I went to Flaine with the Ski Club of Great Britain on one of their off piste tuition weeks.

Flaine is one of five resorts that make up the Grand Massif ski area. The other resort are Sixt, Samoens, Morillon and Les Carroz. All the ski areas are linked by both ski runs and lifts but you will need to get a ski bus from the bottom of the Cascade slope to either  Samoens or Morillon to get back onto the ski lifts. If the Cascade piste is open the buses run every 45 minutes and are free with the exception of the last bus for which there is a small charge. When venturing into other valleys it is important to ensure that you get the last lift back otherwise you have to get a taxi which can be expensive. Also if the weather is poor the connecting lifts can often be closed.

Flaine itself sits in the bottom of a bowl with towering mountains all around. It has its own micro climate which often means that it gets much more snow that other resorts in the area. The snow tends to be very dry making Flaine on of the best European resorts for powder. Flaine is alwo well known for its easily accessible off piste skiing, which is why the Ski Club of Great Britain use this resort for the beginner powder courses. Most of the pisted runs in the resort are blues and reds making it an ideal resort for intermediate skiers.

For the non skier, as with most purpose built resorts activities are limited. There are few shops other than the usual ski hire shops, an outdoor ice rink, an indoor swimming pool and about half a dozen bars. The accomodation in the resort is largely appartments or basic hotels. There are not any four or five star hotels in the resort. All the buildings in the resort are made from concrete in order to 'blend' into the mountain scenery. Also in this effort to blend in, all the lift pylons are painted white.

http://www.flaine.com