The legendary ski resort of Val d'Isère sits high up in the Tarentaise Valley, close to the French/Italian border and owes its 'must-ski' status to its incredible snow record and easy, extensive access to off-piste terrain. It deserves to be considered as one of the world's finest ski resorts and is certainly one of the most popular with an incredible choice of fantastic chalets and hotels to stay in. Sitting at an altitude of 1850m, it's a firm favourite with expert skiiers who gravitate here to ski the infamous Olympic downhill run, La Face. Nevertheless, there is plenty of variety for novice skiers and an almost infinite choice for adventurous intermediates. The Espace Killy ski area, which also covers the neighbouring resort of Tignes, boasts more than 300km of pistes. The attractive resort centre has a great range of stylish bars, boutiques and restaurants and the après-ski buzz is addictive. There are some excellent ski schools and childcare providers here as well, meaning that Val d'Isère is hard to beat for its all-round greatness.