Many people wonder if a holiday to La Plagne is expensive. Hmmm  . . . . well, I guess in many respects that depends what you consider ‘expensive’ to be but, for the majority of people, the answer is unfortunately – yes. France isn’t the cheapest of countries at the best of times but, when you’re stuck halfway up a hill with very few options for where to eat, drink and shop you’re somewhat stuck in terms of what you can and can’t do. For French holidaymakers, this isn’t such a major problem as most drive and take supplies with them. However, if you’ve travelled to La Plagne by plane and ski transfer or Snow Train, you simply won’t have these options.

Common questions about a ski holiday in La Plagne

To get an idea of the justification for this, try watching the video below which goes through some of the reasoning (and answers a few other common questions at the same time if you watch from the start)

What is the average price of food and beer in La Plagne?

 

On average, you can expect to pay between 6€-10€ a pint, depending on the bar/restaurant and its location. Eating out can vary wildly from restaurant to restaurant but for the typical family of four, you won’t see much change out of €100 per meal. Of course, there are cheaper options available if you’re willing to scrimp a bit but most of us want to enjoy at least a little luxury and a touch of La Plagne aprés ski while we’re on holiday. If you do, you’ll have no choice but to pay these prices.

Also, while savings can be made in supermarkets, the ones up the hill are still considerably more expensive than those based down in the valley. However, that requires having transport or wasting a day of your trip taking the bus down to Aime’s two big supermarkets. Even these are more expensive than others located in Albertville and further outlying towns. To get an idea of prices, the picture above shows a nuclear-roasted, emaciated pre-cooked chicken and four beers which cost just short of €20 – a saisonnaire ‘treat’ one year.

Tips to save money on a La Plagne ski holiday

Top tip – as is common in ski resorts the world over, eating up the hill is considerably more expensive than eating in town Snack huts are your best bet for takeout food or, better yet, pop past a supermarket and buy a baguette and some cheese, etc. In La Plagne, this is much easier than in many other ski resorts as Belle Plagne has pistes running directly through town (one goes straight past the Belle Plagne Haut supermarket on the blue piste through Belle Plagne shown below) while there’s also a takeout stall at the access to the Roche de Mio gondola (very close to the Intersport marked below) where you can buy saucittes frites for just €5 – way cheaper than higher up.

 

How much is a La Plagne / Paradiski lift pass?

In terms of lift passes, you might find you spend more on your pass than your accommodation. At time of writing, a week’s La Plagne ski pass comes in at €285 (for just the La Plagne area) and €325 for the full Paradiski domain. Note, unless you’re a complete beginner, you’ll want the full Paradiski area pass so you can ski or snowboard in Les Arcs too. It’s also worth noting La Plagne counts an adult as 13 years or older. So again, for a typical family of four, you’re talking €1300 for the week (well, in reality, six days).

Is La Plagne worth the money?

All that said, the Tarentaise area has the highest concentration of world-class, world-renowned ski areas probably anywhere on earth, all within touching distance of Mont Blanc and featuring world-famous terrain and reliable snow. Sure, you could spend less going to other cheaper destinations but La Plagne combined with Les Arcs makes up the world’s third-largest ski area. In truth, you’ll have little chance of skiing or snowboarding the whole area in a week.

Moreover, with skiing and snowboarding that stretches a mammoth 2km of vertical from glacier area at 3250m to the valley resort sectors like Montchavin, Montalbert and Champagny at 1250m, you also have one of the highest vertical drops of any ski area anywhere on the planet with a huge range and diversity of terrain in between – everything from glacial high Alpine riding to tree-lined motorway pistes in the valleys.

The old adage, ‘you get what you pay for’, applies to many areas of life – but perhaps nowhere more so than in ski resorts. Truth is, both skiing and snowboarding are expensive sports – from your skis or snowboard to boots, gloves, goggles, outerwear, etc, etc, there’s really nothing cheap about either. Ski holidays are, unfortunately, the same.

Why are French ski resorts expensive?

When it comes to French ski resorts, yes, it could be argued prices are too high and there could be ample room to reduce them. Then again, it’s worth remembering areas like La Plagne are mostly winter resorts – so owners really only have four and a half months to make a profit and keep their company ticking over for the rest of the year. Also, their base operating costs are significantly higher too – so there is a certain knock-on effect in these processes.

Is La Plagne expensive – the take out

So – in summary – Is a holiday to La Plagne expensive? Yes. La Plagne is an expensive ski resort (even in comparison to other nearby areas) but, as with most things in life, there are ways to make it cheaper. If you’re willing to forego some of the (largely) unnecessary frivolities and luxuries you might otherwise indulge in, in other places – and instead focus on having a holiday in one of the world’s best ski areas (and 3rd largest) with some of the best skiing and snowboarding terrain anywhere on the planet with guaranteed snow and ski in / ski out convenience then paying a little extra for that pleasure shouldn’t really be seen as much of a hardship.

 

La Plagne accommodation deals

Booking.com

 

 

La Plagne piste map