Resort height: 1850m
The mountains
Val d'Isere has a well-established reputation for being a steep and intimidating place to ski. Don't believe a word of it. Yes, there's some superb terrain for more expert skiers and snowboarders, but if you've only just learnt how to link your turns you can have a ball here too ¬provided you follow one simple rule: ride the lift down the mountain each evening. The main pistes back into town are often icy at the end of the day, and they're usually packed too. It's no wonder intermediates are regularly freaked out by them.
Elsewhere, however, the slopes are much gentler. Val d'Isere shares its lift system with the neighbouring resort of Tignes, and between them they offer 300km of pistes. As you track over towards the latter you'll find an increasing number of them are wide and flattering. They're at high altitude too, which means the snow is usually of excellent quality.
This winter, Val d'Isère is hosting the World Ski Championships, from February 2-15, 2009. That's going to add to Val's already considerable buzz - but with roughly 3000 competitors, trainers, race organisers and journalists in town, hotel accommodation in particular will be hard to find. It'll also mean that Val's iconic piste, the Face, will be closed from January 15, to February 20 because it's the scene of the men's races. The new Rhone-Alpes piste, opposite, will also be closed, from January 5, to February 20.
Getting there
Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery airports all provide access - but from Geneva the transfer to Val d'Isere can take over four hours if the traffic's bad. You can also take a Eurostar train straight from London St Pancras to Bourg St Maurice, in the valley below Val d'Isere, twice a week. Normal French rail services are pretty good too - and of course you can always drive yourself if the budget's tight.
Rating: 
9/10
Après-ski
Val d'Isere offers the full range of nightlife options, from sweaty discos to chic little cocktail bars. It¹s also home to one of the most amazing mountain bars too - the Folie Douce, above La Daille, which in the second half of the season features live bands playing on the roof. The restaurant scene in Val d'Isere is improving too and the Table d'Ours, at the recently opened Barmes de l'Ours hotel, now has a Michelin star. L'Atelier d'Edmond, at Le Fornet, and La Grande Ourse, in the centre of town, are the other two fine-dining options. If all you fancy is a burger, then head to the Billabong store on the high street, which has great little diner.
Rating: 
5/10
Non-skiers
Val d'Isere is a skiing town: it doesn¹t cater well for those looking for other distractions. Even the shopping has a rather one-dimensional feel, with a fantastic range of outfitters selling skis, boots and mountain clothing, but only a smattering of art galleries and gastronomic delis besides. Your best bet is to head into the hills to try snow-shoeing, dog-sledding or snow-mobiling.
Rating: 
8/10
Cost of living
Chalets and hotels can be eye-wateringly expensive, but the great thing about Val d'Isere is that there is a plentiful supply of cheap apartments too.
Staying in a self-catering apartment also means you can make your own sandwiches for lunch ¬ saving yourself at least a tenner a head every day!
Rating: 8/10
Attractiveness of the resort
There's one notable eyesore, the concrete-carbuncle apartments in La Daille at the entrance to town - which are going to look even uglier this winter, in the wake of big fire in October 2008. But otherwise Val d'Isere is low-rise and surprisingly unobtrusive. The mountain scenery is magnificent.
