KEEPING LEVEL ON THE SLOPES

Yes, you really can enjoy a skiing holiday in a motorhome! John Rawlings and family have an icy blast in France

The question most people asked after they heard we stayed in a motorhome for our family ski holiday was "Were you warm enough?" and our answer was a definite "Yes!" But it was a fair question and the first thing my wife asked about when I suggested taking a motorhome ski holiday. She was also worried about coping with damp ski gear in the 'van and wasn't thrilled at the prospect of walking to the facilities across a snowy campsite.

Thankfully, the reality was much better than expected and we all agreed we'd do the trip in a motorhome again -success! I was impressed by how well the Truma Combi blown-air heating in the motorhome (a Bailey Adamo 69-4) kept us snug.

Some evenings, we turned the heating down, and we kept it on the lower power consumption mode most of the time, because we weren't sure how many amps the hook-up provided.

Overnight, we used the 'eco' setting for the fan to keep the temperature topped up indoors.

Alpine skiing at Les Arcs

Our great experience of a motorhome ski holiday was definitely boosted by our choice of campsite: Camping Huttopia Bourg St Maurice in the Les Arcs ski area of the French Alps.

It was one of the places recommended for skiing holidays by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, so we booked the site, ferry crossings and travel insurance through its foreign travel service.

Like a lot of sites near skiing areas, Camping Huttopia Bourg St Maurice has a heated room for guests to leave their ski gear - skis, boots and clothing - so it dried overnight and was warm when you put it on in the morning.

It also provides a free shuttle service to the centre of the village, where the funicular train takes you up to the ski resorts at Les Arcs 1600, 1800 and 2000. There's a tourist bus that stops outside the site that can take you, or sometimes we just walked it, in less than 30 minutes.