Cervinia

With fresh snow, Cervnia almost feels like a real alpine town. But as the snow melts, so too does its charm.

There are some really uninspired concrete blobs which they call hotels, although on the whole it's a pleasant enough place to stay.

The resort has a big choice of restaurants to choose from. Italians know their food and even the mountain restaurants are affordable.

Cervinia has plenty of affordable places to sleep and there's a number of cheap apartments and hotels. Easy access to the slopes is a common feature.

The resort has some lively bars and a few reasonable piste-side café bars, check out the Dragon for a beer or the dodge L'Etoile disco to check out the rich Italian skirt.

Despite the fact that large tour groups stay here, there's a good mix of nationalities so it never feels mobbed.