Courchevel 1300, 3 Valleys

Courchevel Le Praz, the original village from which one of the Alps' powerhouse ski resorts originated, has retained a lot of its character over the years and remains a charming place to spend a week in the Three Valleys. Le Praz even hosted the Olympic Ski Jumping in 1992 and the stadium is still functional to this day, with both Summer and Winter jumping events taking place regularly.

Strolling through the narrow streets lined by traditional farmers' cottages, as well as some luxuriously finished chalets, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that the biggest fully linked ski area in the world is right on your doorstep. Indeed, it can be argued that Le Praz is better appointed than most of Courchevel as you have a choice each morning to go west towards Meribel, Val Thorens etc, directly up to Courchevel 1850 or even jump on the bus to 1650 and take in the uncluttered slopes there.

You can even have a good night out here, with a couple of lively venues in the village itself, or jump on a bus to La Tania or one of Courchevel's bigger villages.