LES ARCS

• The 4 purpose-built ski villages of Les Arcs are high altitude ski-in ski-out pedestrian-only villages with sunny slopes and great reliable snow conditions.
• The views over the valley to the resort of La Rosière and to Mont Blanc are stunning.
• Les Arcs, along with neighbouring ski resort La Plagne, mainly receives French visitors as opposed to the other famous ski resorts in the Tarentaise valley like Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens or Val d’Isere, which mainly receive English-speaking international travellers.
• Les Arcs ski resort lays claim to the biggest Igloo village in the French Alps and has an ice cave.
• Access via train to the resort is easy with a brand new panoramic funicular whisking you away from Bourg St Maurice train station up to Arc 1600 in just 7 minutes.
• The ski area is massive, 452km of groomed runs all interlinked by slopes or lifts between Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne. This is the Paradiski, the 4^th largest linked ski area in the world.
• The accommodation in Les Arcs mainly consists of self-catered apartments which are excellent value for families.
• You either love or hate Les Arcs mainly due to the architecture of the lower villages Arc 1600 and Arc 1800, which many find quite ugly. However, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 are beautiful and more stylish, which is why here at Top Snow Travel, we only partner with Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 ski resorts.

• Families & groups of friends, people looking for ski-in ski-out accommodation, beginner & intermediate skiers (mainly blue and red runs) as well as people looking for great value ski packages in a huge ski area with a great variety of slopes.
• For families travelling with young kids, the 4 pedestrian-only ski-in ski-out resorts of Les Arcs are so convenient and such a treat. The pedestrian only villages are not only safe for your children but they also create a magical winter atmosphere in a friendly village environment.
• If you’re on a budget, Les Arcs has plenty of amazing value stays.  While it might not be the cheapest in the French Alps, considering the world class ski area it offers you, it is definitely one of the “best value” ski resorts.
• People wanting to experience unique winter activities such as an overnight stay in the largest igloo village in the French Alps, complete with a cheese fondue dinner around a cosy fireplace.   
• People wanting to ski multiple linked ski resorts from the one base. The Pardiski area includes the 4 purpose-built villages of Les Arcs, the little village of Peisey-Vallandry as well as La Plagne’s 11 villages. So you have a massive variety of resorts to discover all linked by slopes and lifts under the one convenient ski pass. We recommend staying in Les Arcs for at least 2 weeks to discover the entire Paradiski area (even that is not enough!) but if skiing in just Les Arcs & Peisey-Vallandry, a week might be just enough.

Besides the incredible skiing in Les Arcs, you can enjoy many winter activities such as sledging , snow shoeing, snowmobiling (including skidoos for children as young as 5 years old), helicopter scenic rides, heli skiing over in La Thuile (Italy), paragliding, speed-riding, ride an electric scooter on snow, snakegliss, snowscoot, ski joering.

Would you like to live like an Inuit for an evening? Make your dream come true and come and see the biggest Igloo Village in the French Alps and its ice cave! Perched at an altitude of more than 2000m, a themed setting made entirely of snow and ice awaits you in Les Arcs at the bottom of the Arcabulle chairlift. Ice cave, igloo bar, bedrooms, dining areas and a dance floor area are all part of the 400m2 igloo village for you to explore …

For bad weather days, there are plenty of non-skiing activities such as fitness centres, squash, yoga,  bowling, spas, swimming pools…

Les Arcs is a 2 hour 20min drive by private transfer from either Lyon or Geneva Airport.

A shared shuttle transfer from Geneva will take over 4hrs and will only drop you off at the village bus stop, not at your accommodation – not ideal if you are travelling with ski gear and luggage and don’t know your way around.
It’s a 30min drive from Bourg St Maurice train station (the closest train station) to Arc 1950/Arc 2000 and only 7 minutes with the NEW panoramic Funicular from Bourg St Maurice train station to Arc 1600 (fastest way).

Top Snow Travel can also arrange helicopter or scenic flight transfers from all airports or other ski resort altiports in the region

Next winter, Les Arcs Ski Resort is scheduled to open from December 11^th 2021 to April 30^th 2022.

There are 3 ski resorts which are part of the Paradiski’s massive 425km of slopes (link via the Vanoise Express, the world’s largest cable car system) which include: La Plagne, Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry.

January 2nd to Feb 5th 2022 is the cheapest and best time to go (low season), followed by 5^th March until mid-April 2022 (the shoulder season).

For Australians travelling to France to ski during our January summer holidays, we benefit from the cheaper rates on offer in the French ski resorts’ low season.  This happens to be when the French and Europeans go back to work and school after the 2 week Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Europeans and the Brits flock to the resorts through February into March (DO NOT TRAVEL from 5^th Feb to 5^th Mar 2022 as this is the French school holidays). The slopes are extremely busy, the queues at the lifts are long and the price for accommodation is very expensive during that time.  Even all the restaurants are booked out!

Typically, in January, the snow is dry with the largest build up. It is also the coldest time, so you will need to make sure that you dress warmly. It is still wise to choose a high-altitude resort in case mother nature has not been kind earlier in the season. Bear in mind though, that snow-making is used to supplement natural snowfall in high traffic areas.

So, not only is January the cheapest time to go skiing in the French Alps, it is also the best time to go thanks to the weather conditions, the lack of queues, more availability and choice of accommodation and you get to breathe fresh air with your loved ones, rather than with thousands of other people!