The Ultimate Beginner Skier’s Guide to La Plagne

Here’s something most people don’t realise about ski holidays in La Plagne – it’s actually 11 separate villages pretending to be one resort. And that’s exactly why it’s brilliant for beginners.

While everyone’s queuing for the Vanoise Express to get to Les Arcs, you’ll be happily pottering about on 79 beginner-friendly runs without ever needing to venture into the wider Paradiski. The numbers are staggering: 16 free lifts (yes, actually free – no catch), including proper covered magic carpets at Cowboys below the Colorado lift and Ange at Bellecôte.

I discovered La Plagne’s beginner potential completely by accident. Brought the boys here because everywhere else was booked solid one February. Jimmy was 8 and convinced he’d be pro within hours, and Charlie at 5 just wanted to throw snowballs. Four days later, Charles was racing me down Boulevard shouting “Daddy, you’re too slow!”

Here’s why La Plagne is one of the Top 10 best beginner ski resorts in the world:

Why La Plagne’s Geography is a Beginner’s Best Friend

Forget what you’ve heard about altitude being intimidating. La Plagne sits on a massive plateau between 1,800m and 2,100m – imagine a giant snowy dinner plate tipped gently to one side. This isn’t like Chamonix where you’re staring down steep valley walls. Here, you’re skiing across, not down.

The magic happens because of how the villages connect. Take the run from Belle Plagne to Plagne Centre – it’s called Les Inversens and it’s basically a 3km scenic tour that happens to involve skis. You’re not plummeting anywhere. You’re cruising past the Dôme de Bellecôte, maybe stopping at the Igloo restaurant halfway for a €4.50 hot chocolate (not €14 like Courchevel, thank you very much).

What really sets La Plagne apart is the Cool Ski system. For €38 a day, you get a pink bib that screams “learning, give me space!” Some resorts make beginners mix with the speed demons from day one. Not here. With Cool Ski, you stick to designated beginner zones until you’re ready. It’s like having stabilisers on your bike – no shame, just sensible progression.

The spread across those 11 villages means something else too. When Plagne Centre gets busy (and it does – that’s where all the Brits congregate), you can escape to Plagne 1800 where the TP Plagne lift has maybe five people waiting. Or head to Montchavin where the Dos Rond chairlift serves the most forgiving blue run in the entire Paradiski area.

Village by Village: Where Beginners Actually Want to Be

Belle Plagne – Where Even the Ski School Director Learned

Start here if you can. Not because it’s the prettiest (though those wood-clad buildings photograph well), but because the beginner setup is unbeatable. The magic carpet next to the Belle Plagne restaurant runs for 120 metres with a gradient so gentle, Charles managed to slide backwards on it. Twice.

Boulevard starts literally outside the tourist office. It’s 2.5km of wide, confidence-building slope that takes you all the way to Plagne Bellecôte. The snow fence on the left means you can’t fall off the trail.

Stay at Les Balcons if you’re here with kids. Proper ski-in/ski-out means no morning boot march, and their pool has a slide that bought us two extra days of skiing when bribery was required.

The local secret: on Thursday morning, we saw the ESF instructors use Boulevard for speed tests. Watch from the Restaurant La Metairie terrace – you’ll learn more about carving in 20 minutes than any YouTube video can teach.

Plagne Centre – Ugly but Brilliant

Those 1960s tower blocks? Monumental Marmite – you’ll love them or hate them. But here’s why beginners end up here: everything just works.

The Cowboys carpet (free) feeds perfectly onto Les Indiens, which might be the best first green run in the Alps. Why? It’s wide enough to accommodate your inevitable zig-zagging, gentle enough that you won’t pick up scary speed, and it ends right at the Carrefour shopping centre where the loos are free and the coffee’s €3.

Oxygène ski school owns this patch. Their meeting point by the tourist office is impossible to miss – just look for instructors in black and yellow looking far too cheerful for 9am. Book their 10am group instead of 9am. That extra hour makes all the difference when you’re wrestling kids into ski gear.

Money-saving tip specific to here: The Sherpa supermarket does meal deals after 4pm. €7 gets you a sandwich, drink and cake – perfect for apartment dwellers who can’t face cooking after a day on the slopes.

Plagne Bellecôte – Less Known But Beginner’s Fave

The Arpette sector has five blue runs that interconnect so you can keep changing your route down. Arpette itself is really wide and cruisy and Chanrossa adds some gentle turns. By the time you’re ready for Pravendue, you’re practically parallel turning without realising it.

The magic carpet here (Télécorde des Envers) sits in a natural bowl. You literally can’t ski out of the beginner area by accident. The ESF hut at the bottom sells the best pain au chocolat in the resort (€2.50, arrives warm at 10:30am daily).

Insider knowledge: The Chalet de Bellecôte restaurant does a €15 plat du jour that includes dessert. Sit on the terrace, watch the Roche de Mio cable car disgorge experts onto the Emile Allais black run, and feel smug about your sensible choice of gentle blues.

The Others (Quick Reality Check)

Montchavin: Phenomenal for sheltered tree-skiing when it’s snowing heavily. The Plan Bois carpet is free and feeds onto the easiest blue in Paradiski. But it’s 1,250m altitude – in a bad snow year, you’re looking at slush by March.

Plagne 1800: Cheapest accommodation, brilliant ski school (ask for Marie-Pierre), but it’s a proper trek to anywhere else. Good for dedicated beginners who won’t resort-hop.

Aime 2000: High, snow-sure, convenient. Some say it’s a bit soulless, like skiing in a business park. The Bijolin beginner area never gets crowded though.

Plagne Villages: Properly pretty, eye-wateringly expensive. That said, the Plan Vaches blue run is deserted most days and perfect for building confidence away from crowds.

Your First Few Days: La Plagne-Specific Reality

Day One: Free Lift Strategy That Actually Works

Forget generic “take it easy” advice. Here’s your La Plagne day one battle plan:

8:30am: Collect kit from Précision Ski (Plagne Centre) or Skiset (Belle Plagne). Both open early, both do proper boot fitting. If your feet hurt within 20 minutes, go back and they’ll adjust for free.

9:30am: My boys love starting at the Cowboys carpet at Plagne Centre. It’s 80m long with a burger van at the bottom selling €3 vin chauds from 11am. Parents can take turns skiing and warming up.

If Cowboys is rammed (school holidays), try:

• Ange carpet at Bellecôte (120m, gentler gradient)
• Télécorde des Envers at Belle Plagne (enclosed, so warmer)
• Plan Bois at Montchavin (tree-lined, pretty)

12:30pm: Lunch at Les Cocottes (Plagne Centre) or La Ferme (Belle Plagne). Both do kids’ menus that aren’t just nuggets and chips.

Afternoon: The same carpet but a different mindset. You’re not learning to ski, you’re learning to stand on a slippery slope while wearing clown shoes.

Day Two: Still Free, Getting Braver

Morning: Try a different free lift. If you started at Cowboys, next head to the Bellecôte’s beginner zone. The change of scenery helps more than you’d think.

This is when to book your first lesson. ESF has meetings points at every village, but their Plagne Centre operation is slickest. Oxygène only operates from Centre and Belle Plagne but includes transfers. Evolution 2’s base is Montchavin – trek to get there but worth it for their small groups.

Afternoon: Graduate to the easiest green. From Cowboys, that’s the bottom section of Les Indiens. From Bellecôte, try the last 200m of Arpette, which is still free but ever so slighlty more challenging.

Day Three: Buy The ‘Cool Ski’ Lift Pass

Pay the €38 for the ‘Cool Ski’ pass to ski farther afield. This opens up:

• Full Les Indiens and Golf at Plagne Centre
• Boulevard and Edelweiss at Belle Plagne
• Arpette and Chanrossa at Bellecôte
• Crozats and Biolley at Aime 2000

The pink bib isn’t embarrassing, it’s liberating, because suddenly everyone’s giving you space. Lift operators are helping you load, and you can use the dedicated slow lanes on busy pistes.

Pro tip: The Cool Ski zones have their own piste maps at ticket offices. Grab one. The main resort map is overwhelming when you can only ski 10% of it.

Days Four and Five: Exploring

Now you’re motoring. Time for village connections:

• Belle Plagne to Bellecôte via Boulevard: 20 minutes of gentle cruising
• Plagne Centre to 1800 via Mira: Technically a red but gentler than most blues
• Bellecôte to Montchavin via Dos Rond: Through the trees, magical on a sunny day

By day five, you might eye up a red. Mira (despite the classification) or Prameruel are your best bets. Wide, well-groomed, and they’ve seen worse skiers than you. Trust me.

Practical Stuff That’s Actually Practical

The Three-Pass Strategy

Days 1-2: Free lifts only (save €116) Days 3-4: Cool Ski at €38/day (total €76) Days 5+: Full La Plagne pass at €58/day

Don’t bother with Paradiski extension first trip. You’ve got 225km to explore before needing Les Arcs. That’s like learning to drive in a Ford Fiesta then immediately buying a Ferrari.

Ski School Specifics

ESF: 180 instructors, but ask for our pal Seb Scott’s recommendation, especially if you’re staying at the Club Med at Plagne 2100. Their Piou Piou Club at Belle Plagne is brilliant for tots. €252/week for groups.

Oxygène: British-run, based at Plagne Centre with Belle Plagne satellite. €289/week includes transfers. Naomi from our office credits instructor James with “making it click.”

Evolution 2: Montchavin-based, max 8 per group. Pricier but consistently rated tops for adult beginners.

New Generation: Based in 1800, they do Video analysis, even in groups.

Food and Drink Reality

Mountain restaurants aren’t cheap, but La Plagne’s better than most:

• Plat du jour: €12-15 (€20+ in Val d’Isère)
• Hot chocolate: €4.50 (€7 in Méribel)
• Beer: €5.50 for a demi (€8 in Courchevel)

Best value lunch: La Bergerie at Plagne Soleil (€13 tartiflette). Worst: Chalet du Friolin (captive audience at gondola top = €18 spag bol).

Apartment dwellers: Plagne Centre has a proper Carrefour. Belle Plagne has a Sherpa (pricier). Stock up in Bourg St Maurice on arrival if driving.

When Is The Best Time To Learn To Ski In La Plange?

The whole ski area and most of the villages are very high, so you can confidently book any time during the winter and get good snow. You might want to pick the higher villages if learning to ski in December or April.

This is a big resort that handles traffic well, but French holidays can be busy. Specifically:

• February 8-24: All zones converge
• Christmas/New Year: Obviously
• Easter: Depends on dates but always busy

We hit Paris holidays once. Ski school were completely full. Lift queues tripled. Learn from our pain.

Weather patterns: La Plagne catches snow when everywhere else doesn’t (thank that plateau). But in whiteouts, only Montchavin has proper trees for visibility. Everywhere else, you’re skiing in ping-pong ball conditions.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You

The bus between villages runs until midnight and it’s free. Brilliant for trying different restaurants without driving. Don’t expect it to run on time, but it’s really regular so you rarely have to wait long.

That glacier you can see from everywhere? The Bellecôte? You can’t actually ski it as a beginner. But the cable car takes foot passengers for €8 return. Worth it for sunset photos that’ll make your Instagram followers weep.

Plagne Centre has a bowling alley with six lanes and the French cinema shows English films with French subtitles on Wednesdays.

If you’re driving, the underground car parks are not too extortionate (€150/week). Park at Plagne 1800 (€50/week) and use the free buses. Yes, it’s faff. Yes, it’s worth saving €100.

The Honest Truth About Learning To Ski In La Plagne

La Plagne isn’t the prettiest resort in the Alps. But (and this is a massive but) for learning to ski, might be unbeatable. That combination of extensive beginner terrain, clever lift design, high-altitude snow reliability and spread-out villages works brilliantly.

I’ve taken complete beginners to fancier resorts. Watched them struggle on icy low-altitude slopes, fight crowds for the single magic carpet… Then brought them to La Plagne and watched everything click.

My boys learned here. Sky in the SNO team learned here. After 20 years of skiing different resorts with beginners, I keep coming back here, because La Plagne just works.

Ready to discover La Plagne ski holidays for yourself? Call our friendly experts on 020 7770 6888 or check out our package deals. We’ve been introducing people to the mountains for over 40 years – we know what works.