Les Arcs Ski Resort

The Les Arcs ski area stretches from Peisey-Vallandry at one end to Villaroger at the other, passing through the four Arcs: 1800, 1600, 1950 and 2000. There are miles and miles of runs on offer, but the system of long, ground-covering lifts makes it possible to ski from one end to the other in an hour and a half without breaking a sweat.

Our Rating:

Advanced		****
Intermediate		****
Beginner		****

Home of the "flying kilometre", some crazy architecture and superb terrain, Les Arcs offers great skiing for all levels and the recent link with La Plagne makes it one of the biggest ski areas in the world. In Les Arcs itself, the balance of the different levels of terrain is unusually well proportioned, making it an ideal resort for a mixed ability group.

Alongside the runs is some excellent off-piste, ranging from steep slopes and rocky outcrops for the advanced skier to natural half pipes and powdery moguls accessible to the brave but relatively inexperienced.

Transport links are good, with all the villages a short drive from Bourg-St-Maurice, at the foot of the mountans, where the Eurostar and TGV terminate. A funicular links the town to Arc 1600. Geneva is an easy transfer away, and anyone keen for a scenic drive can make it down from Calais to Bourg in nine or ten hours provided the traffic holds.

Unlike many purpose-built French resorts whose architecture lacks any redeeming features, Arc 1800, 1600 and 2000 have a definitive and highly individual style, a perfect time-capsule of imaginative modernist Seventies architecture. Corridors slope, balconies are staggered and the low-slung but substantial buildings curve in sympathy with their surroundings. 1950 is the newest resort, an entirely new development built in a strangely charming sort of Disneyland Alpine style.

Always one for innovation, Les Arcs pioneered European snowboarding and the use of short skis for teaching, and designed the first high-altitude golf course.

Les Arcs at a glance

On the mountain

Ski area

Each area of Les Arcs has a great deal to offer skiers and boarders alike. more...

Lift system

Les Arcs' lift system is efficient and now linked to La Plagne via the new double-decker gondola from Plan Peisey. more...

Ski schools

The forward-thinking Les Arcs ESF pioneered the use of short skis to teach carving turns. more...

Advanced

The steep pitch of many of Les Arcs' runs make it a good choice for advanced skiers, and there are also good off-piste options. more...

Intermediate

There is a great deal to satisfy the piste-hungry intermediate in Les Arcs. more...

Beginner

Arc 1800 is the best base for beginners as the network of blues above the resort are pleasantly wide and snowsure. more...

Boarding & freestyle

In the Eighties Les Arcs introduced the snowboard to Europe and "Team Apo" still rip it up in the well-maintained and versatile Apocalypse Park. more...