La Plagne Resort Guide Overview
La Plagne ski resort encompasses eleven towns and villages, all very different in character.
The very lowest in altitude is La Plagne Vallée, also known as Aime la Plagne. This is a welcoming, traditional town with lots of nice bars and restaurants. It is about 20km from La Plagne's altitude villages and it is here that the train stops. Buses connect Aime to the higher resorts.
As you drive up the mountain the next villages are Montchavin at 1250m and Les Coches at 1450m, and they face towards Mont Blanc. This is now one area known as Montchavin - Les Coches and the villages are well connected to the rest of the resort by ski lifts.
Champagny-en-Vanoise also sits at 1250m and is a small, charming village on the sunnier south side of the mountain. There are plenty of traditional chalets in all these villages, with catered and self-catered options.
The main town, known as La Plagne Centre, is at 1970 metres. This was the first of the resort towns to be built. La Plagne Centre is lively with bars, restaurants, shops close to a large open piste area. It's very family-friendly.
Above that is Plagne Aime 2000, which is the highest resort you can stay at in one large apartment block known as 'The Ocean Liner of the Snow'. From afar it really does look like an ocean liner. It was built in the 1960s and looks across to Mont Blanc from one side. Plagne Aime 2000 is well connected with La Plagne Centre via the Télémétro lift.
What We Love About La Plagne
- The La Plagne snow parks.
- Scotty’s bar at the bottom of the Stade Olympic.
- Long winding runs down to Champagny.
- Araucaria restaurant.
- Vanoise Express.
- Olympic bobsleigh track.
- Le Grizzli (Grizzly Bears) restaurant.
Skiing in La Plagne
The ski area of La Plagne is as diverse its towns and villages. There is stunning glacial skiing, undulating blue runs below the Grande Rochette and challenging natural black runs. You'll find something for every level of skier including freestyle snow parks and many off-piste routes.
La Plagne has 225km of piste of which
- 15 are black pistes,
- 30 are red pistes,
- 72 are blue pistes and
- 10 are green pistes.
Click for a La Plagne ski resort piste map.
There are multiple off-piste skiing opportunities and guided descents to be enjoyed too.
Investment is ongoing within the resort bringing new pistes and ski lifts each year.
Ski passes for 2020/21 are around €270 for 6 days. The full Paradiski ski passes, which include Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry are around €330. Find La Plagne ski resort ski pass prices here.
Beginner Skiers in La Plagne
With as many as 10 green slopes, served by button lifts, chair lifts and a few magic carpets La Plagne is a great ski resort for beginners. A multitude of La Plagne ski schools are available and English is widely spoken.
The natural landscape of La Plagne offers a variety of easy, rolling blue runs to enjoy as you progress your skiing.
Intermediate Skiers
Truly, La Plagne is an intermediate skiers paradise. A huge selection of blue and red pistes cover the area.
There are south-facing, sun-drenched runs in Champagny-en-Vanoise. Plus tree-lined runs on the more north-facing runs of Montchavin and Les Coches.
Between the two, there's a central bowl of pistes coming back into La Plagne Centre. Exploring is the name of the game in La Plagne.
All are served by a selection lifts with some modern, fast eight-seater ski lifts on the busiest routes.
Advanced Skiers
For the advanced skier, La Plagne provides access to a wealth of different style pistes. Moguls are in abundance on un-groomed black runs. You'll find natural black runs from the glacier and steep delights on the 'Rochette' from La Grande Rochette.
For those in search of a backcountry, off-piste experience, there are easily accessible routes out of La Plagne Centre towards Champagny-en-Vanoise. We recommend hiring a professional ski touring guide and to tackle the north face of the Bellecôte.
The Towns and Villages of La Plagne
- Plagne Aime (2000 metres).
- Plagne Villages.
- Belle Plagne.
- Plagne Soleil.
- Plagne Centre.
- Plagne Bellecote.
- Plagne 1800.
- Plagne Montalbert.
- Champagny en Vanoise.
- Monchavin - Les Coches.
- La Plagne Vallée (700 metres).
Useful La Plagne Links
Tourist Information
Tourist Office La Plagne Centre
Tourist Office Aime-La-Plagne
SeeLaPlagne - independent information.
La Plagne ski resort piste maps.
Ski Schools
ESF La Plagne - local, knowledgeable ski school with great English.
Oxygène - modern and well equipped. Accessible ski lessons.
Lime Snowsports
Evolution 2- ski school and other mountain adventures.
Ski Hire in La Plagne
Plagne 1800 Sports
Sports Village
Skimium
Intersport
Things to do in La Plagne
Bobsleigh Track - only in La Plagne, a fantastic bobsleigh track, open every winter between mid-December and mid-April.
Super Tyro Zip-Line - fly over the green lake of Tyrolienne on a 600-metre zip line between Aime 2000 and La Plagne.
Paragliding - take to the skies and see the mountains as never before.
Snowmobile - the specialists in organising truly amazing snowmobile excursions for all levels.
Walking Trails - discover the best walking trails in La Plagne.
Annual Events in La Plagne
Snow Frappadingue Race - the most famous obstacle race in France.
First tracks: Get up at the crack of dawn and carve the first lines into the corduroy. Savoyard breakfast included for 12 euros.
Films From Up High: New mountain based films shown every week, enquire at the tourist office.
Accommodation
Chalets
Ultimate Luxury chalets: VIP ski holidays
Smitten by Snow: Fantastic holiday options in La Plagne.
Sno: Ski chalet holidays in La Plagne.
Ski In Luxury: Luxury chalets La Plagne
Hotels
Hotel Araucaria: A hotel full with everything. Tepidarium, sauna, ice-room, sensory shower, hydro massage corridor, relaxation room, swimming pool and even an aquatic play area for children.
Le Vancouver: Offering high levels of comfort in enchanting surroundings
Carlina Hotel Belle Plagne: 4 Star Hotel and Spa
Self-Catering
Chalet dakota is a nice and cosy self catering chalet in La Plagne we highly recommend.
We also like:
Résidence Bellecôte Apartments
The Hotel Carlina Résidence
Les Granges du Soleil
Bars & Restaurants
Bar La Mine Plagne 1800: English owned pub style bar with a great atmosphere and a large selection of beers.
Scotty's bar: The perfect pit stop in between runs, for lunch and the most popular arpe ski bar in resort.
Le Grizzli: For the best steak in town 🙂
Restaurant Le K2: A tastefully decorated environment, with a large selection of dishes from around the world.
Childcare
Little Chicks Childcare: Professional childcare service
ESF Childcare: let the ski mums look after your little ones.
Alpine Childcare Alpine child care services.
Summer
Intersport La Plagne Bellecotte: Mountain Biking MTB/VTT Rental.
Information on Electric MTB/VTT
Hiking guide: The best walking routes.
Espace Aqualudique Paradiso: Equatic and wellness complex in Montchavin, La Plagne.
Airport Transfers to La Plagne
Private airport transfers to/from La Plagne from Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble and Chambéry airports. Transfers journey times from Geneva, Lyon and Grenoble airports to La Plagne are approximately 2.5 hrs and from Chambéry airport in under 2hrs.
Route guides:
We have compiled many route guides to give you a better insight to the route and how to plan you trip weather its on one of our transfers or by other means.
Geneva airport to La Plagne
Lyon airport to La Plagne
Mountain Rescue offer:
- Clean and comfortable Volkswagen Caravelle minibus.
- Smart, helpful and English speaking driver.
- Child and booster seats on request.
- Free waiting time if flight delayed.
- 24/7 help from our central office.
To book your transferwith Mountain Rescue simply complete the quick quote form on the right of the page and get your competitive quote. Once you have the quote complete the transfer request form with your details and send off to our office.
Our Alps office will swiftly reply to your request and send you an overview of your travel details and a request for an on line card payment.
Once you make the payment via a secure online payment link you will receive a confirmation of booking and all the details you require for your trip with us.
Mountain Rescue Transfers is a french registered transport business and has all the correct licensing and insurance to carry paying customers in France and Switzerland.
