Resort height: 1500m
The mountains
250km of pistes are spread out over the northern and south-eastern slopes of the Massif des Ecrins. For the most part, they hold their snow well, especially above the villages of Monêtier and Villeneuve, and they offer an interesting variety of terrain - from open, snowy bowls at the top to pretty tree-lined boulevards at the bottom. Most of the slopes are intermediate-friendly in pitch, and they're scattered with some appealing mountain restaurants too. In other words, it's a great place for a leisurely cruise between refuelling stops. For those who like they're skiing more committed, there's the challenge of skiing the entire system, from one end to another, in a day, as well as a scattering of challenging blacks.
Serre Chevalier is also a good place to make your first turns in powder. The off-piste here tends not to be as steep or as intimidating as you'll find in resorts such as Val d'Isère or La Plagne, and tends to see less traffic too. So if you're ready to cope with the deep and fluffy stuff, hire yourself some tuition and get cracking.
Getting there
Serre Chevalier is two hours' drive from Turin airport, and two and a half hours from Grenoble. You can drive there from the UK too, and take the train to Grenoble, picking up the local bus service from there.
Rating: 
5/10
Après-ski
Serre Chevalier's accommodation is spread out between twelve different villages and towns along the valley, and lacks a natural night-time focus. Each one has its own bar, which can be lively enough in the busier weeks, but there's nothing here to rival the engine rooms of Alpine après, such as La Folie Douce in Val d'Isère. Villeneuve is the buzziest of the villages, with English-owned La Grotte featuring live music on Friday nights, and the LB bar catering to a younger, hipper crowd.
By contrast, the restaurant scene is really good, featuring lots of good-value eateries which are just shy of Michelin standard. Try Le Petit Chalet in Chantemerle and the Auberge du Choucas in Monêtier.
Rating: 
6/10
Non-skiers
Serre Chevalier feels a lot more French than the purpose-built resorts to the north, and a day out exploring Briançon, at the southern end of the lift system makes for a satisfying day out. Meanwhile, Monêtier is a spa town, and has a brand-new leisure centre, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, a hammam, and lots of health and beauty treatments.
Rating: 
8/10
Cost of living
So what if Serre Chevalier lacks glamour? Check out the prices! What's more, you can make your holiday seriously cheap if you book into a self-catering apartment and drive yourself down to France.
Rating: 
7/10
Attractiveness of the resort
There are busy roads through the heart of most of the villages, and a smattering of ugly apartment blocks too. But away from the traffic, Serre Chevalier is a pretty place to ski, with many more treelined pistes than you'll find in the average French resort of this size.
