La Plagne france
Review of snowboarding and skiing in La Plagne France.
La Plagne Ski Holiday Facts
Established in 1961 the French ski resort La Plagne lies at 1800 metres altitude in the Savoie region of the French Alps / Alpes. With the highest lifts and ski slopes at 3250m La Plagne ski area is snow sure. Over 359 snow cannons ensure artificial La Plagne snow making covers 50km of ski trails, which equates to around 23 of the ski slopes. The nearest airport transfer to La Plagne (France) is Geneva at a distance of 149km or approximately 120 minutes driving time. La Plagne ski season runs from December to April.
SNO-man says
La Plagne came top in a computer assessment of 3000 ski resorts world-wide. It has 10 different bases, six purpose - built, four traditional, offering the ubiquitous 'something for everyone'. The resort has pioneered the installation of high capacity chairs , especially 'six-pac' six seater high-speed detachable chairs (capacity 3000 skiers per hour each). La Plagne was lift linked to nearby Les Arcs for the 2003-4 season after many years of planning. La Plagne is also famous for offering additional on-slope activities including the popular Olympic bob-sleigh run available for recreational use.
alpine downhill runs to ski in La Plagne France
Beginner Trails
 10 runs ?km |
7% |
Intermediate Trails
 69 runs ?km |
53% |
Advanced Trails
 33 runs ?km |
25% |
Expert Trails
 18 runs 18km |
13% |
La Plagne Resort & Holiday Info
| Beginners learning to ski |  |
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Expert Skiers | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family friendly | |
| Snowsure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Ski Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | €222.5 - €222.5 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Ski Resort Opens | Dec 2012 |
| Ski Resort Closes | Apr 2013 |
| (snow conditions often influence resort opening & closing) |
Ski Area La Plagne Mountain
| Downhill Ski Runs | 225km |
| total length of La Plagne trails |
| Longest lift serve Run | 15km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by ski lift |
| Ski Slope Orientation | N S E W |
| direction La Plagne ski areas face |
| Top Altitude | 3250m |
| top station of highest ski lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1250m |
| bottom of lowest ski run |
| Resort Altitude | 1800m |
| centre of La Plagne ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 2000m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 2000m |
| can include extra hike up which may be possible above top lift - stat used by some resorts to con us about true "vertical drop" which is lift-served |
Skiing in La Plagne
Skiing La Plagne you'll enjoy 130 pistes and trails and that means approximately 225km of ski runs. La Plagne lifts number 104 with the capacity to uplift 121056 skiers up the mountain per hour. The longest ski run in the French ski resort of La Plagne is over 15km long. Ski La Plagne summer or winter as there is also glacier skiing in La Plagne.
SNO-man says
La Plagne’s local skiing covers 225km, the most for any one resort, and the 2000m veritcal is impressive too.
The slopes La Plagne offer terrain for all abilities and tastes, with wide cruisy runs to steep blacks on glacier, powder or treelines. There are good nursery slopes for beginners with free surface lifts in all the villages, and ideal slopes at Peisey Vallandry. The slopes around the Col des Frettes and Col du Grand Retard are fun for different ability levels. Experts should tackle the off-piste opportunities or the 2000m veritical black run down from the glacier to Montchavin. The slopes above the six altitude villages are all above the tree line, where as below them the skiing is through the trees to the villages of Plagne Montalbert, Montchavin and Les Coches. The runs over the back of the snow bowl lead to Champagny.
The Paradiski link to the Les Arcs ski domain across the valley, just about doubles the ski area, and makes it one of the world’s largest. And if that isn’t enough you can extend your ticker further to include the Espace Killy ( Tignes and Val d’Isers) and the Three Valleys ( Val Thorens, Les Menuires, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania, Meribel and Courchevel).
La Plagne's commitment to winter sports is evident by the number of ski schools there are, with some unique tuition options, eg a guided off-piste ‘Ski total’ course, ‘Modern stages’ course showing different sliding methods as well as improving technique and a carving-ski course, depending on the school.
La Plagne Ski Area
La Plagne ski area has 7% beginner ski runs or nursery slopes, 53% intermediate, 25% advanced ski slopes and 13% for expert skiers - the most difficult La Plagne piste is the 3.5km Le Rochu run, with a steepness/slope angle of ?%. You can ski La Plagne after dark as there is night skiing on ?km of illuminated piste.
La Plagne for skiing gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in La Plagne
If you snowboard La Plagne you'll want to know that, of the 104 ski lifts in total, 34 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives a good indication of how modern the lift system is and well set up La Plagne snowboarding is - especially for beginners learning to snowboard. La Plagne snowboard facilities include 1 terrain parks and 1 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 150 metres), 0 quarter pipe and 3 boardercross courses.
SNO-man says
La Plagne's and Paradiski snowboarding offerings keep getting better with ever more parks and a new boarder Cross. There are terrain parks at Belle Plagne, Montchavin and Champagny. Bellcote has a halfpipe. The 7-3 snowpark has an unprecedented combination of modules spread over a 900 meter-long freestyle run, very American in design! The Les Arcs Apocalypse Snowpark, above Arc 1600, is also enormous with green, red and black descents along a variety of modules. With the better high speed chair lifts to get to the parks and pistes, access is even easier. There is plenty of wide open cruising runs, but there are some flat spots, so boarders may have to do some walking. Get some guidance from one of the ski schools on where the best of the powder fields are.
La Plagne for snowboarding gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
La Plagne Apres Ski
The apres ski La Plagne scene and off-slope or "non-skier" activities include:
50 apres ski bars 93 restaurants 1 bowling 5 night club 5 cinema 0 billiards / pool 3 games room 0 concert 0 indoor swimming 1 outdoor heated pools 5 saunas 5 hot tubs 0 solariums 1 masseurs 0 indoor ice skating 3 outdoor ice skating 4 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 0 squash racquetball 1 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 85 prepare winter walks 1 climbing 0 golf 0 fishing 0 museum 1 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Bob Raft, Ice Climbing, Luge, Taxi Bob.
SNO-man says
Partly because of it's Olympic status as the base for bobsleigh and luge, La Plagne is able to offer some exciting winter sports not commonly available elsewhere. These are based on the permanent 1700m long bobsleigh run which descends at gradients of 8 to 16%. Bobsleighs reach speeds of up to 134kph. Although primarily used for winter sports training when its open between November and late February or early March, adults aged 16 or over can experience G forces of 2 - 3G on some bends as they hurtle down in a 'taxi bob' behind a professional driver. For slower speeds (only 80kph!) it's possible to take the self-drive 'Bob Raft' with up to three friends and make the descent in 90 seconds or so rather than 50 on the 'Taxi Bob'. People younger than 16 are allowed in this variant so long as they are at least 150cm (5 feet) tall. Other sports on the snow include a dog sledding school at Plagne Montalbert.
There are five parascending and hang-gliding schools and snow-shoeing is offered by all the ESF outlets in all the villages. In addition visitors have two natural ice rinks to enjoy at Aime la Plagne or Plagne Bellecôte also the location of the resort's one swimming pool), or an artificial rink one at Les Coches. Winter hike fans have 85km of marked routes in the area. There are half-a-dozen choices for gym club activities including the 'Centre de remise et forme et de détente' at Plagne Centre which can organise healthy après ski and beauty package for you. If that sounds like too much hard work there are six cinemas dotted around the various villages and a bowling alley in Belle Plagne.
La Plagne for apres ski gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
More La Plagne Snow Ski Area and Resort Information
La Plagne resort - ski La Plagne by any other name
The French ski resort of La Plagne ski resort is also known as La Plagne Bellecote, Roche de Mio, La Grande Rochette, Le Becoin, Les Verdons and has the following common misspellings: La-Plagne, Laplagne, Laplagnee, Laplague, Laplaigne
La Plagne ski area has ski slopes which face N S E W
The direction which the various La Plagne ski slopes face can make or break your skiing or snowboarding holiday. If you want to guarantee good snow and ski conditions, you should choose a resort with ski slopes which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February you need a ski resort with some sunny south facing ski slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a ski resort with some cool and shady north facing slopes will ensure you're not skiing on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best ski resorts have ski areas and slopes which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating skiing whatever the weather. La Plagne ski resort has ski slopes facing N S E W.
La Plagne for snow gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
La Plagne reviews, 4 star rating and resort and ski area information is collated by SNO man from staff experience and customer feedback.