Whether your idea of piste paradise is a tranquil alpine village or an après-focused resort, cruisy blue runs or hold-on-to-your-hat blacks, the French Alps have a slope to suit all abilities, styles and budgets. Plan your winter trip to wonderland with our handy guide to the area’s top resorts.

Val d’Isere

Best for: intermediate skiers and boarders

Sensational slopes, a wide range of accommodation options and brilliant nightlife - Val d’Isere’s the perfect winter playground. It’s prime terrain for intermediate skiers, with access to 300km of runs. Once the sun sinks behind the summit, unclip at the legendary Folie Douce for an après-ski boogie.

Tignes

Best for: variety of runs

Tignes welcomes everyone, from first-timers and families to thrill-seekers. There’s plenty of variety, from tree-lined cruisers for the youngsters to glacier skiing for the more adventurous. Freestylers can practise their tricks in the snow park while cross-country fans have a trio of groomed trails to conquer.

Alpe d’Huez

Best for: bluebird days

Thanks to its winning combination of snow-sure altitudes and south-facing slopes, you can expect fluffy powder and bluebird days galore in Alpe d’Huez. Fancy a challenge? Take on one of Europe’s longest black runs, the 16km-long La Sarenne. Music lovers should time their trip to coincide with the week-long Tomorrowland winter festival.

Morzine - Avoriaz

Best for: clocking up the kilometres

Both of these French towns in the Portes du Soleil ski area ooze character. In cute-as-a-button Morzine the terrain is vast, with access to 650km of slopes spanning both France and Switzerland.  Neighbouring Avoriaz’s a ski-in, ski-out town with a huge network of blues and reds on its doorstep. It’s also a mecca for snowboarders and freestylers, thanks to a 120m-long superpipe and six snow parks!

Chamonix

Best for: off-piste trails

Chamonix’s the place to point your skis if you’re after Christmas-card scenery, as nothing beats carving in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Experienced skiers can take on the Vallée Blanche descent, one of Europe’s most famous off-piste trails. Beyond the slopes, the town’s bursting with bars for post-skiing supping and sipping.

Courchevel

Best for: a sophisticated stay

Fine dining restaurants? Chic boutiques? Pristine pistes? Courchevel’s the supermodel of the French ski world. This glitzy resort’s part of the world’s biggest lift-linked ski area, the Three Valleys. Whatever your age or ability, this mammoth region’s got you covered, from miles of heart-thumping descents to tot-friendly baby slopes.

Meribel

Best for: families

Meribel’s picturesque postcode, in the centre of the Three Valleys ski area, has people coming back year after year. If you’re travelling with mini skiers, this is a great choice for families, as it boasts a host of top-of-the-class ski schools, gentle slopes and a yeti-themed snow park.

Val Thorens

Best for: snow-sure slopes

Sitting pretty at 2,300m, Val Thorens has the bragging rights to being the highest resort in Europe. So, if you’re wanting to squeeze in an early (or late) season ski, this is your spot. Whether it’s your first-time skiing or your hundredth, this resort’s speedy lifts and epic ski area are sure to impress.

With Jet2.com flights to Grenoble, Chambery and Lyon, you’ll have easy access to the A-listers of the French ski scene. Lift passes at the ready…

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