Ski-safari: Twice the fun

From £10 meal deals to half-price toothpastes, Britain is a nation of coupon clippers and there's no reason our skiing holidays should be exempt from the same value-added creativity. Get out the scissors: it's a "buy-one-get-one-free" to France.

I'm on two ski hols in one – a Ski-fari that pairs two of the UK's best loved Alpine destinations in the same week. This feast of flexibility was launched last season by Powder White. It pairs three days in Courchevel with three days in Val d'Isère. Starting from a newly built chalet in Courchevel 1650, we're well placed to slide into the world's largest linked area, the Three Valleys. It comprises 600km of pistes weaving from Aubusson-smooth grooming above 1850, through the woods of La Tania, across Méribel's to the lofty heights of Cime de Caron above Val Thorens and back. Then, before danger of being jaded by routine, weather or, god forbid, the chalet girl's cooking, it's into the van, to be chauffered two‑hours through the Tarentaise for three days and nights in L'Espace Killy. Holiday number two – and nothing extra to pack.

That deserves a toast. After the usual journey down the Autoroute Blanche from Geneva airport, the trip kicks off with Champagne and nibbles followed by a three-course dinner and unlimited wine. There's free Wi-Fi, ipod docks, laptops, flat-screen TV and DVDs, plus a menu of pre-bookable extras – from superior plonk to in-chalet ski fitting.

"I hate the word luxury," says Powder White co-owner Fraser White, leaving his clients to create their own definition. Guests opt in or out of self‑catering, part-catering or, as around 65 per cent do, full catering. Fraser allows as much tailoring or trimming as you choose.

With five major resorts – Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Val d'Isère and Tignes – on our menu, there's an exciting urgency in the air. The following morning, Tom Saxlund, director of New Generation Ski School takes the lead. He's been living in Courchevel for 15 years and matches terrain and technique with humour and intelligence. A few simple pointers and he has us standing on our skis more efficiently, steering and turning become easier and leg muscles don't have to work as hard. We're quickly lacing perfect figure eights down silky smooth slopes of Combe Saulire, at one with our soignée surroundings. What do Coco Chanel, Courchevel and Saxlund have in common? They make it easy to look beautiful.

Food for thought

Nearly two hours later into a very good lunch, the chariot de fromage is wheeled deftly in my direction. I am stretched and learned enough to adjust the clever Velcro side panels of my Vuarnet pants. Giving over to the universal beauty of mould as a higher life form, the cheese course at Le Chabichou – as well as the artfully cooked grub – is one of Courchevel's must-dos. This family-run, white-wood confection of a hotel is tucked piste-side at the edge of 1850. Despite its two Michelin stars, the Rochedy family are down with the times. An exquisite three-course lunch in all its crisp linen finery is a value-plumping €45. They've also got a buzzy new "bistronomy" outpost, Le Chabotté, offering three courses for €25.

After swanning around the Three Valleys, all too quickly, our dual-destination itinerary moves us on. Soon we're ready for Val d'Isère. Overnight it's snowed nearly a foot. The sun is wafting in and out from behind a gauzy sky. One of those rare happy days has fallen at our feet. As we board La Daille funicular, Saxlund puts us on high-powder alert. Just skiing off the edge of the pistes is a slice of shin-deep heaven. From Le Fornet at one end to Grand Motte on the other, if you can see it, you can ski it. By 3pm, my thighs are throbbing with joy and my head is throbbing with the dance music pulsing across the peaks. Folie Douce, emerging recently as the adult Disneyland of French après ski, got its start in 2007 in Val d'Isère. The outdoor dance club and sister restaurant La Fruitiere have been mounting a campaign for French Alpine domination. Number two opened in Val Thorens in 2009, the third in Méribel shortly after. Part Ibiza, part high-mountain Hard Rock Café, Kely Starlight, artistic director at Folie Douce explains they're targeted to slightly different tastes in each. "Val d'Isère is all about English and Scandos. Shops in Méribel and Val d'Isère are more bling. Val Thorens has more students and more Dutch. And Val Thorens," he admits, "well, it's the loudest."

By 5pm, the twilight mogul mayhem descent to La Daille commences. Across two domains in a handful of days, we've negotiated smooth groomers, lashings of powder and now this: survival skiing. With two ski holidays packed into one week, it's a good excuse for seeing double.

Getting there

easyJet flies to Geneva from Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Southend, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Manchester.

Staying there

Powder White (020 8877 8888; powderwhite.com) offers a week's 'Ski-fari' fully-catered chalet holiday staying three nights at Chalet Nid d'Aigle in Courchevel 1650 and four nights at Chalet Hokkaido in Val d'Isère from £549pp with inter-resort transfers (based on a departure on 7 December).