The French Alps
Adventure, excitement, grandeur and good living… if there was a capital of the great outdoors, the Alps could be it. The longest mountain chain in Europe stretches more than 1,000km across eight countries – but its heart lies in France, where some of the world’s best ski resorts have welcomed generations of visitors. From historic mountain towns such as Chamonix or Megève to modern, high-altitude resorts like Val Thorens or Les Arcs, there’s a holiday here for everyone. For most visitors the Alps are all about the snow, and there are more linked ski areas here than anywhere on earth – which means more variety. Keep everyone happy with a traditional Alpine village such as Les Gets in the Haute-Savoie, from where you can access the giant Portes du Soleil area – even crossing the border into Switzerland on your skis. Other linked areas include the Paradiski (La Plagne, Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry) the Espace Killy (Tignes-Val d’Isère) and the biggest of all, the Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, Les Ménuires, Val Thorens).