The ski area
Les Arcs stacks its villages up the mountainside: Arc 1600 and 1800 on the tree line, Arc 1950 and 2000 higher up beneath the Aiguille Rouge, and Peisey-Vallandry in the forest to the south. All are linked by piste, and almost every apartment is ski-in/ski-out. The local area offers 200 km of slopes with 52 lifts: 104 km of green and blue runs, 70 km of red and 26 km of black, from 1,200 m right up to 3,226 m on the Aiguille Rouge, where the long descent to Villaroger is a classic.
Then there is Paradiski. The Vanoise Express, a double-decker cable car from Peisey-Vallandry, carries you across the valley to La Plagne in minutes, giving 425 km of slopes in total, 70 percent of them above 2,000 m. The 2026/2027 season runs from 12 December 2026 to 24 April 2027.
Who is Les Arcs for?
Les Arcs is a strong choice for families and intermediates who value convenience: park the car on Saturday and forget it until the next Saturday. The blues above Arc 1800 and the gentle runs of Peisey-Vallandry are excellent for improving skiers, while confident skiers have the Aiguille Rouge, the Villaroger run and plenty of off-piste. Après-ski is relaxed; the evening is more about dinner than dancing.
Practical
From Brussels it is about 880 km and 8.5 hours, with the final climb from Bourg-Saint-Maurice; winter tyres or chains are wise. Geneva airport is 150 km away. A 6-day Classic Pass costs 368 euros in 2026/2027 and the full Paradiski Essential Pass 412 euros; go for the latter if you want to try La Plagne.