Half Term ski holidays in France

With a precious 7 days before you return to the daily grind, catered chalets give you permission to forget the chores and get on with the holiday. 6 days out of 7: breakfasts are ready when you wake up, afternoon tea’s on the table when you come home and dinner with wine puts a seal on the evening…

Family-focussed properties know what makes the week off school work, with childcare services, kids menus and hand-picked locations. Opt for Tignes’ Chalet Canvolan for a convenient lakeside location awash with nurseries and kids clubs - plus the Marmottons kid’s area’s 5 minutes away.

We love Chalet Marine in La Plagne for groups of 15 seeking sole occupancy – share the views from the balcony with friends and family and get to the slopes or town in minutes.

For an extra-sociable half-term, pick a Chalet Hotel. Meribel’s Chalet Hotel Tarentaise is ski in / ski out into the hulking 3 Valleys. It’s just above the quiet town of Mottaret but a bus ride from Meribel and the world-famous Rond Point’s toffee vodka…

You can’t ski in France without at some point sampling luxury in one of its first class resorts, a sure-fire way of lifting weight from the shoulders. From Chalet Kilimanjaro in Val D’Isere you’ll gaze out over the 13^th century town, just 5 minutes from some of the finest spas in the land.

If you’re bringing young children, hotels with facilities like swimming pools and playrooms can be a godsend when it comes to evening entertainment. In the morning, properties with doorstop skiing will get you out onto the slopes with no messing around.

With an all-inclusive holiday at one of our Club Med hotels, pretty much everything you need for the week comes along with your stay. Resorts like Club Med Valmorel and Club Med Les Arcs Panorama have doorstep skiing, so you can easily pop back for lunch – check if lessons and lift passes are still included in the price.

We love Hotel Les Aiglons in the legendary resort of Chamonix. Set back from the livelier town centre, it’s great if you’ve got kids in tow (they’ll go mad for Chamonix’s Alpine Coaster), while the facilities will help grown-ups to really relax and unwind.

The 3 Valleys is in high demand at this time of year and Les Menuires is a quieter way to it, where the doorstep skiing at Hotel Club Belambra Neige et Ciel puts you seconds away from one of the largest ski areas in the world.

For real half-term luxury, drool over our 5 star spa hotels, complete with all the bells and whistles. Pair this with a world class resort and you’re winning – check our Hotel Avenue Lodge in Val d’Isere and the Hotel Les Sherpas in Courchevel 1850.

Friends seeking the perfect hang out, families hankering for home comforts and couples after privacy will find French apartments an affordable way to enjoy the white stuff. An added bonus, self-catering leaves you free to enjoy your ski holiday on your own timetable.

We love Morzine for its family friendly ethos and nothing beats being able to ski right back to properties like The Chalet Matine Apartments. Make your new apartment just like home, but better... (Who can say their home’s ski in ski out?).

A relaxed resort with world-class skiing, Flaine suits groups and families to the ground – apartments like the Residence De La Foret are surrounded by amenities, but only a short walk from the ski area.

For great snow this season, Les Deux Alpes rarely disappoints. We love the lodge-style L’Ours Blanc Apartments at the foot of the piste, just off the lively Venosc square.

La Plagne is one of the easiest resorts to drive to, and having your own wheels goes hand in hand with self-catering – stay in the Belambra Cassiopee Apartments and open your windows onto a bustling Belle Plagne.

While apartments are great, you may be looking for something a little more rustic; the Chalet Le Fitzroy in Courchevel is perfect for the chalet experience, while you’re still very much in the driving seat (and the 3 Valleys is your next door neighbour).