My husband and I are beginning research for a ski holiday in February. We started by focusing in Switzerland, but now are wondering if we might get more for our money by heading to France instead. We're intermediate skiers, but beyond the skiing are looking for a fairly traditional village with a lot of charm and atmosphere and excellent options for dining off and on the slopes. We do not need (or want!) a place with a big apres ski scene! Any suggestions of where to go?

Again like before Chamonix fulfills everything you want.

Tignes is perhaps the most famous French Alpine resort but that is more ski oriented IME than Chamonix, also a regional town and not just full of tourists.

Have a look at La Clusaz and Samoëns for traditional villages.
Also Morzine. Beware however that French children will be on holiday starting Feb.11 and do not wait too long to make reservations !

I can heartily recommend the Serre Chevalier ski domaine for what you're looking for. Briancon with its fortified old town section is the main town, but there are 12 villages along the Guisane River that make up the area. It is a traditional ski resort, not purpose-built, as are so many in France. Charming place and a kind of best kept secret. The week we spent there we heard very, very few people speaking Eng., and those who did were from the UK, not USA.

We flew into Milan and then had a transport to Briancon. You can also fly into Grenoble or Turin, which would be closer. Or take a train from Paris, etc.

You could also consider Megeve which is one of the oldest resorts in France or St. Gervais le Baines. They are both in close proximity to Charmonix. St. Gervais is a charming spa town with beautiful Baroque architecture, so there is plenty of choice for places to relax and let your hair down after a tiring day of skiing.

http://www.chaletbouleau.com/resorts.html

The thing about low-altitude (1000m or less) traditional Alpine villages is that the snow condition can be very unpredictable, and some years even in February there isn't much snow, except on prepared pistes with snow-making equipment (with a long line to catch the lifts). No chance of skiing to and from your doorstep etc. At least in purpose-built high-altitude resorts, you are pretty guaranteed snow cover, hence their popularity.