Risoul

One of the southern French resorts, Risoul started up in 1977. It is linked to neighbouring Vars 1850 for a combined total of 174km of pistes, collectively called the Domaine de la Foret Blanche. Risoul is beginning to feature in more brochures, especially in Eastern Europe, because of its good value, great sunshine and surprisingly late season. For such a southern resort, it has a remarkably good snow record, also offering tree-line skiing and good boarding at the Surfland Park.

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Isola 2000

A high, purpose-built resort created in the 1960s, Isola has a convenient complex of shops, bars, apartments and hotels. To soften the ugly and block-like Front de Neige centre, wooden-clad apartment buildings have been added. The three ski areas of St. Sauveur, Pélevos and Levant sit in a horseshoe shape around the resort with a large, sunny nursery area at the base.

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Pra Loup

Located in the southern area of Alpes de Haute Provence, Pra-Loup is made up of two satellites, 1500 and 1600. It shares its ski area with Foux d'Allos and they offer a combined total of 160km of marked pistes. In addition, there is great off-piste for the advanced skier who may find the selection of black runs a little samey after a couple of days. Most of the skiing is ideal for beginners and intermediates, who will enjoy great scenery and tree-lined pistes down to the resort.

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La Plagne

La Plagne is made up of 10 'villages', each self-sufficient with shops, bars and restaurants. Lyons is the nearest airport (two hours away), while the ski train goes to Aime, 30 minutes away. Brits make up 37% of all foreign visitors and flood the largely self-catering accommodation - predominantly in Plagne Centre (1970m) and Belle Plagne (2050m). All 'villages' are superbly linked, with a lift system computer-rated as the best in the world.

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Tignes

Tignes is getting a look, with a brand new Snow Front providing more space for skiers and pedestrians, and lots of new underground parking. Tignes is the capital of winter sports and the gateway to the Espace Killy. 300 km of pistes of all types, plus a huge choice of pistes routes await you, whether you're a beginner or an expert, a downhill skier, snowboarder or freerider. This is the greatest ski are in the world, with 98 ski lifts, including 4 cable cars and 2 funiculars, and 216 snow canons. You'll be amazed by the stunning white snow field!

For further details of what Tignes has to offer please click here.

Meribel

Méribel lies in the middle of the Trois Vallées, one of the most popular ski areas among French and Brits alike. It has 200 lifts, 600km of well linked, all-ability pistes and off-piste to match. Intermediates will flourish, but the weaker and stronger skiers aren't overlooked, as there is something for everyone. Méribel was founded by an Englishman, perhaps partially explaining why it is so popular with his countrymen now.

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Val Thorens

Spectacular is the word to describe the highest ski resort in Europe situated at 2300 m (7550 ft.) in a magnificent setting in the heart of the Alps. The site gives you the unique opportunity to view more than 1000 summits. Nothing could be more simple than skiing in Val Thorens. With its ideal position, wherever you are staying in the resort, the skiing is always on your doorstep.

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Arc 2000

With the introduction of Arc 1950 and the brand new connection between Les Arcs and La Plagne, Les Arcs is destined to be the most talked about ski resort of 2003. Arc 1950 is a brand new village created by the North American developer, Intrawest. Located just below the Aiguille Rouge with spectacular views of Mont Blanc, where the first and best snow falls, it is in the heart of the Les Arcs ski domain, one of the most extensive and varied ski areas of the world.

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Les Deux Alpes

The main resort of the Dauphine region, Les Deux Alpes is very popular with the Brits. It offers fantastic snow and has a glacier (3568m), the largest in Europe, which allows summer skiing. Boarders will also like Les Deux Alpes, with its park, 'Nitro', and its October World Snowboarders' Meeting.

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Praz Sur Arly

Praz sur Arly is the first resort you come to in the picturesque Val d'Arly when you drive from Albertville to Chamonix. With 12 lifts and skiing up to almost 2,000m at Ban Rouge, Praz sur Arly is linked with two other resorts – Flumet and Notre Dame de Bellecomb – to form the Domaine Val d'Arly. This is a network of 50 lifts, serving 150km of largely intermediate pistes, which can all be skied on a Carte Blanche lift ticket.

For further details of what Val Thoens has to offer please click here.

Les Salsies

The resort has been known on the international level since the 16th Winter Olympic Games at Albertville. Best recognised as being the centre for cross-country skiing, it also has extensive alpine skiing linked with its neighbour Crest Voland to form the Espace Cristal domain. The setting is spectacular as it lies half-way between the ‘Beaufortain’ valley and the ‘Val d'Arly’ valley, two magnificent areas of Savoy, with views towards Mont Blanc.

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Orcieres Merlette

Hidden between the beautiful and mighty mountains in the Ecrins National Park lies Orcières and Merlette, one of France's greatest skiing resorts. 30 lifts and 85 kilometers of slopes should be enough to please most skiers. Merlette is the ski center of the two villages and Orcières has got most of the cross country skiing and you can do snow-shoe, hiking, ulm, paracliding, mushers. There you have a few reasons that should tell you that this resort is fully capable to give you a great winter holiday.

For further details of what Orcieres Merlette has to offer please click here.

Chamonix

Love it or loathe it, everyone tends to have an opinion about Chamonix. Many argue that it's the capital of Alpine sport, with its position next to Mont Blanc, awe-inspiring scenery, a beautiful town, the Vallée Blanche, off-piste terrain to test the very best and the Grands Montets in Argentière. They'll tell you the nightlife rocks, there are plenty of good restaurants, things to do all year-round and it's just over an hour from Geneva airport. In short, why go anywhere else???

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Val d'isere

Val is one of the real 'big boys', justifiably ranked up there with the best resorts in the world. Excellently linked with Tignes (together making up L'Espace Killy), there are 300km of varied and tough pistes to cover. Don't always rely on the piste grading though, some of the greens are more like testing reds.

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Courchevel

'The most expensive resort in the French Alps'? Only partially true. Sat next to Val Thorens and Méribel, Courchevel is the most easterly of the Trois Vallées (the ski maps are back to front!) It is made up of four separate parts, each with their own character. At the bottom lies 1300 (Le Praz), which is an old farming village that escapes the mad fray seen further up the mountain.

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Morzine

Below the cliff upon which Avoriaz sits is the market town of Morzine. In terms of skiing, it offers something for everyone, particularly for boarders, who can also head to Avoriaz. Beginners will appreciate some of the local runs, which help on those first tentative days. Regardless of experience, no mere mortal will be able to cover the Portes du Soleil region in a week, as it offers a whopping 650km of pistes.

For further details of what Morzine has to offer please click here.