Every day leading into the new ski season, we will be highlighting ski resorts from around the world! Today we start with Les Arcs ski resort in France. A popular destination with avid British skiers and snowboards with so much on offer. Whilst your here make sure you check out our fantastic Les Arcs ski resort guide full of useful information to help you make the perfect choice for your next ski holiday! If you are eager to get away make sure you check out of Holiday Offers where you will find some of the best holidays available across the Alps and beyond!
Les Arcs is a ski resort in the Savoie area of the French Alps. Rather than being a single resort it’s actually made up of seven separate areas or villages, each with its own character.
Travelling to Les Arcs Ski Resort
In terms of location, Les Arcs is in the east of France not far from the Italian border. Geneva airport is around 2hr 40mins away and Chambery, another popular gateway to the Alps, is roughly 1hr 50min. Lyon and Grenoble airports are both around 2h 30mins from Les Arcs. If you prefer to let the train take the strain then Bourg-St-Maurice station is a little over half an hour away.
Let’s Talk Skiing in Les Arcs
Les Arcs offers high altitude snow sure skiing, access to pretty traditional villages and a huge variety of slopes from beginner friendly runs through to challenging off-piste. The ski area links to nearby La Plagne to form the “Paradiski” area offering 425km of runs, and making it the world’s second largest interlinked ski domain.
Staying in Les Arcs
For such a varied and globally recognised resort, Les Arcs offers great value. There is a huge choice of self catering accommodation at all price points, much of which is ski in / ski out. There are also large numbers of hotels and chalets, with a number of attractive catered chalet options available in the lower villages.
La Plagne Snow Conditions
With most of the slopes being over 2000 metres, you’re looking at pretty reasonable snow conditions in La Plagne. With an average of 3.4 snow days per week throughout the season of December to April, the resort has seen 26cm of snow per week each session over the past 10 years. In April, the snow drops to half of this amount. La Plagne has excellent snowmaking coverage, with snow to be found in the higher villages throughout the season.
The SnowResort Verdict
No mountain resort is purely about traditional downhill skiing or boarding and Les Arcs offers lots of experiences on and off the slopes.
Tranquil guided snowshoe walks are available in Arc 2000, or for something a little more adventurous you can board a helicopter for a heliskiing trip across the border in Italy.
Imaginative dining experiences include a meal in the Igloo Village, where you can even book to stay overnight. Sledging and paragliding can also be booked in resort, or you can pay a visit to the swimming pool and spa in Arc 1800.
Les Arcs Resort Life
Les Arc offers everything from relaxed family run restaurants to a branch of the world famous Folie Douce (located at Arc 1800).
Favorites for eating on the mountain include Le Sanglier qui Fume (The wild boar who smokes!), which offers great terrace views in Arc 1600 and a fabulous mountain ambience. Another location for views is Le 2134 Les Arcs (Arc 2000); it’s higher end in terms of pricing but has an imaginative and varied menu. if youre looking for somewhere to eat here are a few ideas
What’s Good About Les Arcs?
Whilst beginners won’t feel short changed, the skiing is probably best suited to intermediates or experts. For the intermediate skier there are long cruises between the different villages and experts will quickly discover the bowls and couloirs of the Aiguille Rouge. Advanced, rather than expert, skiers may find themselves making more regular trips across to the slopes of nearby La Plagne in search of variety.
If you have travelled by car to Les Arcs then the resorts of Meribel, Courchevel, La Rosiere, Val D’Isere and Tignes are all accessible for day out.
The seven villages of Les Arcs are Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, Arc 2000, Peisey-Vallandry, Villaroger and Bourg St Maurice.
If you like the sound of Les Arcs do not forget to check out our fantastic Les Arcs ski resort guide! If you fancy making France your next ski destination then also check out our Courchevel & Les Menuires resort guides.
