Skiing in La Plagne
Glacier skiing in La Plagne, Paradiski in the French Alps.
‘The Ski Club of Great Britain’ recommends snowchateaux’s La Plagne chalets as well as our ski resort.
La Plagne: "Snowsure, high-altitude skiing. Good terrain for all standards and abundant off-piste opportunities." |
The ski resorts of La Plagne are situated in the alpine valley of the Tarentaise in the Savoie region of France and make up the other half of the massive Paradiski ‘dream resort’ ski area, connected as it is to Les Arcs by the ever impressive Vanoise Express, the 200 person, double decker, fastest cable car in the World.
Spread across four communes (Aime, Bellentre, Champagny-en-Vanoise and Mâcot-la-Plagne), La Plagne consists of no fewer than ten separate ‘villages’, each of which is a self-sufficient mini-resort, each offering a very different experience.
Our La Plagne Holidays
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To see ALL our other La Plagne Accommodation, click on the individual links below;
Chalet Arnica (up to 9 guests), Chalet Renard (up to 13 guests), Chalet Castor (up to 17 guests), Chalet Mont Blanc (up to 21 guests), Chalet Ancolies Lodge (up to 21 guests), Chalet Mont Arnica (up to 25 guests), Chalet Restor (up to 30 guests).
Why not watch this video of the stunning Paradiski area
La Plagne boasts a total of 225km of pistes made up of 134 slopes; 15 black (expert), 30 red (advanced), 72 blue (intermediate) and 10 green (beginner) plus a large off-piste area including Bellecôte's North Face. This area is serviced by 2 cable-cars (the Telemetro, linking Plagne Centre and Aime-La Plagne and the Vanoise Express, which links La Plagne to Les Arcs), 36 chair lifts, 9 gondolas and 38 drag lifts. In addition, there are bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks built for the 1992 Winter Olympics. Not forgetting the amazing adn new 7cube snowpark rated at 90% on www. my snowparks. com and an easy journey from all of our La Plagne chalets. With picnic areas, music system and competitions most Friday afternoons. Snow fun!!!
La Plagne lies at altitudes between 3250 metres (on the Glacier de la Chiaupe near the top of Bellecôte) and 1250 metres making it one of the highest on the continent, meaning that you will be guaranteed snow up there, even at the height of Summer.
The mini resorts are made up of; Aime La Plagne, Plagne Village/Plagne Soleil, Belle Plagne, Plagne Centre, Plagne Bellecote, Plagne 1800, Les Coches, Montchavin, Montalbert and Champagny en Vanoise.
Aime-la-Plagne, sometimes called Aime 2000, is the highest of these resorts at 2100m and is a collection of monolithic blocks above Plagne Centre. Many consider it the most convenient, with many of the best apartments in the resort. There are a cinema and a good collection of shops and restaurants. A cable car connects Aime La Plagne with Plagne Centre.
Plagne Villages and Plagne Soleil are a collection of small apartment houses and Alpine-style buildings with wooden features and peaked roofs. There are no hotels, only apartments and shops and is a short lift ride away from Plagne Centre.
Belle Plagneis built in a pleasant Savoyard chalet style, and has a mini multilevel shopping arcade with covered walkways providing a touch of Alpine charm.
Plagne Centre was the first area to be developed in the 1960’s and was one of France’s first purpose-built for skiing resorts. It is now the focal point for shops and après-ski and typically, it has an urban, functional architecture. What the buildings lack in charm they make up for in convenience with; two hotels, dozens of restaurants, scores of shops, a cinema and apartments.
Plagne Bellecôte was created in 1974 and took its’ name from the summit of Bellecôte. A gondola links Plagne Bellecôte with Roche de Mio and the summit of Bellecôte.
Plagne 1800 is directly below Plagne Centre and is an old mining village that still sports the traditional wooden chalets and peaked roofs. Opened in 1982 La Plagne 1800 is known as the backwater of La Plagne and has a special charm.
Les Coches is a friendly Savoyard style high altitude ski village and is virtually traffic free. It has a selection of shops, bars, restaurants and night club. It nestles on the wooded slopes, at the western fringe of the La Plagne piste area and offers lovely sheltered skiing above the village on fairly easy tree-lined runs. It's location lin La Plagne is very mush cought after, as is neighbouring montchavin, as they lie in the heart of the Paradiski ski region (the World's largest linked ski area) meaning that skiers staying in these areas are only 1 lift away from the Vanoise Express linking to Les Arcs and is therefore in an ideal position to ski or board the whole of the ‘Paradiski’ area. The skiing here is generally snow-sure being north facing but also has extensive snow-making capabilities. Neighbouring Montchavin now has a large indoor pool with hydroslides and a Spa complex (accesible by ski or free shuttle bus from les Coches). To see our selection of La Plagne ski chalets in Les Coches, go to; Chalet Renard (up to 13 guests), Chalet Castor (up to 17 guests), Chalet Ancolies Lodge (up to 21 guests), Chalet Restor (up to 30 guests).
Montalbert has a couple of two-star hotels, a selection of apartments and eleven restaurants and has its’ own lift system that connects with the rest of the La Plagne region.
Montchavin is a traditional and very charming old 17th Century farming community and remains unspoiled. There are 3 high speed chairlifts serving the village of Montchavin, with one linking to Les Coches. It has a good selection of bars and restaurants, hotels and chalets. As with Les Coches this ski village is only 1 lift from the Vanoise Express meaning skiers staying here have the choice of each ski area (la Plagne or Les Arcs) available to them every day. A recent addition which has been well received by families visiting Montchavin is the new swimming pool and spa centre. It has hydroslides running into a large heated indoor pool. To see our selection of La Plagne ski chalets in Montchavin, go to; Chalet Arnica (up to 9 guests), Chalet Mont Blanc (up to 21 guests), Chalet Mont Arnica (up to 25 guests).
Champagny-en-Vanoise is a small picturesque village clinging to the mountain walls located in the valley of Bozel. It became attached to the La Plagne resort rather than to nearby Courchevel in 1969. Champagny is on a south-facing slope, unlike the other parts of La Plagne, meaning it gets more sunshine, therefore less snow. A cable car takes skiers up to giant snowfields that connect with all the other resorts. During the past two years, new lifts have made the connections between Champagny and Bellecote Glacier very easy. Skiers staying in Champagny-en-Vanoise can ski into town down two challenging intermediate trails with plenty of off-piste possibilities.
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"Wonderful resort Great big ski area accessed from friendly charming village. Great for families..."
-- ski club of GB forum
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"Loved the resort and ease with which you can exlpore the paradiski area from Montchavin. We also found the local ski school Evolution 2 to be great for the kids."
-- Sarah White, 2009 (ski club of GB forum member) |
Montchavin is a really charming village with a great skiing location - its right next to the Vannoise Express giving easy access to the whole of the Paradiski area and has excellent skiing through trees and higher on the mountain in its own right...The village itself has to be the prettiest in the La Plagne resort.
-- Elizabeth Kirk, 2009 (ski club of GB forum member) |
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What else is there
- Ever fancied a go at bashing pistes? If you have, then you can try driving a snow grooming machine in the safety of a marked circuit (no need to rope yourself to the nearest tree!) with a professional by your side.
- From 19/03/11 sees the Ski Freestyle FIS/Half Pipe World Cup arrive on La Plagne's purpose built, preformed half pipe.
- The resorts go to great lengths to provide 'animations' for all types of visitors, particularly the young. Firework displays, Easter egg hunts, 'Milka cows' handing out chocolates, ice-skating, film shows, talks, markets and tours of the ski runs are just a few of the activities. See what's coming up here.
- If skiing or 'boarding just doesn't do it for you, then try a brand NEW craze for this year, Airboarding. Throw yourself head-first down the pistes at breakneck speeds on a cushion of air. Great fun.
- Of course one of La Plagne's most famous attractions is the Olympic Bobsleigh run. If you've ever watched with envy as lycra-clad bobsleigh teams hurtle down ice-covered chutes during the Winter Olympics, then you can test your own nerve here. Novices can test the water with a go in the Bob Raft, a sledge with automatic braking and steering. Taking four people at a time, the Bob Raft reaches a maximum speed of 80km/h. If your appetite has been sufficiently whetted, you can then take a turn in the Taxi Bob, an authentic sledge guided by a professional pilot which reaches speeds of 110km/h, a mere nudge off the usual competition speed of 130km/h.
Click on here for a lot more Tignes, Les Arcs and La Plagne Winter Acvtitvy Holidays including, back country heli-skiing, snow-shoeing and ice go-karting