Courchevel sits at the top of the Three Valleys in Savoie, about 370 km from Malpensa. Milan works well as a gateway when your flight lands there anyway, but the journey needs more planning than a transfer to Lake Como or St. Moritz.
The route
From Malpensa the usual road is the Aosta Valley motorway to Courmayeur, the Mont Blanc tunnel into France, then the valleys down to Albertville and Moûtiers. The last stretch climbs from Moûtiers to the 1850 village. Google Maps puts the trip at about 4 hours 20 minutes from Malpensa on a weekday morning, and about 4 hours 45 minutes from central Milan.
Why Saturday is different
Most chalets and hotels in the Tarentaise change guests on Saturday. On those days the road below Moûtiers carries traffic for Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens and the other resorts at the same time, and the last hour can stretch considerably. If you can land on a Friday or a Sunday, do; if you cannot, an early departure from Malpensa usually helps.
Train or car?
There is no direct train from Milan to Courchevel. Rail routes reach Moûtiers with changes, and the last part is by bus or taxi with all the luggage. For a family with skis, one car from the arrivals hall to the chalet door is simpler.
Which car
A Mercedes V-Class takes seven passengers with ski bags and boot bags. For larger chalet parties the Sprinter Luxury VIP carries eight, or two cars travel together. A couple with light luggage is comfortable in an S-Class.
What to send your driver
The flight number, the exact chalet address (some chalets in 1850, Moriond and Le Praz sit on narrow lanes), the number of passengers and the number of ski and boot bags. With that we send a fixed written price, and we confirm the pick-up time the evening before.
Coming back
For the return, allow for Saturday traffic again and for check-in times at Malpensa. Both directions can go on the same quote, with a fixed price for each leg.