La Plagne to Les Arcs route guide
Skiing from La Plagne to Les Arcs
La Plagne to Les Arcs. If you’re a confident beginner or above, the full-area Paradiski pass is absolutely worth it. Crossing the link to Les Arcs opens up a huge extra playground of pistes — and the terrain here is often a touch steeper and more technical than La Plagne, which makes it perfect for progressing intermediates and advanced riders.
Best of all — the journey across is half the fun. This page shows you the exact route, including a full video guide and an annotated piste map you can download to your phone.
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Getting to Les Arcs from La Plagne
Follow our detailed video showing the easiest and most enjoyable way to ski or snowboard from La Plagne across to Les Arcs — including lifts, pistes and tips along the way.
Quick route summary
- Start: Plagne Bellecôte → Arpette chair → Replat rope tow
- Runs: Mont Blanc, Pierres Blanches, Myrtilles (all blue pistes). Or just take the Mont Blanc blue (but it’s normally busier)
- Link: Vanoise Express cable car to Peisey-Vallandry
- Time: About 1½–2 hours each way at a relaxed pace
- Pass: You need a full Paradiski lift pass
Planning to ski from La Plagne to Les Arcs?
Quick tip: Riding this route is much easier when your equipment is already booked and picked up. It avoids queues, ensures the right kit is available, keeps rental prices cheaper when booked online and lets you avoid wasting your first morning sorting hire in resort.
Use the link below or go straight to Skiset. Book here
La Plagne → Les Arcs route map
The La Plagne to Les Arcs route starts from Plagne Bellecôte — easily accessed from the whole ski area. From here, you’ll take:
Our recommended route follows the scenic Mont Blanc blue piste — one of La Plagne’s best blue runs and also its longest piste.
We then link to:
This route is usually quieter and quicker than staying on Mont Blanc all the way down — though both work fine.
Important: on the guide map, pistes are marked in pink while uplift is marked in purple. Also, since this map was put together, La Plagne has removed the old Roche de Mio so the new piste map looks slightly different. Everything else about the map is identical and the change doesn’t affect your route.
Click here to download a hi-res version of the La Plagne to Les Arcs map
Heading to La Plagne? Make sure you’re covered
Quick tip: Even on marked pistes, accidents happen. In France, rescue and evacuation costs can be charged to you. Proper ski insurance covers lift evacuation, medical care and cancellation if something goes wrong.
If you haven’t arranged cover yet, it’s worth sorting before your trip.
La Plagne to Les Arcs key considerations
While taking this route isn’t especially challenging, there are a couple of things to remember before skiing or snowboarding from La Plagne to Les Arcs. Also see our FAQs further down this page:
- Who is this route for? If you’re happy on blue runs and comfortable linking turns on steeper pitches, you’ll be fine on this itinerary. The crossing itself usually takes around 1½–2 hours each way at a relaxed pace, so it’s best treated as a full-day adventure rather than a quick lunchtime lap.
- Lift pass: You’ll need a full Paradiski lift pass to cross on the Vanoise Express and use the Les Arcs lifts. A local La Plagne-only pass is not valid for the cable car or Les Arcs side.
- Timing: Always check the day’s last lift times for the Vanoise Express and key return lifts. Aim to start heading back from Les Arcs at least two hours before the cable car closes, especially in busy weeks or poor weather.
La Plagne, Les Arcs & the Vanoise Express
La Plagne is linked to Les Arcs by the mighty Vanoise Express cable car. This double-decker télépherique spans the valley between Montchavin-Les Coches and Peisey-Vallandry and creates the combined Paradiski area — an incredible 425km of pistes, making it one of the biggest ski domains in the world.
If you’d like to get your bearings, this video gives a good idea just how close the areas are or you could also check out our Paradiski 3D overview video.
Riding the Vanoise Express
The Vanoise Express is a true feat of engineering. This double-deck cable car carries up to 180 people per cabin and floats silently over the Ponthurin valley — with a glass floor on the lower level for the brave.
The crossing takes around five minutes and delivers you straight into Peisey-Vallandry on the Les Arcs side. From here, you’ll take the Peisey 61 lift (the only lift here), ride down and then we suggest the Derby which will drop you above Arc 1800. From here, you can explore out into the wider Les Arcs area.
Timing tip: always check the last lift times for the Vanoise Express and key return lifts on the La Plagne side. As a rule of thumb, aim to start your journey back from Les Arcs at least 2 hours before the cable car closes, especially in busy weeks or poor weather.
Les Arcs piste map
Les Arcs is an entirely separate ski area with its own piste map so it’s worth having a copy on-hand to find your way around. Click below or right to download a version of the local trail map to your mobile.
You can zoom in on the version opposite, or download the full hi-res Les Arcs piste map here.
The route from Les Arcs to La Plagne
From the Vanoise Express, you’ll ski the lower Mont Blanc blue back into Montchavin, then link the following lifts:
- Lac Noir gondola
- Bijolin chair
- Crozats chair (faster than Salla)
This drops you above Belle Plagne and Plagne Bellecôte.
From here, we suggest:
- Laines blue — for Belle Plagne
- Arpette blue — to return to Bellecôte
Both reconnect with the wider La Plagne ski area via Colosses or Blanchets.
La Plagne to Les Arcs FAQ
Riding from La Plagne to Les Arcs FAQs. Below are a few of our most Frequently Asked Questions about making the trip from La Plagne to Les Arcs and back. Message us on Facebook if you have any further queries.
- Can beginners ski from La Plagne to Les Arcs?
- How long does it take to ski from La Plagne to Les Arcs and back?
- Do I need a Paradiski lift pass to use the Vanoise Express?
- What is the easiest route from La Plagne to Les Arcs?
- What time should I leave Les Arcs to get back to La Plagne safely?
- Can the Vanoise Express close because of weather?
The route in this guide is designed for confident beginners and above. You should be happy on blue runs and comfortable linking turns on slightly steeper pitches. If you are still nervous on greens or very gentle blues, it’s better to build confidence in La Plagne first before attempting the full Paradiski link.
As a rough guide, allow around 1½–2 hours each way at a relaxed pace, including lift rides and a few short pauses. It’s best to treat the crossing as a full-day trip so you have time to explore the Les Arcs side and still get back to La Plagne comfortably before the last lifts.
Yes. You need a full Paradiski lift pass to cross the Vanoise Express and ski the Les Arcs side. A La Plagne-only pass is not valid for the cable car or for any of the lifts in Les Arcs, so make sure you choose Paradiski when you buy your pass if you plan to do this route (or buy a one-day extension if you don’t intend to go over so much).
This guide starts from Plagne Bellecôte, then follows Arpette chairlift and the Replat rope tow into the Montchavin–Les Coches sector. From there you ride the Mont Blanc, Pierres Blanches and Myrtilles blue pistes down towards the Vanoise Express (you can also just stick to the Mont Blanc as it goes past the Vanoise Express). This route is a blue-run itinerary with clear signposting, which makes it simple and enjoyable to get across.
Always check the day’s last lift times for the Vanoise Express and your key return lifts (note these change at different times of the season – and, sometimes, in weather). As a rule of thumb, aim to start your journey back towards the cable car at least two hours before it closes, especially in busy weeks or poor weather. This gives you a comfortable buffer in case of queues or slower skiing on the way home. Also, your return time depends a lot on which village you’re staying in.
Yes, like any high mountain lift the Vanoise Express can be affected by strong winds or heavy snowfall. If the link is closed, you won’t be able to cross between La Plagne and Les Arcs. It’s always worth checking the resort lift status in the morning and having a back-up plan for your day in case the cable car is on hold.
When is the best time to ski La Plagne and Les Arcs?
To get a feel for snow, weather and conditions through the season, check our month-by-month guides:
La Plagne in December
La Plagne in January
La Plagne in February
La Plagne in March
La Plagne in April
There’s also a shorter round-up: When is the best time to ski La Plagne?
Want more real-world La Plagne info?
This page is built from real experience, real riding and doing ride-every-day full seasons on the hill – not brochure waffle. Follow our Facebook updates for:
- Snow and visibility updates when conditions change
- Travel warnings on busy weekends
- Video drops from pistes, lifts and route guides
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