A sunny balcony above the Rhône valley, an hour from Geneva, with a mountain railway running up to the village and views across to Mont Blanc. Villars is a proper village with schools, shops and a year round population, and Les Diablerets sits below a glacier that keeps the top of the area reliable.

The skiing is gentle and sunny and well suited to families and improvers, with trees lower down and the glacier for height. It is a good choice for a first family week in Switzerland.

Take the cog railway up from Bex for the arrival alone. Glacier 3000 has a suspension bridge slung between two peaks and an alpine coaster for the afternoon off, and there are hotels, chalets and apartments that are comfortable rather than showy.