Five fab little-known French resorts
With plenty of snow in the French Alps, 2008 is gearing up to be a fantastic season. But where can you go to escape the crowds? Lucy Crisp lifts the lid on five little-known resorts linked up to larger networks for unlimited skiing without the hordes.St Martin de Belleville - The Three Valleys
Picturesque, pretty and linked up to some of the best runs of the 600km Three Valley network, one stay in St Martin and you'll be hooked. The Savoyard village is known as the Jewel of the Three Valleys as it combines culture and charm with unlimited skiing and uncluttered slopes as people cluster around the big name Three Valley resorts of Val Thorens, Meribel and Courchevel.
Traditional wood and stone buildings cluster around the village's central square and pretty 16th century church. The village still feels authentic and unspoilt with friendly bars and local shops selling regional fare, but it is sophisticated enough to have three Michelin listed and one Michelin star restaurant nearby. St Martin remains peaceful with largely un-crowded slopes, very few lift queues and reasonably-priced restaurants and bars. It is these special qualities which make the resort the best-kept secret in the Three Valleys.
Where to stay:
Sunday Times 'Super Chalet' La Ferme de Belleville. This stunning, stylish Alpine Club chalet (thealpineclub.co.uk) has incredible food and warm, welcoming staff in St Martin. Chalet prices start from £365pp including seven nights luxury accommodation and half board, including professional staff, gourmet four-course dinners with canapès and good quality wines.
More info: st-martin-belleville.com
Samoëns - The Grand Massif
A delightful jumble of medieval stone and timber buildings makes Samoëns postcard perfect and utterly charming. It's also the only French ski resort to be listed as a historical monument. More importantly though, as part of the Grand Massif network, there is an impressive 265km of piste and three freestyle ski and board parks to choose from in the linked resorts of Samoëns, Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon and Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval. All it takes is a short ride up in the Grand Massif Express cable car and you're linked up to the rest of the network. The Samoëns lifts may be a bit clunky, but the spectacular runs more than make up for it.
Colourful locals and French skiers vastly outnumber British holidaymakers, while away from pistes, traditional style bars and restaurants serve up hearty fare for prices which put Samoën's better known (and more expensive) neighbour Flaine to shame.
Where to stay:
The owner-run Chalet Moccand has had glowing reviews in the skier's bible, the Where to Ski and Snowboard 2007. Let through Alps Accommodation (alpsaccommodation.com), this spacious chalet sleeps up to 18 on a catered, half-board or self-catered basis. Prices start from £340 per week including breakfast daily and five evening meals.
More info: samoens.com
Vaujany - Grandes Rousses Massif/Alpe d'Huez
Hooked up to the 245km network of the Grandes Rousses Massif's Alpe d'Huez, the quiet village of Vaujany has tonnes of skiing and buckets of charm without Alpe d'Huez's ugly architecture. The skiing is wild, beautiful and varied, and there's enough to keep you occupied year after year. A two level village with an attractive mix of rustic village buildings and traditional style additions, the top level village is the resort's restaurant and public hub. The resort has access to Alpe d'Huez's impressive array of novice slopes, as well its own nursery slopes with plenty of English-speaking instructors.
There is also plenty on offer for intermediates and experts, not least the famous 16km-long Sarenne run. This is the longest run in the Alps, and it's an enjoyable, challenging black. It starts out steep and with stunning views, before levelling out at the bottom of the valley for a meander through the trees and along a stream. If you tire of all the acres of piste on offer in Alpe d'Huez, there is plenty of off-piste or you can take a six minute helicopter ride over to Les Deux Alps for a day on its excellent slopes.
Where to stay:
Chalet Solneige (solneige.com) just outside of Vaujany blends the old and the new. The 19th century chalet has original features such as vaulted ceilings and period pieces but there is a hot tub and the six rooms still have en-suites and balconies. Prices start from £340pp for half board including four course gourmet dinners on six nights.
More info: vaujany.com
St Sorlin - Les Sybelles
There was a bit of a hubbub when the 310km network of Les Sybelles was created in 2003 and the six shy resorts of the Maurienne Massif hit the headlines. However, despite the bigger resorts of Le Corbier, La Toussuire and St Sorlin-d'Arves working their way into tour operator programmes, the network is still under the radar of the most British skiers and so remains a secret. The best on the network is the pretty village of St Sorlin which, despite expansion, has kept its picturesque charm.
With spectacular views, the village has grown in ribbon along the valley. At its core, well-preserved farmhouses, a baroque church and traditional shops (including a boulangerie, fromagerie, and chacuterie) are kept from being museum pieces by the large local population, many of whom give up their ski poles for ploughs in the summer. It's perfect for those looking for a chilled out French experience where the après ski isn't a high priority.
Where to stay:
In a commanding position at the top end of the village with views over the resort, the residence Les Sybelles is just 600m from the resort centre. It's one of the newly built, attractive chalet style apartment blocks with a fully equipped kitchen. Prices from £323 per week for a four-person apartment.
More info: les-sybelles.com
Megeve - Rochebrune/Alpette
Megeve combines a postcard perfect resort with swanky shops and excellent skiing in the shadow of Mont Blanc. The resort has 325km of refreshingly clear pistes with some lovely sunny slopes and some fabulous tree skiing. It might be a bit low to guarantee good snow, but there's so much to do away from the slopes, it's hard to mind. The resort is the epitome of rustic chic. Originally developed in the 1920s as an alternative to St Mortiz, it has a beautifully preserved centre peppered with medieval buildings, fountains, little squares and a listed church. It's pedestrianised, cobbled streets are filled with beautiful people in furs browsing in the posh clothes, antique, jewellery and gift shops as horse-drawn sleighs slide by.
There are over 90 restaurants to choose from, including a whopping eight with Michelin stars. However, with 60 working farms dotted around the village, it still retains an authentic village feel, and away from the ritzy glitzy L'Alpette and the Rothschild family's Ideal 1850, simple rustic fare can be had with stunning view of the Mont Blanc Massif served on the side for as little as €5. It's upmarket but not up itself, even though it has plenty to boast about.
Where to stay:
Fer Cheval (feracheval-megeve.com) offers pure alpine country charm in the centre of Megeve with a cosy wood and stone interior and good food. Prices from: £130 pppn on a half-board basis.
For more info: megeve.com
For more ski-holiday options, visit Thealpineclub.co.uk.