• Good for après-ski
• Best for charm
• Best for leisure activities

Chic town and intermediate skiing at the foot of Mont Blanc.

Take it easy on relaxed red runs and linger over long lunches of authentic Italian food.

Traditional, family-run hotels that are great value compared to those in bigger Aosta Valley ski areas.

Get an up-close view of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, up the rotating Skyway cable car.

Courmayeur’s 42km ski area may be small compared to others in the Aosta Valley, but it’s on the sunny southern side of Mont Blanc and has a good mix of open bowls and tree-lined slopes to keep things interesting. And most of them are reds so intermediates will be in their element. At lunchtime, do like the Italians do and take your time – instead of the usual burgers and sandwiches, the mountain restaurants here offer a feast of wood-fired pizzas and creamy polenta dishes.

Well-heeled locals from Milan and Turin love to come here at the weekends, and the small town has an upmarket feel to match them. It’s on the other side of the valley and is linked to the slopes by a cable car. So after skiing, you can head back to stroll around the cobbled, car-free centre, pop into clothes boutiques and delis, and while away your evenings over cocktails in a classy bar – or dance ‘til late in one of the few clubs.

In between wandering and unwinding, join a guided snowshoe hike through the woods or get a pedestrian ticket for the rotating Skyway cable car and enjoy 360-degree views of the peaks and valley.