Travel: Are you Les Arcs? Or a bit more Chamonix?

Les Arcs

Jean-Marc Silva, director of the tourist office at , announced last year that the resort had become "a suburb of London". True, the direct Eurostar from Waterloo to Bourg-St- Maurice - which inspired his claim - isn't the most frequent suburban service (it runs only twice a week), but it makes getting to France's best all-round resort absurdly easy. At Bourg-St-Maurice, it's just a walk along the platform to the funicular railway that runs up to Arc 1600. Two trains, and you're there.

A convenient journey is just the beginning. The skiing is sublime: the greens, blues and reds above Arc 1800 give way, beyond the dramatic ridge of l'Arpette, to sweeping reds, difficult blacks and plenty of off-piste in the valley of Arc 2000.

For a resort celebrating its 30th birthday this season, has lots of history, too: the ski evolutif training method - you start with 1-metre skis - was pioneered here, and it was the first area to cater for snowboarders, for whom an excellent snowpark is now provided. Its other special features range widely, from a speed slope (current record: 151mph) to a guided environmental tour called "The Spirit of the Fox". Chickening out of the former, I spent one of my two most enjoyable days in the Alps skiing through the woods and learning about mountain ecology and culture. The other day? Also at , skiing the 7-km run down from the 3225m Aiguille Rouge to the little village of Villaroger, for a well deserved and deliciously wholesome peasant lunch at the Chez Lea restaurant.

The accommodation isn't exceptional at , and the Sixties architecture wouldn't win any prizes today. But it is a lot better than in the other suburbs of London.

is represented in Britain by Erna Low: call 0171-584 2841 for all details

Stephen Wood

Chamonix

In the Alpine country that we mostly associate with vast piste networks and ski-from-the-door convenience - epitomised by the wonderful and unbeatable Trois Vallees - Chamonix stands out by offering neither. In terms of piste mileage, it is firmly average, ranking alongside unknowns such as Valmorel and Risoul. For sheer time-wasting inconvenience, it has no serious rival in France, and few in the world.

But my idea of a favourite resort is the one that sets the pulse racing fastest. And the Grands Montets, a few miles up the valley from Chamonix, is one of the most exciting lift-served mountains in the world: high, steep pistes, often offering deep snow as well as awe-inspiring views and serious challenges. Here, and from the other widely separated main lifts, there are huge off-piste possibilities, too.

Then there is perhaps the world's most awe-inspiring cable-car ride - to the rocky Aiguille du Midi, 2750m above downtown Chamonix - followed by perhaps the world's longest and most spectacular skiing descent, down the Vallee Blanche glacier.

Chamonix itself is quite unlike most French resorts: a long-established tourist and mountaineering town, easily explored on foot, but big enough to have a good range of restaurants and bars, and a good choice of pleasantly old-fashioned hotels.

The writer is co-editor of `Where to Ski and Snowboard' (Thomas Cook, pounds 14.99). All of the major operators offer Chamonix, plus Bigfoot(01491 579601), Collineige (01276 24262), HuSki (0171-938 4844), Ski Esprit (01252 616 789), Ski Weekend (01367 241 636) and White Roc (0171-792 1188). Several operators also offer weekend trips, for which Chamonix is ideal

Chris Gill

Cauterets

The small town of Cauterets isn't chic, and it doesn't even offer the most challenging skiing in the Pyrenees, but it has the advantages of accessibility - it is less than an hour from Lourdes airport, lower prices than in the trendier Alps, and crowd-free pistes which swoop down through lovely scenery. For those who don't like slopes, there are some beautiful cross-country trails.

A cable-car takes you to and from the slopes, and when you get to the top there are around 20 miles of pistes, ideal for intermediates and beginners. If you like to try out neighbouring resorts, it is only a short journey to Bareges-La Mongie, or some of the smaller local ski areas, like Camban and Camban-Sainte Marie.

It probably marks me out as a less than obsessive skier when I admit that, while I love to ski, I also enjoy being on holiday in another country, and Cauterets has the advantage of being a real French town. It has the things French towns are supposed to have, and purpose-built resorts don't: a proper market - Les Halles, avenue Leclerc - and shops selling more than just ski hats and sunblock. The cafes don't all cater to raucous apres-skiers, although Le Ski, in place Foch, is lively enough. And if you want a decent meal, there are plenty of restaurants worth trying in the rue de Richelieu.

Ski holidays in Cauterets: Fairhand Holiday Services (01959 540796); Lagrange Holidays (0171-371 6111); Momentum Travel (0171-371 9111); SkiAway Holidays (01903 824823); and Tangney Tours Ski (01732 886666)

Cathy Packe