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• Resort Guide

Resort Height: 2050m

One of the world’s biggest ski areas and indeed biggest ski resorts – if you add its ten separate base villages together – La Plagne is one of a handful of snow destinations worldwide that attract more than two million visitors annually.

The ten separate bases you can choose to stay in, include six built at altitude in the past 40 years: Plagne Centre at 1970m, Plagne Village/Soleil at 2050m, Plagne Bellecote at 1930m, Aime La Plagne, the highest at 2100m, Belle Plagne at 2050m – probably the most attractively designed and Plagne 1800 at, well, 1800m. Or there are the traditional villages below in the valley – Champagny en Vanoise has grown up around its church over the centuries and maintained its character, Montchavin with its narrow lanes lined with mountain farm houses, Les Coches which is actually new – built in 1981-2 above Champagny, but to a traditional design, and Plagne Montalbert which is clustered around the Place des Vieux Garcons and its old chapel.

The ski area that all these resort bases accesses is one of the world’s largest with more than 225km (130 miles) of runs served by more than 100 lifts with 2000 metres of vertical down from a glacier which has year round snow cover and formerly offered summer skiing. Since 2003-4 the ski area has got bigger still with the spectacular double-decker cable car linking it to the ski area of Les Arcs, across the valley, providing more than 400km of runs between them and one of the world’s biggest ski areas.

Beginners

All of La Plagne’s bases have gentle nursery slopes and beginner areas with at least one ski school, usually a choice of two, ready to teach you. We can offer you a beginners package of tuition, equipment rental and lift ticket which will save cost and hassle on buying these separately once you’re in resort.

Intermediates

With endless opportunities for intermediate skiers there can be few resorts better than La Plagne if you want to ski it all. The Bellecote Glacier is famous for its excellent long runs or the descents above Champagny are also superb. You can also challenge yourself by seeing how far across the giant Paradiski area you can get in a day after catching the first lift of the morning – just be careful to ensure you time it so that you don’t miss the last lift back home on your return.

Advanced

One of the comparatively few resorts that can offer enough challenges to keep an expert skier satisfied all season, let alone a week, La Plagne has everything from steep mogul fields or tree skiing to deep powder fields and impossible couloirs. Popular routes include Le Mont de la Guerre on the south facing slopes of Champagny. It starts at the top of les Verdons at 2500m, runs along a ridge then through wide pistes, mogul fields and steep drops as well as forest trails all the way down to Champagny. Legendary descents include the 15km (nine mile), 2000m descent with a guide down the north face of the Bellecote glacier.

Snowboarding

A popular choice for boarders, La Plagne offers a great terrain park, excellent freeriding terrain, an easy to use high speed lift network and a special low price ticket for riders who just want to stay in the snowpark all day. The park at Plagne Centre in the heart of the resort was establisged after a four year search for the perfect location and is nearly a kilometer long with a huge choice of rails, boxes, waves, rainbows and other obstacles. A team of six local freeriders helped design and run the park. It also boasts a sound system, chill out area with barbeque, guest DJs and regular competitions.

Other Activities and Facilities

There’s lots to do in La Plagne when you’re not skiing. Some facilities are available from all centres including snowshoeing, paragliding and tobogganing. Others are based in one centre or another but can easily be reached wherever you are staying in La Plagne. These include dog sledding in Plagne Montalbert, ice climbing in Champagny en Vanoise, swimming in Plagne Bellecote and skating at four of the bases. An almost unique attraction is the chance to descend the Albertville 1992 Olympic bobsleigh run, either at full speed in a proper bob sleigh tucked in behind a professional driver, or with a group of friends on an inflatable self steering raft (slightly slower but probably as alarming!).

Various courses and specialist holidays are organized such as crafts or water colour painting courses. Fitness facilities include indoor climbing wall and weight training in Plagne Centre. There’s bowling and a quad bike circuit in Belle Plagne and paintballing in Plagne Bellecote.

Après Ski and Dining Out

With a huge choice of bars and restaurants, La Plagne can cater for most après ski tastes. The altitude resorts do tend to lack the atmosphere of the villages below like Montalbert, but the larger bases such as Plagne Centre can get busy. Popular choices include La Mine Bar (1800) Luna Bar (Plagne centre). Dining choices range from creperies and pizzerias to traditional Savoyard mountain food establishments such as Les Verdons Sud, built at altitude and reached by a 20 minute, hopefully moonlit, snowcat ride via the Col de Forcle. A free shuttle bus links the altitude resorts from 6am to midnight so it’s possible to have a night out in a different village base then get back to your own village without needing your car or a taxi.

Families

As La Plagne is almost ten separate resorts there’s a huge choice of facilities for families with different nursery provision and ski schools at most of the different bases. The minimum age of babies accepted at the different nurseries varies from three months (Plagne Centre) to 18 months (Plagne Montalbert and Belle Plagne) – so it’s important to check ahead that your chosen base does have a nursery locally and the age accepted. For slightly older children aged three plus there is a snow garden, sometimes two, ready to accept your loved ones for their first ski lessons. Older children have specially tailored ski school classes ranging right up to multi-snow-sports cool fun groups for teenagers.

Ski/Board Suitability Guide

Suitable for families:	[Yes]
Suitable for beginners:	[4]
Suitable for intermediate skiers:	[5]
Suitable for advanced skiers:	[4]
Suitable for boarders skiers:	[5]

Piste Map for La plagne

Accommodation in La plagne

• Balcons De Belle - 4 star, self catering
• Belle Plagne P&v - 2 star, self catering
• Blle Plagne Mva - 2 star, self catering
• Blle Plagne P&v - 2 star, self catering
• Blle Plagne Vvf - 2 star, self catering
• Chalet Bonlieu - 4 star, self catering
• Chalet Bonlieu - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Bonlieu - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Bonlieu - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Chanousia - 2 star, half board
• Chalet Chloe Ii - 3 star, half board
• Chalet Chloe Ii - 3 star, half board
• Chalet Chloe Ii - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Colette - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Colette - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Colette - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Cretier - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Cretier - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Cretier - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Epilobe - 2 star, half board
• Chalet Etienne - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Etienne - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Hannah - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Hannah - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Hannah - 3 star, catered
• Chalet India - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Iona - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Juliette - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Juliette - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Juliette - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Marmotte - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Michelle - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Michelle - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Michelle - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Montille - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Montille - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Montille - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Nicole - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Nicole - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Oreiller - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Oreiller - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Oreiller - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Papas - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Papas - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Phoenix - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Phoenix - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Piccard - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Piccard - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Piccard - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Piccard - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Rose Ii - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Rose Ii - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Trolles - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Vidal - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Vidal - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Vidal - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Vidal - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Zibeline - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Zibeline - 3 star, catered
• Chalet Zibeline - 3 star, catered
• Club Turquoise - 3 star, catered
• Club Turquoise - 3 star, catered
• Club Turquoise - 3 star, catered
• Clubhotel Rhododendrons - 2 star, catered
• Deneriaz - 4 star, catered
• Deneriaz - 4 star, catered
• Deneriaz - 4 star, catered
• Granges Soleil - 4 star, catered
• Granges Soleil - 4 star, catered
• Hauts Bois Apartments - 4 star, catered
• Hauts Bois Apartments - 4 star, self catering
• Hotel Araucaria - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Balcons - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Vancouver - 4 star, half board
• Lauze Apartments - 3 star, self catering
• Le Mont Soliel - 3 star, self catering
• Les Granges Du Soleil - 4 star, self catering
• Les Granges Du Soleil - 4 star, self catering
• Les Granges Du Soleil - 4 star, self catering
• Les Granges Du Soleil - 4 star, self catering
• Les Hauts Bois Residence - 4 star, self catering
• Les Lupins Chalet - 3 star, catered
• Mercure - 3 star, half board
• Mercure - 3 star, half board
• Momosses Chalet - 3 star, half board
• Montsoleil Apartments - 3 star, self catering
• Nereides Apartments - 3 star, self catering
• Nereides Apartments - 3 star, self catering
• Paradiski Apartments - 1 star, self catering
• Plagne 1800 Apartments - 2 star, self catering
• Plagne 1800 Apartments - 2 star, self catering
• Plagne Lauze Apartments - 2 star, self catering
• Plagne Soleil - 2 star, self catering
• Res. Les Hauts Bois - 4 star, self catering
• Res. Les Hauts Bois - 4 star, self catering
• Res. Les Hauts Bois - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Aspen - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Aspen - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Aspen - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Aspen - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Mont Soleil - 3 star, self catering
• Residence Mont Soleil - 3 star, self catering
• Residence Mont Soleil - 3 star, self catering
• Residence Mont Soleil - 3 star, self catering
• Residence Sun Valley - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Sun Valley - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Sun Valley - 4 star, self catering
• Residence Sun Valley - 4 star, self catering
• Terra Nova - 3 star, half board
• Terra Nova - 3 star, half board
• Terra Nova - 3 star, half board

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