Three valleys above Moûtiers in Savoie, joined by lift into the largest connected ski area in the world. Seven resorts share the pass, and where you book changes the holiday completely. Courchevel 1850 is one of the most expensive addresses in the Alps, with the hotels and the Michelin kitchens to match. Saint Martin de Belleville is a stone and slate village with the same lift pass at a fraction of the price. Val Thorens sits highest and holds snow longest. Les Menuires is built for ski in and ski out apartments, Méribel has the chalet tradition, and Brides les Bains at the bottom is a thermal spa town with its own gondola into the system.

Intermediates get the most out of it. The blue and red network is enormous, and crossing between valleys is within reach of anyone comfortable on a red run. Beginners do best by picking one village with good nursery slopes rather than trying to use the whole area at once. Take the train to Moûtiers if you can, since it leaves you twenty minutes from the lifts. And give up one morning's skiing for a long lunch on a terrace somewhere, because the mountain restaurants here are part of what you are paying for.