Valfréjus

If only they'd built more like this. The modern, traffic-free resort of Valfréjus (1,550m) in the Maurienne Valley, just an hour from Turin is, effectively, one huge snowfield, with most of the skiing above the tree-line and much of it off-piste. It was developed just over 15 years ago, at what was then Notre Dame du Charmaix, with the benefit of hindsight. The planners were able to avoid the high-rise concrete, which had blighted some modern French areas, erecting pleasant chalets and apartment blocks with wooden facades instead. There is a good variety of slopes and the lift pass also covers Aussois and La Norma.