The French ski resort of Le Arc consists of a valley and four mountain villages named after their altitude – Arc 2000, Arc 1950 Le Village, Arc 1800 and Arc 1650. All of them are part of Paradiski, a region considered one of the largest ski areas in the world .
Each of the villages has a hotel complex:
Ark -1600 – the first built village, the date of its “birth” – 1968;
Ark-1800 is the largest and most popular station, consists of 4 villages and is called “balcony under the forest”, has an expanded system of lifts;
Ark-2000 is a station with the most comfortable access to the tracks, located at the foot of the glacier;
Ark-1950 is a luxury station, it is the youngest, in the complex there are luxury apartments, shops and spa centers.
Aiguille Rouge is the highest point of the French Arcs. It is located at an altitude of 3225 meters above sea level. Not visiting the top of Aiguille Rouge is like being in Paris and not climbing the Eiffel Tower! When you stand here, it seems that you are on top of the world, and a stunning panorama of the entire mountainous Europe: Italy, Switzerland and France spreads before your eyes. Descent from Aiguille Rouge is another adventure! Its length is about seven kilometers (in nearby Courchevel , for example, the longest route is only four kilometers).
Location and history of the resort
As a ski resort, Le Arc was founded in 1960. The initiator of this was the French tourism manager Roger Godino, together with the local guide Roberto Blanca. First of all, a small village was built in the heart of the mountain heights, at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level. Later, this small settlement was supplemented with buildings that rose to heights of 1,800, 1,950, and 2,000 meters.
The national currency here, as in all of France, is the Euro (EUR). The resort area is considered one of the expensive ones, so when you go on a trip here, get ready to lose a good amount of savings. As for the history of Les Arcs, the ski complex was built according to the surviving designs of Charlotte Peria, who is considered a follower of the constructivist architect Le Corbusier.
A map of France will help you understand where the Le Arc tourist facility is located . To the south of the mountain chain of Aigues de Chamonix, above Bourg-Saint-Maurice and you can see the resort, which is located on four different heights.
Among all of them, Ark 1950 was one of the last to be built. It embodied the latest developments of the Intrawest company. Most of the Ark 1800 region is occupied by night clubs. The other three areas are more suitable for a quiet and cozy life, but for skiing and snowboarding all day, you will not find a better region than this one.
The streets in Arc 1950 are not roads, but ski tracks! The village is completely pedestrianized, you can get everywhere on foot or on skis. This allows you to go down or go up to the lift directly from the door of any hotel or apartment in the town. A kind of ski in ski out in French. All the cars of the guests of the village are parked in underground garages from the beginning to the end of the holiday.
Ark 1950 is not at all a historical village in which mountaineers lived for centuries. The station at an altitude of 1,950 meters was opened for recreation only in 2003. It is quite young, if compared, say, with St. Moritz, the famous ski resort of Switzerland, which already in 1928 was the capital of the Winter Olympics. Today, this resort is a family-friendly settlement with many residences for living. The entire village is built in a single architectural “Savoy” style – typical houses under wooden tiles. Under the sun’s rays, when the snow cover of the houses melts, you sit on the terrace and listen to the spring drops hitting the wooden steps of the roof.
Weather in Le Arc
Before you go to Les Arcs , find out what the weather will be like there on the selected dates.
If you are considering a mountain resort area solely from the point of view of skiing on snowy slopes, then the weather in Les Arcs for a week will be very important to you. With its help, you will be able to understand whether the thickness of the snow cover in the resort is sufficient and what the air temperature is.
The ski season here begins in December and ends at the end of April, so the weather in Les Arcs for 14 days will help you to orient yourself, what things are better to take with you and how to plan your ski route. Due to the fact that the resort is located in four different zones, which have different heights above sea level, the weather forecast in Les Arcs will also differ depending on your location.
Knowing the weather in Le Arc for 3 days, you can understand how many snowy and sunny days are expected, as well as what the length of daylight will be. According to the meteorological center, the coldest month of the year in this region is January. At this time of year, the air temperature drops to -4 °C during the day, and at night it drops to -13 °C.
If you look at the weather forecast in Les Arcs for 5 days in the warm season, you can understand that in the summer the area warms up well only at the foot of the mountains, and their peaks still remain snow-covered. May is considered the rainiest month of the year here. During this period, up to 130 mm of precipitation falls on average. In this weather, there are practically no tourists in Le Arc.
The nearest airport to Le Arc
The nearest airports to Le Arc are in Chambery (127 km), Lyon (145 km) and Geneva (156 km). It is more profitable for residents of Ukraine to fly here via Geneva airport. After all, not only charter, but also regular planes go to it, which means that the price of such tickets will be more democratic.
On the official website of the Geneva airport, you can find a list of comprehensive information about when, from where and how much the necessary planes depart. Here you can download a map of the Geneva airport, which will allow tourists to quickly orient themselves in a new area. As a rule, such a scheme will be able to explain in detail not only how to get to the bus stop or the parking lot, but also indicate the locations of shops, restaurants, police stations and medical centers.
Despite the fact that the airport is located on the territory of Switzerland, French tourists can land there without obtaining an additional visa. For this purpose, the airport’s single terminal is divided into French and Swiss sectors, each of which has its own infrastructure.
How to get from the airport to Le Arc
If you are traveling to Le Arc on your own , then the information about the road from the airport will be very useful to you.
Having landed at the international airport of Geneva Quantran, every tourist involuntarily has a question, how to get from this airport to Le Arc? There is nothing complicated in this, as there are many options.
The bulk of tourists use the services of transfer companies. They can be booked in advance or immediately upon arrival. Such a trip will cost about 50 EUR per person.
If you prefer to travel by taxi, the journey from Geneva Airport to Le Arc will cost you around 350 EUR per car. It is also possible to reach the ski resort in an eight-seater minivan. The price of such a machine will be 450 EUR.
Types and complexity of trails in Le Arc. Slopes and lifts
The region has more than 100 tracks, 50 lifts and 200 km of downhill. Part of the tracks is open for night skiing. In Le Arc, it is easy to find ski slopes for a person with any request and level of training. The resort offers such leisure options as:
- comfortable skiing : for beginners and intermediate level athletes, tracks in Ark-1800 and Ark-2000 are suitable, on a simple track it is easy to bypass difficult sections or bypass them on the funicular, many red tracks have blue backup tracks;
- difficult skiing : for this purpose, the 7-kilometer descent from Aiguille Rouge or 17 black slopes, including Robert Blanc and Drocet, are suitable;
- speedriding – high-speed descent on a snowboard, skis or paraglider: individual or group lessons are held in the area, world records for speedriding were set at the resort;
- freeride – downhill skiing or snowboarding on virgin land: off-piste skiing is optimal in the area of the lifts, where the snow will not touch, extreme skiers will also like the track in Ark-2000, adapted for the 1992 Winter Olympics, the movie “Apocalypse snow” was filmed at the resort “, dedicated to extreme skating;
- snowboarding : in each village there are special fields, equipped with 3 snow parks in Ark-1600, 1800, 2000., the parks include a half-pipe, springboards, rails, special tracks for bordercross with obstacles, pyramids.
Le Arc is first and foremost a VIP resort with excellent residences, a unique atmosphere of a cozy village and everything you need for a comfortable and quality vacation. The Paradiski ski region, which includes Le Arc, is one of the largest in the world, offering a total of 420 km of pistes.
The strongest and densest snow cover here lasts in the height of the season, from the beginning of December to the end of April.
The fantastic ski slopes of Le Arc are suitable for skiers and snowboarders of different experience and abilities. Beginner and intermediate slopes are usually more crowded than others during the height of the ski season.
For more experienced skiers, there are various and interesting ski slopes of Le Arc, which can be skied from the top of Aegia Rouge. In this area, the slopes are almost vertical, plus there are many options for off-piste skiing on both sides of them. The length of the ski track is 7 km, on the territory of the ski complex it is considered the longest.
Skiing in Le Arc will also appeal to lovers of comfortable skiing. Many red tracks have blue back-up tracks. Les Arcs is considered the birthplace of European snowboarding, the first fan park was built here.
The diverse topography of the slopes, the presence of an extensive network of ropeways and tracks meet the interests of skiers with different levels of training. At their service are 55 lifts with a total capacity of 80,000 people. / hour
The most interesting routes for professionals are located in the upper part of the area, above the stations Arc 2000 and Arc 1950. The longest descent in the region, 7 kilometers long, starts at the top of Aiguille Rouge (3226) and finishes in Villaroger; the height difference is 2 km. Worthy of attention is the solid “red” route from the Grand Col (2835), the hilly slope under the 4-chair Bois des l’Ours, the “black” descents of Comborciere and Droset, leading to the Pre St.Esprit lowland. And of course, several cool “black” tracks – Lanches, Robert Blanc, Varet, laid on the northern slopes of Aiguille Rouge parallel to the famous KL, which annually hosts the Speed Skiing World Championships. The record time shown on this track, specially prepared for straight-line descent, is 250 km/h.
For skiers with intermediate training and beginners – wide tracks that flow from the Col de la Chat pass (2600) to Arc 2000; for those who are taking their first steps on skis, there is a convenient area near the station itself. Many easy “red” and “blue” descents, suitable for quiet family skiing, are located on the slopes above Arc 1600 and Arc 1800. The training tracks here are also right in front of the stations. After getting on the 6-chair Vagere, you can traverse to the left, to the picturesque forests of medium difficulty on the route above Pesei-Vallandry . From here, a 200-seater funicular takes you to La Plana , where another 225 km of marked descents await you. It’s a pity, long ski trips are hardly within the power of beginner skaters. Not all at once, be patient! ..
Beginners usually choose the Arc 1800 zone, because Arc 1600 has steep slopes, and Arc 2000 is too crowded in the height of the season. Professionals will appreciate the slopes of the Aiguille Rouge mountain (3226 meters), on the north side of which there is a track for speed descent “Flying Kilometer”. For snowboarders, Arc 1800 has a fan park with figures, a half pipe and border cross tracks, and another 180 meter long half pipe is located in Arc 2000. There are many slopes suitable for freeriding in the vicinity of Le Arc. The conditions for night skiing are also created here – on all levels of the resort there is at least one track that is illuminated at night.
There are slopes for sledding, an ice rink, swimming pools in the resort area. Those who do not have enough adrenaline can ride a snowmobile or dog sled, fly on a paraglider or speed glider.
How much does it cost to ride in Le Arc
To make your stay at Les Arcs as comfortable and unforgettable as possible, it is better to buy a ski pass on the first day of your arrival here. Such passes can be purchased on the resort’s official website in advance or purchased directly upon arrival in Le Arc.
The cost of a ski pass at a ski resort depends on the ski area. If you do not intend to stay in a hotel upon arrival here, but want to conquer as many mountain peaks as possible, then you should prefer a ski pass for the entire Paradiski ski area, the price of which for an adult per day is 57.50 EUR.
If you are not coming to Les Arcs for the first time, this resort offers the opportunity to purchase a Les Arcs decouverte ski pass, which allows you to ski all the slopes of the resort unlimitedly and one day in Paradisc. In a ski pass, the price of such a subscription will be 221 EUR. It also allows you to visit the local sports center once.
It is especially nice that children under the age of six, as well as pensioners who are over 72 years old, can use the lifts absolutely free of charge. If you want to buy a ski pass for more than three days, you will need a photo for this.
Le Arc lifts
If you are going to ride in Le Arc, you definitely need to know the types and cost of local lifts.
There are 54 ski lifts on the territory of Le Arc . Their capacity per hour is more than 80,000 people. Recently, the French ski resort connected its lift system with La Plana, thanks to which tourists had the opportunity to ski in neighboring regions.
At the height of the ski season, they have access not only to the funicular, which in just a few minutes will take everyone to the top of the mountain area, but also to 10 gondola lifts, 18 chair lifts, 44 removable lifts, and 28 lifts suitable for pedestrians.
The cost of the ski lift in Le Arc depends not only on the season you stay here, but also on the skiing area. To make the price of the ski lift more affordable, experienced skiers advise buying a ski pass for the entire period of stay here.
Recently, most of the lifts have been replaced with more modern ones, which has led to a reduction in the queue for them. Even at rush hour, the waiting time for a free place on the lift will not take you more than 10 minutes.
Ski schools of Le Arc
There are about 10 ski schools in the snowy region of Le Arc, where experienced ski instructors will help you get on skis for the first time or give a master class to already experienced athletes. If it is necessary to train children in mountain skiing, then there are separate groups for them on the territory of schools.
A comprehensive list of ski schools where you can get skiing and snowboarding lessons can be found on the resort’s website.
As for the cost of such training in mountain skiing, it can be mastered in group lessons or in individual lessons. At the same time, the price for 6 days of classes in a group will cost everyone 175 EUR, and individual classes will cost a little more. You will have to pay 42 EUR for one hour of learning the basics of downhill skiing, 84 EUR for 2 hours, and 320 EUR for the whole day.
Equipment rental in Le Arc
In order to conquer the peaks of the resort, it is not at all necessary to carry heavy ski equipment and inventory with you, as there are 48 shops and ski equipment rental points in Le Arc , where you can rent all the necessary equipment.
Real professionals work in the rental areas, who will always help to rent mountain skis and snowboards as correctly as possible, fit them to size and, if necessary, make repairs. The entire list of shops and ski rental points in Le Arc, as well as addresses and phone numbers, can be viewed on the resort’s website.
As for the cost, you can rent a snowboard in Le Arc for at least two days. For an adult, it will cost about 54 EUR together with the shoes. The minimum rental price for ski equipment is 62 EUR, and for children’s equipment – 20 EUR.
Hotels and apartments in Le Arc
Residences and hotels provide accommodation for 17,500 people. The Arc 2000 tourist and ski base is located at the foot of the L`Aiguille Rouge glacier (3226 meters) and is designed for 6000 people.
Chalet des Neiges -La Source des Arcs 5 star hotel
The Chalet des Neiges – La Source des Arcs complex with a view of the ski slopes and a panoramic view of the entire station is located in the center of the Paradiski ski resort. An indoor pool and a fitness room are at guests’ disposal. Guests can directly go to the ski slopes. The complex is located 50 meters from the Rhodes and Cabryol ski lifts.
Amenities include a balcony, sofa, satellite TV and a kitchen with a dishwasher, oven and microwave. Guests can also use a toaster and a coffee maker. All apartments have a private bathroom with a bathtub and free toiletries. Guests are provided with towels.
On the territory of the Chalet des Neiges -La Source des Arcs complex there is a hot tub and a sauna.
Chamonix Train Station is 87 km away.
Chalet Altitude Les Arcs 2000 4 star hotel
Chalet Altitude is located in a traditional Savoy building in the village of Arc 2000, in the heart of the Paradiski ski resort, just 150 meters from the slopes. An indoor heated pool and a sauna are available.
With free WiFi, the apartment has a living area with a fireplace and a kitchen equipped with an oven, stove and dishwasher. Additional amenities include free use of a ski boot dryer.
Guests can relax in the heated pool with mountain views or in the sauna.
The chalet is 27 km from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, accessible by TGV and Eurostar high-speed trains. Paid private parking is available on the territory.
Apartment Varet 18
Apartments Varet 18 are located in the village of Arc 2000, 500 m from the Lac de Combe ski lift, the Aiguille-Rouge ski lift and 600 m from the Grand Colle ski lift. The apartments are 3.4 km from the Droset ski lift and 4.4 km from the Comborière ski lift.
The apartment has a balcony, TV, kitchen and 1 bathroom.
Popular attractions such as the Lancetti ski lift, Rhodes and Planet are located near the apartments.
Village Igloo Les Arcs
The Village Igloo Les Arcs ice guest house with its own sun terrace and beautiful mountain views is located in the resort of Les Arcs , at an altitude of 2000 m. It has its own bar.
Dinner is included in the price of accommodation and is served in the room. Upon arrival, guests are treated to mulled wine as a welcome drink.
Lanchet Ski Lift is 900 meters from Village Igloo Les Arcs, while Aiguille-Rouge Ski Lift is 1.5 km away.
How much does it cost to stay in Le Arc?
When planning a trip to Le Arc, you should take care not only about renting equipment, but also about accommodation. The minimum cost of accommodation in Le Arc starts from 70 EUR per day. For this amount, you can rent an apartment or flat.
It is also worth considering that accommodation in Le Arc and housing prices will depend not only on their type and class, the season of occupancy, but also on the location. For example, the cheapest double room at the Hotel du Golf for one day will cost around 120 EUR. The same room in the low season will cost about 90 EUR per day.
The largest number of hotels and chalets are located in the Arc 1800 region. If you prefer to live in Le Arc inexpensively, it is better to settle closer to the foot of the mountains. For those who want to know more specific figures of how much it costs to live in Le Arc, it is quite difficult to provide them. It all depends on how much money you are willing to spend on housing. Apartments and hotel rooms of the middle class are considered the most popular. The cost of staying in them varies from 140 EUR to 270 EUR per night.
Shopping and food delivery in Le Arc
Just came down from the mountain and terribly hungry? We will tell you how to fix it!
Lovers of shopping in Le Arc will be able to find various stores with an interesting assortment of goods. As a rule, they are mainly represented by souvenir shops and ski shops, as well as establishments where you can buy a variety of locally produced food products. If you need to find something more unusual, you should go down to the nearby town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
The French are obsessed with food, they have made it a real cult. Recently, in addition to visiting the numerous cafes and restaurants of Le Arc, food delivery to the room is gaining popularity. Such a traditional Italian dish as pizza enjoys the same demand in this resort as in its homeland. If you need a pizza delivery in Le Arc, it is better to contact Tandem Cafe. Its cost, excluding delivery, will be about 13 EUR.
If you are looking for sushi delivery in Le Arc, you can turn to the local Japanese restaurant Kilucru. Local craftsmen will prepare lunch so quickly that you will not have time to get hungry as it will already be delivered to your room. You can also find Chinese or Thai food with delivery in Le Arc, but to fully enjoy a well-deserved vacation, it is better to feel the flavor of traditional French establishments, you should visit them in person.
Spa procedures of Le Arc
If there is time for a ride, it means that you need to find time to relax and improve your health.
The ski resort of Le Arc has many spa resorts, which are located on the territory of the most fashionable hotels. The first place in terms of popularity is occupied by one of the largest spa centers of Les Arcs – Deep Nature Spa Les Sources de Marie, which is located in Arc 1950. It includes several themed areas, including a dragon grotto, a volcanic grotto, a SPA area for hair, manicure, pedicure and water procedures, thalassotherapy, massage, cosmetic procedures and much more. You can find out about the cost of all procedures offered by this spa center on the resort’s website.
The Cocoon 2000 spa, which is located on the territory of the L’Aiguille Rouge hotel, is no less popular. On its territory, all those who wish will be provided with Le Arc SPA services based on the minerals and salts of the Dead Sea. For a 20-minute massage, you will need to pay 38 EUR, and for skin care procedures – 85 EUR, manicures on fingers and toes, as well as nail polish costs about 85 EUR.
Events and entertainment in Les Arcs
The most common activities in Les Arcs, in addition to skiing and snowboarding, are ice skating, snowshoeing, sledding, dog sledding, hang gliding, paragliding, speed skiing (on skis with a small sail) and ski joring (skiing with by horse). In the Ark 2000 Otykrytky ski area, a new sledding track called “Rodeo Park” is designed not only for adults, but also for teenagers.
In addition to activities in the snow, tourists can also visit indoor entertainment. These include visits to cinemas (Ark 2000, 1800 and 1600), gyms and bowling in Ark 1800. The opening of a huge health center in the 2011/12 season in the Ark 1950 area has attracted an even greater flow of tourists to the mountain area. It became the largest health center in the Alps. Only here you can swim in the pool with a view of Mont Blanc, as well as visit the fitness center, SPA, sauna, hamam, oriental bath and SPA procedures.
As for the competitions in Le Arc , the downhill skiing championships are held here annually. Separately, we should mention the World Freeride Championship, which annually gathers in the region not only crowds of tourists, but also many professionals ready to demonstrate their skills.
Everyone gathers at Arc 1950 Le Village for apre-ski. Tired but satisfied skiers fill the streets and the resort comes alive. Someone goes shopping, someone rushes to book a place in a restaurant or goes after an aperitif to the spa for health treatments. This very intimate resort seems to be designed only for its own. It is enough to live here for a week to get to know all the vacationers and start to greet them in a friendly relationship when meeting them. Therefore, children without special supervision actively play on improvised slides for sleds. And when parents, for example, have to go smoke a cigarette at dinner in a restaurant, they sit their even one-year-old baby at the table with unfamiliar neighbors and go about their “urgent” business. If you need to adjust the child for more than ten minutes, then in Ark 1950 there is a Cariboo children’s club (for children from 9 months to 13 years old). Specially trained staff work with children here.
In addition to a dozen restaurants in the settlement with traditional Savoyard dishes, if you have enough energy, you can go to a local night club called O’Chaud. Its owner is Fred, who is also a DJ and mixes cocktails. It is difficult, I will say, after an active day to find the strength to go and listen to at least a couple of DJ sets. The number of tracks ridden per day is indicated, because Paradiski has more than 400 kilometers. Fresh air makes you tired until the end of the day.
One of the most popular types of entertainment in the mountains is a helicopter. A 15-minute walk will become an unforgettable memory. However, a helicopter is extremely convenient as a transfer. For example, to get to nearby Courchevel or the airport.
The main sights of Le Arc
So that your vacation in Le Arc is not monotonous, we suggest visiting all kinds of memorable places.
There are many attractions in Le Arc that will be interesting to visit for different age groups of tourists. Studying the map of France with the sights of Le Arc, it becomes clear that this region is the second largest, which has 170 lifts and 425 km of trails.
The best photos of the sights of Les Arcs can be obtained by climbing to its highest point, from which in clear weather you can even see the top of Mont Blanc.
Autumn in Les Arcs
Having bought a map of Le Arc with attractions at the nearest kiosk, it becomes clear that it consists of three regions connected by road, named according to the height of their location: Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Arc 2000. The largest region with a developed network of lifts is Arc 1800. It is divided into three residential landmarks of Les Arcs, with the names: Charvet, Viillard and Charmetoje. All buildings in them have their own flavor and alpine charm.
To get additional information about the description of all the attractions of Les Arcs, you can find information about them in advance on the Internet or order a sightseeing tour of the entire territory with a guide.
Public transport
Transport Le Arc is represented by a free ski bus that runs between all stations of the ski resort. In addition to it, tourists and guests of the city can use the extensive network of lifts, which will take you not only to the highest point in Le Arc , but also to the slopes of the nearest resorts.
Horse- or dog-drawn sleigh rides are popular here in the winter, and bicycle rides are popular in the summer. It is officially forbidden to travel by car throughout the territory of Les Arcs.