THE French ski resort of La Plagne has long been a
favourite with families because of its ample supply of
| Picture: Image Bank |
affordable, self-catering accommodation – much of it
ski-in ski-out – gentle nursery slopes and
kids’snow parks.
But what’s pushed it even higher up the popularity stakes
this year is the opening of the double-decker Vanoise Express cable
car, linking it to Les Arcs on the other side of the valley to
create the vast Paradiski area. With 265 miles of piste, Paradiski
is the biggest in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
Not that La Plagne didn’t offer a big enough ski area to
begin with but few, if any, of its runs could be described as
challenging to those with more than a few weeks’ experience.
Skiers who wanted to push themselves had to go off-piste.
What the new link to Les Arc has given skiers staying in La
Plagne is easy access to a wider variety of runs, including some
knee-tremblers on the slopes of the Aiguille Rouge. The area now
incorporates 195 red runs for intermediates, and 27 black runs.
Families staying in La Plagne now have the best of both worlds.
Great nursery slopes and plenty of snow parks for the kids and some
tough skiing over the valley to keep the grown-ups happy.
Getting to Les Arcs is as easy as sticking on your skis. The
lift, with room for 200 people, can shift 2,000 skiers an hour in
each direction so that queues (if there are any) move fast. It
takes only three or four minutes to swing you over the gulf that
separates La Plagne from Les Arcs. Then, hey presto, you’ve
got a whole new winter wonderland to explore for the day.
You can buy a return trip on the Express lift, but if you plan
to go over to Les Arcs more than twice during a week’s
skiing, an area pass works out better value at £170 for six
days.
La Plagne itself consists of 10 self-contained, purpose-built
ski centres, all linked by gondola or by bus. We stayed in Le
Centaure Apartments, right on the slopes of Belle Plagne and only a
few minutes’ walk from the ski school meeting point.
The resort is a bit of a warren, with the shops and restaurants
built on different levels and linked by numerous staircases and
alleyways. It is easy to get lost until you have familiarised
yourself with the layout.
There are plenty of bars and restaurants, including plenty of
child-friendly options and, most importantly for families with
kids, lots of takeaway outlets and small supermarkets.
The Ecole du Ski Français (French ski school) has a good
reputation in La Plagne and takes children as young as three for
five half-days. Our daughter Emelye (aged five) got off to a bad
start, however, as she was put into a class that was too advanced
and her confidence was shattered when her instructor growled that
he didn’t want her there.
She had more luck with the second instructor who had her bumping
down red runs in a deep snow plough by the end of the week,
although, having spied on her lessons from a distance, I have to
say they seemed a little joyless and the instructor a bit harsh,
especially compared to lessons she’d previously enjoyed in
Italy.
There’s a resort crèche for children under four, but
many UK operators run their own kids’ clubs in La Plagne
with English-speaking nannies.
Both of our kids loved playing with us on the nursery slopes on
the Thomson nannies’ day off. Our three-year-old mastered the
art of gliding up the mini escalators on his newly-hired diddy skis
and slipping and sliding back down the runs on his own… until
his mum decided he was a bit too kamikaze and took the skis back to
the shop.
