The ski resort of La Plagne is actually made of up of 11 individual resorts and villages, the oldest dating from 1961 and the newest, Plagne Soleil, opening in 1990. All of these areas have their own charms and attractions, but the best skiing is probably to be found in Plagne Centre or Aime-la-Plagne, where there is a wider choice of runs, snow cannon in case of poor weather and more ski lifts.
La Plagne is one of the smaller Alpine skiing resorts, with just 200 kilometres of slopes and around 50 lifts serving them. There are, however, a large number of black runs and a huge off-piste area, meaning that La Plagne has become more and more popular with experienced skiers and those seeking more of an adrenaline rush. The resort has always been, and remains, a firm favourite with young people, and the lively apres ski entertainment reflects that!
If you want to try out some of the more unusual winter sports, La Plagne is also home to bobsleigh, luge and skeleton tracks, which were built when the Winter Olympics were held in nearby Albertville. As well as the usual ski lifts, there are also two large cable cars, one connecting Plagne Centre to Aime-la-Plagne and a second connecting La Plagne with the neighbouring resort of Les Arcs. This latter is supposedly one of the fastest cable cars in the world, travelling at over 40 kilometres per hour.
These two cable cars are also open in the summer, as well as some of the ski lifts. La Plagne is marketing itself as an extreme sports resort in the summer months, taking advantage of its popularity with younger visitors in the winter. As well as the usual hiking and mountain biking trails, you can also take part in more unusual activities like street luge or mountain boarding, while there is also a white water rafting centre nearby. Children are even catered for with a skate park, mini golf and outdoor swimming pool, though older teenagers might prefer the treetop adventure park; incorporating rope bridges, zip lines and other obstacles. While the kids are off enjoying themselves, parents can take advantage of one of La Plagne’s other summer attractions, a spa resort offering relaxing treatments.
Many of the individual resorts are worth exploring too, as many are based around traditional Alpine villages. Plagne 1800 was a mining village and most of the houses are the typical wooden chalets this area is famous for, while Champagny-en-Vanoise is a pretty town on a south-facing slope. This means the resort gets less snow in the winter, but more sun in the summer.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in La Plagne? Then below is a selection of gites in La Plagne and villas in La Plagne that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
