Areches Beaufort

The snow record is what reviewers rave about: this is rated one of the snowiest corners of Savoie, with over 1,200 m of vertical on-piste and more still off it. Queues are absent, outside the school holidays the slopes are described as empty, and the pass is very cheap. Authenticity counts for a lot too - a working Savoyard village that lives all year round, wooden chalets, runs winding through forest, Mont Blanc on the horizon, few foreigners and kind locals.

The single way up is the recurring gripe: from Areches only the Grand Mont line reaches the ski area, and the main snow front sits 700 m higher at Le Cuvy, which makes life awkward without a car. Good skiers say the area is simply too small and can be covered in a couple of days. Apres-ski and nightlife rate around seven out of ten, so nobody comes here for the evenings.