A second home in the mountains, for every season

In the French Alps, buyers are increasingly choosing mountain homes designed for year-round living. They seek chalets equally suited to remote working and relaxation, in high-altitude resorts where winter conditions remain reliable. Courchevel and Méribel offer two distinct examples.

Published annually since 2006, the Savills Ski Report is produced by Savills Research, the group’s research department, and tracks the second-home market across the world’s leading resorts. Its 2025–26 edition measured the scale of this shift internationally.

On the ground, the change is already evident in summer. In July, cyclists climb the Col de la Loze, at 2,304 metres, between Méribel and Courchevel. Further down, in the Vallée des Allues, families gather for picnics beside Lake Tueda, beneath the stone pines.

Remote working and mobility: demand beyond the ski season

According to Savills Research, buyers are placing greater value on properties that can be enjoyed throughout the year than on access to winter sports alone. The report attributes this shift to remote working and the international mobility of buyers, many of whom want a second home that serves as both a workplace and a place to unwind.

Guy Murdoch, Director of Savills Ski, puts it succinctly: broadening a resort’s appeal throughout the year takes more than a new ski lift. It also means modernising leisure facilities, giving visitors of every age access to hiking, swimming, cycling, climbing and canyoning.

The 2025–26 edition reports that the value of prime property in French resorts has almost tripled over the past twenty years, the second-highest increase among the countries surveyed, behind the United States. It also highlights a further advantage: unlike Switzerland and Austria, France places few, if any, restrictions on international buyers.

Hotel groups are responding to the trend, drawn by growing demand in summer. The report cites the opening of Aman in San Cassiano, in the Dolomites, as well as Mandarin Oriental’s plans for Cortina d’Ampezzo and Four Seasons’ for Gstaad. In France, it points to Six Senses Courchevel as one of the branded residences to have emerged in the resorts over the past decade.

A chalet for living and working against an alpine backdrop

A chalet enjoyed beyond the winter months takes on a different role.

 

The spare bedroom becomes a study with valley views. The ski room makes space for mountain bikes and golf bags. A west-facing terrace comes into its own on July evenings, while the indoor pool remains in use throughout the year.

Other considerations come into play: access to private clinics, air quality, proximity to nature and high-quality sports facilities. Heritage value also carries weight.

In the most sought-after resorts, properties are often passed down through generations. They may be acquired in the names of children or through family arrangements, with succession frequently planned well before a purchase is completed.

The ownership structures available in France are explored in the third part of our guide to Courchevel.

Altitude: the first safeguard for long-term appeal

A home intended for year-round use also calls for reliable winters. Savills assesses this through its Resilience Index, based on five criteria: season length, the ski area’s median altitude, snowfall, snow reliability and temperature.

The high-altitude French resorts enjoyed a strong season, notably Val Thorens, La Plagne and Tignes, thanks to their north-facing slopes and central position in the Alps.

In response to climate pressures, the report describes a sector moving towards a four-season model, with investment in modernising ski lifts and snowmaking infrastructure.

Courchevel: summer offerings that extend the season

When the pistes close, Courchevel remains lively, supported by facilities designed for every season. Among the most distinctive is the complex between Courchevel Village and Courchevel Moriond.

Opened in December 2015, Aquamotion brings together indoor and outdoor pools, a surf wave and, on the upper floor, a wellness area reserved for adults. The €63 million centre was financed entirely by the municipality.

Courchevel’s nine-hole golf course lies at nearly 2,000 metres on the Verdons plateau, beneath La Saulire. From the resort, cyclists can reach Méribel via the Col de la Loze, made famous by the Tour de France finish there in 2020. Hiking trails and mountain-bike routes link the villages.

For Jeremy Rollason, Director of Savills Ski, resorts are no longer simply winter playgrounds: international high-net-worth buyers seek privacy, stability and long-term potential, with quality of life at the heart of their decision.

Winter remains the peak season for rental demand. In its 2025–26 edition, the Savills Ski Report ranks Courchevel 1850 fifth worldwide in the ultra-prime segment.

The second part of our guide to Courchevel explores rental yields and the seasonality of demand.

In Méribel, the finest chalets are reaching the top of the market

Méribel’s finest chalets and penthouses command prices comparable with those in Val d’Isère and Courchevel 1850, exceeding €40,000 per square metre. This places the resort eighth worldwide in the ultra-prime segment.

In summer, Méribel retains its distinctive timber-and-stone character, in keeping with the vision of its founder, Peter Lindsay. Close to the Vanoise National Park, the Plan de Tueda Nature Reserve encompasses 1,100 hectares of forest and alpine pasture, stretching from Lake Tueda to the Gébroulaz Glacier.

The eighteen-hole golf course lies between 1,565 and 1,850 metres beneath the Dent de Burgin. At the heart of the resort, the Olympic Park offers a 25-metre swimming pool and a spa, while a seven-kilometre greenway, reserved for cyclists, climbs towards the Col de la Loze.

A second home in the mountains: choosing for year-round living

Taking a year-round view changes how buyers assess a property. Views and orientation matter as much as proximity to the pistes. A village that remains lively in summer, a nearby golf course or trailhead, and ease of access all carry weight.

Méribel is 18 kilometres from Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains railway station, with coach services connecting it to Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry airports. Courchevel’s altiport welcomes private flights.

In the Vallée des Allues, hamlets such as Le Raffort, served by the Olympe gondola, offer direct access to the ski area in a quieter setting. In Courchevel, each village has its own character, from the exclusivity of 1850 to Moriond’s family-friendly atmosphere, explored in the first part of our guide.

A mountain home for every season

In Courchevel and Méribel alike, the altitude of the 3 Vallées ski area helps secure reliable winters, while summer brings a different rhythm to the home.

The Savills teams in Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1650 Moriond and Méribel advise buyers looking for a property they can enjoy throughout the year. Explore our chalets for sale in the French Alps.