Les Arcs vs La Plagne for easy blue runs!!

A snowHead

First question for me for the 2013/14 season, but if answered, it may be the only one needed!
Tried looking for the answer, but some threads didnt really answer what I was looking for

We went to Les Arcs 2 seasons ago and absolutely loved it. Best resort we have skied. We managed to get over to La Plagne twice (we were staying in 1950 so took an hour to get there and by time we had lunch in La Plagne, we had to start thinking of getting back), so we didnt manage to ski much of it. Think furthest we got was just into Belle Plagne. And deff didnt get chance to go up the gondolas and further afield etc. So we only managed a few of blues there.
For us, Les Arcs style of runs was perfect. Gentle blues where we could take it all in, take a few photos and do some filming without having to worry about the slopes (went to Ellmau last month and surprised how hard some of the blues over there were...didnt allow us to relax as much as we wanted...poor visability didnt help). I know 99% of skiers are looking for adrenaline reds and blacks, but for me and my wife, its all about taking it all in). Most people said Les Arcs was full of flat blues. We did notice there were some, but the pros deff outweighed the cons.

Anyway, back to the point. As we havent skied much of La plagne, I would like to go there for 2014, as dont like going to the same resort twice (ie staying in LA again). However, as we liked LA so much, and know we can relax on the slopes, we are not sure whether to play it safe and stay in LA and travel over to La Plagne a couple of times again, but only able to ski a few runs, or should we stay in La Plagne skiing mainly there but going to LA for a few runs too.
What are the blues like in La Plagne. The ones we did straight off the huge lift from LA were fine for us...just the level we like them at. Are there other blues like that all over LP or do they get harder.
We would prob look at staying around Belle Plagne so we have quick access to LA lift, but can also hit rest of LP most of the days.

(If we stay in LA, will probably be in the 1950 resort as loved it there, but further away from LP so again, cant do many runs there)

Sorry to ask, but basically are there a lot of good, wide blues in LP.

Comments would be really appreaciated as both LA and LP will cost us a lot and its our only ski hol of the year so we want to make the best choice
(btw, we would prefer to stay in LP instead of LA so that we hit the new runs that we didnt manage to do first holiday round)

Last point, how easy is it to fly to Grenoble and get the train to either LP or Bourg. The TO prices are coming in at £750 each before lift pass etc for nice self catering 1950 resort, but as prices are higher than we like (food/drink) I am looking at new ways to do the holiday

thanks again

A snowHead

Jon Ford, whilst the La Plagne area has plenty to offer most if not all abilities, it does have a rep for crusie blue runs.

From experience (2 weeks), I think you will find what you're after - a series of well linked blue runs that would allow you to explore the vast majority of the area.

This http://www.piste-maps.co.uk/Piste-Maps/France/La-Plagne-Piste-Map.pdf may help explain that.

Conditions as much as terrain can alter the experience - for example, there is one blue back into Bellecote that can get quite scraped and icey towards the end of the day. A different proposition to the morning!

On a personal level, I preferred staying in Belle Plagne from the access and the set-up.

Anyway, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

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

Jon Ford, if you've found a resort you love (Quote: "Best resort we have skied") then stick with it. You waste a lot of time getting to know a new resort, and you make a lot of mistakes with the wrong bars, wrong restaurants. I reckon you only get 4 effective days out of 6 with a new resort. So stick with Les Arcs.
(I've been going to La Plagne every year since 1993 Very Happy

)

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Jon Ford, La Plagne has loads of easy blues, easier runs then Les Arcs. Only concern I would have if you loved les Arcs so much is that you might find La Plagne too easy!!

I think you should do LP this time, so you will have really nailed Paradiski properly. You can always go to Les Arcs for a day or 2!

I will defer opening long lifts at La Plagne can of worms....

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hi John
I know you went to Ellmau the week after us and I also found most of the blues to be very tricky, I was lead to believe it was going to be really cruisy before we went but from what I found, in my opinion, it did not meet what I had in my head. Reading your threads it sounds like you are after similar to what I am looking for which is just to be able to cruise around without being taxed too much and take in the scenery. I must admit after my trip to Ellmau it has sort of put me off a bit of trying new places. That old addage "if it aint broke dont fix it". However, with so many resorts around I am also of the opinion of not really wanting to go back to the same resort twice, so I am in a bit of dilemma.

I would like to recommend 2 resorts which I have been to previously. the first one is Valmorel in France. It has a large skiing area with some absolutley lovely blues and greens, very easy to ski the whole easy and is really "cruisy". Definitley not much to tax you with the benifit of having travelled. The downside is that I found it really expensive self catering and if I went again, I would make sure I went to the supermarket in Moutiers to buy provisions. But this is definitley somewhere I would go back to, just beacuse I know there are no "surprises".

The other resort I wouold recommend is Les Saisies. Althought while we were there (2010?) it hadnt snowed for almost 5 weeks so some of the links to further afield were closed, but the skiing was perfect in and around Les Saisiies. We could ski from the door. This is another wonderful "cruisy" area. There are some places that are a bit steeper than others but they seemed to have a get out clause where you could ski around and avoid the steeper section. I would definitley go back. While we were there we were lucky enough to meet up with Pam who showed us further afield. So that is definitley going back on my list so we can ski the rest of the whole espace diamante area.

Next year (if hubby allows Little Angel

) I think I have chosen Courchevel 1850. Whilst asking on threads of various areas, this one has popped up a number of times under the "cruisy" areas and on looking at the piste maps it certainly has quite a lot of greens.

Belle Plagne also popped up on my search too but I have never been there so cant comment.

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Definitely give La Plagne a try for a change. If you stay near-ish to the Vanoise Express, you'll be in the best place to get around the Paradiski domain.

There are loads of cruisey blues in LP which you will love. There is only one (Tunnel) with a tedious flat section.

I really don't think you'll be disappointed, and if you are, you can easily hop over to Les Arcs.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

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After all it is free

Jon Ford, i've just done a week in La Plagne and then a week in Les Arc back to back and IMO i found that some of the blues were generally trickier than in the LA side. Perhaps it was just the mixed conditions that week i was over or i was just a bit more rusty than i though but i generally found it a bit harder over at LP. Having said that it is a fantastic resort and i would deffo go back.

What you could do and i think has been suggested in another post is you could stay somewhere near the Vanoise express which would give you the choice of either resort. So either La Coches or Paisly would be good for that. Funnily enough we loved the paisley valandrey side of Les Arcs.

Russeh is quite right about Peisey-Vallandry - most people just see it as a station on the way to and from the other side of the Vaoise. La Plagne people shoot up the Peisey lift and dash off to Les Arcs 1800 or 2000. Les Arcs people join the crowds cruising down the blue Retour PIste Peisey and head straight for the Vanois. They don't notice the glorious reds and blues through the trees. Or the super bars and restaurants.
Agreed: Peisey-Vallandry is a great place to stay.

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Hi Jonpim, long time and all that - hope you're well Smile

Nice pic and good suggestion. May well have a look into Peisey-Vallandry at some point, thanks snowHead

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Why not Val d'Isere lots of blues real resort.

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You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

I agree with Russeh,If you like Les Arcs, I would stick to it.
Having said this, the most cruisy place in the alps has got to be the Dolomites in Italy which I love, reds are really blues and you can ski from village to village if you stay on the Sella Ronda circuit. Plus the scenery is stunning. Try it, and you won't go back to France for a long time!

A snowHead

Thanks for all replies, ....really appreciate them. Think, from the above, L.A. is a better and safer option. At least I know the runs are good there. May look at staying closer to the big lift so its easier to get to l.p. we loved the run through la foret towards the lift so would be great to hit them again. polo99, thanks for your comments. I was looking into valmorel for the season just gone and only decided ellmau over it as we wanted to do austria. May look into it again for next year. Sounds exactly what we r after. Annoying thing with feance self catering is having a place that comfortably sleeps 2 but "designed" for 4 so have to pay the extra, plus prices are higher than austria (food, drinks) thanks again. Got a couple of months before booking but will look into both resorts again. Cynic, never wanted to do v.d.I. for some reason. Think it may have a snobby reputation (no offence) and cant afford €8 a beer Smile

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Skiied both L.A. and LP on consecutive years. La Plagne is stuffed full of gloriously easy, cruisy, swoopy blues. Even more so than Les Arcs in my view. I f I were you, I would try La Plagne. You will need to take advice on which bit of La Plagne to stay in as I don't know it. we stayed in Montalbert which I can very highly recommend.

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thanks foxtrotzulu, will look into the piste map. want to stay ny the main lift so we can get over to LA couple of times, but also want to explore LP more. intermediate, thanks for comments. Will look into flight prices and accommodation offers.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Jon Ford, staying near the Vanoise express will enable you to experience both resorts, but I honestly would't worry too much. Both resorts have more cruisy blues than you could sk in a month of Sundays. Eith will do you magnificently. More important is to choose the village you prefer. Parts of LP are pig ugly. Montalbert is quite pretty in a recently built sort of way. I felt the pistes were more interesting/varied on the LP side.

If you are still in doubt, try LP just for a a change. BUT.... Pick your village carefully!

After all it is free

Jon Ford, I own in Arc 2000 but love skiing in la Plagne as well and have stayed in Belle Plagne on holiday. If you skiing level is as you say I cannot understand why you would try get across the Vanoise. Unless you ski hard you will get nowhere far in a day from 1950. Personally I would, as someone else has suggested, stay in Belle Plagne. Plenty of simple blues from there.

Go for a car free, high resort. Arc 2000, 1950 or Belle Plagne

Thanks thefatcontroller, been looking into belle plagne but quite expensive accomodation. Stayed in 1950 last year. Loved the resort but expensive self catering and , like you said, didnt get far into L.P. Belle plagne was nice when we managed to ski there. Is there a good choice of bars and restaurants should we venture out at night. Same for 2000? Thanks again. Idealy woild prefer to stay in l.p. as can explore new runs (and get different footage for the video)

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Agree about the Vanoise express. It takes a long time to get across, take several lifts up before you can start skiing again. Probably best part of an our from catching the VE to the start of your first run.

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There are several quite lively bars in BP, some with live music that is often really good, and some reasonable restaurants. If you want more, just take the late running bubble down to Bellecote.

Thanks thefatcontroller, Chasseur, will take a look into this weekend. We managed to ski 1950 to v, express in an hour, so we could deff do a fair bit of the other area if we were in 2000 or belle plagne. No queues when we got there at 9am. Thanks again

You know it makes sense.

There is just so much to cover in both areas so don't think you'd be dissapointed staying in either.
My preference overall is to stay in LA1800, good mix of cost levels, good balance both day and night and quite central to whole region.
As someone else pointed out along with your own travel through it, the area from LA1800 over to the VE-station is a very nice place to cruise around, also one of my favourites too.
From LA1800 it's just a small hop up to the mid station of the transarc bubble....then ski straight across to the VE....very simple to do and quick.
Guess you'd get the same at the LP end of VE also but i've never stayed there.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Currently in Les Coches which is a great spot for access to both and nice tree skiing if the weather is inclement. Only a couple of bars and not a noisy night life but I spend the evening eating and recovering from the skiing.

Am here in the French school holidays and can honestly say I have never seen such big queues in Les Arc above LA 2000. Would Never come during French hols again. Although the peripheral qs are fine and you have to pick your time to go to Plagne Bellecote.

You can really look at Paradaski as one area. The Vanoise can be viewed as an in resort Gondola. And no very few people seem to be using it.

I have been skiing off-piste in La Plagne with a class in the morning, finishing at 12.30 and meeting friends for lunch at LA 2000. Not too taxing.

Am enjoying the area but also skied The Dolomites this year and am thinking more fondly of there. Must say I did enjoy Ellmau too. Skied Bad Gastein last year and were lots of cruises blues/reds. Tignes may suit too.

You would have a great holiday in both. Blush

A snowHead

Thanks again. Deff up for L.A. or l.p. nxt year. If can stay in lp close to vanoisse it would allow us to explore more of l.p.. hammered the blues in L.A. last time. Will look jnto accomodation deals for bogh now I know they r pretty much on parr with each other. Fortunately with no kids we can go out of holiday Times. We've skiid passo tonale. Was nice but havent done a resort better than la yet....shame its bit more xpensive than other resorts.

A snowHead

Passo Tonale, although in the Dolomites, is not a patch on the variety of skiing offered by the Sella Ronda villages. Don't form an opinion based on there, please!

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Les Arcs vs La Plagne for easy blue runs!!

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