Megeve, France

Megeve is the essence of rustic chic and was the original purpose built French resort, conceived in the 1920's as France's alternative to Switzerland's St Moritz. Although Courchevel took over as France's swankiest resort a while ago, there are still many 'beautiful people' who visit the resort and stay in the many smart, luxury chalets and hotels.

Megeve's skiing is very extensive if a little fragmented, offering miles of easy pistes ideal for beginners and intermediates looking to put some mileage under their skis. Experts should look for off piste runs in order to find a challenge, or head for a day in Chamonix for some really serious terrain. The areas main problem is snow reliability as there are very few runs above 2,000m - in a bad snow year slopes tend to suffer quiet quickly despite snow making facilities.

The village itself has a medieval pedestrianised centre, complete with cobbled streets, horse drawn sleighs and a fine looking church. If you are looking for luxury chalets, Megeve only has a few to choose from as accommodation is made up mainly of fine, luxury hotels. Megeve also has a couple of Michelin stared chefs in resort, so eating out, although delicious, is very expensive. Many of the luxury hotels in Megeve are exceptionally stylish and welcoming and there are also some delightful luxury chalets to choose from.