Skiing in Geneva

Forget Heidi and the cuckoo clocks, Geneva is renowned as the gateway to a whole host of luxury, chic ski resorts and simply breathtaking panoramic scenery. Just a hop away from powdery slopes in both Switzerland and neighbouring France, you are spoilt for choice whether beginner, expert or just a snow bunny hoping to pick up a tan and maybe a ski monitor or two... who could ask for more?!

Best cash-free resort:

La Plagne

The French resort of La Plagne is less than 2 hours drive from from Geneva and offers plenty of slopes to choose from as it incorporates the resorts of Aime La Plagne, Belle Plagne, Plagne Village-Soleil, Plagne Centre, Plagne Bellecote and Plagne 1800. Divided up into six ski stations, your ski pass allows you to move freely between them, but best of all is the resort offers a “Pass Plagne” loyalty card that can be used in place of cash. No more coins dropping out on chair lifts or struggling through pockets on ski suits, this card can be used for reduced-priced shopping, eating out and a whole range of activities from mini golf and bowling to trampolining. The card works like a payphone card: you can buy it in fixed amounts and just top it up as and when.

Where: La Plagne, France, Tel: +33 479 097979.

Website: www.la-plagne.com

Best pampering:

Hotel Les Granges du Soleil

Aching, weary bodies are a side effect of hitting the slopes all day, so take yourself to one of the many spas on offer at La Plagne. A favourite place to stay – with the added bonus of being able to have a swim, sauna, steam room and then a hot stone massage – is the stylish Hotel Les Granges du Soleil in down in the village at Plagne Soleil which offers beautiful views as you destress, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows over the pistes.

Where: Hotel Les Granges du Soleil, Plagne Soleil, La Plagne, France, Tel: +33 450 331096.

Website: www.cgh-residences.com

Best cheese treats:

Le Baryon

You may burn off the calories skiing, but you can pack them back on easily enough thanks to the obsession with cheese in these parts. Take your pick from fondue (a bubbling cauldron of cheese for you to dip your bread in), raclette (melted cheese over potatoes), tartiflette (a Reblochon cheese, ham and potato mix) or crôute au fromage (an oven dish of crusty bread with cheese melted over it). Most restaurants do a least one of these dishes and Le Baryon in Plagne Soleil is a real Alpine chalet treat.

Where: Le Baryon, Place Centrale, Plagne Soleil, La Plagne, France, Tel: +33 047 9092956.

Website: http://aime-laplagne.com/restaurants-60/plagne-soleil-le-baryon-87.html

Best for families:

La Cluzaz

Locals looking for weekend skiing with the kids often head to the nearby French ski station, La Cluzaz which is just under an hours’ drive from Geneva. The resort has been officially awarded “Family Plus” recognition (a national scheme) for its excellent facilities for children. The slopes tend towards the easier end of the scale, so it’s the perfect place to practice with your family after you’ve picked them up from their kids clubs and crèches.

For a change from the skis and snowboards, why not take in the scenery at a slower pace and put on a pair of raquettes and tackle a high altitude trek round one of the snowshoe circuits. (Service des pistes, 161 place de l’église, La Cluzaz, France, Tel: +33 450 326500.)

Where: La Cluzaz, France, Tel: +33 450 326969.

Website: www.laclusaz.com

Best swanky Swiss resort

Zermatt

Zermatt is the ultimate luxury spot and well worth making the 3 hour journey from Geneva. Located at the foot of the Matterhorn, it boasts spectacular slopes, including challenging off-piste routes, designer shops, boutique hotels and restaurants, and serious après ski partying. For cocktails, head to Bahnhofstrasse, the so-called “Bermuda Triangle” of bars that encompasses GramPi’s, Pöstli (in the Hotel Post) and Hexen. Have a pint and a bite to eat at the nearby Papperla Pub before returning to Bahnhofstrasse and dancing the night away at the Broken Bar Disco in the depths of the Hotel Post.

Where: GramPi’s, Bahnhofstrasse 70, Zermatt, Switzerland, Tel: +41 027 9677788. Pöstli, in the Hotel Post, Bahnhofstrasse 41, Zermatt, Switzerland, Tel: +41 027 9671932. Hexen, Bahnhofstrasse 43, Zermatt, Switzerland, Tel: +41 027 9675533. Papperla Pub, Steinmattenstrasse 34, Zermatt, Switzerland and Broken Bar Disco, in the Hotel Post, Bahnhofstrasse 41, Zermatt, Switzerland, Tel: +41 027 9671932

Website: Pöstli: www.hotelpost.ch; Papperla Pub: www.papperlapub.ch

Best trivia:

When the going gets tough... it seems we turn to chocolate! Despite the global financial crisis, last year was Switzerland’s best on record for the sweet stuff, with chocolate sales nearing 2 billion Swiss francs according to ChocoSuisse, the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers.