Champoluc, Italy

Champoluc is a delightful, unspoilt ski village lying at the top of the Ayas Valley within the imposing Monterosa mountain chain with its towering peaks and extensive glaciers. The village has a handful of shops and is built in the traditional way from wood and stone with slate roofs. The Monterosa ski area totals 150km of piste, which suits intermediate skiers and boarders mostly. However, there is some fabulous off-piste terrain for the experts and Champoluc is the centre of some of Europe's best and cheapest heli-skiing.

The resort has a reasonable amount for non-skiers to do and a good selection of pizzerias and restaurants. Champoluc suits those who are looking to get away from the touristy French ski resorts but who do not want to sacrifice the large ski that the French Alps offer. Don’t be fooled by the piste map of the Monterosa area which makes it seem rather small. There is in fact a huge ski area to be explored.