If you haven’t booked a package where travel organised for you then you will need to think about how you are going to get to and from resort.

The most common method of travelling to resort is to fly. There are 4 local airports to La Plagne

Geneva – 196km – 2h50

During the winter season there are a huge number of flights in and out of all airports. Grenoble and Chambery are busier on weekends and are closed during the summer. Geneva and Lyon are busy and open all year round

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Which airport you choose to fly to will depend on where you are coming from with Geneva having the highest volume of flights from the UK and Lyon from other areas.

Once you arrive in resort, you will need to get a transfer to the airport. It is worth checking transfer arrangements before booking your flights especially if you want a shared transfer as these are less regular and you don’t want to be waiting around for hours at the airport.

Alps2Alps provide private transfers from Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble and Lyon.

Alti Bus provides shared transfers from Geneva, Chambery and Lyon.

Bens Bus provides low cost shared transfers from Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon.

Cool Bus provides private transfers from Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery and Lyon.

Europe Transfer provides private and shared airport transfers from Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble and Chambery.

Ski Lifts have been awarded the world’s best ski transfer operator in the world ski awards. They provide private and shared transfers from Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery.

Snowbus provides shared transfers on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Geneva and Grenoble and private transfers every day of the week from Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery and Lyon.

The closest train station to La Plagne is Bourg Saint Maurice which is approximately 40 minutes drive away. The Eurostar runs directly from St Pancras International in London and Ashford in Kent. Direct trains run every Saturday between December and April and every Friday night between January and April. The train can be a popular choice to allow you to have more time on the slopes and can be a good option if you have a lot of luggage as the generous luggage allowance means you can take your skis or snowboard as well as two suitcases at no extra charge.

A lot of people prefer to drive out to resort from the Uk, you can with take the channel tunnel of the ferry.

The eurotunnel departs from Folkestone every 15 minutes and takes 35 minutes. Prices start from £90 each way, you can book your crossing here - https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/home/

The ferry operates from both Hull to Zeebrugge and Dover to Calais with P&O ferries, Details can be found here - http://www.poferries.com/en/portal

La Plagne is one of the most popular resorts for families due to its beginner friendly slopes and abundance of good value accommodation therefore the resort does get busy during the school holidays - Christmas, New Year, February Half Term and Easter Week. The resorts’ high altitude makes it a good option for the early and late weeks of the season.

La Plagne is split into several different villages/resorts.

Plagne 1800 is a cute and quiet family friendly village. There are plenty of chalets located here all offering quick and easy ski access with nowhere being more than 10 minutes from the slopes. There are plenty of shops but there isn’t much going on in terms of après ski and nightlife so you would have to get a bus to another village if you wanted a big night out.

Plagne Centre is a purpose built village with  few chalets to choose from but some good chalet hotel options. There are plenty of shops/bars/restaurants here – Scottys, Mouth Bar, Fort Colorado to name a few. The compact village was built with skiers convenience in mind as nowhere is more than 10 minutes from the slopes; Plagne Centre has lots of different lifts to choose from as well as the ski school meeting point.

Belle Plagne is the most attractive purpose built resort in La Plagne. The resort was built by Intrawest who is the company behind Whistler. Belle Plagne was designed for ski access with most of the properties being ski in/ski out. The attractive resort centre has covered walkways and a large covered shopping centre as well as a few good bars and restaurants – Bowling, Cheyenne, Saloon, Matafan, K2.

Plagne Bellecote is located just down from Belle Plagne and is a lively hub packed with accommodation, restaurants, shops, activities and events. Plagne Bellecote has fantastic ski access with four chairs, one drag and one bubble all heading off to different ski areas.

Plagne Village/Soleil is a small resort with two collections of properties either side of the piste. The accommodation here is excellent for ski access with most properties being ski in/ski out. The resort isn’t the most attractive with very little going on. For apres ski, the only place is Monica’s in Soleil.

Montchavin and Les Coches are traditional towns which existed before the ski area opened. The quiet and picturesque villages are located next to the Vanoise Express which links La Plagne to Les Arcs. There are plenty of well located chalets here and the village is perfect for families looking for a peaceful escape. There isn’t anything going on in terms of apres ski and nightlife so it is not the best place to stay for groups who want to go out.

There are two main free bus services in La Plagne. One connects Plagne 1800 to Plagne Bellecote and Plagne Centre every 15 minutes from 0830 to 0050. The other runs between Les Charmettes, La Roche, the bobsleigh run, Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre and Aime 2000 every hour from 0600 to 0030. There is also a free shuttle between Plagne Soleil and Plagne villages that run every 15 minutes from 0835 to 2345, this only operates during the school holidays (Christmas, February and Easter).

La Plagne has a good range of good range of restaurants throughout the resort:

L’Absinthe is a popular fast food restaurant located in Aime 2000 and serves a range of local Savoyard specialties.

Le M is located in Aime 2000. The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and has a Savoy and bistro menu with daily specials.

Hotel Carlina is located on the blue piste linking Belle Plagne and Plagne Bellecote.

Le Hors Piste is located on the piste in Belle Plagne. The restaurant boasts a large outdoor terrace and serves s menu of traditional dishes, local specialties and pizzas.

Chez Pat Le Sauget is a cosy mountain restaurant located in Les Coches. The family run restaurant has a set daily lunch menu with two options to choose from and is also open from breakfast and dinner. 

Chalet des Verdons Sud is a mountain restaurant located in the middle of the piste on the south side of Champagny. The restaurant serves traditional French food and Savoyard specialties.

Le Forperet is a mountain restaurant located above Montalbert. The traditional farmhouse restaurant serves regional Savoyard cuisine such as cheese fondue, meat pierrade, tartiflette, salads, soups, omelettes and snacks.

La Plagne’s unique bobsleigh was built for the 1992 Olympic Games and is the only one in France. The run is located halfway between Plagne 1800 and La Roche.

The Super Tyro is ranked third in Trip Advisor’s ‘best things to do’ in La Plagne. The 600m zipline spans the ravine below Plagne Centre on a line from Plagne Aime 2000, some 100m higher. The route runs between two huts, roughly following the path of the Telemetro cable car. 

Paragliding is one of the fastest growing air sports in the world and La Plagne is a great place to give it a go.

La Plagne has a range of walking trails through the lower slopes in the resort. The majority of walks offer beautiful views of the area and are not normally seen from the main pistes. Trail maps are available from the Tourist Office.

There are three operators in La Plange for snowmobiling. Snow Panthers in Plagne Centre, ELPRO in Belle Plagne and Peb Evasion in Plagne Bellecote.

Snowmobiles offer the chance to explore La Plagne in a completely different way.

The pistebasher introduction is a great way to explore the mountains and learn the skills involved in piloting these huge tank-like machines.

La Plagne also has several shops, restaurants and bars to explore.

There are several ski schools to choose from in La Plagne which will cater for all skiing/boarding abilities and offer a wide range of services from private ski clinics to group lessons. Group lessons will be cheaper and more sociable but are not as intense as one-to-one tuition. The majority of ski schools will be happy to assess your ability to determine which class will be most suitable.

It is not mandatory to pre book lessons although it is advisable so that you can secure your place and availability is limited especially if you are travelling on a peak week (Christmas, New Year, Half Term, Easter)

ESF has been running for over 70 years and has fully qualified English speaking instructors to help you improve your skills. ESF offer group and private lessons as well as mountain guiding for all abilities. They have a ski school in Plagne Centre, Plagne Village, Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne and Plagne Soleil.

Oxygene is the leading family-friendly, English speaking ski and snowboard school in the French Alps. They offer both private and group instruction for children and adults.

Lime SnowSports is the only British owned ski school in La Plagne. They offer private individual and group lessons to both adults and children.

New Generation ski school meeting point is in La Plagne 1800. They have a close-knit team of 3 fully qualified English speaking instructors who teach all levels in both group and private lessons.

Reflex Ski School is a small team of ski and snowboard instructors located in Plagne Centre.

There are several ski schools to choose from in La Plagne which will cater for all skiing/boarding abilities and offer a wide range of services from private ski clinics to group lessons. Group lessons will be cheaper and more sociable but are not as intense as one-to-one tuition. The majority of ski schools will be happy to assess your ability to determine which class will be most suitable.

It is not mandatory to pre book lessons although it is advisable so that you can secure your place and availability is limited especially if you are travelling on a peak week (Christmas, New Year, Half Term, Easter)

ESF has been running for over 70 years and has fully qualified English speaking instructors to help you improve your skills. ESF offer group and private lessons as well as mountain guiding for all abilities. They have a ski school in Plagne Centre, Plagne Village, Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne and Plagne Soleil.

Oxygene is the leading family-friendly, English speaking ski and snowboard school in the French Alps. They offer both private and group instruction for children and adults.

Lime SnowSports is the only British owned ski school in La Plagne. They offer private individual and group lessons to both adults and children.

New Generation ski school meeting point is in La Plagne 1800. They have a close-knit team of 3 fully qualified English speaking instructors who teach all levels in both group and private lessons.

There are two main free bus services in La Plagne. One connects Plagne 1800 to Plagne Bellecote and Plagne Centre every 15 minutes from 0830 to 0050. The other runs between Les Charmettes, La Roche, the bobsleigh run, Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre and Aime 2000 every hour from 0600 to 0030. There is also a free shuttle between Plagne Soleil and Plagne villages that run every 15 minutes from 0835 to 2345, this only operates during the school holidays (Christmas, February and Easter).

La Plagne links with Les Arcs forming the Paradiski which is one of the largest linked ski areas in Europe! The ski area offers a good mix of piste for all abilities but is particularly suitable for beginners thanks to the vast network of cruisy green and blue runs.

There are several ski schools to choose from in La Plagne which will cater for all skiing/boarding abilities and offer a wide range of services from private ski clinics to group lessons. Group lessons will be cheaper and more sociable but are not as intense as one-to-one tuition. The majority of ski schools will be happy to assess your ability to determine which class will be most suitable.

It is not mandatory to pre book lessons although it is advisable so that you can secure your place and availability is limited especially if you are travelling on a peak week (Christmas, New Year, Half Term, Easter)

ESF has been running for over 70 years and has fully qualified English speaking instructors to help you improve your skills. ESF offer group and private lessons as well as mountain guiding for all abilities. They have a ski school in Plagne Centre, Plagne Village, Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne and Plagne Soleil.

Oxygene is the leading family-friendly, English speaking ski and snowboard school in the French Alps. They offer both private and group instruction for children and adults.

Lime SnowSports is the only British owned ski school in La Plagne. They offer private individual and group lessons to both adults and children.

New Generation ski school meeting point is in La Plagne 1800. They have a close-knit team of 3 fully qualified English speaking instructors who teach all levels in both group and private lessons.

La Plagne has a variety of rental shops across its different resorts which all offer a range of winter sports equipment to choose from.

It’s advisable to pre book your ski hire in advance to cut down on hassle and save you some money as the majority of stores will offer discounts for booking in advance, and if there is a specific piece of equipment that you want you can give them a call in advance to see if they can reserve the item for you.

Sport 2000 are located in Plagne 1800 and offer the best equipment from all major brands.

Oxygene rental shop is fully equipped with a range of skis and snowboard equipment for all ages, abilities and disciplines. Oxygene have a stylish rental shop in the centre of resort but also offer a luxury chalet fitting service whereby you can pre-book skis, boards, boots, helmets and off-piste equipment to be delivered and expertly fitted in the comfort of your own accommodation. By booking online with Oxygene you will benefit automatically from a 15% discount. Oxgene is located in Plagne Centre and Belle Plagne.

Ski Set are in Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne, Plagne Centre, Aime 2000, Plagne Soleil/Plagne Village and offer an array of state of the art equipment to hire.

Intersport have stores in Aime 2000, Belle Plagne, Plagne Bellecote, Plagne Centre, Plange 1800, Plagne Soleil/Village, Les Coches, Montalbert and Montchavin and provide ski and snowboard equipment to suit all abilities.

Skimium provide top brand equipment in  Aime 2000, Belle Plagne, Plagne 1800, Plagne Bellecote, Plagne Centre, Plagne Soleil/Village and Montchavin.

There are two types of lift passes available – the La Plagne Pass and the Paradiski Pass. The La Plagne Pass covers the villages and pistes of the La Plagne ski area only and the Paradiski Pass allows access to the neighbouring Les Arcs and the increasing amount of ski area available.

The majority of skiers prefer to purchase the Paradiski Pass as it allows them to explore more pistes and neighbouring resorts without having to worry about ‘crossing the border’.

The below prices are based on the current rates in resort but may change at the time of purchase.

Lift passes are free for children under 5y and seniors over 74y however proof of age is required and they will still need to get a magnetic card. 

Reduced ski pass prices are available for groups of two (Duo) or more (Tribu) in La Plagne.  Both passes need to be bought at the same time for the same duration in the same ski area in one payment and must be booked at least 2 days in advance to allow the order to be processed. Duo passes save €10 per person and Tribus passes save €15 per person.

Family passes are available for a minimum of 2 parents and 2 children (5-17yrs) and you can add on any extra children at the same price per person. The passes must be to be bought at the same time for the same duration in the same ski area in one payment and must be booked at least 2 days in advance to allow the order to be processed.  All members pay the child’s rate on the family pass and it is only valid on 6 to 15 day passes.

Beginners can purchase a ‘Cool Ski’ 1 day passes which cost €30. The pass gives you access to a designated beginner area. You can buy individual days one at a time and buy a La Plagne or Paradiski pass once you have gained more confidence on the slopes.