La Plagne Information

Apres-ski

The larger altitude resorts, particularly Plagne Centre, tend to be the liveliest; but traditional villages such as Plagne-Montalbert also have an increasing number of bars and restaurants – these can become busy with British and Irish guests keen to soak up the atmosphere. Each resort has at least one lively night spot.

There are 10 late-night bars and two nightclubs spread through the resort. Among them, Scotty's Bar (tel: +33 684 375 559; www.facebook.com/scottyslaplagne), Igloo Igloo (tel: +33 479 011 609; www.barslaplagne.fr) and Le Luna Bar (tel: +33 479 090 150) are popular in Plagne Centre; while Le Cosy Club (tel: +33 479 090 183; www.facebook.com/LeCosyClubLaPlagneBellecote) and La Souris Verte (tel: +33 479 244 598) offer good options in Plagne Bellecôte.

Eating out

La Plagne has nearly 100 restaurants spread around the various ski areas and villages. Most are traditional French establishments, but there are several other options, including pizzerias.

Recommended options include Le Friolin in Montchavin-les Coches ski area (tel: +33 479 553 749; www.chaletdufriolin-savoie.com) a mountain hut, located on the slopes.

Good choices in some of la Plagne's resorts include La Bovate (tel: +33 983 544 494) in the heart of Montchavin village, which serves up their hearty speciality "la Potée Savoyarde" an old local Tarentaise dish cointaining potatoes, carrots, bacon and sausages.

One not to miss, Le Forperet in Plagne-Montalbert (tel: +33 479 555 127; www.forperet.com) is a chalet with its own farm. Rolland, the owner, makes delicious tomme cheese (famous from the region) and is happy to discuss his favourite tomme recipes – most of which are on the menu.

For something a little different, spend an evening having dinner in the "Igloo Village" Blacksheep (tel: +33 951 388 815; www.blacksheep-igloo.com) where it is also possible to spend the night in an igloo.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

Despite its vast size, La Plagne's multi-base structure means there is no one big village with a major focus of facilities. For example, there are ice rinks, toboggan hills and several games rooms spread throughout the different villages.

Specialist activities include bowling at Belle Plagne, squash in Plagne 1800, climbing in Plagne Centre, ice climbing in Champany en Vanoise, paintballing at Plagne Bellecôte and dog-sledding in Plagne Montalbert and the high altitude villages. There's also a 1.5km-long (0.9-mile) sledging piste at Plagne Centre, which goes from the top of the floodlit Colorado chairlift. For something a little more unusual, there's the opportunity to drive a piste groomer accompanied by a pro on a closed circuit (tel: +33 479 097 979).

For soothing post-ski relaxation, head to the new l'Espace Paradisio (tel: +33 479 093 320; www.espace-paradisio.com) complex at Montchavin-Les Coches that incorporates spa and plunge pools, Turkish baths, sauna, hot tubs, and a health and beauty parlour.

Family fun

La Plagne has a strong reputation as a family-friendly resort with facilities and attractions for children of all ages, both on and off the slopes.

Virtually all of the resort's villages have their own non-ski nursery for babies and toddlers, with special ski kindergarten from age three. Most also have a small selection of restaurants and off-slope attractions for families, including family-friendly ice rinks at Montchavin-Les Coches and the higher altitude resorts.

Montchavin-Les Coches has accommodation and family facilities that are recognised at a national level, and has been rewarded for its family focus with the Family Plus label every year since 2006 – this label is granted for providing comprehensive services for children aged 18 months and above.

Retail therapy

Although there are reported to be more than 200 shops in La Plagne, these are spread between the 10 centres and most of these are focused on convenience, skiwear and equipment. La Plagne is therefore not a shopping mecca, but there are a number of interesting shops selling local delicacies. Among these is the delightful La Table de Berger (tel: +33 479 091 909) in Plagne Centre, a treasure trove of cheeses, hams and saucisson (dry cured sausage).

Splashing out

Ride La Plagne's 1.7km-long (1.1-mile) Olympic bobsleigh run (which reaches speeds of up to 134kph/83mph) as a passenger on a taxi bobsleigh, experiencing g-forces of up to 3g on some bends. Alternatively, try a more sedate self-steering bob raft at slower speeds (80kph/50mph). Bookings can be made through the resort's information office (tel: +33 479 091 273; www.la-plagne.com).

Hotels

As a consequence of the resort's dispersed nature, the accommodation in La Plagne is spread between the villages and varies in style and price. The prettier centres are Plagne-Montalbert, Champagny en Vanoise and Montchavin-Les Coches, which have a majority of guest houses and traditional lodges. The other bases are more modern, with larger apartment blocks for those searching for self-catering options.

There are no 5-star hotels in La Plagne, but the beautiful chalets throughout the area provide the perfect accommodation for those looking for more opulent lodgings.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap