A quiet Savoyard village in a valley off the Mont Blanc massif, with a working local life and none of the polish of Megève or Chamonix nearby.

The skiing is more serious than the size suggests, with a good vertical, long descents and terrain that keeps confident skiers busy. It is north facing in parts, which helps the snow, and the setting beneath Mont Joly and the Mont Blanc range is superb.

The village is strung along the valley with a baroque church at its heart, and the Contamines Montjoie nature reserve above it is protected ground with ski touring routes. Prices sit well below the neighbouring resorts and the atmosphere is genuinely local. Geneva is around ninety minutes away.