Serre Chevalier Town Centre

The resort is made up of 13 separate villages which run along the bottom of the valley floor. Collectively they are referred to as Serre Chevalier and are all well linked by road and share the same ski area with lift access points dotted up and down the valley. The main villages in Serre Chevalier are Le Monetier (1500m), Villenvue (1400m), Chantemerle (1350m) and at the end of the valley the town of Briancon (1200m).

The largest and busiest village is Villenvue, it is the main lift hub and also the liveliest with the best nightlife by far. Villenvue is purpose built and not the most charming of the villages but is an excellent location for accessing and exploring the area. Briancon is a beautiful and historical town which has recently become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is well worth a visit during a moment of rest. There is a good bus network operating along the valley linking together the villages and ski areas. The service runs until quite late in the evening but make sure you don’t miss the last bus as taxis are expensive.

Generally the villages of Serre Chevalier have kept their small village appeal and are wonderfully unpretentious. This is by no means a luxury resort with only one four star hotel in the whole valley. The resort is known for being particularly friendly and welcoming and has people returning again and again. The resort has a very French feel with a much smaller British influence than other resorts. It is also usually nice and quiet with minimal queues and open pistes except during French holidays (February) when families descend and it is generally best avoided! If you would like to experience a charming French village, maybe even a touch of culture, then Serre Chevalier is a highly recommended choice.

Serre Chevalier Nightlife

Each village offers at least one decent and lively bar but nightlife in general is not Serre Chevalier’s main attraction. The main strip is in Villeneuve (where the UCPA centre is) where there are a number of good bars.