| The ski resorts of Les Arcs and La Plagne in | | | | ski villages, La Plagne is planning to send a |
| France is surrounded by spectacular mountain | | | | tentacle across the valley between Montchavin |
| ranges and both ski resorts attract | | | | and Peisy Vallandry to form what will |
| phenomenal amount of skiing enthusiasts on | | | | arguably be the third ski domain in the |
| vacation in France and Europe. La Plagne is | | | | world. |
| like a space city, with its own suburban | | | | |
| satellites and at least 2.5 million so called | | | | Les Arcs, whose connection by Eurostar train |
| 'skier days' and is arguably the single most | | | | terminal at Bourg St. Maurice makes it the |
| visited ski resort in the world along with | | | | most accessible high-altitude French resort |
| its link to neighboring Les Arcs ski resort. | | | | and has always been at the cutting edge of |
| With so many visitors to La Plagne and Les | | | | skiing and snow boarding. It pioneered 'ski |
| Arcs, it follows that there are many hotels | | | | evolutif', a technique for fast learning by |
| and accommodations to cater to the skiers and | | | | progressing quickly from very short skis to |
| tourists alike. | | | | longer ones. It became the principle home of |
| | | | the Kilometre Lancee in which daredevils on |
| La Plagne, is a 'third generation' French ski | | | | huge 237cm or 8 ft skis, clad in thin |
| resort and it probably influenced other | | | | aerodynamic plastic suits and 'Darth Vader |
| French resorts like Flaine, Avoriaz and Les | | | | Star Wars' style visors, speed down a special |
| Arcs to go for brave new world space age | | | | track at breathtaking speeds of about 240kph |
| architecture abandoning the traditional | | | | or 150mph. |
| charming rustic designs of ski resort | | | | |
| architecture. | | | | Similar to La Plagne, Les Arcs has acres and |
| | | | acres of good cruising and its off piste |
| Skiing in La Plagne, you will encounter every | | | | opportunities are simply fabulous. The |
| conceivable permutation of piste and off | | | | Aiguille Rouge, which dominates the resort |
| piste, from exhilarating descents on the huge | | | | has many challenging runs down its front face |
| sweeping glacier at Bellecote (3,000m or | | | | and is also the starting point for one of the |
| almost 10,000ft), to delightful cruising down | | | | longest skiing descents in the French Alps. |
| quiet, meandering, larch lined avenues to the | | | | The largely black run down to the charming |
| charming villages of Montchavin-Les Coches, | | | | village of Villaroger is over 16km or about |
| Champagny-en-Vanoise and Montalbert. In | | | | 10 miles long. Can you beat that! |
| between these two extremes is La Plagne's | | | | |
| biggest attraction for intermediate skiers | | | | With such wonderful skiing opportunities, is |
| anxious to cruise till they drop in the | | | | it any wonder why La Plagne and Les Arcs ski |
| seemingly endless wide open skiing adventure. | | | | resorts claim to attract the most holiday |
| | | | vacation skiers not just in France but in the |
| Having extended its empire to 10 different | | | | world as well? |