Snow for it
Confident Caroline Les Arcs – Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 2000 and Arc 1950. Arc 1950, nicknamed Disneyland of the mountains, is a pedestrian only, ski-in, ski-out resort above Bourg Saint Maurice – the perfect excuse to take a quick picture. Elsewhere on the expedition we stopped at the mountain-side restaurant Les Chalet de L’arc on Arc 2000.
Here we lapped up the views as we tucked into a traditional meal of baked bread filled with cabbage, cheese and sausage.
On Les Arcs, ski lifts close at 4.30pm. But worry not, that is when the apres ski kicks in. There are restaurants and bars in all the villages of Les Arcs. Some have clubs.
We found ourselves at the Mont Blanc bar in the village of Peisey Vallandry, where most of the staff and punters were British.
Located at the bottom of the Grizzly lift, overlooking the town of Vallandry – and just a short walk from our chalet – it serves pub food and pizzas as well as à la carte lunch and dinner.
But we were there for the entertainment – a live band playing into the small hours. Vallandry is also the ideal place for buying gifts and local delicacies.
I couldn’t resist the chocolates in Palace du Chocolat.
On the opposite side of Les Arcs is La Plagne, linked by the Vanoise Express cable car.
This double-decker lift can carry up to 200 skiers and spans the 1,800m gap between Plan Peisey and La Plagne, which it crosses in just four minutes.
In the valley below Plan Peisey sits the village of Peisey, along with other small settlements known collectively as Peisey-nantcroix. Peisey is an attractive alpine settlement with a Baroque church, and connects with Plan Peisey via a quaint bucket lift, known locally as “lobster pots”.
The ride down was great fun and the views were out of this world.
After a stroll through the town, we came across a freshly made igloo, which I couldn’t resist climbing into.
Whatever shape or form, Les Arcs got me hooked on that real, actual snow.
Cosy home comforts at Chalet Bayona Pistes at Paradiski Plan Peisey village ee.france.fr