The Tarentaise Isère valley is home to some of the world’s best and most famous ski resorts – all lying within easy reach of La Plagne by bus, train or taxi (normally a combination). From the massive Trois Vallées to the world-renowned Tignes / Val d’Isère, this area is widely recognised as having the greatest concentration of skiing and snowboarding anywhere on the planet. See a 3D video of the main Tarentaise resorts below to get a better idea of just what’s on offer in this incredible region.
The video below shows just how close these mighty ski areas are to each other – plus gives a good idea of the massive domain shared by Les Arcs and La Plagne and how it sits in relation to other nearby areas.
If you get the chance while you’re on holiday in La Plagne, we strongly suggest trying to take a day in one of these neighbouring areas. That’s not to say that La Plagne doesn’t have great skiing and snowboarding in its own right but variety is the spice of life after all and you’ll be well-rewarded for taking a day in any of these world-beating ski areas.
Like a who’s who of world-renowned ski areas
The Tarentaise Isère Valley has arguably the greatest concentration of A-list ski resorts anywhere on the planet. The roster reads like a list of superstar DJs:
Valmorel Grand Domain
Valmorel (1250m-2550m): The Grand Domaine with 165km of pistes, yet still strangely often overlooked by many visitors.
Trois Vallées
Les Trois Vallées (1100m-3230m): A massive 600km of pistes spread over three valleys (now really four) – Courchevel, Les Allues, Belleville and Maurienne. The 3 Vallées is the world’s biggest ski resort with world-famous stations including,
Courchevel Valley: Saint Bon (1100 m), Courchevel-Le Praz (1300m), Courchevel-La Tania (1400m), Courchevel-Village (1550m), Courchevel-Moriond (1650m) and Courchevel 1850m
Belleville Valley: Saint-Martin-de-Belleville (1450m), Les Menuires (1850m), Val Thorens (2300m – Europe’s highest ski station)
Maurienne Valley: Orelle a collection of hamlets at approx 1170m
Pralognan-la-Vanoise
Pralognan-la-Vanoise (1400m-2355m): 26km of pistes with some of the best views in the region. An undiscovered gem that largely escapes attention due to its much larger neighbours.
Paradiski La Plagne / Les Arcs
Paradiski (1200m-3226m): 425km of pistes with 18 villages and 35,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding making this the world’s 3rd biggest ski area that offers something for every level of rider.
Les Arcs: Bourg-Saint-Maurice (800m), Villaroger (1200m), Peisey-Vallandry (1600m) and Les Arcs 1600, 1800, 1950, 2000
La Plagne: Plagne Montchavin (1250m), Champagny-en-Vanoise (1250m), Plagne Montalbert (1350m), Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre (1970m), Plagne Bellecôte (1930m), Belle Plagne (2050m), Plagne Soleil (2050m), Plagne Villages (2050m), Aime 2000 (2100m)
La Rosière Espace San Bernardo
La Rosière (1850m-2891m): The Espace San Bernardo straddles the border with its Italian neighbour, La Thuile (1441m), offering 152km of pistes in total plus the option for heliskiing (banned in France)
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise (1550m-2620m): A haven for untouched off-piste routes. After a storm, there are few better places to be. Don’t be fooled by the official 43km of pistes – this place is all about the backcountry
Val d’Isère / Tignes
Val d’Isère / Tignes (1550m-3450m): The world’s 8th biggest ski area. A jewel in the crown with 300km of the world’s best riding, limitless off-piste and two glaciers – the Grande Motte (3653m summit) and Glacier du Pissaillas (3140m).
Tignes: Tignes Brévières (1550m), Tignes 1800, Tignes le Lavachet (2100m), Tignes le Lac (2100m), Tignes Val Claret (2127m)
Val d’Isère: La Daille (1802m), Val d’Isère Centre (1850m), Le Fornet (1930m)
Check our iRide YouTube channel for more great La Plagne videos produced by the team behind La Plagne 360 showing all facets of the area filmed through the season over multiple years. Also, please follow us on the La Plagne 360 Facebook page for regular updates and new content.
