(easily reached via any Eurostar/Rail Europe service to the French Alps) is a lovely old Thermal spa that has been sympathetically modernised. Instead of visitors walking sedately around the gardens, today they go ski-ing in the winter, and indulge in the spa in summer.

Brides-les-Bains view

The Grand Hotel des Termes is one of the grand old hotels, where the incredibly rich Duke of Westminster used to deposit his wife for the summer, then hare across to the opposite corner of France to Biarritz and spend time there with his mistress, Coco Chanel. The hotel was totally renovated by the French for the Albertville Olympics to house their skating stars, who were expected to scoop the medals. Unfortunately they didn’t: I wonder if it was because they were enjoying themselves too much in the hotel?

Slightly less expensive, but just as lovely is the Hotel Golf, which TripAdvisor rates as its favourite hotel. The breakfast buffet is enough to set you up for the day, and staff run round to help you. Bedrooms – especially on the first floor – are huge, and the bath goodies are sumptuous.

The spa is dedicated to helping you lose weight along with meals. Handed a menu, what looks like incredibly high menu prices are actually calorie counts. And you eat dreamy food that does you good! Then go back for fantastic treatments that make you feel wonderful, but help the body get rid of toxins from drugs.

High on flavour, low on calories

If you want self-catering, the British chalet specialists, Lagrange. have a residence in the centre of Brides les Bains which has been  recently completely refurbished to a high standard, yet remains very affordable. Residence Cybele was originally built to house Olympic athletes for the Albertville games and it boasts an indoor pool and sauna, as well as a handy on-site ski shop and is only 600m (or a free shuttle bus ride) from the Olympe gondola to Meribel. The residence is open all year round, meaning  that during the summer months the area is suited to those who want to go walking, climbing etc. in between spa treatments.

For skiers, Brides les Bains offers 3 Valley skiing at a fraction of the cost – a self-catering apartment for four for February half term (wk comm. 14/2) costs just £630 sterling, including a return Dover/Calais ferry crossing with SeaFrance,  that’s a respectable £157.50 sterling pp based on 4 sharing.

www.brides-les-bains.com

www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

www.savoie-mont-blanc.com

http://www.lagrange-holidays.co.uk