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Zone Guide

Paradiski explained.
Simply.

Two completely different ski resorts on one pass, connected by a cable car. 425km of pistes. Here is exactly what everything is, which resort suits you, which village to stay in, and where the best blues are — with no jargon.

What is Paradiski? La Plagne vs Les Arcs Which village? The Vanoise Express Best blues by area Day-by-day plan
Paradiski — Vanoise Express connecting Les Arcs and La Plagne

Start here

Paradiski is two resorts. One pass. One cable car connection.

Paradiski is not a single ski resort. It is the brand name for two entirely separate French ski resorts — La Plagne and Les Arcs — that are sold together on one lift pass and connected by one cable car called the Vanoise Express.

Each resort has its own villages, its own lift system, its own character, and its own piste map. You can ski between them via the Vanoise Express, but most experienced visitors recommend picking one resort per day rather than crossing back and forth.

Paradiski — 425km · One pass · Two resorts
La Plagne
★ Better for intermediates
Belle Plagne2,050m
Best snow · North-facing · Recommended base
Plagne Bellecôte1,930m
Plagne Centre1,970m
Main hub · Ski school here
Plagne 18001,800m
Montchavin / Les Coches1,350m
Vanoise Express station · Tree-lined blues
Champagny1,250m
Plagne Montalbert1,350m
🚡
Vanoise
Express
Les Arcs
Better for advanced skiers
Arc 20002,000m
Highest · Glacier access
Arc 19501,950m
Newest · Most charming village
Arc 18001,800m
Busiest · Most facilities
Arc 16001,600m
Oldest · Quietest
Peisey-Vallandry1,600m
Vanoise Express station · Tree-lined · Quiet

The key decision

La Plagne or Les Arcs? Here is the honest answer.

🎿 La Plagne — choose this if you are an intermediate
  • More blue and red runs than Les Arcs. Longer, easier descents. More forgiving terrain overall.
  • The high plateau (Belle Plagne, Plagne Bellecôte, Plagne Centre area) is some of the best easy intermediate skiing in the French Alps.
  • Multiple Reddit visitors who switched from Val d'Isère or other resorts specifically named La Plagne as "much more enjoyable for mixed-ability groups."
  • Ski school progression route (Boulevard → Bergerie → Colorado) is clearly structured and well-signposted.
  • Below 2,000m can get icy in February — stay on the plateau.
⬛ Les Arcs — choose this if you are advanced or want more challenge
  • Better lift system overall. More challenging on-piste terrain. More blacks and harder reds.
  • The blues in Les Arcs are good but there are fewer of them than La Plagne.
  • Peisey-Vallandry (the village nearest the Vanoise Express) is quieter and more characterful than the main Arc villages — specifically recommended for tree-lined blues and easy reds.
  • Arc 1950 is the nicest village — purpose-built, car-free, good restaurants.
  • If your group has a mix of levels, base in La Plagne — the intermediates will have more to do.

"La Plagne has less challenging pistes — mostly blues and reds. If you want challenging on-piste, go with Les Arcs. But if you want amazing long descents you can take for almost an hour just skiing, La Plagne is extraordinary."

— Reddit, composite of multiple Paradiski visitors

Village guide

Which village should you stay in?

This is the question nobody explains clearly. La Plagne alone has ten villages. Here is the plain-English answer for intermediate skiers.

VillageAltitudeBest forNotes
Belle Plagne ★ Recommended2,050mIntermediates wanting best snowNorth-facing, consistently best snow on the La Plagne side. Direct access to the high plateau blues. Quieter than Plagne Centre.
Plagne Centre1,970mFirst-timers, ski schoolThe main hub. Ski school starts here. Boulevard, Bergerie, Colorado all accessible. Busiest village.
Plagne Bellecôte1,930mIntermediatesGood position on the plateau. Direct access to Roche de Mio and the best upper blues.
Montchavin / Les Coches Vanoise1,350mVanoise Express access, familiesVanoise Express station is here. Tree-lined blues. Quieter than the plateau villages. Lower altitude means snow can be softer — good in cold weather, icy in warm.
Arc 1950 ★ Les Arcs1,950mBest Les Arcs villagePurpose-built, car-free, best restaurants in Les Arcs. Good snow. Most pleasant place to stay on the Les Arcs side.
Arc 18001,800mConvenience, nightlifeBusiest and most developed. Best access to lifts and services. Less charming than 1950.
Peisey-Vallandry1,600mQuiet, Vanoise access, tree skiingThe Les Arcs village at the Vanoise Express. "Quieter than La Plagne with lots of tree-lined blues and easy reds" — Reddit.

The connection

The Vanoise Express — what it is and how it actually works.

The Vanoise Express is a large double-decker cable car that connects Montchavin/Les Coches (La Plagne side) to Plan Peisey (Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry side). It holds up to 200 people and runs regularly throughout the ski day.

⚠ The crossing takes more time than you think
  • The connection is at low altitude. Both stations are around 1,550m — significantly lower than the main ski areas. After crossing, you need to take lifts back up to 2,000m+ to reach the best terrain.
  • Experienced visitors agree: once you've crossed, you don't have much time before you need to start working back. Plan the crossing as an early morning activity, not an afternoon one.
  • Recommended approach: cross first thing in the morning (cable car opens early), ski the other resort all day, cross back in the late afternoon. Do not try to go back and forth in a single day.
  • If you're staying on the La Plagne side and want a Les Arcs day: stay at Montchavin or Les Coches so the walk to the Vanoise Express station is short.
📍 Vanoise Express practical guide
  • La Plagne side station: Montchavin / Les Coches (1,380m) — 15 min ski or walk from Montchavin village
  • Les Arcs side station: Plan Peisey / Peisey-Vallandry (1,550m)
  • Journey time: 4 minutes in the cable car. Total crossing including getting to and from stations: allow 45-60 minutes each way.
  • Capacity: 200 people per car. Can queue in peak periods — aim for first run of the day.
  • Is the Paradiski pass worth it? Community verdict: "80% of situations I would say Les Arcs pass is sufficient — there is plenty of ground to cover." The full Paradiski pass "basically doubles the amount of skiing you can access." Recommendation: book the Les Arcs-only pass for trips under 5 days. Book the full Paradiski pass for a week — one day crossing to La Plagne is worth it and you'll want the flexibility.

Where to ski

Best blues by area — what the community recommends.

🟢 La Plagne — start here for easy blues
  • Golf (Roche de Mio area) — "Nice and open." Wide, forgiving, high plateau. Community-named recommendation.
  • Emile Allais (Belle Plagne area) — La Plagne's signature long blue. Named after the French ski champion. The benchmark run.
  • Arpette and Edmond Blanchoz (Plagne Centre) — "Probably closest to what you're looking for — long, straight, fairly mellow." The two most-named runs for progression.
  • Bergerie → Colorado (Plagne Centre) — The official ski school progression route. Use this to calibrate your level.
  • La Rosa (upper plateau) — "Great blues there" — requires knowing where to go but worth seeking out.
  • Montchavin / Les Coches blues — Tree-lined, quieter than the plateau, good in bad visibility.
🔵 Les Arcs — the intermediate blues
  • Peisey-Vallandry blues — "Quieter than La Plagne with lots of tree-lined blues and easy reds." Specifically recommended in the community for nervous intermediates.
  • Vallée de l'Arc — The signature long Arc run. Starts near Arc 2000 and descends all the way to Arc 1600 — significant vertical, one of the great intermediate descents in the Alps.
  • Arpette (Les Arcs side) — Easy blue near Peisey-Vallandry. Good for warming up before the Vanoise Express crossing.
  • Honest note about Arc 1800 blues: "The blue runs on the Arc 1800 side tend to be boring traverses — like roads running across the mountain." Good for getting down safely, less good for building skills. For better intermediate terrain go to Arc 2000 bowl or Peisey-Vallandry sector.
  • Forêt — Tree-lined blue with shelter in bad weather.
⚠ Snowboarders: watch the Tunnel run
  • The run called Tunnel in La Plagne has a very long flat section. Snowboarders may get stuck. It also has a steep exit out of the tunnel itself.
  • Check with local instructors before attempting — it's specifically mentioned in the community as a snowboarder trap.

Planning your week

A 5-day intermediate itinerary for Paradiski.

📅 Day by day
  • Day 1 — La Plagne plateau, orientation: Start at Plagne Centre. Do the ski school route: Boulevard → Bergerie → Colorado. Calibrate your level. Extend to Arpette and Edmond Blanchoz. Take the Bellecôte gondola to Belle Plagne for afternoon Emile Allais laps. Stay high — below 2,000m in February can get icy.
  • Day 2 — La Plagne upper plateau: Take the Roche de Mio gondola to the high plateau (2,700m). Ski Golf and the upper blues. Seek out La Rosa. The views from Roche de Mio are extraordinary — the whole Paradiski domain visible on a clear day.
  • Day 3 — Vanoise Express to Les Arcs: Cross first thing in the morning from Montchavin to Peisey-Vallandry. Ski the Peisey-Vallandry tree-lined blues (quieter than the main La Plagne area). Extend to Arc 1600 and Arc 1800. Ski the Vallée de l'Arc top-to-bottom if conditions allow. Cross back by 3pm.
  • Day 4 — La Plagne lower villages: Explore Montchavin and Les Coches. Tree-lined blues, different character, quieter than the plateau. Good option if the upper plateau is windy or cloudy.
  • Day 5 — Best of La Plagne: Return to the runs that worked best. Emile Allais if snow is good. Upper plateau if visibility is clear. Push to Verdon if you want a step up in difficulty.
La Plagne blue runs
All 9 runs with honest notes, Leaflet map, and difficulty ratings
View La Plagne runs →
Les Arcs blue runs
All 12 runs with honest notes, Leaflet map, and difficulty ratings
View Les Arcs runs →