Les Arcs consists of various purpose-built villages which are perfect for ski holidays
There are loads of reasons why thousands of British skiers choose Les Arcs as their winter ski destination…
One of the most snow sure ski resorts in Europe, Les Arcs is largely purpose-built to provide its guests with the ultimate skiing experience. The skiing is absolutely brilliant, and the fun doesn’t stop when you take your skis off either.
There's a fantastic variety of accommodation available across Les Arcs' 6 villages, including ski-in ski-out apartments, family-friendly hotels, and big group chalets. Make sure to check out our ski deals page for any offers!
We’ve talked to the experts and consulted with those who’ve skied in Les Arcs to bring you all the reasons why Les Arcs is a great ski resort.
READ MORE: If you're set on skiing in France but fancy somewhere else, then why find out why Morzine is a great ski resort?
1. It's a fantastic ski resort for beginners
Les Arcs is home to various top-class learner areas where first timers can get to grips with skiing (Arc 1800’s Mille 8 stands out). Every village gives you easy access to a range of beautiful, wide green and blue runs - there’s plenty to keep you busy for the week.
The resort’s beginner lift pass discounts are also a major pull - Les Arcs offers cheaper lift passes for specific lifts within your local area (e.g. just Arc 1600 and 1800). This works well if you know you won’t have the ability to get beyond that in the first few days.
Once you have improved though, you can buy a full local area lift pass, which massively expands the skiing on offer. If you’re a very fast learner, you could even upgrade to a Paradiski ski area lift pass, which lets you catch the Vanoise Express cable car into the neighbouring resort of La Plagne.
Read more:
We go into much more detail into why Les Arcs is a great ski resort for beginners in our Beginner's Guide to Skiing in Les Arcs.
2. Intermediates will love Les Arcs
Similarly, because Les Arcs is such a big resort, intermediates are well looked after by the mountains. The vast majority of slopes are easy to access and not too steep to induce any nerves. Of the 425km of slopes, 160km are red.
Top runs for intermediates include the L’Arpette to Plan Peisey run - where you go through a range of terrains and environments - or the Vallée de L’Arc, which stretches on for 6km from the top of the Varet lift in the Arc 2000 bowl.
Plenty of Iglu members have enjoyed Les Arcs, including Marketing Manager, Aimee Bradshaw, who says:
“Les Arcs is the perfect resort for intermediate skiers. You could comfortably spend the entire holiday on blue runs and not get bored.
“The Grizzly is a great chair for intermediates. From the top, you've got the gentle Forêt 2 run, which takes you meandering through the trees at a leisurely pace. You've also got the Myrtilles red, which is lovely and wide - ideal for building confidence”.
Les Arcs has a huge range of runs thanks to its connections to the Paradiski area
3. Les Arcs is lively, but not too lively
One of the great things about Les Arcs is that it’s a cluster of various villages - each with their own character and therefore catering to all types of people.
For those who are all about the party, Arc 1800 is the place to be. It’s got a great selection of bars and clubs.
Iglu Ski’s Marketing Executive, Joe Bowler, points out that “Arc 1800 and 1600 are the only two villages that you can get back to from L’Arpette and Folie Douce without having to get a bus back up the mountain”, meaning they’re a prime location if you’re looking for an easy ride home after a spot of apres ski.
Arc 2000 is considerably less lively, although there are still party spots if you know where to find them. Red Rock is a seasonaire bar which is often rammed, while the El Latino Loco nightclub on the fifth floor of the famous Aiguille Rouge building is the place to be.
If you’re a family - don’t worry! There are quiet spaces in Arc 2000 and 1800, too, although “Arc 1950 is definitely the most family-friendly of the bunch”, according to Joe Bowler, who also mentions that the main town square regularly has activities and events going on.
Head of Sales, Phil Wright, says: “Le Village Apartments in 1950 are a great pick for those who want self-catered accommodation near the town centre. Meanwhile Club Med in Peisey-Vallandry, and Club Med in Arc 1600 are two brilliant all-inclusive locations for families in Les Arcs - particularly as they are in quieter villages.
“For the younger crowd, you could try any of our chalets in Les Arcs if you’re part of a larger group, or go for the popular Hotel du Golf, which has ski-in, ski-out facilities, pool and spa facilities and regular live jazz”.
4. Snow-sure from December to April
Les Arcs is a purpose-built ski resort, meaning it’s nice and high in the mountains and therefore one of the most snow-sure ski resorts in France and the rest of Europe.
70% of Les Arcs’ runs are above the 2,000m mark, with the highest run peaking at 3,200m. Meanwhile, much of the resort’s runs are north-facing, meaning snow is much less likely to become slushy in any sunshine.
December snowfall over the past 11 years has been very strong at 39cm per week, meaning the resort is one of the earliest to open for skiers looking to take advantage of early doors prices - and quiet pistes! It also makes for an even more magical Christmas time in Les Arcs.
Meanwhile, Les Arcs is one of the best April skiing destinations. With snowfall averaging at 24cm per week, topped in France only by Val d’Isere, Tignes, Les Deux Alpes and Chamonix, Easter skiing is usually very good, with the shaded slopes up above Arc 2000 keeping in great shape until end of season.
5. It's connected to La Plagne
Les Arcs isn’t the only place you can go skiing when you stay in Les Arcs! Having opened in 2003, the Vanoise Express connects Les Arcs with La Plagne, taking just seven minutes to cross 1,800m along a huge valley at 380m in the sky.
The double-decker cable car transformed skiing in both resorts. Known as the Paradiski ski area, the joint area offers 160 lifts and 425km of pistes - of which there are 152 green/blue runs, 79 reds and 22 black runs. In fact, Paradiski is one of the largest ski areas in France.
6. Les Arcs is great for families
Les Arcs is a great ski resort choice if you’ve got youngsters who are learning to ski. As we’ve already mentioned, you won’t find many ski resorts with better snow conditions than Les Arcs - so the children will always have fun in the snow without having to learn in tricky, slushy conditions.
The specially designed learner areas have a total of eleven free lifts for you to try out - potentially cutting back the costs of a day or two of lift passes. Alternatively, there are discounted lift passes for hyperlocal areas. For example, you could spend €31 to ski only in Villaroger for the day - as opposed to €65 for the whole of Les Arcs.
Les Arcs is packed full of brilliant beginner slopes - particularly around the Mille 8 area, and at the top of the Carreley and Villards chairlifts.
Meanwhile, much of the accommodation in Les Arcs’ villages has ski-in, ski-out facilities, thanks to the resort being purpose-built high in the mountains. This means the children won’t have to drag their skis onto buses and around town centres to get to and from the lifts - a major win. This is particularly true in Arc 1950, by far the best of the villages for skiing right to your door - and for families in general (as we mentioned in Point 3, along with accommodation recommendations).
READ MORE: Les Arcs ranks highly in Iglu Ski's top 10 family ski resorts guide - read it to find out the other ones.
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Les Arcs has plenty of runs for beginners - as demonstrated by Iglu Ski Marketing Manager Aimee Bradshaw!
7. Multiple villages to choose from
Les Arcs is made up of six villages, meaning you can choose the perfect base for your type of group, while still benefiting from the outstanding skiing.
Built in the 1960s and 70s, the first few villages - Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Arc 2000 - were built in avant-grande architecture. In other words, they might not have beautiful, traditional buildings, but they’re extremely convenient to get around in.
Arc 1950 - the family-friendly haven - was built in 2003 and has more North American-inspired Savoyard buildings, while also being the most ski-in, ski-out village of the Arcs (if not the Alps entirely!).
Arc 1800 and 1600 tend to be the party zones, while Arc 2000 is more 50-50 on the apres scene. Arc 1950 is for families, while the villages of Villaroger and Peisey-Vallandry are much quieter, sleepy areas.
Meanwhile, the traditional (i.e. not built for skiing!) town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice is just a seven-minute funicular ride from Arc 1600 - so you could also stay there if you fancied. Alternatively, if you’re keen to escape the skiing bubble for a bit, then just nip down on the funicular for an afternoon - the last ride back is 8pm, while buses run until 9:25pm (make sure to check the latest timetables before you travel).
8. Great activities to do off the slopes
Once the skiing is done for the day, you don’t need to twiddle your thumbs and wait for tomorrow - there’s plenty to be getting on with.
Aside from the apres bars, you could get outside and ride a skidoo, horse or husky sled. Snowshoeing is also available.
If you’re completely done with the outdoors though, then visit the Mille 8 spa and leisure complex to wind down. It has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, with water massage jets and bubble beds. There’s also two steam rooms, two saunas and a “relaxation room”, as well as a gym.
There are plenty of lovely restaurants and bars, as well as the cinema in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, which shows English-language films, too.
Perhaps most notably though, you should get up to the top of the Transarc gondola to see the ice cave grotto, where you can learn about the minerals and fauna of the area - and soak in how remarkable it is to be in an ice cave at the top of a huge mountain.
9. Fantastic off-piste skiing
Les Arcs is also great for the more adventurous skiers among us, with a range of brilliant off-piste skiing areas for you to get your teeth into.
The Grand Col is the obvious choice. Don’t be put off by the lift which rattles slowly to the top. The area is above 2,500 metres and has loads of nooks and crannies for you to have fun on.
There’s also some nice off-piste stuff from the top of Arc 1800’s Vagere lift, surrounding the Golf and Vagere red runs.
Beginner free-riders can also have fun on the rough. Have a go on the vast, open space above Peisey-Vallandry, around the 2300m lift. Meanwhile, there's lots of fun tree-lined trails and little jumps around the forest near the Derby lift.
Discover how great Les Arcs is for yourself
If Les Arcs is sounding like the perfect place for a ski holiday, then get in touch or have a look at the best Les Arcs deals. Iglu Ski has been curating the perfect ski holidays for our customers for over 25 years, and we’re not done yet. Our fantastic sales team can help you choose the right accommodation for you, and we’ll help with all the other details that might be on your mind.
