Luxury holidays in Pays du Mont-Blanc

West of Chamonix in the Mont-Blanc massif, Pays du Mont-Blanc comprises four forested valleys stretching from Sallanches in the north to Les Contamines in the south, with spa town St-Gervais-Les-Bains, upscale Megève and traditional village Combloux at its heart. The picturesque Evasion Mont-Blanc ski area is the mountain playground that unites them, its tree-dotted slopes punctuated by craggy granite needles and afforded the peace that comes with being Chamonix’s gentler neighbour.

When to go

Summer and winter are the twin lures for visitors, with the majority of restaurants and hotels reflecting this seasonality in their months of opening. The ski season runs from mid-December to late March, although its lower-altitude resorts are reliant on good snow-making as the season tails off. May and June bring spring flowers; climes in July and August are at their hottest and sunniest but still walker-friendly.