Description
La Plagne is Europe’s most visited resort attracting more and more holidaymakers every year. The purpose built resort was built under Charles De Gaulle’s leadership so that everyone in France could have an affordable place to ski hence why it is not the most attractive of places but the majority of accommodation is very affordable and offers easy ski access.
La Plagne is split into several villages – Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre, Belle Plagne, Plagne Bellecote, Plagne Village/Soleil, Montchavin/Les Coches, Montalbert, Champagny and Aime.
La Plagne itself boasts 225km of piste formed of 130 runs split into 18 black, 33 red, 69 blue and 10 green (over 50% blue runs) and neighbours Les Arcs to form the Paradiski covering 425km piste in total. The resorts are linked by the Vanoise Express which is the only double cable car in Europe. Guests can buy a Paradiski lift pass which covers the whole area or alternatively the La Plagne local pass permits one day to Les Arcs.
Getting There
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.
Fly
The most common method of travelling to resort is to fly. There are 4 local airports to La Plagne
Chambery – 117km – 1h30
Grenoble – 190km – 2h55
Lyon – 194km – 2h15
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.
Snowdrone provide shared transfers from Geneva and luxury yet affordable private transfers from Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery and Lyon.
Train
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.
Drive
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/
When driving in France remember to drive on the right hand side of the road. There are several tolls on the route down to the Alps and the prices will vary depending on your vehicle and which route you take but will total to approximately €75. European travel/vehicle requirements are very strict and on-spot fines can be issued if you don’t have: headlight converters, GB sticker, warning triangle, spare bulbs, high viz vests for each passenger in the car and breathalysers.
When to Go
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.
For groups not restricted to school holidays, La Plagne has good conditions throughout the season and is one of the better value resorts for its size so you will generally be able to find yourself a good deal for January or March.
Where to Stay
La Plagne is split into several different villages/resorts.
Plagne 1800
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
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
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
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
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.
AimeAime is probably the least attractive resort in La Plagne. There are a couple of big complexes on the mountain and Aime has its own ski school and beginners area.
Montchavin/Les Coches
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.
Getting around
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).
There is no bus service between Belle Plagne and the other villages. To access Belle Plagne you need to take the Telecabine lift which runs between Belle Plagne and Plagne Bellecote until 2345 and then take a bus. There is also a Telemetro lift that links Plagne Centre and Aime 2000 which runs every 5 minutes between 0800 and 2345.