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Book French ski accommodation direct with owners chalet apartment or hotel.

Keen and extreme skiers choose Val d'lsere more than any other ski resort. For adventurous skiers of any standard, there are few places to beat it.

The key attractions are simple: the snow normally comes early (and stays late) even in a poor winter, and there is an enormous amount of wonderful skiing to suit all standards. The extent of lift-served off-piste skiing naturally attracts advanced skiers in particular. But you don't need to be an expert to enjoy Val d' Isere.

At the same time, the under grading of pistes and relatively relaxed attitude to grooming mean that early intermediates must be steered to the right runs if their confidence is to be built up. The list of drawbacks above may look long, but it's a list of mainly petty complaints. For some visitors, dependence on the ski-bus may matter, even though the free service is one of the most efficient in the Alps.

The bus is necessary partly because of the rather strung-out nature of the place but ironically it has become more important recently because of lift improvements: lots of people based in central Val now start their day with a bus-ride to the super-quick funicular at La Daille.

The village is not exactly pretty, but it was improved enormously in appearance and ambience in the years leading up to the 1992 Olympics. One of our main reservations is its domination by the British - not just holiday skiers but also the hundreds imported each season to staff the chalets, shops and bars, plus of course the ski bums a resort like this pulls in.

But for others this is a plus-point, and there's no denying that it results in a vibrant apres-ski scene in which Brits can feel perfectly at home. And in high season, when the French arrive in numbers, the effect is much less pronounced. 

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