Montchavin - La Plagne

The praise is for village character: Montchavin is still a working mountain village with narrow lanes, a bakery and small shops, and Les Coches is built in the same timber style. The position is rated highly, since you head just as easily into La Plagne or across the Vanoise Express into Les Arcs, with the whole Paradiski within reach. Friendly locals, calm beginner zones and a village pool and sauna also get mentions.

Altitude is what draws criticism: the village sits low, so in lean snow years the bottom runs go hard and rocky and skiing home is not always possible. The Bauches chair is called slow and permanently in shade. Evening life is thin, the choice of places to eat wears out over a week, and reaching the other La Plagne villages after the lifts close means a long drive.