Les Contamines Montjoie, Les Contamines-Montjoie

Les Contamines, or Les Contamines - Montjoie to give the resort its full official name, is a pretty and compact Savoyard village with a long history. The resort has remained relatively unspoilt by the march of time and the growth of winter tourism, with the local population still totalling around a thousand. The village is largely based around a single main street, based upon its eighteenth century baroque village church. The large local ski area is part of the huge Mont Blanc lift pass, which includes Chamonix, Megève, Courmayeur over in Italy, the resort's nearest neighbour St Gervais (ten minutes away on the bus), and half a dozen others. Les Contamines - Montjoie's own extensive ski area comprises 120km (75 miles) of trails, served by more than 25 lifts. What's more, the area has a strong reputation for good snow conditions, with powder lasting in good shape for days after a fall, and snow cover in general lasting when other lower ski centres on the Mont Blanc pass have none. The only aspect of the skiing that precludes perfection for some is that the main area is accessed by a regular ski bus from the resort centre.