Courmayeur

Nestled at the foot of Mont Blanc lies the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur with its breathtaking scenery and stylish mountain town. Courmayeur ski holidays offers its visitors 100 km of pisted runs serviced by 21 lifts and with something for all levels of skier. The season starts in early December and goes through to early April and should the snow disappoint, they are able to manufacture snow on 15 km of their ski runs.

The skiing is fantastic here for beginners with several carpet lifts to get them started. There is a choice of nursery slopes although several lifts are needed to reach them. Families with children may want to make use of the Dolonne Fun Park which is a great place for children to learn, but does unfortunately incur an additional cost. Intermediate skiers who like to travel a lot of ground may find the slopes a little limited at Courmayeur, although they have the largest choice of runs, but they are pleasant and the scenery takes your breath away. Expert skiers may not find the 4 black runs sufficiently challenging but the off piste skiing more than makes up for this fact. What's more there's the thrill of skiing on Europe's highest mountain to take account of. Cross country fans are rewarded with 22 km of trails. The resort attracts more than its fair share of snowboarders which may be partly due to the lively nightlife to be found here.

About the village

Courmayeur has a wide choice of places to eat and drink with its main pedestrianised street being surrounded by cafes and restaurants. The Italians love to dress up and parade about before dining. Once the lifts close the Roma is a popular meeting place. The party atmosphere begins when the resort fills up with well heeled weekenders from Milan and Turin. Accommodation in Courmayeur is plentiful with a choice to suit most budgets. The location of your hotel in Courmayeur may be worth considering since there are three different access points to the ski lift area. The best shopping is to be found in the Val d'Aosta with the presence of numerous big names including Prada, Cartier and Hermes.