Resort: The Grand Massif lies between Geneva and Mont Blanc in the Haute-Savoie Alps and includes 5 resorts; Samoens, Les Carroz d’Araches, Morillon, Sixt-fer-a-Cheval and Flaine. There are many traditional Savoyard style villages, including Samoëns which has remained unspoilt by tourist developments and is the only resort in France to be listed as a ‘Land of Art and History’. Geneva is the nearest international airport at 1 and a half hours by car.

Winter: Grand Massif is the fourth largest ski area in France with 265km of piste, with 351 individual pistes, served by 78 ski lifts offering a variety of terrain for all levels, reliable snow cover and very few queues. The ski area is open from mid December to mid April, and with skiing above 2000 metres, snow cover is generally reliable. In the best snow conditions it is possible to ski from the Tete des Saix (2120m) down to Morillon village at 700m on a choice of runs, and from the top of Flaine (2480m) down to Sixt at 800m on the classic picturesque 14km Cascades run.

Summer: Although the region is undoubtedly at its busiest during the skiing season, there are plenty of reasons to visit the Grand Massif in summer. The area is home to dozens of hiking trails, while mountain biking is incredibly popular. For the more adventurous, there is glacial hiking; a specialist summer sport that delivers exactly what it says on the box. You’ll don crampons, ice picks, harnesses and helmets and clamber onto – and into – a high altitude, icy landscape like no other. Plus, Samoëns hosts some of the world’s most impressive cave systems, including the Jean Bernard cave, which was the world’s deepest known cave until 1980.