start off.
Facilities
A terrific way to get an overview of the region is with the daily 90 minute tours of the ski area, where you are taken piste to piste and told the inner workings of the resort.
Each village has its own distinct character, but they all have a French charm and are complete with cobbled streets, welcoming cafes and bars, shops, traditional restaurants and various activities and facilities.
Après
There is not an enormous bar scene here due to the scattered nature of the resort, but each village has a number of nice bars and you can find a fun night in any area.
Briançon has a great selection of drinking establishments, including The Saloon, Bar Central and the Eden Bar. It also features a handful of charming auberges, patisseries and restaurants.
In Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Bar de l’Alpen is great fun with live music, TVs showing sport and free snacks.
Villeneuve is known for having the best nightlife, with a few recommendations including The Grotte for live music, Le Frog for football and Mojos which has 2-for-1 happy hours.
Chantemerle, meanwhile, features The Station Bar where you should head for sport and live music each night.
There are also a handful of well-distributed mountain restaurants, but most head to Briançon where there are many options and highly regarded eateries.
How to Get to Serre Chevalier
Serre Chevalier is easy to reach from a number of different airports in Italy and France.
The nearest airport is Turin (TRN), which is about 1.5 to 2.5 hours from Serre Chevalier. This option is often frequented and you can find good deals with budget airlines like Ryanair. Alternatively, French airports Chambéry (CMF), Lyon (LYS) and Grenoble (GNB) have a transfer time between 2 and 4 hours.
From these airports, the quickest and easiest way to reach the resort is with a Shuttle Direct transfer. Not only does this minimise stress and allow you to enjoy the ride, but they also offer free transportation of ski equipment.
About Shuttle Direct
Shuttle Direct is the leading provider of European transfers from airports, cruise ports, hotels and train stations.
They have extensive experience of winter ski transfers in The Alps, including transfers from Turin, Chambéry, Lyon and Grenoble for all sized groups and budgets.
Book today for a professional, efficient and affordable service with their expert team.
