Courmayeur ski resort

Courmayeur ski resort, an enchanting little mountain town of cobbled piazzas and slate roofs, offers skiing with a dash of real Italy, as well as sensational views over the Mont Blanc massif – or Monte Bianco as it’s known on this Italian side of Western Europe’s highest mountain.

There are stylish Italian fashion boutiques, delicatessens hung with salamis and local cheese, fragrant cafés frothing with cappuccinos, and more bars and restaurants in Courmayeur than most people would believe. Between skiing and dinner, fur and Gucci-clad Milanese parade in a nightly passeggiata along pedestrianised Via Roma.

The skiing in Courmayeur is further from the centre of town than in many resorts. Buses link Courmayeur town to the cable car at Entrèves and to the gondola at Dolonne; while the giant, 130-person cable car that swings from the edge of town up to Plan Checrouit is also some distance from the resort's heart.