Best place for coffee

Le Panoramic
Top of Courchevel Saulire (0033 479 08 00 88) - this mountain top restaurant has a terrace for sunnier days with spectacular views, as the name suggests, plus self-service or a la carte meals. Hot drinks around €5 each.

Lunch on the mountain

Le Bel Air
Top of the Ariondaz gondola, Courchevel 1650 (00 33 479 08 00 93) - hearty mountain food including salads, steak and cheese dishes for between €9.50 and €30, plus a set menu for €24. Booking in advance is recommended.

The expert guide to Meribel

Want to ski the best slopes, and party in the best apres ski bars? Sean and Mark know....

• The expert guide to Val d'Isere

• The expert guide to Courchevel

The expert guide to Val d'Isere

Mark Frary and Sean Newsom open their little black books to reveal the hottest pistes, bars, restaurants and places to stay

• The expert guide to Courchevel

The expert guide to Tignes

A morning coffee with a view, a gastronomic lunch on the mountain and the best skiing in Tignes, by Mark Frary and Sean Newsom

• The expert guide to Val d'Isere

• The expert guide to Meribel

• The expert guide to Courchevel

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Where to stay

Le Ski
This Courchevel specialist has 14 chalets in 1650 for between 8 and 22 people. All chalets are close to the village centre and within 10 minutes’ walk of the ski lifts. Some, including Chalet Caribou, have steam rooms or saunas.

Résidence les Brigues
These are among the most affordable apartments in Courchevel. They have fully equipped kitchens, some have balconies and there’s a ski and boots room. They sleep between four and eight people and cost between €200 and €1900 per person per week Saturday-Saturday.

Hotel Courcheneige
This piste-side hotel has 85 bedrooms and a spa offering facials and massages. Rooms from €132 to €284 depending on the room type and season.

Apres ski

Le Bubble
The buzziest bar in Courchevel 1650 attracts an older and family crowd post-skiing and gets livelier as the night wears on. Happy hour and deals see wine and beer drop below the €3 mark, plus there’s hearty bar snacks on offer and internet access with some computer terminals.

Best restaurant

Le Chabichou
Michel Rochedy’s Two Michelin-starred restaurants serves a selection of taster menus for between €70 and €160 or a la carte for around €130 for three courses.

Or try…

L’Eterlou
(00 33 479 08 25 45, Rue du Marquis, Courchevel 1650) - affordable pizza and Savouyarde dishes for under €15 a plate, in the resort high street just five minute’s walk from the lifts

Airport transfers: The Times, Times Online and Sunday Times team hired a car through www.carrentals.co.uk, which offers car hire from Geneva airport from £146 a week.