Plagne Centre is a dream base for intermediates: you’ve got a huge spread of blue runs right on your doorstep and loads of easy ways to move around the mountain without feeling trapped. For pure intermediate mileage, aim for the lifts that open up the widest choice of cruisy pistes.

Where to head: the pistes served by the Colorado, Lovatière and Funiplagne are excellent for intermediates — even if Colorado can be one of the busiest lifts in La Plagne. Just remember that the top of Mira off Grande Rochette and parts of Verdons from Les Verdons can feel steep near the start.

For a simple progression route and a feel for the terrain, check our guide to the best blue runs in Plagne Centre.

Plagne Villages works brilliantly for intermediates: it’s small and calm, but it drops you right into a network of blue runs with easy routes into the rest of the resort.

If your skills are ready: the Aollets poma serves many of the blues directly above Villages and gives quick access over towards Plagne Centre and Plagne Bellecôte. For most intermediates, though, the standout run is the Écartée piste off the Bergerie chair — popular because it’s such a friendly, confidence-building blue.

Watch-out: Bergerie is a busy lift at peak times. As Villages is part of the wider Plagne Centre sector, you’ll also benefit from the nearby blues. Top tip? Watch the Plagne Centre blue piste guide. This route will take you to all the great blues in the Grande Rochette area. 

Plagne Soleil shares the many of the same strengths as Plagne Villages: you’re right beside a cluster of mellow blues and you can progress quickly without needing long, complicated routes.

Where to ride: the Écartée piste via the Bergerie chair is the obvious favourite. If you want to explore without joining the main queues, don’t forget the Dou du Praz drag lift — it can drop you above Bellecôte and help you avoid the Bergerie bottleneck.

Big picture: Soleil sits within the greater Plagne Centre / Grande Rochette sector, so it naturally links into the wider intermediate network around Centre.

If you want pure intermediate terrain, Bellecôte is hard to beat: most of the bowl is blue, which makes it feel like a proper playground for intermediate riders. You can lap mellow pistes all day and still have the option to step things up when you fancy it.

Where to head: the runs off the Arpette chair are excellent — but it’s often the busiest lift in La Plagne. If you want to reduce queue time, the Blanchets chair is usually much quieter than either Arpette or Colosses.

Going higher: you can also move up via the Roche de Mio uplift for some great intermediate pistes including the Tunnel blue and the long Levasset run down towards Champagny. For a full run list and video pointers, see the best Bellecôte blue runs guide.

Belle Plagne shares mostly the same intermediate terrain with Plagne Bellecôte: so you get the same excellent blue-run network, but with a slightly different base vibe.

How to use it: think of Belle Plagne as another handy “launch point” into the Bellecôte bowl. The same advice applies — go down to the Bellecôte lift hub where Arpette gives the biggest choice (including the link to the Montchavin pistes), Blanchets is usually quieter, and Colosses is great for linking across the sector.

Plagne 1800 is a little different from the other villages: it has zero “lap all day” intermediate pistes right beside the village. Instead, it’s a solid base — then you use the lifts to reach better terrain elsewhere.

Local pistes: you’ve got the Loup Garou blue, Jean Marie blue and a handful of reds — plus the Crêtes Côte black for strong riders. Note that Lovatière has been reclassified from blue to red. Apparently, it’s now a bigger step up than it used to be.

Best move: take the Mélézes chair or the Plagne 1800 chair and head towards Centre or the Aime 2000  sectors (respectively) for a wider, more enjoyable intermediate day.

Aime 2000 is one of the best progression sectors in La Plagne: it mixes confidence-building blues with reds that are often kinder than you’d expect. It’s a great place to improve your technique without feeling under pressure.

Where to ride: the Golf blue run is ideal for honing skills (even if the Golf chair is famously slow). From Golf you can naturally link into the long Edmond Blanchoz run down to La Roche, and you can also step up onto two long reds — André Martzolf and Emile Allais — which are both fairly generously graded for reds.

For a quick overview of the easiest routes and best pistes, see our guide to the best blue runs in Aime 2000.

Montalbert should be a favourite for intermediates who like cruising through trees: it’s a proper network of blue and red pistes that can keep you busy for hours — and it often feels calmer than the higher, busier sectors. Shooosht. This is one of La Plagne’s best-kept secrets.

Why it’s so good: almost everything is accessed from the Montalbert gondola, the runs are tree-lined (great contrast in flat light), and the reds tend to carve more direct lines through the blues — so you can choose your difficulty without getting lost.

Bonus: it’s one of the less popular sectors in La Plagne, so fresh snow can stay untracked longer here. It’s also a top choice on stormy days when higher lifts struggle.

Montchavin is a brilliant intermediate sector: it has La Plagne’s longest piste — the Mont Blanc — plus a massive choice of entertaining blues and reds that flow nicely through the trees.

Best blues: Mont Blanc, Teppes, Pierres Blanches and, in particular, the Myrtilles. The tree-lined terrain makes this sector a great shout when visibility drops.

Best reds: the Stade de la Buffette (often closed for training) and the red line back down towards the village base. Overall, it’s a strong “ski-all-day” area for intermediates who want quieter pistes.

Champagny is massively underrated: even though it sits on the edge of the piste map, the ski area above Champagny-en-Vanoise is huge — bigger than many standalone resorts — and it’s one of the most fun places for intermediates to spend a full day.

Where to ride: start with the runs off the Rossa chair, which are usually quiet and perfect for dialling in technique. You should also try the Bozelet blue off Verdons Sud. If you’re coming from Plagne Centre, a fun route is: the start of Mira → Petite Rochette → Geisha → Ravine → then onto Les Bois (previously red but now black). There’s also the famously long and wide Levasset run.

Step-up options: notable reds include Hara-Kiri, Kamikaze and (if open) Mont de la Guerre, which many consider the best run in La Plagne thanks to the views across to Courchevel and Les Trois Vallées. For a video overview, see the best Champagny blue pistes guide.

La Roche is a useful intermediate base for long, linking pistes: the standout here is the long Edmond Blanchoz blue (one of the longest blues in La Plagne), which naturally flows down from Aime 2000.

Watch-out: this run often gets icy, particularly in low-snow years, so it’s best saved for good conditions or skied later in the day once it’s softened. It all depends on weather / temperature variations.

La Roche is part of the Aime 2000 / Biolley sector, so it’s worth using the Aime terrain as your main progression playground and treating La Roche as a “link and long-run” bonus.

The glacier sector has changed a lot in recent years: lift layouts and piste options have been revamped, and the on-piste riding here is much more limited than it used to be. Even if you don’t spend much time here, the trip is worth it for the scenery.

Best intermediate runs: the enjoyable Combe red, Lanche Rond red and the Fréte blue. These runs are a great “high mountain” experience for intermediates who want something a little different from the main bowls.

Tip: choose a clear day for the glacier. Visibility matters up high — but when it’s good, it’s one of the most memorable parts of La Plagne.