We've been regularly skiing Isola for years & never given Auron much thought as we thought it too low. What a mistake that was!

Firstly, compared to Auron village, Isola 2000 is the absolute pits. The main Auron village square is a pretty alpine affair set around an ice ring that provides fun for children & adults alike. Little chalet stalls like those of Christmas markets are set to one side, while shops flank the other. Plenty of shops, bars, restaurants & hotels to choose from, all with friendly attentive service.

Yes, you can't ski back to the village itself but you can drive or catch the gondola that is just a few minutes up to the main ski area that features an excellent debutant green served by a chair lift perfect for beginners (no hideous drag lifts to put beginners off).

The skiing is perfect for a long weekend with lots of choice in both difficulty & length, plenty of lifts & some good off-piste if the conditions are right. Good snow cannon cover too, ensuring you can make a circuit of the resort runs. Like Isola2000 they have an airbag, but it's FREE & they also do bulk deals on ESF lessons, again unlike Isola2000.

Lots of lovely places to stop for lunch or a drink, from converted stone shepherd huts to large self service affairs & everthing in between. Wish we'd made the effort before, way better than Isola in all but altitude. We've switched our allegiance! Couple of top tips; Le Grizzly on St Etienne side has good food & rooms so you can stay on piste. Blanch on near the debutant runs is great for lunch & the best little hotel we found was Hotel Le Blainon. Faultless in terms of cleanliness, service & location....