Chamonix — Mont Blanc

Chamonix sits directly beneath Mont Blanc, and its reputation as the off-piste capital of the world isn't marketing — it's earned. The valley's 170km of pistes are spread across six largely separate ski areas rather than one linked network, and the resort's real draw has always been what lies beyond the groomed runs, most famously the Vallée Blanche.

Grands Montets holds the valley's most serious lift-served terrain — steep faces, couloirs and glacier access for strong skiers. Les Houches, lower and more sheltered, is the better choice on bad-weather days or for less experienced skiers. Brévent and Flégère, opposite the valley from Mont Blanc, offer some of the best views in Chamonix along with genuinely varied intermediate terrain. The Vallée Blanche — a roughly 20km glacier descent starting from the Aiguille du Midi — requires a mountain guide and remains one of the great ski experiences anywhere in the world.

The Mont Blanc Unlimited pass covers the full valley. Chamonix is about an hour from Geneva by train (the Mont Blanc Express). Altitude keeps snow reliable through the core season, December to April, though weather in the high mountains changes fast — checking forecasts before committing to off-piste terrain is essential here more than almost anywhere else in the Alps.

Chamonix town has a different character from most purpose-built ski resorts — it's a real mountain town, with a serious mountaineering culture that runs through the summer as much as the ski season. MBC (Micro Brasserie de Chamonix) is the local favourite for après-ski, less polished and more grounded than the typical resort-bar formula. Come summer, the same lifts and trails that carry skiers in winter open up to some of the best hiking in the Alps.