I love Chamonix; I hate it in equal measure. I've been there in summer and winter and had great times and truly terrible times there.

I'd consider myself a solid off-piste skier with many powder trips under my belt. But I'd still say that without a guide, I'd be really cautious of taking on some of Cham's powder as the danger factor is ramped up on the heavily crevassed glaciers and risk from seracs above. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough or didn't have the right inside knowledge but I struggled to find good stuff in what I'd call a reasonable distance from the lifts. As I said, get a guide who will presumably open it all up for you. You've only got to have one timid off-pister in the group to make the powder off limits without splitting up. Most of us can't afford a guide for the whole week. So while we all talk a good powder game, I'd say for most of us, to get a good shot at enjoying powder on your one week away I'd go elsewhere. Controversial I know!

For a long weekend, the pistes are fine with plenty of variety around the valley. For a week, you really do need to get off-piste so without a guide or a seriously blinkered view of your own mortality you're going to be struggling.

Chamonix, like any mountain centre, is at the mercy of the weather and Mont Blanc does seem to create a bit of a micro-climate. So you may find the powder lines you've researched all autumn are totally out of scope when you get there. Be flexible and prepare to get in your car and try elsewhere.

The town itself is good fun with something for everyone. Want posh? It can out-posh the Beckhams. You want grungy? No problem, Cham can go cheap and dirty as you like. As others have said, it benefits from the authenticity of being a proper town, even though the whole town is geared around tourism.

My advice? Give Chamonix a go, maybe for a long weekend at first. Just don't expect it to scratch all your powder itches without serious investment in guides and a touch of good luck with the weather.