Les Arcs Ski Resorts

Few ski areas rival Les Arcs ski resort for variety of skiing and its reputation as an avant-garde, innovative and pioneering destination for snow sports. With the lift link to La Plagne (forming the massive Paradiski ski area), it offers some of the best and most extensive skiing in the world.

The ski resort is also one of the easiest to reach from central London, with a direct Eurostar train service from St Pancras taking just eight hours to reach the ski area. A seven-minute funicular ride will then deliver you to Arc 1600, direct from the train station.

Les Arcs is made up of a series of high ‘villages', Arc 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000 (whose names refer to altitude). All but 1950 were built in the 1960 and 70s and as a result have some dated architecture. But recent developments have given a fresh look to most of the bases, particularly the new Edenarc at Arc 1800.

Arc 1950 is a new development and was the first in Europe to be built by Intrawest, the company behind highly successful North American resort developments such as Whistler – although it’s now run by French company Pierre et Vacances. Arc 1800 has the majority of the resort's nightlife, the other three bases are quieter, but if you want to ski fast and hard all day, you won't find much better. All bases, both new and old, benefit from the exceptional convenience of ski-in/ski-out access to virtually all accommodation.