Montgenevre

Montgenèvre is part of the massive 650km Italian border – straddling Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area. But Montgenèvre, already praised by the Good Ski Guide as the perfect Ski Easy resort, is well worth a visit in its own right. With 110km of piste on the Monts de la Lune area, the local slopes around Montgenèvre and Italian neighbour Claviere will keep most intermediate skiers happy for a 6-day break, a good thing since accessing the rest of the Milky Way is difficult without a car as lift links are not great. Benefitting from its height and north-facing slopes, Montgenèvre is the most snow sure of the Milky Way resorts, and there is snowmaking on most of the lower slopes and some of the higher ones. A €3 million investment means that this season sees several improvements to the resort’s facilities and accessibility, but there are still many slow lifts and queues can be bad, particularly when Italy has poor snow coverage.

The skiing is great for intermediates, but experts may be disappointed. There is a lot of off-piste for those willing to explore, though. Beginners will benefit from a new space created just for families and new skiers, as well as very gentle blues. There are many runs to attract boarders, particularly beginners and intermediates, but they may struggle with the still-pervasive drag lifts. Montgenèvre is a pleasant village; a haven for families and one of a handful of French resorts to have the tourist board’s Famille plus Montagne label, awarded to resorts with facilities particularly targeted at children. As a result don’t expect a large club scene. Instead, après ski takes place in the cheery selection of cafés and restaurants, much tastier than the on piste offerings.

Parents will benefit from the many child-care options, including a new centre for holidaymakers offering child-care for children from 6 months to 6 years. The huge games ground will delight children with its free luge area. The nearest airport is Turin (100km), but Grenoble (170km) and Lyon (235km) are options. Visitors can also take the TGV from Paris to d’Oulx (5 hours) and then a quick transfer over to Montgenèvre.