Les Arcs, Bourg St. Maurice and Peisey/Vallandry Resort Guide

Collectively Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, Villaroger and Bourg St. Maurice make up one half of the huge Paradiski area. It’s also the local resort for most of the Cool Bus team so it goes without saying, we love it!

Les Arcs 1600 and 1800 were built in the 1970’s with Arc 2000 following in the early 80’s all using a similar ‘unique’ style of architecture! The more recent village of Arc 1950 was completed just over 10 years ago by Canadian company Intrawest and this influence is clearly seen in its architecture. Vallandry certainly wins the award for the most attractive village in the area and has a unique, central position in the heart of the Paradiski, meaning it’s just as easy to head to La Plagne for a few hours skiing as it is to spend the day in Les Arcs. 

The smaller villages of Peisey-Nancroix and Villaroger have developed from farming hamlets and as such retain a charming traditional feel but lack some of the amenities of the larger villages.

Then down in the valley, the hub town of Bourg St. Maurice links to Arc 1600 via a very efficient funicular railway which takes just 7 minutes to whisk you up the 800 metre climb! Bourg is more of regular town and as such has more amenities than you might expect from a place of its size! A great place to stay and a good deal cheaper than accommodation up in the ski area and you might even bump into a Cool Bus driver or two!

The Skiing

The area has a great mix of pistes for all abilities. Each village has its own nursery slopes but our favourite is probably in Arc 1800, accessed by the new Villards bubble lift which is part of the Mille 8 area. For beautiful treelined pistes head to Peisey-Vallandry and Arc 1600. Arc 1800 and 2000 have some great red and blue pistes for blasting down. Snowboarders and skiers looking for some good cruising runs with fun jumps off to the side won’t regret a few laps of the Derby and Grizzly chairlifts!

There is an excellent Snowpark between Arc 1600 and 1800. No half-pipe but the kickers and other features are beautifully shaped and maintained by the snow park crew. There’s a line of blue jumps for beginners, red line for intermediates, black line for advanced skiers and snowboarders and then over on the far side, the huge pro kicker, which plays will play host to a FIS Big Air event again this winter. Additional features change from year to year but there’s likely to be a quarter pipe, hip jump, rails and boxes of varying degrees of difficulty, an air bag and the famous waterslide outside the Altiport restaurant!

There is some incredible off-piste to be had in Les Arcs. Some of this is easy to access and very obvious from the piste and consequently gets tracked out very quickly. To get to the harder to find stuff we would absolutely recommend hiring a guide for the day. The SkiBro app is a great way to hook yourself up with a knowledgable, independent guide (use the discount code COOLBUS for money off!). If there’s a group of you it can work out pretty cheap. Either way, if you are heading off the piste please make sure you are carrying an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe as an absolute bare minimum, and that you know how to use them. There is an avalanche park situated at the top of the Trans Arcs and Arcabulle lifts which you can use to practise searching with a transceiver. Or failing that use the tried and tested method of getting mate to bury one in the snow for you to find!

Cranking some turns down one of our favourite spots in Les Arcs. Photo credit: Emily Horridge

Get Your Facts Straight

• Part of the world’s 2^nd largest inter-linked ski area
• 70% of all pistes above 2000m
• 6 ski in/ski out villages
• 425km of pistes 
• 132 lifts
• Skiing from 1200m to 3250m
• Opens 15^th December 2018 and closes 27th April 2019
• Ski pass Les Arcs Adult – 60 euros/day  or  305 euros/6 days
• Nearest airport – Chambery (120km) but most popular Geneva (155km)

 

Bars

If you are staying up in 2000 then don’t miss Whistlers. As well as being a legendary bar they also have a great food menu (also available as take away or delivered) and live music. They stay open late into the night and its a great spot to catch that all important football match!

Just down the road in Arc 1950, you’ll find the only Irish bar in Les Arcs – La Belle Pinte, which is a great spot for a social pint of Guinness.

Bar King Mad or BKM as it’s become known, is the seasonnaires bar of choice in Arc 1800 (Place de Villards). Excellent food and cocktails, DJs and bands. The huge glass doors open up in the spring to join the interior with the outside terrace. Great spot for spring apres DJ sessions and a gourmet alfresco burger!

Another favourite just next door to that is the Red Hot Saloon. At the other end of Arc 1800 is Chez Boubou’s, a popular and often rowdy little bar which attracts French locals and seasonnaires alike.

Big news for 2019/20 is that the Folie Douce are opening an establishment above 1800 near the top of the Villards bubble. If you are not familiar with the Folie Douce vibe its certainly worth paying a visit for the experience. The most decadent, hedonistic apres-ski parties you are ever likely to witness! Already well established in resorts such as Val d’Isere and Meribel, it will be interesting to see how it fits into the more low-key vibe of Arc 1800!

The legendary Bar Mont Blanc can be found in Vallandry right next to the piste below the Grizzly lift. Whether it’s something on Sky Sports you just can not miss, a game of pool, an apres beer on the sun deck or live music you’re after, The Mont Blanc is where it’s at. If you are staying in the lower villages of Peisey-Nancroix make sure you pay a visit to Greg’s Bar, a cosy underground drinking spot with a friendly atmosphere.

There are many good bars down in Bourg St. Maurice but don’t miss l’Entrinque. It’s a great little bar with a friendly atmosphere, big football and rugby matches showing on the TV and our favourite Signal beer on tap (amongst others)! Also an exhaustive wine menu and they frequently have live bands playing. The Cool Bus FM Mobile Disco has even been known to put in an appearance on their front terrace!

Our other Bourg favourites include Le Kozy and the brand new PSB Tap Room but for an apres beer right next to the funicular head straight to Charly’s Factory who also have an excellent food menu. Don’t miss the Cherry Garden which is the nearest thing you can find in Bourg to an English pub garden! They have ale on tap and an excellent Thai food menu.

Restaurants

In Bourg St. Maurice we really are spoiled for restaurants and the variety of what’s on offer might surprise you…

For a delicious tajine you can’t go wrong with l’Oasis. They have an extensive, authentic Moroccan menu including couscous, kebabs, sweet pastries, wines and teas.

For some asian delights head to Cherry Garden with its great Thai Fusion menu. When the weather’s good you can also eat out in the garden which is ideal if you’ve got kids in tow.

For a menu fusing the best of British and French cuisine head to Le Kozy. The only spot in town that can sort you out with that all important full English if you’ve had a heavy one the night before! They also serve locally brewed beers from PSB and Sapaudia both of which we highly recommend!

We also love Charly’s Factory next to the funicular, the cosy Montagnole, and the Michelin starred Arssiban.

For what has to be the absolute best coffee in Bourg, head to the Pause Cafe on avenue du stade. They also serve snacks including delicious Kurtos which is a bit like a massive curly doughnut! The cafe has expanded next door during the summer and now has three times as much indoor space, ideal for those cold winter days!

Up in Arc 1800, BKM has made something of a name for itself thanks in particular to their gourmet burgers. The Mountain Cafe at the Charvet end of Arc 1800 is an excellent Tex-Mex style restaurant with a great atmosphere and very popular with the locals. Two other great burger joints in 1800 are Roster and  La Popote, both highly recommended!

Special mention to the renowned l’Ancolie restaurant down in Nancroix below Peisey. If you’re looking for an incredible menu served in beautiful surroundings by friendly, welcoming staff then this is the place! Just up the road from here, on the very edge of the Vanoise National Park is the newly opened Le Petit Hibou. Offering a refreshing and imaginative menu, in house craft beers and great service this has very quickly garnered an excellent reputation amongst locals in the valley.

Up in Arc 2000, Whistlers has a great menu that is also available to take away. The Kilimanjaro is popular for evening food and serves up local speciality dishes.

Next door in Arc 1950 the Nonna Lisa offers traditional French and Savoyarde food in the Refuge du Montagnard including the local holy trinity of fondue, tartiflette and raclette! With an attractive wooden interior its a great spot for big groups and family meals.

Brasserie Le 1950 is tipped for good food with a sleek and typical ‘brasserie’ interior, located within the Manoir Savoir residences. Chalet Luigi is popular with families and offers lots of pasta as the name suggests. Situated on the Marmottes piste as you enter the village, it’s a good place for lunch or dinner.

Up on the mountain, the Bulle Café is a great spot to grab a snack or a full blown fresh fish platter during the day. Situated underneath the Arcubulle chair lift in the Arc 2000 sector, it’s right on the piste and is a dome shaped structure which you can’t really miss unless you’re skiing with your eyes shut! 

If you’re after something quick to eat head into Arc 1950 head to Meli-Snack. You can literally ski up to the door, wolf down an american sandwich and then ski off again!

Le Sanglier qui Fume located underneath the Mont-Blanc chair lift, just out of Arc 1600 opened a few years ago and has fast become the place to go for lunch and more sophisticated late afternoon/après drinks with tasty bites to choose from the menu to go with your well earned wine and beers at the end of a hard days skiing.

 

Ski Schools

SkiBro is an innovative platform that enables you to find your perfect instructor or group lesson, with profile videos, bios and customer reviews… and book instantly, either online or via the SkiBro app. Whether you’re a first-timer or seasoned skier or snowboarder, SkiBro takes away all of the hassle of booking lessons or a guide and makes it easy to do last minute 24/7 in resort.

Book at www.skibro.com or download the app in the App Store or Google Play. Speak to your driver for a discount code or use the code COOLBUS at checkout

New Generation Ski & Snowboard School (www.skinewgen.com) in Vallandry is a British run, award winning school that provides group and private lessons for children and adults of all abilities. You can also choose an Adventure day to explore more of the Paradiski area or book a ‘Developer’ session if you’re at an intermediate or advanced level.

AIM Snowsports are a British run ski school offering private ski and snowboard lessons to all ages and abilities. Their instructors are friendly, experienced professionals who are expert in giving you the best experience possible on snow.  www.ski-aim.com

These days, most French ski resorts have an Ecole du Ski Francais (ESF) and as opposed to years gone by, most have English speaking instructors. It is worth bearing in mind that group lessons can often be large in number, especially during the peak weeks of the holidays. 

Another French ski school growing in popularity in most resorts is Evolution 2. As with the ESF, Evo 2 (www.evolution2-lesarcs.com) go beyond the normal ski and snowboard lessons as they have fully qualified high mountain guides if you are looking for an off-piste, wilderness adventure. In Les Arcs you can find a branch of both ESF and Evo 2 in nearly all villages across the resort.

Fancy a new challenge? Try learning to Telemark with the Ecole du Ski Internationale (www.arc-aventures.com).

 

Other Stuff To Do

The Rodeo Park is a 3km toboggan run at 2000m! It’s open to kids and adults over the age of 12 with a valid lift pass as it starts just below the top of the Transarc and Arcabulle lifts. 

There’s also a shorter but very fast toboggan run in the Mille 8 area, in Arc 1800, which finishes through a tunnel with strobing rainbow lights! They even play the music from Mario Karts so it feels a bit like being in a computer game! 

Other attractions at Mille 8 include a fun beginners piste with obstacles for the kids (which is also floodlit in the evenings) and an easy skier-x course. Access is via the Villards bubble lift which runs until late and a you’ll also find a decent bar and restaurant at the top!

A great off-snow activity to try is the Laser Game in 1800. You’ll find it at the Charvet end of town, just down the stairs from Boubous bar. We’ve tried it and its great fun for kids and adults alike! Open every day from 4pm.

The Grotte de Glace (120m long ice caves) at the top of the TransArc bubble is a cave full of icy sculptures and well worth a visit. There’s a restaurant nearby too. 

The Outdoor Ice Rink in Arc 2000 is chilly fun for the family.  If all that sounds a bit cold then the new 3800m² Centre Aqualudique in Arc 1800 is an indoor pool with water fountains, spa area and a waterside for the kids!

Fancy dinner or a night in an igloo? Head to the Igloo Village near Arc 2000 (village-igloo-arcs.fr). You’ll also find a really cool igloo ice bar and ice sculptures. A great place to hang out for a few hours if the weather closes in!

Locals Tip

In spring, grab a pack of beers, a baguette and some sausages from the Sherpa in 1800 then jump on the Villards bubble. From the top, walk or ski down the short distance to “Les Cabanes” where you’ll find an open sided chalet with a supply of wood and a metal fire bowl with grill. A perfect spot for an alfresco barbecue and the chalet faces directly towards the setting sun! The Villards bubble runs until 8pm or you can simply ski back down the floodlit piste into 1800 once you’re done.

 

What’s happening?

• Winter Film Festival – 7th until the 10th November in Bourg St. Maurice. Two days and three nights of outdoor sports films shown across two screens. Plus an expo village, seminars, bands and the Cool Bus FM Mobile disco pumping out the tunes in the evenings!
• 11^th Edition of the Festival de Cinema European des Arcs – 14^th to 21st December – The winter season has barely kicked off but possibly Les Arcs’ most important showcase is the European Cinema Festival for which Cool Bus are the official transport supplier! A week long event with films shown throughout the resort.
• FIS Big Air Comp – 3rd and 4th January – Organised by our good friends and partners, the Les Arcs Freeski Academy. Using the beautifully shaped pro kicker in the Les Arcs Snow Park, last year this event was huge so we expect similar again in 2020!
• Freeride Week – 26th January until 3rd February – Les Arcs backcountry plays host to a full week of junior and senior, national and international Freeride competitions. Expect big things from the Les Arcs Freeski Academy!
• Electronic Peak Festival – March 16th until the 20th – Now in its 3rd year. Expect DJ sets at the Bulle Cafe above Arc 2000, a freestyle event outside BouBous in 1800 supported by the Cool Bus FM Mobile disco and we even here rumours of a tunnel rave! It all culminates in a big party at the Taillefer centre in 1800 on the Friday which will keep revellers dancing late into the night with the Cool Bus Disco on hand once again keep things pumping outside the venue.
• European Gay Ski Week – 21st until 28th March – This iconic event will take place in Les Arcs for the second year running. Not to many details released just yet but I’d say there’s a fair chance they will make use of the brand new Folie Douce in Arcs 1800! Expect the biggest and most spectacular LGBT winter sports and music festival the Alps has ever seen!
• Ski2Bike – 12th April – A relay competition that takes place after the ski lifts close. Starting from the top of the Arpette chairlift, competitors set off en-masse with a Le Mans style start before clipping into their skis and racing down to Arc 1600. Here they tag their team mate who then races down to Bourg on a mountain bike. We’ve done it for the past two years and highly recommend it! Here’s our video of the race so you can see what to expect – https://vimeo.com/214579335 There’s a good chance you’ll also see the Cool Bus Mobile Disco keeping people entertained at the finish line as we did last year!