There are free nursery areas in the village and gentle, easy slopes higher up around the 2,600m mid-station, so there's plenty to learn on once you're up the mountain. The catch is that the link between village and mid-mountain is steep, busy red and blue runs. Most first-timers ride the gondola back down at the end of the day. Ski schools (ESF, plus British-friendly independent schools) are good. Nervous skiers may find the busy slopes intimidating.

This is where Les Deux Alpes shines. There are miles of wide blue and red runs between about 2,000m and 3,200m, with long top-to-bottom descents and almost 2,300m of drop in total. The glacier gives easy, high, sunny cruising. The 2026/27 6-day pass includes a day at Alpe d'Huez, and longer passes may add more linked-resort days, so check the details when booking.

The marked black runs are limited, but the off-piste is excellent, especially around the glacier and Vallons de la Meije. The legendary ungroomed big-mountain slopes of La Grave are next door. Hire a mountain guide for any off-piste, as glacier and avalanche hazards are real.

One of the best resorts in Europe for boarders. It has a large, well-shaped snowpark, freestyle events, and a spring/summer glacier park that draws pros. The lifts are mostly gondolas and chairlifts, but there are some drag lifts on the glacier and a few flat sections up high.

Non-skiers can buy a pedestrian lift pass up to the glacier for the views and the ice cave (Grotte de Glace) at about 3,200m. Down in town there's an ice rink, a pool/leisure centre, snowshoeing, dog sledding, shopping and plenty of bars and restaurants. Fine for a week, but it's not a pretty village to wander around.

Good ski schools, kids' clubs and free nursery slopes, plus a family pass deal (6 days for €246.50 per adult in 2026/27, with conditions). The tricky runs home and the spread-out town make logistics harder, so stay close to a main gondola and the ski school meeting point.

One of the liveliest resorts in France, with a youthful, partly British crowd. There's a long main street of bars, live music and late-night clubs, and festivals such as the December RISE festival. Quieter families should avoid accommodation right on the main nightlife stretch.

Most of the slopes are above 2,000m, and the Mont de Lans glacier reaches about 3,600m. The glacier offers summer skiing (roughly late June to early July, conditions permitting). The high slopes stay reliable from early December to late April, backed by snowmaking. The weak spot is the lowest runs, down to about 1,300m, and the runs into the village, which face west and can be icy, slushy or patchy early and late in the season.