Puy St Vincent

Puy st Vincent is your typically purpose built French resort, and split into 3 main villages. At the base the purpose built 1400m village has a few services but this basic village is looking decidedly tired, however there are a chalets not so far away. The largest village is located at1600m, and again this purpose built concrete complex is not going to win any beauty contests, even by French standards.  

However despite it's dingy interior, you'll find a good number of services and restaurants, as long as it's not nightlife you're looking for. The complex consists of a large number of self catered studios and apartments, served by a reasonable supermarket, a bakery, takeway, 4 restaurants, a few hire/sport shops, a some tourist shops. They also have a very small heated outdoor pool if want a break from the slopes. If you really can't be bothered to cook, but still want a night in, then a number of place do a ready to go fondue kit, and you can also order some nice local savoir fayre to take away. Just up the road from 1600m is the recommended La Chaumiere restaurant, and the Le Petit Chamois in the village is probably the pick of the bunch.

The 1800m village is a much more modern affair, with a number of smaller wooden clad apartment blocks. You'll still need to head down to 1600m though to find the best services.

The best mountain restaurant by far is the L'etoile des Neiges, located near the top of the Les Pres chairlift