Trois Vallées

The world's largest connected ski area links Val Thorens, Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville across three linked valleys in the French Alps; high-alpine bowls and glacier at the top, forested mid-mountain runs lower down, and enough terrain that a full season here rarely means skiing the same run twice.

Signature runs: the Combe de Rosaël above Orelle is Val Thorens' one black, a 500m drop with views of the Meije and Écrins. Courchevel's "The M" is a steep, lengthy black off the Vizelle gondola with mogul options for those who want them. Jerusalem, a blue starting near Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, is one of the longest runs in the area at 3.6km with panoramic ridge views the whole way down.

Val Thorens sits highest (around 2,300m) and skis biggest; vast above-treeline bowls, the area's longest season thanks to its altitude, and effectively limitless off-piste for anyone comfortable venturing off the groomed. Courchevel is the area's best-known name, split across several altitude-tiered villages, with upscale lodging alongside genuinely varied terrain: family-friendly zones, groomed cruisers, and above-treeline steeps. sits in the middle both geographically and in character; it is a strong all-rounder with access to steep couloirs and untouched powder alongside its cruising terrain. and are the area's quieter, more traditional bases. Saint-Martin in particular keeps its old Savoyard-village character, with tree-lined runs and a slower pace than the purpose-built stations further up the valley.