La Plagne (Centre)
Purposeful, modern ski resort with easy access to huge Paradiski ski region
Plagne Centre resort guide - a general overview
Nestled in the heart of the Tarentaise Valley at a snow sure altitude of 1970 metres, Plagne Centre is the original La Plagne ski resort. A premier destination within the Paradiski area, this purpose-built resort offers mostly ski in/ ski out accommodation with immediate access to over 425km of inter-connected pistes.
Renowned for its suitability for families but with fantastic off-piste potential for seasoned skiers. Beginners can take advantage of the accessible nursery slopes conveniently located near the accommodation, while advanced skiers can explore challenging terrain such as the Bellecote Glacier and Les Verdons descent. On a good snow day - the off piste off the side of Inversens is a particular favourite of ours.
After a day on the slopes, visitors can enjoy a variety of après-ski options, from cozy mountain cafés to lively bars for evening entertainment. There are plenty of options for restaurants spanning from traditional Savoyard dishes to crepes and fast food.
Resort stats
425km
1,970m - 3,250m
Level of skiing
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Experts
- Snow sure
- Off-piste
- Ski area
Qualities
- Charm factor
- Non-skiers
- Nightlife
- Resort layout
- Fine dining
- Short transfer
- Resort value
Airports
- Chambery
- 2hrs 15mins
- Lyon
- 3hrs
- Geneva
- 3hrs
1 hotels in La Plagne (Centre), France View All
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Slopes to please skiers & snowboarders from complete beginners through to offpiste experts
- Very family friendly - good ski schools & lots of apres ski activities!
- Mountain restaurants with great views and reasonable prices
- High in altitude and snow sure, especially the Bellecote Glacier
- Linked to Les Arcs by the fantastic Vanoise Express cable car that crosses the valley
Cons
- Not the prettiest looking in the higher parts of resort! The lower villages are more traditional
- There are some flat spots for Snowboarders but route planning means these can be avoided.
- Not a huge variety of nightlife
- Resort buses that are reliable but don't run often or late, miss the last one & you need a taxi
Restaurants
La Plagne (Centre) Resort Restaurants
Le Refuge has been recently modernised and is part of the newly-linked 'tunnels'; there is a fantastic set lunch and dinner menu which is very well-priced as well as good steaks and a large selection of wines. La Metearie is a more traditionally Savoyarde restaurant in both decor and cuisine, with the best Steak Tartare in La Plagne and a very good raclette - this is highly recommended for families. La Grolle is very convenient for lunches, being right on the front de neige opposite the ski school meeting point, and has well-priced soups, pizzas and huge mountain salads served inside and out on the terrace.
La Plagne (Centre) Mountain Restaurants
Mountain Restaurants in La Plagne are generally good value for money and many have fantastic views of the Vanoise National Park or the Tarentaise Valley, and only get really busy during Peak weeks. For stunning views across the valley to Courchevel, the restaurant at the bottom of the Borseliers lift (of the same name) serves delicious croziflette and stews on it's large, self-service terrace - perfect for a sunny day! In bad weather head for the lower tree lined runs that lead down to Les Coches & Montchavin, and try the Chez Pat du Sauget. The Arpette is a good value restaurant in the main part of the piste and is easy to get to for most levels of skiers.
La Plagne (Centre) Apres Ski
The Mouth is the late night bar in Centre, with djs and drinks offers on daily. Igloo Igloo and Le Switch are good French-run bars with busy nights advertised and relatively late opening hours. The Rhumerie in Aime 2000 is a tiny and unique bar reached via the free telemetro from Plagne Centre; sample their fiery chilli rum and deliciously inventive cocktails.
La Plagne (Centre) Nightlife
Nightlife is limited in Plagne Centre, although the après bars tend to stay open until around 1am and Igloo Igloo is open until 3am. For night owls looking for something a bit more exciting there are a couple of club-style bars in the other villages, notably Cosy Bar in Plagne Bellecote which is open until 6am.
Funicular
Cable Car
Gondola
Chair lift
Drag lift
Property
