La Plagne valley resorts: The lower villages of Champagny-en-Vanoise, Plagne Montalbert and Montchavin / Les Coches offer a very different experience to the high-altitude La Plagne stations. They’re more traditional, more relaxed and usually quieter at night, with a bigger focus on village life than big-resort facilities.

It’s also worth noting that access varies. Champagny sits on the far western side of the ski area, closer to the Trois Vallées resort of Courchevel than the Plagne Centre main bowl. Montchavin / Les Coches link directly to Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express while Montalbert is closer to the valley village of Aime than it is to the La Plagne altitude resorts. Consequently, bus connections are more limited than in the higher resorts (the La Plagne shuttle buses don’t operate in these villages), but in return you get tree-lined pistes, a calmer atmosphere and a genuine Alpine village feel.