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Child-friendly chalets:
Mark Warner and Esprit both offer some great chalets with good access for families.
Service:
The Carlina hotel is welcoming and well-run (3-star) on the piste below Belle Plagne.
Modern:
If you’re after convenience and facilities, try the Araucaria at Plagne Centre.
Social:
If you’re looking to bump into a few friendly faces around your accommodation, the Terra Nova houses 120 rooms in Plagne Centre.
Apartments:
Take your pick! Chalets les Montagnettes (Belle Plagne) are spacious with good views and the MGM/CGH Les Hauts Bois (Aime la Plagne) are nice, modern and have a pool.
High altitude villages
La Plagne Centre
In the heart of the La Plagne ski area, much of it was built in the sixties and seventies, and as such, there is rather a lot of concrete. As the accommodation is not the best, the prices tend to be lower. It is good for cheap ski chalets and apartments, but if you are looking for catered ski chalets it is generally better to look in Plagne 1800. Plagne Centre has the benefit of excellent ski convenience with plenty of ski apartments that can be classified as ski in, ski out.
La Plagne 1800
Plagne 1800 provides a great centre for a family ski holiday. There are plenty of catered ski chalets. The more luxury ski chalets tend to be found in the wooded area above the village, whilst cheaper ski chalets can be found down in the village itself. Reasonably priced self-catered apartments are available and one of the nice things about Plagne 1800 is well served by three ski hire shops and a small supermarket. There are now three ski runs to the village and the old Plagne 1800 ski lift is now a 4-man chairlift so even at the start of ski school queues are small.
Plagne Bellecote
For a better looking, high altitude ski resort within the Paradiski area you should go to either Belle Plagne or Plagne 1800. The only ski accommodation in Plagne Bellecote is apartments. There are no hotels or catered chalets. However most of the apartments are very reasonably priced and you can ski or snowboard back to the door. There is a selection of good and efficient ski lifts out of Plagne Bellecote all of which are just a short walk from most of the ski accommodation. In addition there is the Bellecote gondola, which stops at Belle Plagne before continuing to the Roche de Mio (2700m) and beyond to the glacier (3000m).
Belle Plagne
Made up of apartments and hotels, almost all of which are genuine ski in, ski out accommodation. There are only a few catered ski chalets and these are actually apartments that are operate as if chalets. Along with Plagne 1800, Belle Plagne is one of the nicest of the La Plagne high altitude villages. It has been designed to be sympathetic to the mountains and yet offer maximum convenience for skiers and snowboarders alike. There are numerous shops and restaurants all linked by covered walkways. Belle Plagne scores top marks for ski and snowboarding access.
Aime La Plagne
The main building was completed in the 1960s and used to win architectural awards. Unsuprisingly, it does not any more. However, the views from Aime La Plagne towards Mont Blanc some 25 miles away are stunning. All the accommodation is self-catering apartments, some of which are quite luxurious. Ski access is superb. It really does provide a ski in, ski out holiday. One blue run leads you to Plagne Centre and all that it has to offer. Another blue takes you towards Plagne Montalbert.
Plagne Villages
One of the older high altitude resorts of La Plagne. The best of the ski accommodation is found in the newer Residence Aspen at the bottom of the village. However, in general there is limited good quality accommodation in Plagne Villages. The main advantage is the excellent ski and snowboarding access. Almost all the ski apartments in Plagne Villages are genuine ski in, ski out accommodation. There is an easy blue run down to Plagne Centre but nervous beginners might not like it, as it is a bit narrow. Access back to Plagne Villages from either Plagne Centre or Plagne Bellecote is easy.
Plagne Soleil
This was built in the 1990s. There is a mixture of self-catering apartments as well as some catered and self-catered ski chalets, but these are not as high-quality as those in Plagne 1800 or the lower altitude villages. However, Plagne Soleil offers genuine doorstep skiing. There is a blue run down to the Melezes chairlift which carries you back over the village and allows access to Plagne Bellecote and beyond. To ski to Plagne Centre either take the same blue run and catch the Boulevard chairlift or use the St Esprit draglift from just 50m below Plagne Soleil.
Low altitude villages
La Plagne Montalbert
This is reasonably pretty, as much of it has been built in a Savoyarde style. The village is north-facing and so retains the snow well in spite of being one of the lower altitude resorts of the La Plagne ski area. Accommodation is predominantly made up of self-catering apartments, but there are some catered ski chalets. You can ski or snowboard back to most of the accommodation within the village, but to start skiing there is a short walk up to the chairlift from the village centre, although some of the ski accommodation is ski in, ski out.
Montchavin
This is the lowest of the La Plagne villages. It is north-facing and with more snow-making machines installed recently, it should be possible to ski down to the village until the end of March or even into April. Montchavin is based on an old farming village and as you ski down to one of several delightful restaurants you will ski through the village orchard, which is certainly a contrast to many more modern resorts. Reasonably priced self-catered apartments are available, as are catered ski chalets. There is also a hotel. Montchavin rarely has any queues for the ski lifts out of the village.
Les Coches
This is a purpose-built village, and most of the accommodation is in apartments although there are a growing number of chalets. Les Coches is north-facing and with more snow-making machines installed recently it should be possible to ski down to the village well into April. Les Coches has four ski lifts out of the village. Unfortunately two are draglifts and the gondola is from the highest point of the village, but the ski access back to most of the accommodation is easier than when setting off in the morning.
Champagny La Plagne
This is south-facing, and at 1250m, is the first of the villages in La Plagne to lose the snow. There is a good and efficient gondola out of the village that takes you to 1800m. Although the snow disappears from the village quickly there is some great skiing up the mountain and Champagny can make a great base for a winter holiday in the Alps. It is rare that you are able to ski or snowboard back to Champagny so if you are looking for ski-in, skiout accommodation, you should look at one of the higher altitude villages of La Plagne.
http://www.skilaplagne.co.uk/villages.asp
| Report date: | 30 Apr 2008 |
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| Lifts open: | na out of 104 |
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| Off-piste: | na |
| Resort runs: | na |
