Avoriaz, France

Established in the 1960s as the brainchild of Olympic champion skier Jean Vuarnet, Avoriaz is a purpose build resort with tonnes of character. The wood-clad buildings have a striking appearance that set it apart from other destinations. Even more impressive is the 360° panorama of the Alps. Avoriaz is brilliantly located right in the centre of the Portes du Soleil ski area.

Completely ski-in ski-out, a holiday in Avoriaz means you don't have to lug your equipment around and you can maximise time on the slopes. It's also wholly car-free – there is a large car park and arrivals area where you can unload luggage and travel by snowmobile or horse-drawn sledge to your accommodation. This is a charming start to your ski holiday.

In 2019 Avoriaz was voted 'Europe's best family ski resort' by the European Destinations of Excellence Network (EDEN) and in 2012 the World Snow Awards vote Avoriaz the 'Best Family Resort.' It is a top destination for kids learning to ski and snowboard thanks to the central children's village and offers some wonderful family activities indoors and out.

A huge attraction for families and non-skiers is the incredible Aquariaz water centre, where you can relax in a tropical climate while looking out over the snow-covered Alps (bizarre but very enjoyable). Off slope activities certainly don't stop here and contribute to a lively and varied après scene that suits all ages and tastes.

As a pioneering snowboard destination, Avoriaz was voted 'Best Snowboarding Resort' by EDEN in 2019. You'll find five fantastic snow parks including the world-famous and eco-friendly Burton Stash Park, one of the few remaining full-size super-pipes in Europe and an additional 25 smaller fun parks and board/ski cross courses.

Known as 'Avoriaz 1800' for its high altitude, this is the best place to book accommodation in the Portes du Soleil if you're looking for great snow. The local pass gives access to 130km of varied high altitude pistes while for those seeking more, the Portes du Soleil pass covers a massive 650km of terrain over 12 resorts in France and Switzerland.

Avoriaz is one of our favourite resorts to bring the family - thanks to a huge and central children's village, complete with a specialised snowboarding area, children can learn to ski and ride in a fun and safe environment. Avoriaz is one of the only resorts that has a Beginner Pass, letting you find your feet on easy terrain via 14 lifts without the expense of a full lift pass. Beginners-only piste Première Glisse gives you the chance to improve at your own pace, while Proclou and Q'monts are easy blues for cruisey snowploughing.

Intermediates have a good number of runs and can upgrade to the larger area pass for even more variety – we like the long blue down Mossette while Blanchot and Alpages are two good reds.

Recommendations for advanced skiers and riders: take the Mossette and switch to the stash park or snowcross halfway down. Coupe de Monde is a black run with lots of nearby off-piste and Crozats has another snowcross. For off-piste, hire a guide and explore the Vallee de la Manche. Intrepid skiers must attempt notorious La Chavanette (aka the Swiss Wall) – the steep and moguled descent is said to be one of the scariest in Christendom.

With great freeriding terrain, a super-pipe and five snowparks, Avoriaz welcomes the adventurous with open arms. La Chapelle is the most popular park, with red, blue and green kickers for freestylers of all abilities. Developed by Jake Burton as a fusion of freeriding & freestyling, eco-snowpark The Stash has three runs through the Lindarets woods including 100 natural and wooden features. Burton Kids Parkway and Lil'Stash are two gentler areas for beginner freestylers, and the Arare boardercross is excellent for the whole family. Nearby, experts might prefer the Arare Snowpark which has a selection of red and black kickers and an airbag jump.

Avoriaz has worked hard on it's apres game in the last few years, with the addition of a well-known apres go to 'La Folie Douce' for winter 2018. It has an array of restaurants, bars and off-slope activities that contribute to a lively après ski scene. Le Tavallion is an English themed pub for a home-from-home atmosphere, Shooters is good for party-lovers while Le Yak tends to be the venue of choice for late-night clubbing.

Featured in the Michelin Gourmet plate guide, La Reserve is a place to fine-dine in style. Alongside a few of the pubs, Chez Flo serves up hearty dinners and for a pizza restaurant in Avoriaz, try Piz'Burg.

2400m2 of tropical paradise can be enjoyed by all ages at the Aquariaz water centre. Children will love the treehouse, paddling area and water playground. There's a giant slide and 'Tarzan rope' for the adventurous. While those seeking a more relaxing environment will appreciate the jacuzzi and waterfall in the 'lazy river'.

Other indoor activities include a bowling alley and cinema. Outdoors, there's plenty of activities for all ages: ice skating, husky sledding, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, paragliding, ice diving and night sledding.