Les Arcs, France

Les Arcs has exactly what it takes to appeal to British skiers and snowboarders. It is in France - the most popular winter sports holiday destination. It has endless terrain suitable for intermediates – ideal for the typical Brit who goes to the mountains once or twice a year and hasn’t moved beyond the 'plateau'; and it is good value compared to some of its glitzier neighbours.

For skiers travelling by train, Les Arcs has the added advantage of being one of the easiest Alpine resorts to reach. A daytime TGV or overnight Travelski Express takes you directly from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, where a free funicular departs from the station platform to reach the main resort.

Les Arcs is actually a collection of five interconnected resorts – four bearing their altitude in their name (Arc 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000) and the traditional mountain town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice that sits in the valley base (although don’t tell anyone that Arc 1950 is not actually at 1,950 metres).

In the winter of 2003/04, the resort became even more appealing thanks to a link to nearby La Plagne via one of the world’s longest and highest cable cars, the Vanoise Express. The resorts have both improved the lifts taking skiers and snowboarders to the cable car, making day trips around the Paradiski network even more enjoyable.

Snowshoeing in Les ArcsPhoto: Yann Allègre

Highlights

• Part of the Paradiski domain, and great for intermediates
• Easy access to Les Arcs slopes by direct funicular from the Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway station
• Lots of ski-in, ski-out accommodation
  
  

Lowlights

• A few more traditional mountain restaurants would be welcome
• The ground-breaking modernist architecture of Charlotte Perriand, Roger Godino and Guy Rey-Millet is not to everyone’s taste
• Nightlife is relatively quiet in some villages