Valberg is the more family orientated of the three main ski resorts in Mercantour. They also have the greatest choice of alternative leisure facilities within the resort. If you don't feel like skiing you can hire quad bikes or snow mobiles, visit a spa, go sledging, take a ride on the toboggen run or use the open air winter pool.

It isn't over-crowded or too commercial, Valberg still has a cosy village feel to it with amazing slopes and facilities. There are more than enough decent bars and restaurants in the village and a particularly good delicatessen and bakery along the main street for those who are self-catering.

There are 10 green pistes, 14 blue, 26 red and 5 black slopes over 90 km, more than enough choice for everyone plus, for the snowboarders there is a great snow park with all sorts of obstacles to navigate. For the children they have a separate area just for the little ones to use their sledges, a gentler and much safer slope near the car park.

If you are just travelling up to Valberg for the day then you can hire your skis, boots and poles for just Euro 18,00 per day and a full days' ski pass is only Euro 27,70 for an adult so for less than 50 Euros per person you can get out on the slopes for a whole day - exceptional value.

The chair lifts are all great as well and they have a miniature travelator to drag you on your skis through the barrier to the chair lift, something that is usually quite tricky when lift areas are crowded.

Valberg also has a cinema, library, planetarium and beautiful parklands to explore around Mercantour. There is plenty of parking around the town but I would reccommend getting there early on weekends and school holidays to avoid the rush.