Travel: 48 hours in Val d'Isere

Friday, 3pm Arrive at Geneva airport. The bus transfer takes three hours and twists through stunning Alpine scenery to Val d'Isère.

6pm Check into Hotel Avenue Lodge (www.hotelavenuelodge.com). Right in the centre of Val d'Isre, the hotel is 200 metres from the ski lifts.

Saturday, 7am Rise early and have a hearty breakfast before heading to Ski Set (www.skiset.com) to get kitted out for a day on the mountain.

5pm Loosen those boot straps and clomp down to Caf Face (www.cafeface.com) for some aprs-ski. Happy hour starts at 4pm with prices increasing by the hour. The legendary Dicks Tea Bar is just across the road if you want to make a night of it.

7pm Make time for a Jacuzzi, steam and sauna in the spa at Hotel Avenue Lodge and your muscles will thank you for it in the morning.

8pm Dinner at Tsanteleina (www.tsanteleina.com), whose cheese trolley alone makes it unmissable.

Sunday, 7am Hit the slopes again (inset). With 300km of ski runs served by 96 lifts, L'Espace Killy ski area (www.valdisere.com) offers amazingly varied skiing.

1pm Either ski or get the lift to La Fruitire, one of Val d'Isre's best mountain restaurants, where fantastic food is served in hearty portions. From 3pm the outdoor bar area, La Folie Douce, bops along to live music with optional table-top dancing.

THE FACTS Inghams offer seven nights' B&B at Hotel Avenue Lodge from 1,303 including return flights from Gatwick to Geneva (supplement of 48 from Edinburgh) including transfers.

This article was originally published in The Scotsman on 27 February 2010