Les Arcs Luxury Chalets

It’s easy to get around all resorts on foot, thanks to their compact design and pedestrianised streets. There are several bus networks linking different villages and stations, giving you options to explore into the late evening.

Travelling by car

It’s easy to drive to Les Arcs using the French autoroute. The last 17km is a steep and winding road which will take around 35 minutes. Make sure you have the correct equipment and are comfortable driving in icy conditions. Once in the resort, you’ll have little need for a car. If your Les Arcs luxury chalet doesn’t have parking, there’s a free car park in 1600 and paid ones in the other stations.

Travelling by train

Travelling by train to Les Arcs is the most environmentally friendly option, but will involve a few changes. The high-speed train from Paris to Bourg St Maurice is a good option if you want to tag a city break onto your Les Arcs luxury holiday.

Airports

Chambery is the closest airport to Les Arcs, but Geneva usually offers more convenience and choice for international flights. Lyon and Grenoble are also good options for convenient transport links.

Chambery (CMF) – 128km
By car –  1 hour 37 minutes
By bus/ train – 3 hours 30 minutes

Geneva (GVA) – 157km
By car –  2 hours 16 minutes
By bus/ train – 5 hours 30 minutes

Lyon (LYS) – 206km
By car –  2 hours 20 minutes
By train – 3 hours 54 minutes

Grenoble (GNB) – 196km
By car – 2 hours 16 minutes
By train – 4 hours 20 minutes

Private transfer

There is a range of transfer options into Les Arcs, including shuttle buses, private cars, and heli-transfers.

If you want to party all night, 1800 is the place for you. But there are plenty of cosy bars and pubs spread across Les Arcs, as well as a lively on-slope apres scene.

Unclip your skis and head straight to the bar, with a variety of piste-side parties on offer.

• Across the French Alps, Folie Douce offers a lavish apres-ski experience. Live DJs, table dancing, and cabaret shows cement it as the most iconic spot to party on the piste.
• Get the party started on the panoramic terrace at l’Arpette. With regular live music and events, it’s a great place to stop before a tipsy descent down the mountain.
• For a unique experience, check out the Igloo village. The bar is made entirely of snow and decorated with stunning ice sculptures, with a new theme every year.

Once you’re unsuited and unbooted, wander around town for a pre-dinner cocktail, or start warming up for a crazy night.

• For a cosy drink and excellent burgers, head to Chez Boubou. This French brasserie is great for mingling with the locals. For something more stylish, l’Ambiente has fabulous cocktails and a relaxed atmosphere.
• Bowling Arc 1800 does what it says on the tin. Go bowling, play billiards, and grab a drink at the bar until 1 am.
• Over in Arc 1950, you’ll find the friendly pub Les Belles Pintes and a cocktail bar called O’Chaud.
• The Crazy Fox is a welcoming pub in Arc 2000 with live sports and good drinks deals.

Party animals in Arc 1800 will find a surprising amount of late-night revelry.

• Jungle café has vibrant themed décor. They keep the party going after the lifts close until 2 am with live music and generous happy hours.
• Le Carre is a classic French discotheque which keeps the music blasting until 5 am.

·  Another late-night contender is Patatrak. They have regular guest DJs and offer theme nights in a variety of genres.

With the majority of the slopes above 2,000m and an extensive lift system, you’ll have no problem finding fantastic slopes every day of the week. The biggest perk of a Les Arcs luxury ski chalet is that most of them are right on the slopes, so you can clip on your skis as soon as you finish your morning coffee.

The ski area

There are 200km of piste in Les Arcs alone. And, thanks to the Vanoise Express, you can head over the La Plagne. This extends the ski area to another 425km, making it one of the largest interconnected ski areas in the world. But even if you choose to stay in Les Arcs, you’ll still feel like you’ve racked up the miles.

• Arc 1600 and 1800 share west-facing slopes, with cruisy reds and blues.
• Arc 1800 and 2000 have a great mix of gentle slopes, steep pistes, and accessible backcountry.
• Peisey-Vallandry has picturesque tree-lined runs and is the perfect option on a bad weather day.

Boarders

Les Arcs is a fantastic resort for a new boarder, with wide slopes and very few drag lifts to navigate. There’s a dedicated beginner area in Vallandry with a magic carpet so you can build up your skills away from the traffic. If you don’t want to commit to a full lift pass, there’s a beginner’s option that’ll give you more than enough access for your first week.

Intermediates will have an excellent time exploring the area’s rolling slopes. There are some crowded places where the runs meet and some flat cat tracks linking domains. But once you’ve been here a few days you get to know which spots to avoid.

Advanced riders will have a better time off-piste, with lots of easy-to-spot places close to the lifts. If you can hack the hike, Grand Col offers some fabulous routes. To get the best experience, it’s better to explore these with a guide.

For freestyle, head to the Apocalypse Snow Park. There are 4 lines graded by level, with a mix of kickers, boxes, and rails.

Beginners

Beginners will find plenty of places to learn their turns with nursery slopes above all the stations. The largest is at 1800. Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are dedicated progress courses in 1800, 2000, and Peisey-Vallandry. Beginners can purchase a reduced-rate ski pass, giving you access to the nursery areas and 11 green runs.

Our recommended ski schools:

• ESF is one of the most established ski schools in France, with a huge team of instructors teaching a variety of disciplines.
• New Generation have an ethos of inspiration and development and are praised for their supportive style of teaching. They offer private and group lessons for kids and adults.
• Supreme Ski have knowledgeable instructors and offer classes in a variety of languages. They have group and private classes for all ages, as well as off-piste and mountain guiding.

Intermediates

If you’re confident on reds and blues, Les Arcs is a dream. There’s endless terrain to cover across the Paradiski- but keep an eye on the time so you don’t miss the last lifts! Get your ski legs back on the wide slopes above Arc 2000 before cruising the stunning reds in Peisey-Vallandry.

When you want to push yourself, the reds around 1600 offer quieter pistes and plenty of technical challenges.  Aiguille Rouge offers some trickier terrain that is sure to get your legs burning. Advanced intermediates can take on the Malgovert, a challenging unpisted run that’ll put you to the ultimate test.

Advanced

Aiguille Rouge and Grand Col are the best spots for experts, with steep blacks, tricky mogul fields, and accessible off-piste. Belette is a challenging red that’ll get you warmed up. When the weather is bad, you can also take the Mytilles red in Vallandry.

La Plagne has the best selection of black runs. If you want to take on some moguls, hit up the Ski des Bosses run in Les Verdons. There are also some satisfying unpisted runs around Les Coches.

Les Arcs is home to some incredible power with lots of accessible routes close to the lifts. If you’re looking for a bigger adventure, you’ll find great off-piste around Aiguille Rouge, but you’ll have a much better experience if you explore this with a guide.

In fresh snow conditions, Les Arcs’ most exhilarating and steepest powder skiing is below the Aiguille Rouge. There is also decent off-piste in the bowl beneath the Crête de l’Homme, behind the Aiguille Grive and Aiguille Rouge on the southwestern edge of the Arc 1800 ski area. However, the accessibility of La Plagne via the Vanoise Express opens up some truly outstanding powder skiing. In terms of safety and finding the best terrain, it really does pay to hire a guide for all off-piste ventures.

With most slopes above 2000m, you’ll have no problem finding great snow in Les Arcs all season long. The altitude means it’s a little colder than other resorts, but it’s a great excuse to cosy up in your Les Arcs luxury ski chalet.

November
There’s often enough snow to ski in November, but many lifts are only open for the weekends.
Average snowfall: 28cm
Snow days: 3

December
December is a cold month, but it’s one of the liveliest times of the year, with lots of opening parties and festive fun.
Average snowfall: 81cm
Snow days: 5

January
January is the coldest month of the year with regular snow dumps. It’s quieter after the Christmas rush but events like Freeride Week and the Launch Pad freestyle competition keep the resort buzzing.
Average snowfall: 96cm
Snow days: 8

February
February offers regular snowfall but expect prices to go up over the half-term weeks. There’s a ski show every Thursday night and lots of live music events for Valentine’s Day.
Average snowfall: 50cm
Snow days: 6

March
The party ramps up in March, with lots of festivals and events. Longer days mean more time skiing- or more time enjoying apres in the sunshine.
Average snowfall: 64cm
Snow days: 7

April
April is busy over the Easter weeks but offers sunny skiing and plenty of parties. If the snow starts getting slushy, there are still excellent snow-making machines across the resort.
Average snowfall: 39cm
Snow days: 4