Eben - Monte Popolo

It is held up as a model hill for families with small children: the area is easy to oversee, the runs are wide enough that a child will not get lost, and the kids' zone and mini park are sensibly laid out. The six-seater has bubble hoods, leather seats and child safety bars, and the double chair has been refurbished. Cheap rental without queues, a friendly ski school, a timing course, the panorama and Wi-Fi at the lift get praise, as do grooming and snow reliability.

Scale and tame terrain are the downside: there is not a single black run, and a confident skier is bored by lunchtime. The valley descent loses its snow in spring, so you have to ride the lift back down. Apres-ski is effectively absent and evenings offer nothing. Families add a small irritation of their own: there is too little play equipment on the hill, and reaching the main ski area means taking the double chair up first.