Shhhh! This place is probably France's best kept secret! We've been coming here for the past 20 years as it's fantastic value for a family ski holiday, but hearing other English voices is always a surprise.
The ski resort is a 5 minute drive from the town of le Mont-Dore, with free parking for cars, although you have to get there early as spaces fill up fast. There are also regular shuttle buses from le Mont-Dore and la Bourboule, a little further down the valley.
The resort sits one side of Puy de Sancy and offers lots of space for beginners on the lower slopes. Skiing down from the upper slopes requires a certain amount of skill as the pistes are narrow, bumpy and often icy in places, so intermediate skiers will need a certain level of confidence before they can enjoy everything the station has to offer.
However, there's a good selection of red and blue runs at the top once you make it up there. Provided it's not too windy or foggy, there's a longish button lift ride that gives access to the slopes of Super-Besse, lying to the other side of the mountain and offers a huge variety of pistes to suit all abilities, including a number of fun black runs - there's only one of these on the Mont-Dore side and it's rarely open unless there's been heavy recent snowfall. The resort also offers a snow park with a few rails and jumps if you're that way inclined. You do have to keep and eye on the time though, as the return button lift (warning - it's quite steep towards the end!) closes at 4pm. If the link between resorts is closed, Super-Besse is about 30 minutes from le Mont-Dore by car.
There are several bars and restaurants to choose from either side of Sancy, but again there's a wider selection on the Super-Besse side. However, my favourite is the restaurant at the top of the cable car on the Mont-Dore side: a huge plate of truffade washed down with a small pichet of rosé is hard to beat midway through a day's skiing.
If you're used to exploring miles and miles of new pistes on a daily basis, then this place may not be for you. But if you want a fairly relaxed resort with something for all the family without spending a fortune I'd certainly recommend giving it a try.
Don't tell everyone though - it's a secret!
