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Modern Alpine Design and Four Villages of Snow

Les Arcs is a ski resort in the Tarentaise valley of the French Alps, known for its contemporary architecture, its linked high-altitude villages and its place in the Paradiski ski area. The resort is made up of separate settlements named for their altitude: Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. Built from the 1960s as a purpose-designed mountain resort, it was shaped by architects who wanted buildings to sit in the landscape rather than against it, and the designer Charlotte Perriand was closely involved in the design of Arc 1800.

The result is a resort that feels clean, practical and open to the sky. Each village has its own character: Arc 1950 is a pedestrian-only, village-style resort with a pretty central square, Arc 1800 is the lively hub, and Arc 2000 sits highest, with a direct line to the snow. Ski-in, ski-out apartments, family-friendly facilities and efficient lifts make it easy to arrive and be on the slopes quickly. Neighbouring Méribel and Courchevel in the Three Valleys give a different, more chalet-led flavour just across the range.

Paradiski Slopes and Mont Blanc Views

The skiing is wide-ranging. Les Arcs links to La Plagne through the Vanoise Express, a double-decker cable car crossing the Ravin des Arcs, creating the Paradiski area of more than 400 kilometres of pistes. From the Aiguille Rouge, at over 3,200 metres, one of the longest descents in the Alps runs down to the valley floor, with Mont Blanc visible on clear days. Beginners, families and confident skiers all find terrain pitched to suit them, and the resort has long been popular with groups.

Summer brings a quieter, greener pace: walking, mountain biking, climbing and open-water days on the nearby lakes, with the Vanoise National Park close at hand. The valley's food draws on Savoyard tradition, with local cheeses, tartiflette, génépi and Beaufort, a mountain cheese made in this part of the Alps. A hotel group or self-catering collection with a presence here can show guests how easily the resort suits families and friends travelling together, while Val d'Isère across the mountains offers a more classic mountain town feel.

Getting There by Snow Train, Road or Air

The ski season runs from December through to April, with the longest-lasting snow at Arc 2000 and Arc 1950. Summer opens from late June, and the quiet valley, wide meadows and sunny terraces make it ideal for families. A funicular, the Arc-en-Ciel, rises from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Arc 1600 in a matter of minutes, and the resort's free internal buses link all four villages.

Getting there is part of the appeal. Bourg-Saint-Maurice is served by a direct Eurostar snow train from London in the winter season, making the journey one of the easiest to a major Alpine resort. Alternatively, Geneva, Chambéry and Lyon airports are within a few hours by road. VisitLesArcs.co.uk gives airlines, rail operators and hotels a single home for these routes. Travellers extending a French Alps trip often add Chamonix, and those heading to Italy can continue to Courmayeur via the Mont Blanc tunnel.

From Arc 1600 to Peisey-Vallandry: Choosing a Village

Each Les Arcs village has a personality, and picking the right one sets the tone. Arc 1600 is the original, linked to Bourg-Saint-Maurice by funicular and popular with families and groups who value easy arrival and good-value apartments. Arc 1800 is the busiest hub, split between the lively Charvet, the Villards and the Chantel areas, with the widest range of restaurants, shops and shared facilities. Arc 1950 is a pedestrian village with a charming square, a short stroll from the slopes, and suits couples and families who like a self-contained, Alpine-village atmosphere. Arc 2000 is the highest base, ideal for snow-sure ski-in, ski-out stays.

Down the hillside, Peisey-Vallandry has a more traditional Savoyard character, with stone-and-timber houses, a direct link to the Vanoise Express and a quieter evening pace, and the Nancroix valley beyond is wonderfully peaceful. Styles of stay run from design-led apartment residences to hotels with spas and catered chalets, and many holiday companies offer ski-in, ski-out packages with childcare. A tourist board could highlight how easily the resort suits different budgets, and Courchevel offers a more polished contrast for guests comparing the Tarentaise villages.

Baroque Churches, Film Screens and Savoyard Tastes

The Tarentaise valley is a quiet cultural treasure. Villages such as Peisey-Nancroix and Landry hold Baroque churches with painted ceilings, carved altars and gilded details, forming part of a regional Baroque art trail, and the old stone chalets of the valley show how mountain farming shaped the landscape. Every December, the Les Arcs European Film Festival brings screenings, industry meetings and a lively crowd to the resort, adding a cultural spark to the season. Christmas markets, ice rinks and illuminated paths make the early winter weeks particularly warm.

The table follows the valley's dairy tradition. Beaufort is the headline, but tomme, bleu and local reblochon farmhouse cheeses are all worth tasting, and the region's farcement, diots and tarte aux myrtilles are served in mountain restaurants and village bistros. Local honey, walnut breads and apple juice make good souvenirs. In spring, sunny terraces fill with lunch guests, and summer brings farmers' markets in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, where cheese stalls and artisan stands show off the food of the valley, with a gentle, unhurried pace that is a world away from the winter bustle.

Roselend, Bike Parks and Glacier Day Trips

Les Arcs is a strong summer base as well as a winter one. The Vanoise Express and other lifts open walking and mountain-biking terrain, the bike park draws riders from across Europe, and via ferrata routes, climbing, paragliding and rafting on the Isère add adventure. Gentle walks lead to alpine lakes and flower meadows, while the Peisey-Vallandry side offers family-friendly trails and farm visits. Winter adds snowshoeing, ski touring, ice driving and ski-joring, with many ideas suitable for first-time visitors and children.

Day trips are scenic. The road to the Cormet de Roselend climbs to a high pass above a turquoise reservoir, surrounded by peaks, and the Beaufort valley is full of farms and chapels. Bourg-Saint-Maurice has a lively Saturday market, Annecy and Chamonix are within reach by car, and Courmayeur in Italy can be reached via the Little St Bernard Pass in summer or the Mont Blanc tunnel. For serious skiers, Val d'Isère and Alpe d'Huez each add a very different mountain flavour to a longer Alpine itinerary.

Planning your stay

Les Arcs is a group of villages above Bourg-Saint-Maurice: Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000, plus Peisey-Vallandry lower down. The higher villages are purpose-built for skiing, with access to the slopes from the door, while the lower ones are more traditional. Together with La Plagne, linked by the Vanoise Express cable car since 2003, the area forms Paradiski, a large linked ski domain, and its highest point is the Aiguille Rouge at 3,226 metres.

Other French options include Méribel, Courchevel, Val d'Isère, Alpe d'Huez and Chamonix, and each offers a different atmosphere. Les Arcs is often chosen for convenience and for how easily families can organise ski school and lift passes.

When to go

The ski season generally runs from December to April, with the best snow from January to March, and the higher villages hold snow better late in the season. Christmas, New Year and February half term are the most expensive weeks, so book early or consider the quieter weeks in January and March. Families should also check school holiday dates in the UK and France, because lift queues, ski school places and apartment availability all tighten when the holidays overlap, and the cheaper weeks tend to be the calmer ones for learners.

Getting there

The simplest rail route is Eurostar Snow, which runs on Saturdays from 19 December 2026 to 20 February 2027 from London St Pancras to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, with a simple connection at Lille Europe and passport checks completed in the UK. The Arc-en-Ciel funicular then climbs to Arc 1600. Check the timetable before you plan, as the service is seasonal and times can change.

By air, most visitors fly to Geneva or Chambéry and transfer by road, with the transfer taking a few hours depending on the airport and traffic. Pre-book transfers for Saturday changeovers.

Entry requirements

A trip to Les Arcs falls under France's Schengen rules, so UK visitors can travel without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period as tourists. For Les Arcs, if you fly into Geneva or Chambéry, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before that day and must expire at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

On the way into France for Les Arcs, cash or travellers cheques worth 10,000 euros or more must be declared, including if you land at Geneva or Chambéry.

Before you travel

Entry requirements and official travel guidance are updated regularly, so check the latest position with your government before booking. The sources we used are listed at the foot of this page.

Why Les Arcs matters to the industry

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