Les Arcs area info (compared to Courchevel)

A snowHead

Hi all,

Planning a big family holiday for next Christmas or new year is taking over my life! I’ve already been on here asking about different options. Now it’s the turn of Les Arcs!

This holiday is for the whole family (12 of us). All adults apart from 2x 16 year olds. The two grandparents won’t ski and nor will my sister in law. They are hoping for some shops, bars and a spa. The two 21 year olds are hoping for a few bars, maybe even a club in the evening.

Courchevel would be perfect as I know the area and love that you can ski down to several villages to meet non-skiers for lunch. Or easily ski back to the chalet / apartment to collect late rising teenagers. However, I’m really struggling to find accommodation for 12 of us (chalet or apartment, self catering) in our price range.

So, now I’m looking at Les Arcs. I’d love some opinions on which areas / villages would be best. It looks like it could give us the same ‘ski to villages to meet non skiers for lunch’ options as courchevel would. With easy access around the villages by bus. I was looking at Arcs 1600 and 1800. Would they be good options? Any reason why not?

Any opinions welcome!

Thank you.

A snowHead

Arc 1950 or 1800 would fit the bill. 1950 is a pretty ski-in ski-out location with loads of self-catering apartments, but its out on a limb for your non skiiers. Arc 1800 is probably going to be a better fit for you all. It's the largest station and you get places as a pedestrian. The main apres bars are also in that station (its not everyone's cup of tea but the folly is excellent). Your non skiiers could easy spend a day in Bourg via the funicular at Arc 1650 (next station along). There are several gondolas out of 1800 as well that would allow non skiiers to join you for lunch on the mountain.

You might also consider looking at La Plagne which is linked with Les Arc, lots of reasonably priced accommodation over there for big groups.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@breeze11, the EdenArc development in Arc 1800 would probably meet your requirements. Ski in/out for the skiers, easy access to the centre of the village via the pedestrian-friendly Dahu gondola. Non-skiers can use the free resort shuttle buses to get to Arc 1600, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 to meet the skiers for lunch, and down to Bourg St Maurice via the funicular for a wander around town. There's a spa and pool in EdenArc, Folie Douce a short walk/ski across the piste, plus a wider range of apres-ski options including clubs in the centre of Arc 1800.

There are other options for self catering apartments in Arc 1800, which will be cheaper, but if your budget stretches EdenArc I think would work well for you. Arc 1950 would offer the same sort of experience, most probably at a price premium to options you could find in Arc 1600 and Arc 2000.

Help!!

Les Arcs area info (compared to Courchevel)

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