OUR SUMMARY
"An enormous ski area, 4th biggest in France, with a great lift system and attractive, rustic villages with loads of character. Turin Airport is only 2 hours."

With over 250kms of piste, and a fantastic lift system covering 4 areas, Serre Chevalier is one of the best ski regions in France. There's huge mileage, top piste grooming and the snow record is excellent. Most slopes face north, so it can be cold, but as you go higher, you are virtually guaranteed the irresistible double whammy - snow and sun! In fact Briançon has more days of sunshine than anywhere in Europe.
Surrounded by national park, Serre Chevalier has spectacular mountain scenery and beautiful runs through France's biggest larch forest, giving good protection and visibility in bad weather. Above the tree line there are huge, white bowls with mouth-watering opportunities for every ability. Listing all the runs is pointless. Suffice to say that simply every variety of skier has an abundance of choice. Intermediates have the best of it. Blues and reds cover the whole area and there's no danger of accidentally straying onto anything too hairy. Beginners have good village skiing and easy bubble lifts. Advanced skiers have loads of challenging reds, long blacks, savage mogul fields and virtually unlimited off piste through hidden valleys and glades, which don't get skied-out 5 minutes after a new dump.
One of our hotels is in ancient Briancon, at the southern end of the system. It is a wonderful old town, one of the showpieces of French tourism, with ancient ramparts and twisting streets lined with pleasant shops and bars. Our very traditional hotel is right in the centre but it is still convenient for the skiing.
Monetier has the widest variety of skiing the highest vertical drop and the best snow. There's a good nursery slope in the village then brand new lifts to altitude where there's another beginners' area in perfect snow. Long blues go all the way back. The reds and blacks here are fantastic for strong intermediates and advanced skiers. Monetier is also a typical rustic Alpine village, pungent with Provençale flavour, and great for Francophiles. Our hotel is in the centre. Monetier has been a spa for hundreds of years and you can still take the waters. You will notice disconcerting gushes of steam escaping from pavement culverts. There are half a dozen bars but there's enough for a week, and taxis to the other villages are cheap if you want a change.

Briançon is historic and charming. Everyone should spend some time being a tourist. See Rue Grand Gargouille with the open channel down the middle of the street draining meltwater,. See the colossal Vauban ramparts and the Medieval castle.
• Ancient fort • chapel • church • bowling alley • night club • ice driving in Villeneuve • ice skating • night skiing in Briançon • free shuttle service to the new town for evening shopping and sports centre with its swimming pool and skating rink
Monetier is an historic alpine town with ancient spa and church. It's suitable for schools being fairly quiet and compact.
• spa and hot baths • sport shops, bakeries, souvenir shops • Post office, Pharmacy, Super market • Cash Machineo Pizzeria(seats 60) • Lots of Traditional Restaurants • Hot baths • Bum boarding (special designated piste) • Torchlight descents • Ice Skating • Local Church • Museum • Doctors situated down by the piste • Snowshoeing