Anyone who has skied in Courchevel will usually mention two things; the skiing is superb but it comes at a price. Whilst the skiing is undeniably worth every euro, it is possible to ski here without taking out a second mortgage. It is both a resort where you can charter a private jet to fly into the tiny altiport and lunch at a two Michelin star restaurant; or you can arrive by coach and lunch on a €5 kebab (on the piste as well!).

Rail Europe's Snowtrain leaves London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International in Kent on a Friday evening to Paris, where you change onto an overnight sleeper train to the French Alps. The return train then leaves the Tarentaise on Saturday evening. You can also book the Eurostar ski trains and other routes to the Alps via their website.   

Kate is the founder and owner of Mad Dog Ski. After a career in the City she swapped commuting for chairlifts and spent two seasons in the Three Valleys in search of the perfect vin chaud. Mad Dog was born out of her passion for all things snowy and her desire to make the most of every minute on the mountain. Kate gets involved in as many aspects of Mad Dog as possible but, for some reason, particularly likes researching new resorts. Read Kate's profile...

As anyone who has ever learned to ski or snowboard will tell you, it is definitely a painful yet joyful experience. Whether it's falling off the drag lifts, your boots strangling your feet or constantly falling over, every beginner has had his or her share of it. But once it starts to click, the highs begin to massively outweigh the lows. Read on for our Mad Dog tips to alleviating the lows...