Les Deux Alpes

Les Deux Alpes sits high in the Oisans, its long resort spine laid out along a single main street with lifts rising from both sides. Above it, a glacier crowns the ski area and makes this one of the few places in Europe where you can ski in summer as well as winter. The terrain is defined by its extraordinary vertical, dropping from the icy heights all the way down to the village in one continuous sweep. The gentle upper glacier contrasts with steeper, more challenging pitches lower down, and the resort's freeride reputation is bolstered by its proximity to the wild slopes of neighbouring La Grave. It is high, snow-sure and unapologetically fun.

Go for the combination of altitude-assured snow, an immense descent and a nightlife that few resorts can match. It appeals to confident intermediates who want long, sweeping runs, to freeriders drawn by the off-piste and the La Grave connection, and to anyone who likes their skiing followed by a proper party. The summer glacier also makes it a rare destination for warm-season skiing and snowboarding.

The glacier keeps the top of the mountain reliably cold and snow-covered across the season, offering gentle, forgiving cruising at altitude. Lower down, the long descent to the village passes through steeper and more varied terrain that rewards stronger skiers and holds character right into spring. Fresh snowfalls open up extensive off-piste, and the high north-tending upper slopes preserve their surface well when lower resorts struggle.