The largest of the Haute Maurienne villages, spread between Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard at the foot of the Mont Cenis pass, with old stone houses, a frescoed chapel and a valley that stays quiet even in French school holidays. It is unusually good for beginners. The Escargot is one of the longest green runs in the Alps and it lets a first week skier descend from the summit on their own terms, which does more for confidence than any amount of nursery slope.

Confident intermediates have plenty of red mileage and experts have touring rather than lift served steeps. Apartments, gîtes and small hotels cost well below the Tarentaise over the mountain. There are cross country trails and snowshoe routes on the plateau, and you will want a car, because the valley is a long way from any airport.