LES ARCS 1800 - Introduction
High altitude is always a sure recipe for good snow conditions and with a top station at 3,250 metres and a glacier with guaranteed snow, Les Arcs has a lot to offer. There are four self-contained villages which make up Les Arcs: 1600, 1800, the highest at 2000 and the newest resort of 1950 with a regular free bus service between them. With 200kms of terrain, there is good skiing for all abilities and each has easy access to the nursery slopes and ski school. Intermediates will relish the vast choice of red runs whilst the advanced will wish to tackle the 7kms Aiguille Rouge. Non-skiers have a huge choice including hang-gliding, paragliding, husky dog and horse sleigh rides. Linked to La Plagne as part of the Paradiski area.
Skiing
As with the resort, the hub of the ski area is Arc 1800. The Arc 2000 bowl has some enjoyable runs for skiers of every ability, whilst the Aiguille Rouge and Grand Col are just a lift ride away and offer steeper, longer, more challenging runs. With over 200km of pistes covering the 4 main resorts, there’s something to suit everyone. Peisey Nancroix and Vallandry are also covered on the Les Arcs area pass and are well worth to cruise the long blues and reds. The skiing area is vastly expanded when you include the linked area of La Plagne. The 2 combined areas of les Arcs and La Plagne are known as the Paradiski ski area and is linked by the impressive Vanoise Express cable car.
Snowboarding
Les Arcs prides itself on its snowboarding ethos and is continually developing snowboard facilities. As well as some great and varied terrain for carvers and freestylers, it has a half-pipe and fun park in each village, as well as specialist boarding schools and shops.
Ski Schools
Full range of ski schools on offer, as you’d expect. Les Arcs also has a good reputation for taking care of children especially the more family orientated 1600. For children, there are crêches, day kindergartens and ski school for ages 5-12 years. SkiExtras recommends the ESF in all 4 resorts as they offer a vast and varied choice of fun courses to suit all abilities. Let us give you a quote.
Eating Out
On the slopes there’s a limited number of restaurants, some offering panoramic views. The Blanche Muree serves fantastic food at reasonable prices but for those looking for a fine dining experience then the 500-year-old Belliou la Fumée is a must. In the town, as with the bars, 1800 has the greatest choice of eateries. 1600, 1950 and 2000 are limited to just a couple of restaurants, although the main hotel restaurants do offer some excellent food. In 1800 there’s a choice of over 15 restaurants offering a complete range of local dishes, seafoods, and haute cuisine – right through to Tex-Mex for those wanting a more gourmet experience in rustic surroundings. The new village of 1950 is slowly getting bigger and currently boasts Thai and Mexican restaurants amongst others.
Bars and clubs
For the obligatory après-ski there are bars located close to the slopes. The nightlife of each resort reflects the main clientele, with 1600 being the quietest owing to its family orientation, though the bar in the Hotel Cachette is known for live music and a lively atmosphere. The liveliest nightspots are in 1800 and include the J O Bar and the Apokalypse, with late licence and live music. The live music continues at the Red Hot Saloon and the Fairway, the local disco, is open until 4 am.
Off the slopes
There are mountain walks, winter hiking, or paragliding for the more adventurous. Within the resorts themselves, hotel bars offer basic games rooms and there are English language films showing at the local cinemas. The town of Bourg St Maurice is very accessible either by car or taxi or a 5 minute funicular ride, offering a range of shopping and restaurants and more scenic walks through the valley.