Towering over this largely beginner and intermediate playground is the 3,417m summit of Bellecôte, its slopes the starting point for some challenging, long off-piste descents. However, with the opening of the Glacier gondola in 2023/24 at a cost of €26 million, the top of the ski area is at 3080m, a ten-minute ride from Roche de Mio. It will offer a panoramic “Live 3000” experience and snack bar with terrace overlooking the Vanoise glaciers.
The spectacular Vanoise Express cable car links La Plagne to Les Arcs, spanning a valley 1,800m wide and 380m deep; the two resorts together form the enormous 425km Paradiski area (an area which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023/24).
La Plagne’s most distant outpost is the traditional village of Champagny-en-Vanoise. It’s possible to travel from here across half a dozen valleys to the outskirts of Villaroger at the far end of the Les Arcs area. However, it entails a frustratingly long time spent on lifts. If on a week’s holiday it makes sense to mainly concentrate on the substantial amount of slopes La Plagne has to offer and make a one-day foray to Les Arcs.