Resort height: 2000m
The mountains
Isola's pistes are contained within three interconnecting sectors, between 1800 and 2600 metres. Pélevous and Levant have the best intermediate runs, while St Sauveau is home to the more challenging skiing terrain. There are 120km in total, served by a lift system which is being upgraded, but still contains several slow and ageing chairlifts. As with many high, purpose-built ski resorts, there are good nursery slopes right in front of the resort, which is reassuring for parents with young children - and this year Isola has added a moving carpet to its children's play area here.
This far south, the treeline is higher than it is in the resorts further north, and so Isola doesn't feel as bleak as some of purpose-built ski resorts. The trees also add some definition to the edges of the pistes in cloudy weather - and they're lots of fun to slalom around after a fresh dump of snow! Speaking of snow, it's worth remembering that Isola gets a lot of its snow from storms bubbling up from the Med, rather than those that sweep down from the north and north-west. As a result, it can be snowy here whilst the likes of the Méribel are missing out - and vice versa.
Getting there
Isola is a short, 90-minute transfer from Nice airport.
Rating: 
6/10
Après-ski
It can be very quiet at night, midweek in Isola. At the weekends, however, the resort warms up considerably, with bars such as La Cuba Loca filling up with the Nicois. For pizzas try the Cow Club, which has a wood-burning pizza oven, and La Raclette for traditional, cheesy mountain food.
Rating: 
4/10
Non-skiers
Tobogganing, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing are on offer - but Isola isn't a resort with a highly-developed wintersports culture beyond skiing. Non-skiers will probably be happiest day-tripping down to Nice. Technically, you could be skiing in the morning, and sun-bathing in the afternoon, though this is a bit of a travel-writing cliché. Either the beach will be too cold, or the snow too slushy.
Rating: 
7/10
Cost of living
Skiing holidays here aren't perhaps as cheap as they should be, given the modest size of the resort and the lack of midweek atmosphere, but they're not bad for France.
Rating: 6/10
Attractiveness of the resort
Isola 2000 is prettier than most high-altitude, purpose-built resorts, thanks to the height of the treeline here, which rises above the buildings, and softens their concrete edges. The mountains are impressive too, and there's a characterful old village in the valley below.
