Verbier (Veysonnaz), Switzerland

Veysonnaz is a small, family friendly ski resort with some stunning luxury chalets. It is situated only 15 minutes' drive from the old valley town of Sion (worth a visit on a bad weather day by the way). The resort faces mostly North (so holds snow on the home slopes pretty well) across the wide and rather beautiful Rhone Valley.

There are links to the huge 4 Valleys ski area incorporating Verbier but most skiers would make use of the fine intermediate slopes in the immediate area which is shared with Thyon and Les Collons. For those looking to access the high alpine glacial skiing of the Mont Fort and Mont Gele it makes sense to drive around to Siviez where there are faster lift links to the main expert ski area.

The main lift base resort of Veysonnaz is made up of largely modern but sympathetically designed buildings. There are enough shops and bars to keep most people happy (although the nightlife and apres ski scene is not to be compared with Verbier), a couple of nightclubs and a pretty good spa complex too. However, this is intrinsically a 'quiet' resort best for those looking for a suitable family resort or one that offers an escape from a hectic life back at home.