La Plagne Ski Resort, France

Overview of La Plagne

It’s almost as if the La Plagne plateau was created for skiing. Positioned in the centre of a huge bowl, the resort and ski area are contained to the east, south and west by towering mountains which help to preserve the snow and act as a perfect suntrap.

What more could a skier ask for? Glancing at a La Plagne ski map, one may notice the liberal use of blue lines – skiing La Plagne is a dream for the cruisy blue devotee or a family or beginner ski holiday as the gentle slopes are perfect for gaining confidence or bombing around with the kids. However, any advanced skier should be aware that the resort also boasts some seriously undervalued off-piste terrain. Plus, making up half of the Paradiski area, one of the world’s largest ski areas, means the resort can offer enough kilometres to keep even the most piste-hungry skier satisfied.

La Plagne accommodation is spread across a total of 10 villages, with traditional mountain hamlets lower down and purpose-built ski stations higher up to a respectable altitude of 2100m. The original Plagne Centre is one of France’s first-ever built-for-skiing villages and what the buildings lack in charm they more than makeup for the inconvenience. La Plagne chalets and resort buildings are interconnected by tunnels and walkways – extremely practical in the cold and snow. A free bus service or late night pedestrian chairlifts ferry visitors between the resorts and although nightlife is on the quieter side in keeping with the family atmosphere, those looking for a party will find sufficient choices. There won’t be time to be blue on a La Plagne ski holiday!

3 Things We Love About La Plagne

1. Extensive Ski Area – La Plagne has more than enough skiing to keep most people occupied for a week on its own, let alone when you factor in the rest of the Paradiski area, including Les Arcs, which offers a total 425km of marked pistes.
2. Plenty of Choice of Accommodation – With 10 different villages to choose from, and a range of chalets, apartments and hotels to suit all budgets, La Plagne has something for everyone.
3. Family Friendly Feel – La Plagne’s easy-going air, accessible villages and great swathes of cruisy intermediate skiing make it a great choice for a family ski trip.

Learn more about Paradiski

Skiing and Boarding in La Plagne

Over 80% of La Plagne’s pistes are blue and red providing a lot of scope for beginners and intermediate skiers to develop. All the villages have great access to the rest of the ski area via a network of gentler novice slopes and the vast network of blue runs mean you can easily explore with a mixed-ability group.

La Plagne is an extremely entertaining ski area. Under the Arpette chair, intermediates can clock up the kilometres on some excellent rolling blues and there is also enough challenging terrain to keep stronger skiers entertained. Head over towards Vanoise to take the gondola over to Les Arcs with your group for a ‘ski-away’ day. The Carina run under the Colorado chair is great for testing your speed and if your knees need a workout, try the bumpy red Vega. Don’t forget to take a trip through the Grand Canyons, a natural halfpipe, or drop down to Champagny for a taste of off-piste skiing. For challenging reds, head for La Grande Rochette and the other runs off the back of Les Verdons.

When skiing La Plagne it’s also not always necessary to aim high – some of the most charming and picturesque pistes are the lower and more underused runs down to Montchavin and Montalbert, which offer good skiing for all amongst the trees, especially in flat light or high winds. And when the snow is good, these areas are often massively under-skied.

Advanced skiers should not be fooled by the swathes of blue on the piste map; skiing La Plagne offers several energy-sapping black runs plus a huge amount of excellent off-piste. There are big cliffs and steep powder fields under the Inversons chair, but what experts really come here for is the Bellecote glacier, featuring three of the most famous off-piste descents in the Alps, including the legendary North Face. Skiworld recommends all off-piste skiing should only be attempted with a knowledgeable mountain guide.

Of course, you could also enjoy the four freestyle parks, three boarder-cross courses plus a half-pipe and mogul run if you’ve had enough of the pistes.

Lift Passes in La Plagne

There are 3 types of lift pass on offer in La Plagne. Choose either a local area lift pass for La Plagne only which gives you access to 225km of piste or a full area pass which includes Les Arcs too – increasing your skiable terrain to 425km of runs! The third option is a local pass with a one-day upgrade for a ski-away day in Les Arcs.

Activities in La Plagne

• Bobsleigh – Pit your nerves against La Plagne’s Olympic bobsleigh track! Hop in the bob with three friends and get piloted down the hair-raising run by a professional bob-driver. It’s a real adrenaline rush and a crowd favourite.
• Parapenting – Soar above the Paradiski on a tandem parapente (paragliding) with a qualified pilot. Weather permitting, this is one of the most memorable activates you can experience in the mountains. A true joy on a sunny day in spring.
• Ice skating – The open-air ice rink in Plagne Bellecote is a great way to spend an afternoon with family or friends. Both skate hire and rink entrance fees are charged on a walk-up basis, and there’s a café next door serving snacks and drinks including vin chaud. You can even have a go at ice hockey…
• Swimming – In the village of Plagne Bellcote, right at the base of the slopes, you’ll find the open-air Magic Pool. The water is always a balmy 30 degrees, so even when the snow is falling it’s a great way to spend an evening unwinding outdoors.
• Snowmobiling - Discover a different side to the mountains when you explore them on a snowmobile. On an hour’s excursion, you’ll visit a few of the villages as well as a bit of backcountry. It’s a thrilling adventure and great for a group. Evenings are the most fun!
• Cinema – If you feel like catching a flick while in the resort, head to Espace Les Ecrins in Plagne Centre. There are often screenings in English (some subtitled), but sometimes there’s nothing like the big screen when you need to wile-away a few hours…
• Bowling – In Belle Plagne, the 10 pin bowling alley is open from 4 pm until the early hours. Best time for families is right after skiing and if you’re in a grown-up group, it’s a fun evening. If you arrive on Saturday with itchy feet, it’s a great option for your first day.
• Tobogganing – Try your skills on the Superluge Derby in Aime 2000, ending in La Roche. A massive 6km luge run with 30 luges at once! Runs every day after the lifts close. Pre-booking recommended and a hot drink plus return transport to each village hub is included.

Après Ski in La Plagne

• Scotty’s – If you don’t go to Scotty’s, you haven’t done La Plagne! Located in Plagne Centre it’s the epitome of après bars, with food and drinks available from mid-morning until the early hours, live music and even beer-pong tournaments!
• Le Bonnet – In Plagne Bellecote and with a Folie Douce vibe, Le Bonnet offers outdoor après right off the slopes. Grab a drink and enjoy the live DJs and party atmosphere before skiing the short distance back to the village.
• Chalet d’Altitude la Bergerie – On the pistes of Plagne Village you may hear La Bergerie before you see it. A classic après ski venue offering great food and drinks accompanied by live music and a great vibe every afternoon. It’s on the piste so closes soon after the last lift. Be prepared to ski home!
• La Mine – A little hideaway in Plagne 1800 and popular with seasonnaires, La Mine is a traditional pub with an ‘olde-English’ style. Good beers and rums on offer and a friendly and convivial atmosphere to accompany a few drinks and good conversation, long into the evening.

Places to Eat in La Plagne

• Refuge, Plagne Centre – One of the oldest restaurants in La Plagne, with great ambience and plenty of Savoyard character. Grilled meats are one of their speciality dishes and each table has a copper hood suspended above it so that diners can grill their own meat on the pierrade, right at the table.
• Le Auberge de Balcons, Belle Plagne – Located in the Balcons hotel, this restaurant is a real gem. A relaxed atmosphere, open fire, well-stocked bar and a menu featuring Savoyarde and Italian classics. You should definitely book to avoid disappointment.
• Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, Plagne 1800 – A traditional French chalet-style restaurant with a lovely cosy atmosphere. Located on the piste, right next to the 1800 chairlift, it’s easy to find too. All the classics are on offer; raclette, croziflette, fondue and tartiflette, as well as French classics like onion soup, snails, grilled steaks, beef tartare, and duck.
• L’Arlequin, Aime 2000 – Worth a visit not only for the traditional food and friendly service but because dinner always tastes better when you’ve earnt it. Get yourself to the Plagne Centre gondola (runs until midnight!) and take it up to Aime, where you’ll be a short walk from this fantastic restaurant.

Family Features

Please see the ‘Activities’ tab for a wealth of non-skiing options for families. There’s plenty for families to do in La Plagne and in terms of a more peaceful setting, Belle Plagne is the most traditional and family-friendly village.