La Plagne

La Plagne Ski Resort

La Plagne is home to one of the Alps’ most impressive and varied ski areas and numerous base villages, all of which have their own unique character.

It has some good beginner facilities, but La Plagne really is an intermediate and expert’s paradise, with a hugely diverse ski area spread over 225km of pistes. For experts, it has huge areas of off piste that don't get skied out too quickly - an impressive feat given that La Plagne is recognised as the world’s most visited ski resort. This is before you even consider the link to Les Arcs via the impressive Vanoise Express, making up the vast 425km of slopes and 264 pistes of the Paradiski area.

La Plagne consists of no fewer than 11 separate 'villages' and each is a self-sufficient mini-resort. These divide into two groups – seven high altitude, purpose-built resorts and four villages lower down within the trees. The diversity of these villages also means there will always be options suitable for any group, but especially at Plagne Centre and Belle Plagne, the most popular destinations for Brits.

With so much terrain to navigate, there’s no better way to explore the resort than with the Ski Club’s Instructor-led Guiding Service, returning to the resort this season between 22nd December and 13th April.

Before you plan your trip join the Ski Club’s La Plagne Facebook Page, where our community of members will be able to assist with any queries you may have.

What's New for 2020/21?

The latest of the 12 fun zones in the ski area is called Buffalo Park, on a slope that resembles a canyon in the Far-West. MMV will be opening a new 4* hotel club in Plagne Aime 2000. Fully renovated, the ski-in/ski-out hotel offers 228 rooms. 

There are new coronavirus guidelines for the resort here.

Our La Plagne Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Après ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

La Plagne Skiing and Snowboarding

Most of the slopes in the main bowl are above the trees, but there are plenty of tree-lined trails for those bad weather days down towards Montalbert or Montchavin – the latter of which is also where you need to head to catch the Vanoise Express to Les Arcs. La Plagne has some great intermediate cruising terrain (62% of the runs are rated blue) and there is some great off piste terrain on the upper mountain, much of which is fantastically snowsure.

• Total Pistes: 225km (425km in the Paradiski)
• Blue: 62%
• Red: 26%
• Black: 12%
• Lifts: 75 (122 in Paradiski)
• Altitude: 1207m – 3167m

For Beginners

La Plagne is a good place to learn and each of the resort villages has at least one free beginner lift. If you want to guarantee snow then Plagne Centre is probably the best bet as it also has the best slopes in the area for first timers. Progression on to longer, gentle runs is good, just note that the normal French system of using green runs is not in use here – choose easy blues instead.

For Intermediates

Virtually the whole of La Plagne's area is a paradise for intermediates, with blue and red runs wherever you look. This unfortunately has not gone unnoticed and the main drawback is that some of them get very overcrowded at times. Those looking for longer, tree-lined runs should drop down towards Montchavin or traverse their way across to Montalbert – by doing so you really get a sense of travelling and an appreciation of the scale of the ski area. The sunny Champagny sector is also worth visiting and keen intermediates should buy the Paradiski upgrade to get to Les Arcs.

For Advanced/Expert & Off Piste

This is a great resort for experts, but it does somewhat rely on snow conditions and good visibility as a lot of the best difficult terrain is located well above the treeline from the top of the Bellecote. However, the long runs down are fantastic when the snow is good. A great alternative is the Biolley sector, where several steep, ungroomed ‘natur’ trails are marked on the piste map but are not prepared. To see the best the resort has, we’d recommend booking a Ski Club ILG session.

La Plagne Piste Map

The La Plagne piste map can be downloaded here. The wider Paradiski piste map can be downloaded here. 

La Plagne Ski Pass Prices

There are two options – either buy the local La Plagne pass or upgrade to also cover the Paradiski area. We’d recommend the latter for confident intermediates upwards. A season pass covering La Plagne costs €976 whilst the entire Paradiski pass costs €1070 for an adult. Note that the prices below are lowest early and late in the season but may change, so check with the resort for the latest or give the Ski Club’s expert info & advice team a call on 020 8410 2009.

La Plagne Season Dates

• La Plagne: 12th December 2020 – 30th April 2021
• Paradiski: 19th December 2020 – 23rd April 2021

For full details see the resort's website and note that these dates are subject to change. The Ski Club’s expert info & advice team are also on hand to help – call 020 8410 2009.

La Plagne Resort

Plagne Centre is the focal point of the resort and is where you’ll want to be based if you’re looking for the liveliest base and the biggest range of shops, restaurants and bars. Belle Plagne is well located for the slopes and has lots of good apartment-style accommodation. Montalbert and the two villages of Montchavin and Les Coches are lower down, quieter and make attractive alternative bases away from the purpose-built hustle and bustle further up.

For Families

There are some fantastic options for families, with numerous UK chalet and tour operators running well-received chalets around the resort. The best facilities, but as a result the biggest crowds, are in Plagne Centre, but there are loads of options to choose from – Esprit operate in Belle Plagne, Ski Famille work in 1800, Family Ski Company run a chalet in Les Coches, whilst Mark Warner operate a chalethotel in Plagne Centre.

For Après

When the resort is busy it certainly can be lively, but après here is nowhere near as raucous as in the likes of Val d’Isère or Les Deux Alpes. In Belle Plagne, the Tete Inn and the Cheyenne are the main bars whilst Scotty’s is popular in Plagne Centre.

How to get to La Plagne

Chambéry is the closest airport to La Plagne and private transfers are the best option – the drive takes around an hour and a half. Geneva is further away, with the drive taking around two and a half hours.

A great option is to travel by train, catching the Eurostar to the town of Aime la Plagne in the valley before grabbing a quick bus transfer up to the resort. Check out the Ski Club’s Guide to travelling to resort by train.

• Chambéry airport: 1.5 hours (driving)
• Geneva airport: 2.5 hours
• Snowtrain from London: 8-10 hours
• Calais: approximately 11 hours driving (615 miles)

La Plagne Contact Details

• Website: www.la-plagne.com
• Email: info@la-plagne.com
• Telephone: +33 04 79 09 02 01
• Facebook: @LaPlagne
• Instagram: @la_plagne
• Twitter: @LaPlagne