Hotel Alp, Saint Martin de Belleville

In many people's eyes, St Martin is the jewel of the famous Trois Vallées – not because of its skiing but rather its traditional architecture. St Martin is easy to miss if you are intent on getting round to all the Three Valleys resorts – it's to the right as you head towards Les Menuires and Val Thorens, after cresting the mountains en route from Méribel. But it's well worth a detour. There are some, wonderful roller-coaster cruising runs down to the village, including Jerusalem which has been voted a favourite run in the whole Three Valleys many times by the pisteurs. Pause for a coffee and push on, or stay for lunch in one of the charming traditional restaurants.

Some skiers like to base themselves in St Martin for the best of both worlds: staying in a pretty village while still having access to the biggest ski area in the world. For a combination of charming surroundings and a huge ski area, St Martin is difficult to beat!