Nestled in the heart of the French Alps, Les Arcs 1800 promises an unforgettable winter experience. Whether you’re an avid skier, snowboarder, or simply love the charm of a snowy retreat, Les Arcs 1800 will be the highlight of your winter season.
The Dilemma: Sun v Slopes
It’s that time of the year when it seems everyone is either planning or heading off on a winter sun holiday or hitting the slopes. As much as I love a sunshine holiday, hitting the slopes won this year. Now, skiing and I are not best friends. I learned to ski as a kid and took it up again after a long gap—midlife crisis, maybe? But the fact remains, I’m not the best skier. You will never see me on Ski Sunday, you are more likely to see me on a green/blue run, on my backside or doing snow angels. At least I try eh? So, it begs the question – why do I do it?! Well, it’s simple, I love the mountains, the snow (even though I hate the cold), being in the great outdoors and most importantly being with friends.
Getting There
During last ski season we took ourselves off to Les Arcs 1800 in France, which is a good all round resort for all levels, but especially beginners. There are 4 areas in the Les Arcs resort; 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000, all easily accessible by a bus or the various ski lifts and gondolas. We flew from Edinburgh to Chambéry Airport, a small airport on the edge of the Alps that seems to be a hub for every ski operator in France. (Prepare for it to be busy!)
We travelled with Crystal Ski, who sorted out everything for us. All we had to do was get ourselves to the airport. The transfer coach was there waiting for us, and it is around a 2 hour transfer time (traffic dependent). Once in the Les Arcs Resort area, we switched from coach to a minibus to be taken to our hotel, which was all so seamless.
We opted to stay up the piste from the main Les Arcs 1800 Village at the RĂ©sidence Prestige Odalys Edenarc, which was a perfect ski-in, ski-out location. The hotel is serviced by a gondola down into the village which operates until 11pm every evening, which is perfect and ensures you don’t miss out on all the good restaurants and après ski action.
Ski Hire and Passes
In terms of ski hire, you won’t be short of opportunities! There’s a ski shop right at our hotel, which was really handy, and multiple options in the village itself. We usually use Alpine Resorts to book our ski-hire before we go, often this means getting a good discount on hire costs, as they are normally more expensive when you arrive there. The other important item you will need is a ski pass. In Les Arc there are 3 levels, and a pedestrian pass as well for those who want to join in the fun but not ski. The Classic Pass allows you on the pistes of Les Arcs/Peisey/Villandry which is enough if you are a first-timer/beginner as this gives you plenty of green/blue slopes to practice and build your confidence on. The Essentials and Premium Passes allows access to the Les Arcs/Peisey/Villandry slopes as well as La Plagne, which will keep the more established skier definitely entertained for a good while.
For part-time skiers
As I said you won’t be short of lovely well-kept pistes to ski, but if like me you can’t/ don’t have the attention span for a full day of skiing, there are several other activities that you can do. I would find myself going out for a few hours each morning, and then spend my afternoons doing something different.
One thing I do enjoy, and it might be weird, but I do like riding the gondolas! I take a book, go to the highest point and enjoy a vin chaud or a warming lumumba (a hot chocolate with rum!) while reading, enjoying the scenery and people watching. The Transarc gondola is good for this, it is a two stage gondola, up a mountain, and across a valley before reaching the summit. A short walk from the gondola station there is a lovely refuge, where you can enjoy that drink and the stunning snowy landscape.
The Luge Experience
Also at the top of the Transarc gondola is the Luge 2000. In hindsight, we probably should have started our luging at the slightly less intimidating Luge 1800—a 900m long track—instead of diving straight into the scary 3km track of Luge 2000.
We took our own helmets and goggles, with gloves being a must. We were provided with a sledge, essentially a plastic tray with a braking system that often felt like it didn’t work. After brief instructions, we were off, with the first being: “Be careful; the first hill is a bit steep.” They neglected to mention that the second, third, and fourth hills were also steep. This was about a 30-minute ride of sharp drops, sharp corners, and a lot of speed that even the brakes couldn’t control! While I may have screamed for every second of it, I’d probably do it again. The next morning, I had to forgo skiing as I couldn’t move my arms—my muscles had seized up from trying to pull on the brakes so hard!!
The Luge 2000 ends just above Les Arcs 2000 village at the Igloo Bar, which we did go to calm our nerves after the death ride! This was quite cool, and there was a choice to sit inside or out, and there is an ice sculpture area which you can pay to get into view. We enjoyed a few drinks here before making our way over to the Arcabulle chair lift, to head back up to the top of the Transarc gondola. You can also walk down the piste to Les Arcs 2000 and take the bus back to Les Arcs 1800, but doing that you miss out on the pedestrian chair lift! Which was weird and a lot more awkward to get off than I thought it would be! However, it was good to have done it and you can take it up or down the mountain, which means non-skiers can still enjoy meeting up with friends on the pistes.
Spa Time
After a hard morning or day on the slopes, there is nothing better than a hot tub or sauna to ease the sore muscles. While some hotels have small spa areas, Les Arcs 1800 also boasts a public swimming pool—Le Piscine 1800—which costs around €17 per person for access to the pool and wellness area. Another choice is the more Zen-like Nama Springs, located under the Residence Prestige Odalys Edenarc with a view out over the pistes from the outdoor pool and sauna.
I paid Nama Springs a visit one afternoon, choosing the 2pm-6pm session which costs €35 per person. I would suggest booking, as it is a small area and they restrict numbers. The spa is spread over two floors: upstairs are the changing rooms and access to the outdoor pools and sauna, while downstairs has the relaxation area, a flotation pool, plunge pool, and an assortment of different saunas and steam rooms. It’s definitely a good way to ease the muscles and sweat out the après ski!
Winter Walks and Snowshoeing
If you want to take a break from skiing there are options for winter walking and snowshoeing, whilst not maybe the alpine trails of Austria there are some decent ‘easy’ walks for the whole family, as well as some other more challenging walks, which are detailed here.
My advice is to apply simple winter walking rules, good sturdy boots, yak tracks, walking poles, a back pack with some food, water and survival bag and do let someone know where you are headed before you set off. I opted for the Col de la Chal walk, which starts in Les Arcs 1800 and you head up the transarc gondola. The walk is popular, and relatively simple, it runs in parallel to a blue run coming off the top of the mountain. You get some lovely views and at the end a welcoming hot drink at the refuge.
If you want to try something more challenging, several ski schools and the tourist office offer guided snowshoe walks. These are more off the beaten track and needs maybe more fitness than the walks as snowshoeing can be tiring after a while. I didn’t try this in Les Arcs, but plan to on my next visit as it looks fun!
Art in the Clouds
Aguille Rouge is the highest peak in the Les Arcs ski area at 3226m, and it’s worth the trip for the views of Mont Blanc and the Illuminated Murals. The way to get there is from Les Arcs 2000 using the Varet gondola. We took the bus from Les Arcs 1800, but if you are skiing in the area you can make your way there on several of the blue runs.
From the bus stop, you walk through the resort and head down the side of the piste in front of the Hotel Taj-I Mah and up to the Varet Gondola. The Varet gondola takes you to the Illuminated Murals of the Aguille Rouge, housed in a former ski lift garage and is an audio visual installation of Les Arcs throughout the seasons. The video lasts around 10 mins, and is worth the visit, it is free entry. Also here is a great cafe with good views for a warm drink.
The next cable car is the Aguille Rouge Cable Car which takes you all the way to the top. There is usually a queue for the cable car, though it does hold a lot of people, it’s also popular for those on foot who want to catch a glimpse of Mont Blanc, but also the slightly more adventurous skier who wants to ski the black run from the top back to Les Arcs 2000. There is a red piste off shoot which then joins gentler blue runs for the less mad route back to the resort. I was fine on foot. It was quite windy the day we went up, so we didn’t hang around long, sadly we didn’t really see Mont Blanc as it was shrouded in cloud! It was still a cool journey to do.
Eating & Drinking
You will not be spoiled for choice in terms of eating and drinking in Les Arcs 1800, and the other resorts are easily accessible with the regular bus service. We spent most of our time in Les Arcs 1800, and we were lucky that our hotel room had a small kitchen that allowed us to cook for ourselves, as there are 2 supermarkets (a Sherpa and a Spar) in the village.
As with many main French ski resorts, there is La Folie Douce, which we visited a couple of times for a lively party atmosphere and some Jagerbombs (though we might be a bit too old for them). It sits mid-slope but can be accessed by a gondola for non-skiers and is also a short walk/ski across a piste to our hotel.
In the village itself, there are several bars good for après ski, including Goofy CafĂ©, Chez Boubou, and Benji’s. In Les Arcs 2000, we enjoyed a drink on the terrace of the Hotel Taj-I Mah after our trip up the Aiguille Rouge and a few Belgian beers while waiting for the bus at the Red Rock Bar.
When it comes to food, there are plenty of options beyond hearty Savoie cuisine. The restaurants on the piste serve decent food to ensure you won’t go hungry, with my staple being a croque monsieur and sometimes a slice of pie.
For the evenings, there are numerous places to choose from in the village. One thing you must try is raclette, with the best being at the Restaurant Le Dream Spot—so much cheese, meat, and potatoes (and that’s coming from an Irish person!). Another great spot for Savoie food is La Cabane des Neiges, where I had an excellent French onion soup and tartiflette—a tasty, hearty meal. Lucky I wasn’t skiing after! Voga Goga at our hotel was pretty good too, offering standard Savoie food and some excellent pizza, which you can also take away. The Goofy Bar had some lovely tapas-style dishes that we enjoyed while watching the rugby one evening. My only advice would be to book in advance, as many of the restaurants are small and popular, and they fill up fast (as we found out!).
Final Thoughts
Overall, our trip to Les Arcs 1800 was a fantastic winter getaway. If you’re looking for a beautiful ski destination with plenty of options for all skill levels, I highly recommend it. I’m already planning my next visit and can’t wait to experience more of what this wonderful resort has to offer. From the stunning views to the thrilling activities and delicious food, Les Arcs 1800 truly has something for everyone. Have you been to Les Arcs 1800 or are you planning a ski trip this winter? Share your experiences or ask any questions in the comments below!
We Travelled: Direct from Edinburgh to Chambéry with Tui, booked through Crystal Ski
We Stayed: RĂ©sidence Prestige Odalys Edenarc, Les Arcs 1800
We Ate and Drank: La Cabane des Neiges
Queen of Everything 