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Our Product Manager Emilie is no stranger to the French Alps, she and her family are all skiing fanatics. Her parents started skiing in their 20s and it didn’t take long for them to get hooked! Before long they were skiing every year without exception. When Emilie and her siblings were born this wasn’t going to stop her parent’s ski trips so from the age of at least 3 Emilie was on the slopes! As a family they explored a long list of resorts in the French Alps before falling in love with Les Arcs and buying a property in Alpages de Chantel there where they still go every year for their family ski holidays.
After trying out a lot of the French ski resorts I still love Les Arcs the most, I’ve experienced the resort as a teenager, as a young adult and now as a Mum of two so I’ve seen the different sides of the resort and I can confirm that no matter what you’re looking for you’ll find it there.
It’s impossible to get bored skiing in Les Arcs, it’s perfect for beginners and experts alike because there’s so many different areas to explore. The resort is easy to navigate so whether you’re up at L’Aiguille Rouge or down in Peisey Vallandry, you won’t have any issues getting back to your accommodation or your favourite après spot at the end of the day. As if the slopes weren’t enough to keep you entertained, the scenery is spectacular too! From seas of pine trees covered in snow to dramatic mountain peaks you’ll be captivated by the stunning views wherever you’re skiing.
On a snowy day I would recommend going down the valley to Peisey Vallandry where there’s long, wide red slopes woven between the trees where you can shelter from the snow and enjoy a change of scenery from the mountain runs.
If it’s a perfect blue bird day and the sun is shining, get the cable car from 2000 straight up to L’Aiguille rouge which sits at 3200m and enjoy a super long ride down. This is a great run for experts and is sure to make your thighs burn if you ski the 8km all the way down to Villaroger!
There’s a really fun place for off piste skiing called Grand Col in the 2000 area, it’s easy to get to from the slopes but I’d definitely only recommend it to more experienced skiers. It’s best to explore here in the afternoon so you can bask in the sun whilst you discover fun off piste routes. When there’s fresh powder, this is the place to be.
It’s worth exploring the runs around Arc 1600 too, Arolles and Malgovert red slopes are my favourites there, and don’t forget that with your ski pass you get a free day pass for skiing in La Plagne via the telepherique.
We always take the kids to Mille 8, which is located in Arc 1800. It’s a ski area designed for families where you’ll find plenty of different activities to keep the kids (and yourself!) entertained. There’s jumps, a giant xylophone, a tunnel and a toboggan slope and if you’re looking for some après fun off the slopes, there’s also a huge aquatic centre with indoor pool, whirlpool bath, massage jets, waterslide, paddling pool, sauna, and hammam.
Obviously no day on the slopes is complete without stopping for a hot chocolate or vin chaud and there are plenty of slope side restaurants and cafés to choose from. L’Arpette is one of the most popular Après spots and they often have DJs playing. It’s quick and easy to ski back to 1800 from l’Arpette, even after a few drinks!
There’s a huge range of events and activities for when you’re not exploring the slopes. Over the school holidays there’s usually weekly fireworks displays and if you’re lucky enough to be in the resort over Christmas or New Year, there’s always festive themed events in the run up.
Arc 1800 is the liveliest of all the villages, it’s fully pedestrianised making it easy to navigate between the shops, restaurants, cafes and après bars and you’ll find everything you could possibly need from cheesemongers to nightclubs. Usually at least once during the week we head over to the toboggan run at Mille 8, it’s not your average sledding experience! There’s 900m of twists and turns to speed around and also a tunnel with light display and sound system to add another dimension. It’s amazing fun and definitely worth trying at least once!
Even if I’m not doing as much Après as I used to, I can tell you that Arc 1800 has a great après and nightlife scene. Some things haven't change since I started going to Les Arcs, Chez Boubou on the main square in Le Charvet is still the perfect place for happy hours, sports events and soaking up the sun on the terrace or later on with live DJs. On the other side of the village, in Les Villards you’ll find the Red Hot Saloon which has the perfect terrace for sunny days and a party atmosphere later on in the night with live music. Arc 1800 has more on offer than the other villages but it doesn’t mean you won’t find anything elsewhere, 2000 has an Ice bar and some great restaurants and bars too, there’s some good options in Le Village 1950 which is easily accessible with the gondola opened until 11pm, Peisey Vallandry has its own popular après destination too called Bar Mont-Blanc which is convenient if you’re staying in L’Oree des Cimes and L’Oree des Neiges or if you just fancy venturing a bit further.
Now in terms of accommodation I always stay in les Alpages du Chantel which is in the same area as Edenarc. There’s amazing views over the resort and it’s ski-in/ski-out which can be hard to find in Arc 1800. In a couple of minutes you can be down at the ski school meeting points or at the kindergarten area, and if you’re a beginner there is an easy track to go down to the lift or you can even take the gondola (Le Dahut) which is open for pedestrian as well. Both accommodations have very good leisure facilities and the area has a bar right on the slope with a terrace, a few restaurants, and a ski hire shop so you don’t always have to go to the village but if you need or want to take the Gondola or just walk down via the track.
I hope this has helped you get a feel for Les Arcs, especially 1800, and maybe even tempted you to go there for your next ski holiday. If you already know the resort well then I hope you’ve managed to find out something new. The resort really does have something for everyone so maybe I’ll see you on the slopes or on the sun terrace at Le Charvet this winter!
If you'd like to find out more about Les Arcs then check out our Les Arcs guide or if you'd like to browse the accommodation in Les Arcs then click here.