This is France's first car-free resort making it safe for young children to walk around the centre – but they might need reminding that horse-drawn carriages can hold similar dangers. Recently the resort has been re-emphasizing its environmental credentials with the 2007 development of a Jim Burton snow park ‘Le Stash’ designed exclusively with riders and the environment in mind in an extensive, dedicated bowl area. The Swiss resort of Champery is easily accessible and boasts a jaw-dropping run called ‘The Wall’ to be tackled only by the experts.

Skiers of all abilities are also well catered for with a plentiful selection of modern and traditional mountain restaurants to drop into during a day’s ski touring on the wide and well groomed pistes. For non skiers there’s the chance of ice diving below the lake or more extensive shopping and eating in the old market town of Morzine which sits below the resort and is conveniently connected in part via cable car and bus.