Sainte Foy Tarentaise

Emptiness and cost lead the praise: lift queues are effectively nonexistent, and passes, food, lodging and lessons cost noticeably less than at the mega-resorts next door. The reputation is built on freeriding: the upper half is a treeless powder bowl, the lower lines thread through forest, and the resort scores top marks for off-piste and expert terrain. The classic is the Fogliettaz descent, roughly 1,500 metres of uninterrupted vertical. Reviewers also value that steady development has not cost the village its traditional architecture.

The modest pisted area draws criticism: there are few marked runs, and beginners or solid intermediates who want variety on groomed terrain find that thin, especially with the neighbours in view. One more caveat recurs in reviews - reaching the best off-piste lines calls for a qualified guide, and they are not something to scout on your own.