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La Plagne -The resort is made up of a number of villages that connect to a vast 220 km piste network. With the new Vanoise express now linking Les Arc, it is one of the largest ski areas in the world with over 420 km of piste! And then there is the off piste...acres of alpine terrain. One note of caution. La Plagne has a lot of flat spots so snowboarders often have to do some walking. Off the slopes the purpose built resort has enough bars and restauranunts to keep everyone fed and watered.
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La Plagne is made up of 11 'villages', each self-sufficient with shops, bars and restaurants. Lyons is the nearest airport (two hours away), while the ski train goes to Aime, 30 minutes away. Brits make up 37% of all foreign visitors and flood the largely self-catering accommodation - predominantly in Plagne Centre (1970m) and Belle Plagne (2050m). All 'villages' are superbly linked, with a lift system computer-rated as the best in the world. There's little in the way of queuing, apart from at rush hour hotspots (10am and 4pm). The scenery is superb, particularly from the top of the 3250m Bellecote glacier (which provides summer skiing possibilities). One of the largest single ski areas in the world, with 212km of pistes, La Plagne offers skiing for all. Beginners and intermediates are very well served, with wide boulevard-style pistes to practise those developing carves. Advanced skiers and boarders have lots of off-piste, but fewer truly testing black runs. Boarders also have the new park at Plagne Soleil to whet their appetites.
Off-snow, things aren't quite so good, with only an average selection of shops, restaurants and clubs. Other non-ski activities are pretty limited. Kids are very well cared for with ski-school nurseries and kindergartens; for those still with the daring of youth, there is the chance to zoom down the 1992 Olympic bobsleigh run.
Overall, a great resort for skiers still learning, but one that, as with many French purpose-built resorts, doesn't really capture the Alpine spirit. - Top Tip: stay in gorgeous Champagny-en-Vanoise for the traditional Alpine thing and a rapid gondola link into the full La Plagne lift system - plus the chance to ski for a day in nearby Courchevel.
Resorts close to La Plagne include: Champagny (6 km), Peisey/Vallandry (6 km), Les Coches (8 km), Montchavin/Les Coches (8 km) and Courchevel (10 km).
Ski La Plagne - Facts
6 Black Runs
35 Red Runs
73 Blue Runs
11 Green Runs
225Km Downhill
90Km Cross Country
109 Ski Lifts
2000m Max Vertical
3250m Highest Lift
1250m Lowest Piste
2100m Resort
Skiing in the holiday resort of La Plagne
High altitude of the resort (1800m)ensures snow reliability
skiing best suited to beginners / intermediates but also offer more advanced skiing
great lift system with 141 lifts
access to glacier skiing
425km of piste
1250-3250 skiing range
non ski activities in La Plagne
cinema
fitness / leisure centre
Olympic bobsleigh course
leisure facilities
outdoor swimming pool
One of the highest resorts in the French Alps, La Plagne offers some of the most exciting and varied high altitude skiing and snowboarding in Europe.
La Plagne is a collection of ten linked ski centres at altitudes ranging from 1250 to 2100 metres. For a family holiday, or a group of varied ability, it's ideal. It offers reliable snow and direct access to the magnificent 'Paradiski' area which links La Plagne to Les Arcs with 425 kms of runs, three glaciers and two peaks above 3000m.
Beginners who start out on the broad nursery slopes on our hotel doorstep soon graduate to a vast theatre of blue runs, which give second week skiers the chance to spread their wings and discover the thrill of high mileage skiing. Further afield there are easy runs above the old farming village of Champagny and long forest trails to Montchavin, Les Coches and Montalbert. Experts set their sights on the Bellecôte glacier, with its superb long black pistes and untracked powder slopes - a rare chance to ski uninterrupted descents of more than 2000 vertical metres.
Off the slopes, there are the villages of the resort to explore. Each has its own character and offers a variety of bars and restaurants, as well as facilities for swimming, ice skating, snowmobiling and parapenting. At La Plagne Centre, there are regular competitions on the slalom course opposite our chalet hotel and floodlit skiing in the evenings. For speed freaks, the Olympic bobsleigh run at Plagne 1800 is open for white knuckle rides.
Description
La Plagne is split into 10 stations that give you an opportunity to ski a number of quaint unspoilt French villages and some purpose built resorts at higher altitude. The four main areas at the upper most part of the area are Plagne centre, Belle Plagne, Plagne 1800 and Plagne Soleil and are all linked by free bus which runs until after midnight.
Plagne centre is the commercial centre and was built in the 60’s so to be honest is quite ugly though there are some newer developments above the centre that are more attractive. The smaller area of Plagne Soleil lies above and has smaller chalet type buildings and a few shops – handy for the slopes but nothing else. Belle Plagne is larger than Plagne Soleil and situated over to the left hand side of the circuit and has an attractive variety of small and large buildings and more nightlife too.
Plagne 1800 in our opinion is more attractive with a few more trees around and smaller chalet type buildings. The village centre has a handful of shops, bars and restaurants.
The picturesque old village of Montchavin and its recently developed neighbour, Les Coches lie down on the far left of the ski area. Montchavin has a traditional look and feel with narrow streets and old buildings. Les Coches is a modern resort but is designed sympathetically with all buildings built in wood and stone. Both of these resorts have a small variety of shops, bars and restaurants.
Over the back of the La Plagne ski area is the village of Champagny, this charming village lies in a wooded setting and is better located for the main bowl than any of the outlying villages on this side. However in warm weather the south facing slopes mean that the ski back may tricky!
The skiing
La Plagne offers possibly the biggest single resort lift system in the world and has superb and extensive runs for all levels of skier. The area is most suited to intermediates and large distances can and will be covered on red and blue runs, which radiate out in all directions. With 215km of pistes there is so much to choose from you won’t know which one to choose first! The snow reliability is very good – but the low lying villages can be a little sparse on snow at the beginning or end of the season. In 2004 we will see the much publicised link to Les Arcs being opened making this possibly the largest ski area in Europe!
advanced
Head for Bellecote where you will find 2 longs runs with vertical of 1000m. At Aime la plagne you will find the north facing long Emile Allais run through the forest which is usually deserted as there are only a couple of drag lifts to bring you back up. There are lots of long reds to get your teeth into but you really should hire a guide to explore the vast off piste potential that the area has to offer.
intermediate
An absolute dream for intermediates! From exhilarating motorway skiing to quiet powder runs in the trees, La Plagne has it all! Not skied by many, the runs down to Champagny are a real treat. Fast blues bend round the contours of the mountain. I last skied to Champagny in 2002 with my son Sam and although it was the February half term, I can’t recall ever seeing more than a dozen skiers in line ahead of us.
This resort is highly recommended for intermediates of all levels.
beginner
Gentle nursery slopes and excellent English speaking ski instructors ensure that novice skiers will soon be enjoying the multitude of blue and green runs across the resort. This is a great resort for beginners to learn.
family
Children have facilities in all of the villages and many of the tour operators run dedicated crèche facilities from their chalets in Plagne 1800. The ski schools are located in all villages and vary in group size and class type. – Something for everyone!
snowboarding
Good terrain for all standards of rider, there is a good mix of long, easy high open runs but the more experienced boarder will find some fantastic off piste boarding, and unlike many other resorts with a reputation for off piste where the snow is quickly carved up – here after fresh snow, off piste boarding will last for weeks!
apres ski
The main bars and nightlife are in Plagne centre, but to be honest – if it is kicking nightlife you are seeking it is better to go to a different resort altogether. The favourite après-ski activities are the descent of the Olympic Bobsleigh run at Plagne 1800 and snowmobiling.
Reviews
1 April 24, 2006 - 11:23 AM
Jack from UNITED KINGDOM
This year was the first time to La Plagne and it was in the middle of April but the snow was still brilliant! The new 8 man chairlift was really nice and there were loads of runs for all type of skiers and boarders. I would definately go again
2 April 17, 2006 - 02:22 PM
ivan Balzan from MALTA
Just returned from La Plagne with my family and friends. We stayed at Club Med 2001 from 9th to 16th April and it was perfect. Snow conditions where first class and nearly all slopes open. Skied twice to Les Arcs and it was easier to get there than one thinks, we made it in less than one hour and a half and enjoyed a few hours in Les Arcs. La Plagne itself is massive and I don't think I skied the same slope twice except to get back to the club. The resort lacks Night Life but I was staying at Club Med which was ideal for a family and we entertained non stop. I recommend la Plagne and Club Med 2001 to any family, all in all the resort is spacious, easy wide slopes and very efficient lifts. We will be back next year for sure...
Ivan
Malta
3 April 04, 2006 - 12:56 AM
mike from UNITED KINGDOM
Everything bad I've read about La Plagne in reviews is complete nonsense.
It's a great place for anybody to go and ski/board.
There isn't great nightlife, but I didn't go for the nightlife and couldn't care less. I went with 5 friends, and we entertained ourselves perfectly. Buying a beer is overpriced, but it's the same anywhere in these big French resorts. Just buy beer from the shops, and cheap French wine if you're really pinching the pennies.
Lifts were fast, good, did the job fine, and there was only one lift that ever had a queue, and it wasn't much of a queue. All other lifts we just walked straight on.
Thinking about going ? never been before ? then definately go, you won't regret it.
4 April 03, 2006 - 01:00 PM
James Heaton from UNITED KINGDOM
I've made about 14 trips to La Plagne - basically because I think it's an outstanding resort.
I won't bother trying to do a full sales pitch, but I'm aghast to read the reviews that rate Les Arcs above La Plagne... La Plagne is far superior without any doubt.
What I would say is that the ski area is so vast, and there are so many different 'stations' that you really have to know the mountain to fully appreciate everything that's out there. Don't stay in the village resorts unless you need to save a few quid - although they're 'nice' they're always going to be a bind to get back to (or out from), and with so much decent accommodation bang in the middle of the piste at Aime 2000, Plagne Centre, Plagne Bellecote and Belle Plagne it just doesn't make sense.
If you know where to go you can head up high for 4pm and ski a solid hour barely touching a lift to get back to any of the altitude resorts by 5.
The people who have found that they're spending too much time on lifts, or having to pole too much to get to lifts just haven't spent enough time looking at the piste map, I'm afraid - I can only think of two runs where you have to pole for the lift and they're both worth it; if you found more you've been combining the wrong pistes and lifts!
It's true that there are a couple of VERY long chair lifts - but they take you up to the top of a very long run back down which is fine with me! And if you'd rather break up your lift time there are always alternative routes which will take you up to the same place in stages.
Nightlife, it's true to say, isn't a patch on some other resorts, and La Plagne is very-much family centred. However, I've always gone with a group of lads and there are plenty of great drunken nights out to be had - not least thanks to the excellent shuttle links between stations.
All in all, it's fantastic, but it's just so big that you have to put a bit of work in to get the most out of it.
5 February 27, 2006 - 06:37 PM
matt uffindall from UNITED KINGDOM
Wow, second time out in La Plagne. This time 8 lads on a stag do and what a great time we had. Varying levels of skiing from first time on snow to 12 weeks but there was something for everyone. Staying in Chalet Motdit just outside Montalbert. Fantastic food and all the wine you could drink, followed up with six hour days on the slopes and we didn't cover it all! Skied down into Montchavin along the blue to the right hand side via the Vanoise Expres, wicked! Great resort (Feb half-term week) and longest queue was 25mins for bubble up to Rio de Moche, 5mins apart from that. Check out www.chaletmotdit.co.uk for good accom and have a great week in La Plagne, just like we did!!!
6 February 20, 2006 - 06:03 PM
Zoltan Szabo from UNITED KINGDOM
Just arrived back yet again from Belle Plagne thre highest resort in La Plagne area. This has been our 4th trip to this resort and we have not got tried of it. We took two other families this time and all had a good time all children were in ski schools and all had good instructions and all instructors spoke very good english. The sking was good bar the second half of the week were we had snow for the last two days.
I would not hestite to recommend this resort.
7 February 11, 2006 - 12:59 PM
Rufus Abrahams from UNITED KINGDOM
La Plagne is brilliant, best week of skiing in my life. I thought Oxygene (Plagne Centre) was the best ski school, with only abut 5-6 in each class. The Hotel Terra Nova' was superb. This is a great resort. DO NOT MISS OUT ON IT! P.S It's relatively cheap.
8 January 21, 2006 - 11:14 PM
Boarder from UNITED KINGDOM
Just arrived back from La Plagne, not a resort for snowboarders and early in the season it gets a bit icy. The scenery and size of the resort are amazing but the architecture could be better..spent a lot of time on lifts but the terrain makes it worthwhile. Took lessons from ESF and were great intstructors spoke goood english and know all the best spots. Recommend you stay in a higher resort as its quicker to get on the slopes.
9 January 11, 2006 - 01:51 PM
Simmo from UNITED KINGDOM
Maybe my view of La Plagne might be different if we (me and the good lady wife) hadn't gone when we had (the week between Christmas and New Year 05) but as it stands, we thought it was just ok, and that's being diplomatic. The runs, I thought were badly laid out, and you always seemed to be on a lift with not much riding in between. The whole place is a concrete jungle with no nice village atmosphere, but we did know that before we went, so can't really grumble about that. The pistes were always packed and some of the ski school parties numbered in excess of 30 so they would take up a whole run and there was nothing you could do except wait for them to pull up or try and navigate round them. Nothing to do at night at all, no atmosphere, and dare i say it, full of really aggressive hardcore French skiers who would look at you like you have just burgled their house because you had a board strapped to your feet. The "hotel" we stopped in was a nightmare and overall it completely put us off any further French visits. We have been to Mammoth, Whistler, Kitzbuhel, Saas Fee etc so do have some idea of what makes a good resort and unfortunately La Plagne doesn't have anything. Again my review might have been different had we gone at a quieter time but having spoken to other people who have been, there is no quiet time in La Plagne. Sorry to sound so negative.
10 January 07, 2006 - 11:31 AM
Milo Constable from UNITED KINGDOM
La Plagne is easily one of the best resorts in France, or even Europe. The skiing is superb, the ski school, Oxygene, is the friendliest school in France and I would highly recommend it, and the on-piste restaurants are resonably priced and the food is very satisfying. Off-piste skiing is awesome (I recommend Death Valley, as it's known to the locals) If you're looking for a good, well-priced hotel choose the Hotel Terra Nova in Plagne Centre, it's extremely good value for money especialy as it is ski-in ski-out. La Plagne has everything and would be a great place to learn. It is much better than its neighbour, Les Arcs. I have been with my family once in March 2004 (And in my dreams many times!) and can't wait to go this April. Overall La Plagne is the best resort I've been to: it's cheep, it's great skiing and it has many beautiful sweeping runs. I would highly recommend it any day. Rating 10/10 P.S great snow record!
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