, are attractive ways to reduce costs. Self-catering has also become a more enticing proposition, staying in increasingly upmarket newly-built apartment residences with swimming-pool and spa area. Chalet packages with UK tour operators continue to offer some of the best value, although tour operators have made changes to the traditional model in recent years in the face of increasing costs and pressure of the pandemic, and many companies have reduced the number of chalets they offer or scrapped them all together. This means that booking well in advance has become more essential than ever, particularly if planning half-term or Easter breaks. Here's our pick of where to go. Courchevel Courchevel, famous for its glitz and multi-million-euro property prices, might at first glance seem an unusual choice for novices, but the resort has many facets. Situated at one end of the giant Trois Vallées ski area that includes Méribel and Val Thorens, 1850 is the smartest, most expensive and highest of the six Courchevel villages. In less fashionable Moriond (also known as 1650), Village (1550), Le Praz (1300) and nearby La Tania and Saint Bon th){kind=link}
The top places to ski this winter, in the home of the biggest variety of resorts in the world
The French lay claim to the best cuisine, the best wines, and the best variety of ski resorts of any country in the world. While the first two are open to question these days, the third is undoubtedly true.
Destinations range from the high-altitude and purpose-built like Val Thorens with the seemingly endless terrain of the 600km Trois Vallees ski area on its doorstep, to lesser-known farming villages with traditional French ambience and tree-lined slopes like Les Carroz.
Visitors may find that their expensively purchased Euros go further in bars and restaurants in Austria and Italy in these financially-challenging times, especially in the big name resorts. But staying in lesser-known French destinations, or lower satellite villages that link to a big name area (Les Carroz links into the Grand Massif area it shares with better known Flaine), are attractive ways to reduce costs.
Self-catering has also become a more enticing proposition, staying in increasingly upmarket newly-built apartment residences with swimming-pool and spa area. Chalet packages with UK tour operators continue to offer some of the best value, although tour operators have made changes to the traditional model in recent years in the face of increasing costs and pressure of the pandemic, and many companies have reduced the number of chalets they offer or scrapped them all together.