Private jet to Courchevel

Courchevel sits at the top of the Saint-Bon valley in Les Trois Vallées, a ski area of about 600 km of linked pistes shared with Méribel and Val Thorens. The resort has its own runway, the altiport above Courchevel 1850, but it is 537 m long, climbs the mountainside at a gradient of up to about 18.5 % and ends against the slope. Only helicopters and a few turboprops flown by pilots with a specific qualification for this site land there. No business jet can.

A private trip to the resort therefore has two parts. The jet lands in the valley at Chambéry, about 65 km away in a straight line, or at Geneva for the largest cabins and long-haul flights. From there a helicopter reaches the altiport in 15-25 minutes, or a car drives up the Tarentaise in about 1:30-2:00 h on a clear road. As a broker we book the jet, the helicopter and the car as one plan, so the timings match and a fallback by road is ready if cloud closes the mountain.

Send the dates, the number of skiers and the level of the resort where you stay, and we will reply with the jet, the helicopter and the price.

Why ski guests fly privately

Flight times to the airports for the resort

Times for a Pilatus PC-24 light jet to Chambéry, as shown in the price tables. The helicopter or car comes on top:

Munich is 1:15 h away, Brussels 1:20 h, Amsterdam 1:32 h, Vienna 1:41 h and Madrid 1:50 h. From Manchester a Phenom 300 needs 1:53 h, from Oslo 2:42 h. Add about half an hour for the change to the helicopter and the flight up, or 1:30-2:00 h by car from Chambéry in good conditions. Long-haul aircraft land at Geneva: from Abu Dhabi 6:09-6:17 h, then about 30-45 minutes by helicopter.

Jet prices for a Courchevel trip

The prices are for the jet to Chambéry or Geneva, for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, de-icing when needed and passenger taxes. The helicopter is chartered as a whole helicopter and appears as a separate line in the quote. The time column refers to the first aircraft listed.

To Chambéry from the European hubs

Geneva is not in this table: it is only 69 km from Chambéry, so from Geneva the helicopter flies straight to the altiport. The cheapest jets come from Milan Linate and Nice at EUR 9,500 in a PC-24; from London the same aircraft costs EUR 12,500, and a Challenger 350 for a larger family EUR 16,500.

From the British Isles and northern Europe

These are the markets that fill the resort in February. Above two hours in the air, a Praetor 500 or a G280 adds hold space for skis and a cabin you can stand in.

Long-haul flights via Geneva

Chambéry has little parking for large aircraft in winter, so long-range jets usually land at Geneva and the guests continue by helicopter or car:

The price of the jet depends on the season and the weekday more than on the distance: between Christmas and New Year and on February Saturdays, aircraft, slots and helicopters run short. France taxes departures, not arrivals, so its solidarity tax of about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet within Europe, or about half on a turboprop, falls on the flight home from Chambéry. A return from Geneva avoids it, since Switzerland has no passenger tax on private departures. Italy taxes both outbound and inbound flights at EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km; Germany charges its own departure tax. Britain's Air Passenger Duty depends on the aircraft: none under 5.7 t, the higher rate from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats, and the standard band rate for the jets in between. The quote itemises every charge.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Ski trips priced in full

Per skier

Here the jet price is divided by the number of skiers; helicopter and taxes come on top:

Calculator

Enter the route to Chambéry or Geneva, the date and the number of passengers, and add a note if you want the helicopter; we e-mail an estimate in reply.

The altiport and the airports for jets

Courchevel Altiport (CVF, LFLJ) is one of the best-known mountain airfields in the world, and the reason why every honest quote for this trip ends in the valley. The strip faces the slope: aircraft land uphill and take off downhill, and there is no go-around once committed. It has no instrument approach and no runway lights, so flights take place in daylight and in good visibility only. Parking is so limited that helicopters and aircraft drop their passengers and leave.

Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc is the usual choice: the closest airport for jets, at the entrance to the Tarentaise. It is a mountain airport with its own rules, including crew training, a winter slot scheme on peak days and a limit of five arrivals an hour, so the slot is booked together with the aircraft. Geneva takes every aircraft, closes less often for weather and has more parking, but the road is longer and crosses the Swiss-French border. Distances below are straight-line from the altiport:

A request that finds no Chambéry slot on a winter Saturday is redirected to Grenoble or Lyon. In such weeks we price Chambéry, Geneva and Grenoble side by side, and the answer can change with the forecast.

Which aircraft for a ski trip

Helicopters usually allow one soft bag per person and have limited room for skis. For a group, the skis and suitcases often go up by car while the passengers fly. List the pairs of skis, snowboards and boot bags in the request so that both the jet and the helicopter are sized correctly.

Want to plan the jet, the helicopter and the road fallback together? A consultant will phone you back on the number you leave.

Season planner for the Trois Vallées

The lifts run from early December to mid-April, and a few weeks decide how hard it is to get a jet, a slot and a helicopter:

If the dates are flexible, arrive on a Sunday or midweek. Slots at Chambéry, helicopter windows and the road up the valley are all easier than on a Saturday.

From the airport to the resort

The resort spreads over four villages: Courchevel 1850, Moriond (1650), Courchevel Village (1550) and Le Praz (1300). The altiport serves the upper village directly, and a car takes guests to the lower ones. Give us the hotel or chalet address so the driver goes to the right door. Méribel and Val Thorens are reached on skis through the lift network, or by car from Moûtiers. In fog or low cloud the helicopter does not fly, and the car we keep on standby takes over; the jet itself reaches Chambéry far more often, as the valley airport has an instrument approach.

Empty Legs to the Alps

In winter many jets drop skiers at Chambéry or Geneva and leave empty, because parking is short. The discount applies to the jet only; the helicopter is a separate charter at the normal price. Typical directions:

Their timing is fixed by the booking that created them, which suits guests whose arrival day can move. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and the window of dates, and we pass on what fits.

Dogs and cats on a ski trip

Dogs and cats ride in the jet cabin with their owners, subject to the operator's prior consent. Entry to France follows the EU rules:

• Microchip first, then the rabies vaccination.
• After a first rabies vaccination, at least 21 days must pass before travel.
• An EU pet passport, or an animal health certificate for pets coming from Great Britain.
• A maximum of five dogs, cats or ferrets per traveller on a non-commercial trip.
• France asks for no tapeworm treatment.

The helicopter is the hard part: the cabin is small and loud and mountain air can be rough, so a small dog in a carrier usually flies after agreement with the helicopter operator, while a large dog is better off in a car. For a return to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway, book a vet in the resort for the dog's tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing; Britain lets pets in only through approved routes and handlers. Hotels and chalets in the resort have their own pet rules, which we check with the transfer.

Documents, borders and taxes

Before you leave for the mountains

• Passports or ID cards for all travellers, children too.
• Passenger details for both jet and helicopter: names, birth dates and document numbers, the day before.
• How many skis, boards, boot bags and suitcases travel.
• Address and level of the hotel or chalet: 1850, Moriond, Village or Le Praz.
• Your choice of helicopter or car, and agreement to the car if the weather turns.
• Pet papers and the chalet's house rules on animals.
• Return date, so we can plan the second one-way flight and its slot.
• Invoice details: company name and VAT number.

How we put the trip together

1. Send the arrival day, the number of skiers, the luggage and the village where you stay.
2. We check slots at Chambéry and, as a reserve, at Geneva or Grenoble, and reserve a helicopter window.
3. Our offer lists 2-4 jets with operator, model and whole-aircraft price, and prices the helicopter and the car on separate lines.
4. After signature and payment to the operator, we lock in the slot, handling, the helicopter and the standby car.
5. On landing the bags go straight to the helicopter, and a car meets you at the altiport for the last few minutes.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Courchevel by private jet: questions and answers

• • Can a private jet land in Courchevel?

  • No. The altiport has a 537 m strip with a gradient of up to about 18.5 % and takes only helicopters and a few turboprops flown by specially qualified pilots. Every jet lands in the valley instead, at Chambéry or Geneva.

• • Which airport is best for the resort?

  • Chambéry, 15-25 minutes by helicopter from the altiport. Geneva suits long-haul and large aircraft, with about 30-45 minutes by helicopter or 2:15-3:00 h by car.

• • How much does a private jet for a ski trip cost?

  • The jet to Chambéry starts at EUR 9,500 one way for a whole Pilatus PC-24 from Milan or Nice, and EUR 12,500 from London. Helicopter, de-icing and the French tax on the return come on top.

• • How long does the transfer take?

  • By helicopter 15-25 minutes from Chambéry. By car about 1:30-2:00 h on a clear road, and up to an hour more on changeover Saturdays.

• • What happens if the helicopter cannot fly?

  • In low cloud or fog the altiport closes to all traffic. A car we keep on standby drives you up from the valley instead.

• • Can the jet wait at Chambéry for a week?

  • Rarely. Chambéry has no hangars for visiting aircraft and winter parking is limited, especially over weekends, so we book two one-way flights or reposition the jet.

• • How much luggage fits?

  • A midsize jet takes a family's skis easily, but helicopters usually allow one soft bag per person. For groups the skis and suitcases go up by car.

• • When should I book for Christmas and February?

  • Months ahead for Christmas and New Year, and at least two to three weeks ahead for a February Saturday. Midweek arrivals are easier.

• • Which passenger taxes are charged?

  • France charges about EUR 420 per passenger when a jet leaves a French airport for a destination in Europe. A return from Geneva avoids it, because Switzerland does not tax private departures.

• • Can my dog come along?

  • In the jet, yes, with chip, rabies vaccination and EU pet passport. The helicopter takes an animal only with its operator's consent, so a large dog goes up by car.

• • Can I catch an Empty Leg to the Alps?

  • Plenty in winter, mainly from Chambéry and Geneva towards London, Paris and northern Europe between Saturday and Monday. Only the jet is discounted, not the helicopter; ask at empty-legs@jets.flights.