Les Arcs

Les Arcs: reviews

• skiclub.co.uk visitor (09 April 2010)

  Just spent a week in Arc 1800 this Easter - awesome snow this season, almost too much as it was so thick our skis sank down into the powder, especially on the 'nosebleed' run down to Villaroger which was almost deserted the morning we went, virgin snow most of the 4 km we did on the Aiguille Rouge red run from Arc 2000.

  
  Found a great new restaurant called Chez Clarisse in Arc 1800 which had an excellent choice of local Savoie dishes - highly recommended. As always the cheapest beer at 3 euros for a Stella was at Benji's - though I still like Chez Boubou for the footy on the big screens - watched Man U take some stick in Germany with some noisy Brit company!

  
  Best value ski pass was the 'apres midi' from 12.30hrs onwards at 34 euros, covering all Les Arcs area - if you don't like getting up too early in the morning. The L'Arpette cafe above 1800 still has the best crepes for 3 euros! I have to cringe at the plate of chips for 5.50 euros though, extortionate! Gordon Brown what have you done to our sterling exchange rate?!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (06 March 2010)

  We have skied Les Arc twice now. Once we stayed in 1800 and this year we stayed at 1950. I can't say enough about this place, It's fantastic. Loads of skiing all day everday. Snow is great, piste conditions are great. Yes it's a little pricey, but tell me where isn't in the French ski resorts? Ski down to Vallandry, you get cheaper prices over there for lunch.

  
  We love it here, it's great for families. We stayed at the Le Belmont in 1800, which was excellent, and Le village Apartments 1950. also excellent - doorstep skiing for both. In 1950 you are right up there in on the slopes. there is something for everyone here

  
  We have been so spoilt , that we are having problems deciding where to go next year... Tignes..? Meribel..? we are not sure. We have skied Courchevel and wasn't too taken by this place... we'll see.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (16 February 2010)

  Just came back from a week skiing Les Arcs. Stayed in Arc 2000, skiied in the morning with children, who were beginners/early intermediates. Resort worked fine for them, albeit somewhat cold (2000m in February = cold) and not ideal for true beginners (no magic carpet).

  In the afternoon, was off looking for powder, steep skiing and big off-piste routes and found them in abundance. We were blessed with great snow, but the resort obviously has a lot of offer - lots of different routes, some very easily accessed and other with short rope-descents into them. Definitely impressed. There's also a very good French-language website for off-piste route info, worth checking before you go: http://www.espace-arcadien.fr/. Best of all, it seemed like hardly anyone was out there looking for the big lines so we often had the more committing off-piste skiing to ourselves.

  If you get to Arc 2000, the Tabac up on the Place Haute (near the Patinoire/ice-skating rink) has the off-piste guidebook, "Les Cles du Paradiski", which is worth a look. Enjoy.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (26 January 2010)

  Stayed in Arc1800 and skied all the mountain this January - awesome snow! The best skiing in years! Did the Transarc cable to Arc1950 / 2000 and then up to the Aiguille Rouge peak for a fantastic long run back to 1800 village via the L'Arpette mountain cafe .... just the best food and beer! Go now!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Ian (24 January 2010)

  Just had a great week in Les Arcs. Great ski area, easy to find your way around, well designed lift system. Stayed at Hotel La Cachette in 1600 - excellent for quick lift access but if you are after a rocking nightlife this is not the place for you. 1800 seems to be where there is more to do on a night but if staying at 1600 you are pretty stranded - last bus back down from 1800 is 9.15 pm and we were quoted a ludicrous price for a taxi back. That said, we were there to ski and would go back for that. Didn't bother with the pass for La Plagne - more than enough piste to cover in Les Arcs.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Gary Wong (17 April 2009)

  Just a small note for those who drive to Arc1800 - the Mayor of B-S-Maurice has decided to impose a daily parking charge on all car visitors of nearly GBP 10 a day (yes, that's £70 a week), so if you need to park for the week either leave your car for free at Arc1600 and use the free bus/navette service to 1800, or use the Funicular cable car from B-S-M to get up to the resort. If you feel really fit, park your car about half a mile down the mountain road from Arc1800 in the free (but small) car park and hike up to the resort - there are no pavements so get out your boots and torch!

  Apart from this inconvenience for car owners, the skiing is still great!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (14 April 2009)

  Just returned this Sunday 12th April from Arc1800 - had a great week skiing in the sun... lower slopes now slushy especially the Chantel run but for intermediates heading for the Transarc lift over to Arc1950/2000 the skiing was still fine - go higher up to the Grand Col or Aiguille Rouge and it’s still great! Prices are high for us Brits... I paid over £4 for a half pint of lager! Still, the pizzas are affordable - just. Best value skiing is the 33 euro half-day/4 hour ski-pass... then retire to the L'Ambiente bar in Arc1800 for the half-price happy hour... this bar also had some great free live rock music - the '100% Stoned' rock band were very good.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (06 April 2009)

  Just back from Les Arcs 1950. Great skiing but extremely expensive. This is not just down to the exchange rate but the silly prices they charge. Best head down the funicular and buy your shopping in the valley. Does not take too long. Best kept secret (until now) is George's wine bar. Great wine, inexpensive and relaxed. George will even let you bring your dinner and eat in there. Just bring your own cutlery. Stayed in the Radisson, quite nice apartments but poor service for a radisson. Would still recommend Les Arcs but will be heading to Tignes next year.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Sally McGugan (30 March 2009)

  Best place for lunch is La Refuge, Vallandry. Plat du jour for 11 euros, plus great salads, stone-baked pizzas, etc., etc. (also does kid's menu suitable for older kids including drink and ice-cream with sparkly twizzler for 8.50 euros). Leave skis at bottom of Vallandry lift and go down behind first row of shops.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (26 March 2009)

  Living in London, skiing in Les Arcs makes the journey a lot more convenient using the Eurostar service from St.Pancras to Bourg-St-Maurice, then up the funicular to the resort. The great thing about skiing in Arc1800 is the convenience of the ski-in-out apartments - if you choose your location carefully eg Mirantin or Archeboc apts - allowing you to hop onto the Transarc lift with access to all the mountain areas including Arc1950/2000 ... a joy .... with a vast choice of pistes to suit intermediates and advanced skiers. And for beginners the ESF school is highly regarded and the Chantel starter's lift inexpensive at 3 euros a ride. Some complain about the lack of clubs, but there are some pretty good value restaurants such as Casa Mia, Laurel and Tex Mex, plus cheap on-slope mountain cafes such as L'Arpette. In the evening there's a huge choice of bars to indulge in from Jungle (snowboarders under 25) to the Golf hotel bar and huge log fireplace (def over 30... ) And if you are self-catering, then the Sherpa supermarket is all you need ... hot baguettes baked on the premises, a rotisserie, meats and cheeses, wines etc. Having skied most of the Tarentaise valley including Val D'Isere I can thoroughly recommend Arc1800 for a laid-back fun ski holiday, probably more affordable and fun than 1950/2000 or 1600 (which is more family/kids oriented). And if you're adventurous you can do the Paradiski pass over to La Plagne and its massive terrain... But for me, nothing beats a good long downhill run from the Aiguille Rouge (3200m) to either Villaroger (1200m) or back to Arc1800... this is what skiing was meant to be like... Bon voyage

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (06 March 2009)

  Spent Feb half term at 1950 (with half of the UK!). The skiing was fantastic with runs for most levels of skiers. We were blessed with cold and sunny days for almost all the week -consequently some runs were very icy but off piste was good. Despite being so busy the queues for lifts were not as awful as we were expecting -some were to be avoided, especially at pick up times from classes but on the whole they moved along reasonably quickly. We didn't get passes to La Plagne (there's a credit crunch on you know!), but we found the skiing extensive enough for a weeks skiing. 1950 is very expensive -even with the appalling Euro rate. It was cheaper to eat up the mountain (almost half the price). The restaurants were not that exciting in the resort, but OK-booking a good idea especially in the Italian (full of Brits eating 10 Euro pizzas!) There is a Spar which is quite good, so we ate in more than we would normally. We were interested to see how Intrawest 'did' Europe-we stayed in Whistler last year and I think the resort in 1950 was much nicer- with building in keeping with Alpine style. We would happily stay at the Radisson and ski in Les Arc again-with hopefully a better exchange rate. Excellent week’s skiing - wish I was still there!!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Ian Southall (03 April 2008)

  Just returned from a fabulous week (22-29 March) in Les Arcs 1950. My enthusiasm for the skiing variety, snow conditions and quality of the accommodation in Auberge Jerome, was seriously curtailed however by two aspects that could so easily have been so much better.

  Being an Intrawest resort, there was a noticeable lack of competition amongst traders. Two ski concessions had captured the entire market with accordingly high prices. The Board Shop is relatively cheaper than Ogier Sports, but there are massive queues in both on Saturdays. The restaurants in 1950 were also ludicrously expensive, even compared to quality restaurant prices in central London. In fact, the prices in 1950 exceeded all others around the resort by a significant margin – even those in the mountain restaurants where one expects to pay a premium. We ate in more here than we ever have before, which was not aided by the fact the single Spar supermarket is too small and inadequately supplied.

  The other complaint we have is that the serviced apartments did not have any provision for those attempting to provide the service. Thus on most mornings, the inadequate, slow lifts were usually shared with waste carts or bed linen trolleys and as a result of their infrequency were too full to enter. On change-over day, the corridors were a true fire hazard; they were so heavily congested with cleaning trolleys that movement of suitcases became a real challenge. It transpires there are no service lifts and the corridors are too narrow to be used as storage areas for domestic staff's carts, trolleys etc. In case of fire, there would have been very serious difficulties in evacuating.

  If the prices became less ridiculous I would willingly return to Les Arcs as despite the above complaints, the other facilities were very good and the ski-in, ski-out to access much appreciated.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (19 March 2008)

  In the last week of January 2008, I spent a week at the Chalet Paradis in Arc 2000 with my girlfriend. We booked last minute with Ski World, and had a great time. I have previously holidayed in Tignes, Val d'Isere and Flaine in France, and I think the terrain on offer in Les Arcs is at least equal to all those. We certainly didn't miss the link to La Plagne (though Ski World ran a coach trip there one day), as the Les Arcs area alone is enough to keep most skiers happy for a week.

  It was our first time in a catered chalet and we were impressed with the food and social atmosphere too - thanks Pickle! Only people who may not enjoy Les Arcs so much are absolute beginners, as there weren't any real green runs...but intermediate heaven, especially above Vallandry and Plan Peisey. Also, I have skied in the US and New Zealand as well as major European resorts, and I was very impressed with the overnight piste grooming.

  As for the much maligned architecture of Les Arcs and the reputedly dull atmosphere of Arc 2000, I think that the reputation is undeserved. There are several bars in 2000 and 1950 is very accessible for expensive restaurants if that's your thing. Would definitely go back to Les Arcs, Vanoise Express or not!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (18 March 2008)

  Stayed in Les Arcs 1950 for last week in February. Children attended Spirit 1950 ski school which was excellent although no other English children in the lessons. Couldn't get early lessons - were given 11.30 until 2pm slot which was a killer for the kids - too late to get any lunch inside them to be able to ski in the afternoon.
  

  Stayed at Le Village apartments - beautiful and excellently equipped and truly were "ski-in ski-out." which was fantastic with children.

  Restaurants limited. Best by far was the Italian - we practically lived there all week for lunch and dinner but booking essential.

  Chambery airport is to be avoided at all costs, especially on a Saturday, absolute nightmare!!!!

  Skiing good but snow was heavy in the afternoon - not what we expected for February at this altitude.

  We would recommend Les Arcs but we will be trying somewhere else next year!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (15 March 2008)

  In Les Arcs 1950 for the 3rd time and the skiing is fantastic. 7 degrees and full sun at about 3pm today and now the snow is coming down really heavily. I have got to say that the Radisson is pretty cool, staff very friendly and the apartments are as good as they get. The negatives are without doubt the restaurants and the service in them. The food is over priced and we were killing ourselves laughing at the standard of it.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Evan Holm (15 February 2008)

  We stayed in the Radisson in 1950 for the first week of Feb 08 and had a fantastic time. Weather was superb with 4 days of bright sun and pure blue skys with a dump of snow the day before we arrived and a couple of days of light snow during the week to freshen things up. groups.

  1950 was nice but a tad expensive and catered to families more than to a group of 20 somethings. 1800 is probably the place to go if you want to do things a bit cheaper and especially if the Apres is a big part of your holiday. It's also more central to the resort with easy access to all the other villages, lifts and best pistes.
  

  There is a bus that runs between all the resorts but we didn't get to use it as it stops running about 21.30 - so not suitable for late night drinking. You could get a taxi but we were told it needs to come up from Bourg Saint-Maurice and is a bit pricey.

  The skiing was great (helped by the sun and snow) and there are plenty of different routes to explore on both sides of the hill. The best runs are on the 1600/1800 side of the hill and up above Vallandry/Plan Peisey but there's a very nice run from Col du Grand Renard to the bottom of the Marmotte lift below 1950.

  There are lots of fast wide blue and red pistes as well as plenty of mogul covered reds and blacks. The ungroomed pistes are quite fun too, though some of the ungroomed blacks were a bit challenging for most of our group, although none of us are vastly experienced. Cascades is a nice easy run (very good for beginners) below 1950 to start the day with befor heading up to 2000 or over to 1600.

  The view from the top of Aiguille Rouge is pretty good but the lift isn't very fast and on a clear day (like when we went) the queue gets very long (it took us an hour to get on). So it's probably best to go early to avoid a long wait. The black run down is probably easier than the red run, which is pretty narrow and uninteresting at the top.

  For Apres in 1950 O Chaud was always very lively and right opposite the Hotel. Also there's quite a nice wine bar run by a friendly English guy right next door.

  Probably the most enjoyable place we ate was the mexican though all of the restaurants were fairly decent but very very busy. If you want to eat in 1950 around 8 o'clock you need to book or you'll struggle to find anywhere. There are restaurants in 2000 if you get stuck, but these get pretty busy too.

  As mentioned elsewhere there's a very good bakery and a Spar if you fancy making the most of the self catering - but they are quite small and the queues can get a bit long at times.

  2000 is good for a change of scene and not as ugly as some people had portrayed it to me, plus a little cheaper for some things. It has a gondola called Cabriolet that you don't need your skipass for and runs until 11 o'clock - though if you miss the last one it's a fairly short walk down the piste to 1950.

  We got our skis/boards from a brilliant little shop called Equilibres Ski & Surf in 2000. It was run by a bunch of very friendly french guys who gave us a lot of banter about the rugby (England lost to Wales and Scotland had lost to France) as well as some very good advice on where to go and what to do. They were cheaper than our Inghams Rep and gave us a group discount. Equipment was good and they let us change our gear without charge when we wanted and did it all with a smile. Would definitely recommend.

  Ski hire in 1950 on the other hand was very dear - 2 to 3 times as expensive (€200+ for 6 days for skis alone in one place)

  The Radisson itself was good, though they took an age to get everyone checked in when we arrived, the staff were very helpful at pointing us in whatever direction we asked of them - much more helpful than our rep. The "wellness centre" was also pretty good with sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and outdoor hot pool (not so hot when 10 kids are having a snowball fight in it) and some of the girls paid for a massage, that they inform me was very good.

  All in all a very good holiday - I'd definitely go to Les Arcs again, though I'd probably stay in 1600 or 1800.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 January 2008)

  December 2007 - First week of the season and the conditions were perfect. Stayed in Plan Peisey which has the best skiing in Les Arcs. Great skiing for young children. Skied over to 1950 with my 5yr old and watched disney on ice. We went with Esprit who were excellent. Chalet Caistor was very good with good food and perfect views from the outdoor hottub. Walk up the stairs (80) was a minor pain, but we would go back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jonathan Scott (31 December 2007)

  Christmas in Les Arcs 1950 is a real treat. The resort is wedged between the truly awfully looking 2000 and 1800 below, the village has an almost plastic feel about - with music pumped into the streets to accompany your stay, the street entertainment was always accompanied by people on stilts dancing to african / middle eastern music, it was clear that the whole resort was new and not in fact many years old as the buildings portray.

  There's a great litle bakery open 7am to 7pm with some lovely cakes and pastries. Valentinos was a good place for Italian food.

  The pistes around the resort gave access in any direction, although novices, early or nervous intermediates will find the blue runs around 1950 a little steep and icy at the end of the day. Lifts were efficient although the old chairlifts are far to slow especially around 2000 which always seemed very windy.

  Although the snow fall had been well above average by the end of the week it had become a little icy and patchy in places, when I discussed this with a seasoned traveller to Les Arcs he stated it was still very good for Christmas. Great trip.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (29 December 2007)

  Going back to Les Arcs for my 3rd visit in as many years. Just heard the news about the Vanoise Express and I have to say I am absolutely gutted. But things could be worse at least I will still have 200+ km of the best maintained and varied piste to be found anywhere in the world. The Les Arcs side of the valley is far better than the La Plagne side in my opinion, so things could be worse!!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 December 2007)

  Just to give you an update - after having just booked a last minute holiday to La Plagne/Les Arcs I have discovered that as of today (22 Dec) the vanoise express cable car (linking la plagne and les arcs) is going to be closed this entire winter!!! Thought you might like to update your readers. No doubt there will be a bus of sorts but a massive disappointment given that a huge plus of paradiski is the ability to ski the vast number of different runs/areas without dragging your ski stuff miles and taking buses etc. Just my luck!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (29 April 2007)

  Arc 1950. Everything you have heard is true. The best ski appartments ever courtesy of Radisson. This purpose built village shows the rest of France what service is. We went with Inghams who I would reccomend. The smiley rep mike, has been there for years. With its altitude good snow is assured as much as it can be. Bad points. Not many, the few restaurants are a bit pricey but the Spar is good. It is a bit 'disney on the piste' but thats a small price to pay to avoid the usual Gualish reserve when it comes to service good service. Highly reccomended.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 April 2007)

  The snowboarding in Les Arcs on 24 March was good. They had a park for jumps which was one of the biggest i've seen. We had the discovery pass which was one day in La Plagne (not long enough). Down at the bottom of 1800m the runs got a bit slushy. The beer was a little expensive (7 euros pint), but the best bar to go in was the Red Hot Saloon.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (03 April 2007)

  Had 5 nights at Radisson in 1950 from March 23rd.

  Accomodation:

  Arc 1950 is an amazing place for families with young kids....car free, compact, safe. We were in an apartment in the Radisson which is not really a hotel as it markets itslf but a hotel apart. Had lovely kitchen and quality fittings akin to a hotel but room was not cleaned once. You can step straight out the door of the locker room and put your skis on and ski 50 metres to a main lift with (in our time there) no ques whatsoever. You can also ski right back to same door. Hassle free. Resort:

  Arc 1950 as many have said is very....Disney. It lacks atmosphere and is not like being in France. It is VERY convenient.

  Skiing:

  Amazing area, we are good skiers and we got the first lift up and last lift / run down every day. It's well worth skiiing over to La Plagne, it has much better on piste restuarants and it's a much nicer ski area.....you can see Courcheval just across the valley! But you need to really ski hard to get there, have lunch, go up to the glacier and then make it back to top of Les Arcs to ski back down to 1950. The skiing is a bit dull in Les Arcs with lots of blues, skiing down to Vilaroger right from the top is great though. All in all 1950 great for kids, small families. La Plagne is better skiing.....double decker Vanoise Express lift is incredible...

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (29 March 2007)

  I've been to Les Arcs three times in the last 24 years and it's still a bit of a favourite. Varied terrain, lots of sunshine and a batch of genuine black runs that border on real off-piste.

  Since I first went, the lifts have been modernised and speeded up and a few extras installed. The uplift is impressive. Unfortunately the amount of accommodation has increased even more!

  In 1983 arc 2000 was a cold and deserted backwater with only the Aiguille Rouge as an attraction. Now the whole of Les Arcs seems to catch the new gondola over to the top of the Arc 2000 bowl and endlessly ski round and round the dull blues down to 1950 - the crowds are oppressive until you realise that nowhere else is nearly as crowded and there are still empty tracts of piste to enjoy (especially the red and blue motorways at 1800), it's just a matter of crowd dodging. You still have to queue (30 - 40 minutes or so) for the Aiguille Rouge cable car, but it's worth doing a few times during a week - the view is amazing and though the standard red down is largely a cart track there are REAL blacks down the front of the moutain. The Robert Blanc (and variations) is a true big mountain classic.

  We stayed in Radisson Arc 1950 - which was nice. Well fitted out and with lots of friendly helpful staff on hand.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Susan Aiken (28 March 2007)

  Having stayed recently in Arcs 1950 we were truly privileged to spend a day with Kevin Alderton. Kevin is the double blind speed skiing world record holder & we were introduced to him through the Crystal rep. He is sponsored by Head and so we were able to test their new range of skis. His apartment in 2000 resembles a ski shop! An ex army ski instructor, he now has only 5% sight due to a tragic incident several years ago, but to say that he was an inspiration would be a vast understatement. We learnt more from him in a day than many years of listening to "bend zee knees"!, and trying to ski with your eyes closed, one of his excercises, is a humbling experience. Look out for his book 'No Sight No Fear' to be published later this year. www.nosightnofear.com He will also be competing in les Arc very soon.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (20 March 2007)

  Les Arcs 2000 - Club Med, Altitude -10 - 17 March 2007

  Great weeks skiing, spent with ESF Advanced ski lessons/guide that was included with the all-inclusive deal. New to Club-Med. Really glad that I took the lessons, after a lot of trips without. This week really pushed the boundaries of my ability with off-piste excursions. Will be booking lessons again next year. Accomodation pretty basic, but excellent value for money. Rooms like basic French appartments, but out all day so does not really matter. Food and beer excellent and lots available! Returning to the hotel for Club Med lunch and taking boots off in the day was a new one for me, but actually not a problem as easy to ski in and out of Les Arcs 2000, and quite a relief after surving another off piste excursion with the instructor. Great area for mixture of easy, difficult and off-piste skiing. We stayed in the hotel most nights to get the value of free drinks in our all-inclusive deal. Nightly Eurovision type entertainment by the staff was an interesting spectacle (!) Quite a different holiday experience than the normal British only Chalet holiday, with skiers from Russia, Holland, France and Israel in lessons.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (18 March 2007)

  Feb17-24th 2007

  Lovely week at Hotel du Golf. Super snow conditions and brilliant ski area. Last minute deal...hotel good, food excellent. Three evening buffets, rest 4 course waiter service.

  Hotel ski in/ski out, 50 metres from ski lifts and ski back to boot room door.Live jazz in lounge creates good atmosphere...smoke free zone from end of year!!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (27 February 2007)

  Stayed in 1950 from 17th-24th February.

  The whole of Europe were on half term, which made the whole resort very crowded, lift queues were long in some places and some of the slopes were just too full.

  We travelled by train from Waterloo to Bourg St Maurice, hopped on the Funiculaire and then took a bus - the easiest transfer ever. We are now hooked on the non stop Eurostar service and will use it again (you just need some DVDs for the kids!)

  We loved Les Arcs 1950. We stayed in Auberge Jerome. The staff were wonderful, the apartment was comfortable, the outdoor pool was a bonus, and the whole holiday was easy. We ate in nearly every night and didn't find the supermarket too expensive. The bakery is wonderful - try a beignet au chocolat - they are yummy!

  The skiing was great - very icy in places by the end of the week. Our children (on their 3rd week) had lessons with Spirit 1950, and although there was the occasional problem with the language barrier their instructor still managed to get through to them. By the end of the week they were able to ski down Malgovert an unpisted red - how thrilled were they? It was possible to escape from queues by skiing the outer edges of the resort - 1600, Vallandry and Plan Peisey. The skiing from the top of the Bois de L'ours chair lift down to Vallandry is amazing, you can ski for a long time without having to get on a lift!

  We will definitely be going back!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (26 February 2007)

  Arcs 2000 visited 4 to 11 Feb 2007. Stayed in Chalet Bordeaux part of the Chalet Des Neiges complex with Esprit. Party of 6/7 weaker adults and 3 to 6 year old beginners.

  Arcs 2000 is a small modern resort. Expansion has not been well thought out and getting around can involve a number of (internal) lifts, drag lifts or clambering. Chalet Des Neiges and the nearby Chalet Altitude are well placed for the pistes. br />

  1950 is next door (accessed by free Cabriolet bubble). Very pretty almost Disney-esque with fairy lights and piped music but has nice/expensive restaurants open after 6.30pm.

  Chalet and catering were excellent. Staff were very helpful and courteous. Esprit Snow Club was popular with children. Children skied half days (about enough especially for the younger ones) with ESF instructor and an Esprit ranger. Eldest children able to snowplough on easy blues by end of week, especially the bottom of the flying kilometer accessible from St Jaques lift. Cascades and Plan Vert also worth trying. Youngest children able to go straight and needed help turning and stopping.

  Hadn't snowed for over a week before arrival so pistes were packed in 2000 but still very skiable. Arcs is a big ski area and enormous if you include La Plagne. Limited blacks due to lack of snow, mainly aimed at beginner/intermediate. Snowed on and off for 4 days making lovely conditions. 1800 was a favourite epecially during poor. Aguille Rouge was crowded but you have to see the view.

  Skied in La Plagne 2 days. Quite a distance from 2000 so only got as far as Belle Plagne and the Bellecot Glacier. Vast area but pistes were not as good as Arcs especially around Montchauvin.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (25 February 2007)

  Stayed at Arc 1950 from 17th to 24th Feb in Auberge Jerome. The location and accomodation was excellent. The village had a very warm atmosphere and the resort hosted a family type event each evening in the village square which provided a nice alternative entertainment for the children. Ski in ski out was great in these apartments from the back door straight down to two ski lift options taking you to different sides of the slopes. If you are self catering I would recommend a trip to the Super U supermarket in Bourg St Maurice.

  The skiing for beginners and intermediates is fantastic, and the range of runs is difficult to fully cover within a week. The snow conditions were hard packed but good, though by the end of this week some runs were becoming patchy. However because of the number of runs you could avoid the worst quite easily.

  Downsides :-

  1. Check with your tour operator the times of other European country holidays. France, Germany, Holland and Belgium were all on half term. The resort was therefore packed and this made skiing down some of the more popular blue and red runs a very uncomfortable experience, especially for nervous skiers.

  2. There were organisational problems with the queuing systems for lifts and gondolas. Subsequently 25 minute waits were common throughout the day. Worse still and as a consequence were the rugby scrum tactics used by people to push in just to get ahead.

  3. If you want to eat and drink out out be prepared for premium prices.

  Would I go back or recommend this resort? Most definitely yes, but I would fly to Chambery and chose my time more carefully.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (20 February 2007)

  Arc 1800 - MGM Alpages du Chantel 10-16 Feb 07

  Annual Family Ski Trip to Les Arc has resulted in mixed feelings from party members. The overall skiing experience for intermediates and above was excellent but the location of the Apartments and the access for beginners leave a lot to be desired for, the reasons are as follow:-

  MGM Chantel 1 and 2 is a series of 4 large blocks with the top block being adjacent the slopes with the following blocks going downhill and diagonally away from the slopes.

  I would not recommend 2/1 and 2/2 to a beginner or nervous skier as to call these appartments ski in, ski out for theses grades is not realistic. My wife did no skiing at all because of the access to the slopes ( too narrow and far too steep). The other option was a free bus service down to the terminal at Charvet followed by a hike up metal steps through the shopping arcade to the slopes which was totally impractical. None of this is made clear on MGM's website as all it shows is the top block which has ideal access. Also pedestrian access needs a rethink on the part of developers. None of the blocks are accessible to each other unless you have have mountaineering gear and crampons( Ski shop, fast food outlets & restuarants located in top block, nothing in any of the others!!!!!). Accordingly, shuttling around on the bus did become a pain. The same goes with the access to the supermarkets & central area as sliding down on your backside to the shops was the only way down with the only way back by bus. The Apartments themeselves are excellent but why didn't the developers think more carefully about access. Would I recommend Les Arc 'Yes' to intermediates but no for beginners & nervous skier ( Flaine & Avoriaz much better for that standard of skier who wish ski in, ski out access)

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (18 February 2007)

  Spent half term 07 in Arc 1950, staying at the Hameau. All of the other reports about the place are true but I have to say it was a weird experience - supposedly in France but really somewhere mid-Atlantic.

  Great if you like that kind of thing but I missed the French "charm" of more traditional resorts. Still you definitely don't need to speak French!

  Things to watch out for:

  -If you're driving beware the underground car park, its very confusing & difficult to find your way out of;

  -Don't expect much in the way of a resort, it is very small and can feel claustrophobic;

  -All of the restaurants are bad (Hemingways is small, hot and crowded; East is poor plus no-one goes there; Mexican is complete chaos, Chez Anne is OK but very slow, Valentinos is also very slow, Luigis will make you ill - they gave me food poisoning; Crepe shop is crowded and overpriced);

  -Despite this make sure you book a table as they are all often full (except East);

  -Don't go for the half board option as you can buy breakfast cheaper at the bakers plus none of the restaurants want you in the evening (cheap no choice menu, pressure to be out in an hour, etc);

  -No options exist for good kids food - expect them to live on burgers, nuggets & fries all week (Arc 1950 needs Jamie Oliver to open a place!);

  -Don't expect to be able to eat until after 7 in the evenings (no good with tired kids);

  -Shopping is limited but the Spar and bakers are OK.

  -Ski/board hire is best at Concept although very busy on Saturday (Ogier Sports seems to be run for the benefit of the employees not customers)

  -Pubs are OK but both are very smokey (can't wait for the ban to come in force like here in Ireland)

  -Watch the lifts if you are a beginner as there is only one direct cable car to Arc 2000 or two chairs accessed by a very busy icy slope out of resort

  Major positive is the Spirit ski school - very well run with good tuition. Marco & his team had my 5/6 year old youngsters going down blue runs from nothing within a week.

  Would I go again? Yes but only because the positives for my kids (car free resort, compact location, good ski school, etc) outweigh the negatives.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Gail Rutenberg (05 February 2007)

  Stayed in Arc 1950 at Hameau du Glacier, Jan 27 to Feb.3/07. Loved it. Ski in/out. The 4 apartments we had (1 studio, 2 one bedroom espace and one 2 bdroom ) were excellent and roomy by French standards, well -equipped and comfortable. Staff are most accommodating and helpful. Skiied all over and the more venturesome of us preferred the Les Arcs side while the "cruisers" loved the La Plagne side. They needed snow but we skied the higher elevations which were still soft and the off-piste was grand. It's an amazing area--quite vast and the lift system is outstanding. Best bets for food in Les Arcs were Luigi's and Valentino's.. East (oriental) and the Mexican restaurant were not very good. Chez Anne is OK. All of our on-mountain lunches were great. If you are self-catering, buy your groceries in advance as the small grocery store is very expensive.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 January 2007)

  Party of 8 stayed in Chalet Vanoise in Arc 2000 for the 3rd week in January. Chalet ok, position ideal for the Arc 2000 area. Bit disappointing that you have to still catch a drag lift up in the morning and there was sometimes either a 15 min queue, or the option of climbing the slope instead! Can recommend the self service resturant at the top of the Col de la Chal. Good food and good value. The ski area is well laid out, however a run down to Villaroger was left open and due to the lack of snow, turned to mud and we had to walk to the lift. Not ideal, and it had clearly been like this for a number of days. There was some nice gentle off piste in areas, a nice safe run is off of the Col de la Chal and to the left of the 'tuffias' red run. Going along this ridge leads to some small bowls and a choice of routes down. Did not find the 'Aguille Rouge' route particularly exciting, simply that the snow was better at altitude. The less experienced in our group found the runs down to Arc 1800 and 1600 nice and progressive and overall the resort would suit an intermediate who wants to improve on relatively gentle runs.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (17 January 2007)

  Hi,

  I was looking through the restaurants you mention in Les Arcs, but there is no mention of East Restaurant at arc1950, which is the first of its kind in the Alps with its pan Asian Cuisin.

  How do you choose?

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (08 January 2007)

  Just returned after a new year week holiday in les arcs 06/07. Stayed at Du Golf hotel in 1800, great location by the lifts, nice clean rooms, attractive lounge bar with open fire, food truly awful, cheap cuts of meat and fish served semi warm.

  The snow conditions where superb even before the big dumps we had early in the week, this is at a time when other resorts were dry. The ski area is superb, full of challenging varied skiing for all levels. Aiguille Rouge closed all week, avalanche risk. Favourite runs, the bosses black above Vallandry, great fun, the refuge black down from Grand Col (scary), the lac red from the L'Arpette lift down towards 1950, the grds melezes blue back to 1800. Lift queues only really a problem in 2000 the plagnettes and arcabulle lifts, almost walked straight on to all other lifts.The Chantel lift in 1800 needs replacing with a six pack. ESF ski school excellent, good english, friendly, my daughter had a week of lessons and was going down reds by the end of the week, her first week on skis. One word of warning though ESF will challenge your group and push you which was too much for my nervous wife and a number of others in her group. Nursery area not big enough in 1800. Complete beginners better off in Plan Peisey/Vallandry. Children have seperate excellent learning areas above all villages. The main problem for nervous beginners is progression, the reds are real reds and some blues have steepish sections, especially at 1600. The sign posting at the top of lifts and intersections is superb, no need for a piste map you always know were you are heading, this is something a lot of other resorts could learn from. Vast ski area, superb variety of long runs for all levels, great snow, enjoy.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (07 January 2007)

  Family of 4 stayed at Radisson in Arc 1950 between 23rd to 30th December 2006. The apartment was good although I had to report a number of things wrong in the room, some of which were rectified, some not. We had Christmas dinner at Le Chalet de Luigi - it was cold, expensive and every (yes - every) thing I asked for first on the menu was unavailable. Il Valentino opposite was much better, although still expensive (200 euro's+ for the 4 of us). The ski runs are excellent although the snow conditions were variable on our visit. All in all, we had a good week.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Kim Roberts (05 January 2007)

  I stayed in ARC 1800 last year and I'm very pleased to report that if you're a beginner, you will not need a lift pass at the start of your holiday. There is a free chair lift that will take you on to 2 lovely green slopes.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (02 January 2007)

  Just came back today after a short new years trip to les arcs. We were a group of 7 and I think most of us enjoyed the holiday. The skiing conditions weren't brilliant on the lower slopes but higer up, the conditions were fantastic. Highly reccomend the transarc gondola and lovely wide blue run the arc 2000. There was heavy snow yesterday and we had to retire early.

  Booked accomodation through lesarcs.com but we were unhappy about the fact that our apartment was not ready when we arrived on saturday morning which meant we had to dump our stuff by a restaurant and venture out.

  All in all very pleased and would definitely go there again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (16 December 2006)

  If your party has entered the system from Villaroger and spent the day skiing at Les Arcs bear in mind that the very convenient short drag lift from below Pre St. Esprit back to Villaroger does NOT open unless the chairlift back to the main Aiguille Rouge ridge from Arc 2000 is closed. At the end of a long day 2000m of continuous and sometimes rough descent is not what you want.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (24 October 2006)

  Arc1950 "Le Village" also has childcare facilities opening this season:

  http://www.cariboo1950.com/

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Richard D (14 May 2006)

  Stayed at Belle Plagne beginning March 2006, great snow conditions, poor piste-bashing; however, meant that many runs ended up very icey with 'ice-balls' in the early morning. Key reason for writing however is to warn of the terrible snowboarding hire at Belle Plagne. Avoid like the plague. All 3 of our party who hired had problems e.g. split binding halfway down a run, truely aweful kit, no care taken in selection. My wife is a competant boarder but ended up twisting her knee on the first run and was out for the rest of the weekend. Positive side, there is a great pizza place next door!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Phil T (28 April 2006)

  Stayed at the MGM Chatel in Arc 1800 15th to 22nd of April. Obviously I was worried about snow conditions but there was plenty of late season snow. The appartments are 4 start qualtity. We had the largest appartment (4 bedroom), 1 bedroom fully en-suite, 1 with shower, the others use the main bathroom. There is a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, fitness area. The only problem is if you are really into your night life. The MGM Chatel is piste side but at the top of the resort- a good 1km up hill walk from the centre. The restaurant that's part of the complex was excellent, very good food, big portions, resonable pricing. Phil

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Terence Joel (27 April 2006)

  We stayed in an appartment in Bourg St Maurice very near the funicular. This worked really well because it's only a 7min trip up to Arc 1600 and it brings you right to the bottom of the chair lifts. Furthermore, Bourg is cheaper and a real French town rather than a purpose-built ski resort. This really suited my wife who is a non-skiing French speaker - lots of opportunities for chatting and shopping! We drove there (with our dog) and, hearing about the long transfer times, this is a good option, 9-10 hours behind the wheel from Calais. The skiing conditions were excellent, about the best I've ever had in April, and there are lots of excellent runs for an ageing intermediate such as me. I didn't get the full use out of the Paradiski pass, except it did entitle me to one day's skiing in Meribel, which convinced me that we'd made the right decision to go to Bourg/Les Arcs! We're now beginning to look wistfully at the web sites of estate agents in Bourg ....

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Emma Frost (23 April 2006)

  We went to Arc 2000 on 9th April 2006 for one week to catch the last of the seasons snow. The resort is small and doesn't have a lot of Apres Ski but the sking was fab and we had a great time. We stayed in a catered chalet (Sylvie) with Crystal Ski. The Chalet was very slightly shabby but not a problem, the bed was comfortable which is important to me and the facilities were fine, particulary the 1min walk to the slopes and we were lucky to have a lovely Chalet host (cheers Matt). The ski pass that covered the local area (Arc 2000, 1950, 1800 & 1600) was more than adequate for a week and we didn't need the La Plagne option at all. I think that if the weather is bad though then the area becomes a bit more limited to just the 2000 and 1950 area although that's not the end of the world. All in all we had a fantastic week with a variety of short/long and easy/hard slopes and would definately go back again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Nick MacKinnon (02 April 2006)

  24 March- 1 April 2006. We took a party of forty teenage boys aged 13-18 to Les Arcs for a week with TravelClass and ace rep Dr Andy Dunfield. We stayed in the Charmotteger apartments at 1800 which were basic but OK (hard to dry stuff and very cramped for six, but well-designed helical arrangement in the blocks) and had really excellent meals at the restaurant at La Retour. What was good about this place for us was the night life was safe for a school group, bowling, pool tables, decent bars, plenty of French being spoken, excellent supermarket and all pedestrianised and no distance. The apartments are not quite ski-in and a five minute walk out to the better lifts. The skiing area is vast and we felt no need to visit La Plagne as well, especially as the lift system once you get there is so indirect (the Vanois gondola is very fast of course, and some might have used it had the weather been better midweek). The teaching at ESF was fantastic and one of our beginners progressed from being unable to put his skis on to black runs in five days. What helps is the wide range of wide easy blue runs. Thanks Erik and Henrik. One of our party, an experienced skier, said she had never had such good teaching. The inspection of the apartments on departure was ludicrously intensive and hatchet faced, especially since they were left in a better state than we had found them, and they don’t let you in till 5 p.m. at the beginning, and ask you to leave at 10 a.m. at the end. Next year I shall insist that the travel agent negotiates a better arrangement. We had two doctors with us and I would never take a school group of this size without one: they saved us two trips to Bourg St Maurice about knees and severe sunburn. We had superb snow so late in the season and even the runs to the resort were pleasurable as late as 5 p.m. On the bad weather days the tree level skiing at Valandry was still very pleasant, so despite considerable snowfall during our week we skied hard every day. I thought we hit quite a lucky combination of good skiing and the right amount of everything else in a safe contained resort. But of course the late snow just added that wonderful extra something. It was raining hard as we left and I would not have wanted the next week.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Alastair Brown (16 March 2006)

  Stayed in Plan Peisey (1600m), next to Les Arcs. Great location! If weather sunny, hop over to La Plagne or go to the top of all Les Arcs., if poor, stay around Peisey/Vallandry and lower Les Arc for tree line skiing. Majority of days had very top lifts closed meaning unable to drop into Arc 2000. Finally made it, but headed straight back - what a desolate place! Peisey gives you the best of all worlds!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mike (15 March 2006)

  Have just returned from Arc 2000 having stayed at the L' Aiguille Rouge, and travelling with First Choice. We must say that we were bitterly disappointed with the hotel and the resort and believe the hotel should be classified as a three star not as a four plus as others have portrayed it. The hotel was all about ticking boxes, the bath was only a metre long, the shower did not have a fixing on the wall and the balcony could not fit any chairs on, as it was to small. The only thing the hotel got right was the food, the free wine was not very good and they did not even offer the choice of purchasing any other wines. The resort its self is very isolated and suffers when conditions get bad, as they tend to close the lifts to 1800, and 1600 preventing you from getting out of the storm. The resort is very quite and we believes needs a lot of work to bring it up to normal standards. If you just want skiing then we presume this may well sort your needs but any form off luxuries is not included. Overall rating 3/10

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mike Jones (15 March 2006)

  We stayed in Les Arcs 1950 for a week, from the 4th of March. I would totally agree with Ben below - Les Arcs 1950 is absolutely fantastic. Four of us stayed in the Prince de Cimes apartment complex in a 6 person apartment, and the quality was superb; it was certainly worth the four star rating. We couldn’t go back to staying in the usual French rubbish so we’re stuffed now! Les Arcs 1950 is pretty tiny though – definitely the smallest resort we’ve ever stayed in. There are about two bars, five or so restaurants, a handful of shops and not much else. However, there’s a really nice feel to the place and there’s enough for a week. We only ventured up to 2000 once, but it’s not too nice. I’d avoid if you have the choice. The slopes around 1950/2000 were good but a lot were shut through the week due to exceptionally heavy snow. We didn’t make it to our resort on the first night due to avalanche risks on the road so this may be a problem with the resort? Only thing which was bad was the absolute killer transfer from Lyon, about 4-5 hours… and we slept in a gymnasium the first night. Shudder.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Sarah (08 March 2006)

  Stayed in Arcs 2000 in January 2006 - what a fantastic resort. Ok - not full of nightlife, but as long as there are a couple of bars for a vin chaud or 2 at the end of the day, surely thats what matters! Amazing amount of skiing - fantastic wide slopes for nervous intermediates, and lovely tree lined runs down to 1800. Didn't make it across to La Plagne - there was too much in Les Arcs! Stayed in Chalet Paradis, part of the chalet des neiges, with Skiworld, which is practically ski in/out with the button lift - absolute bliss! Never again am I going to consider a walk or bus ride to the slopes! Also really easy to get down to 1950 in the evenings - which is a beuatiful resort, with lovely bars & restaurants. Will certainly return again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Ben (05 March 2006)

  Just come back from a week in Les Arcs, staying at 1950 in the radisson. It is without doubt the single best hotel/apartment complex i've stayed in whilst in the snow (and i've been to both Europe and the US). Well worth trying to find a cheapo deal for it - we found a great one - otherwise its pricey. The pistes were good, lots of runs to be had, great surroundings. 2000 is a bit of a hole and dont expect to commute between 1800 - 2000/1950 of an evening. In our time there we had 2 days of great sunshine and 4 days of worsening snow conditions - the majority of lifts in 2000 seem prone to closure if the conditions turn bad.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Richard Gardiner (02 March 2006)

  Visited Les Arcs in early Jan 2006. As an experienced skier, I liked the variety of runs for speedy skiing, open areas and tree lined runs, some challenging long moguled black runs and off-piste options, often near to the piste (offering an easier alternative for a mixed abilty group). Stayed in small apartment which was ok, but quite long walk from drop off point and would have been very unpleasant walk with kids and their luggage. Check where you are staying if this an issue. Used the link to La Plagne (because it's there) but not sure if its worth it, as enough Skiing in Les Arcs for 1 week.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Allan Henderson (28 February 2006)

  I too was in Arc 1800 19-25 February 2005. The vomiting illness, which affected most of my family, as well as most of Arc 1800, was probably a norovirus - and nothing to to with the water supply at all. Unfortunately it is highly infectious, and drinking bottled water won't help at all. Just stay well away from anyone else who is vomiting, and pay special attention to hand washing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Janice Osborn (27 February 2006)

  We visit Arc 1800 a lot, as we have an apartment there. I would agree with the other writers about the good and varied skiing, but the reason for entering this piece is to alert readers to a problem. We were there 18-25 Feb 2006 and half the resort went down with tummy bugs due to contaminated water - including us. There were signs up saying don't drink the water- unfortunately not till Friday by which time 2 of us had already succumbed. So if you go to 1800 in the next few weeks please drink bottled water only. I wouldn't wish what I had on anyone.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• John Dowling (26 February 2006)

  We stayed at Les Arcs 2000, in the Hotel Aiguille Rouge, for 18 Feb to 25 Feb. Fortunately we arrived just after a massive pile of snow had arrived so it was very exciting arriving. However our tour operator, left us at Arc 1800 for two hours. We landed in Geneva at 5pm and arrived in our hotel after 1am. The skiing was great for an intermediate like me. An area pass was more than sufficient I though, if you are in a lower resort it may be easier to use the paradiski pass. There were a few bars at 2000, and another couple at Arc 1950 which you can get a bubble lift to until about midnight. It probably isn't party capital of the alps, but I was forewarned there was no apres-ski - this is just wrong!! The hotel was good, in a good location, although the buffet service was a bit hit and miss. What is it with the French and their desire to pile their plates so high with bread? Get to breakfast and tea early is my advice!! The automated ski passes worked well, it was a bit busy at times (it was half term), and there were some annoying flat bits on the way back to Arc 2000. It is not the best resort I have been to for a beginner, but if you have been skiing before its a great place to go. Just be prepared for a long coach trip from Geneva.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Helen Webster (21 February 2006)

  We flew into Lyon which made the transfer a bit of a long haul (about 4–4.5 hours); however, it was well worth it. There are only a limited number of black runs, but there was something for everyone. We stayed at Les Arc 2000 from 28 Jan - 4 Feb 06, which was okay, although I personally preferred the slopes over at 1600 and 1800 (more tree lined runs). The first day saw the closure of a number of lifts (due to blasting), and we were unaware there was a bus service that would take us to 1600, so we spent quite a bit of time doing the same runs. However, once they’d opened all the lifts, it opened up a whole new area, and if we’d chosen there was really no need to do the same run twice the whole holiday. We got the Paradiski pass, which enabled us to go over to La Plagne. However, you need to go at least twice to get your money’s worth (otherwise you can buy a one day upgrade which is suffice, especially if you stay at 1950 or 2000, I think it’s 25 euros). If you stay at 1950 or 2000, it’s worthwhile taking advantage of the floodlit skiing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 5 -7 (free with your lift pass). I can’t remember having to queue for a lift the electronic system makes it much quicker. The weather was fantastic, with clear blue skies, sun and fantastic views. I would recommend Les Arc to all skiing abilities. Enjoy.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Alison and Stuart Peters (15 January 2006)

  Have just arrived back from Les Arcs 1800. We are not brilliant skiers only having been regularly for the past 3/4 years. We found the slopes in Arc1800 superb, it suited us very well, particularly as we had our seven year old son with us who ski's better than either of us! The tree-lined routes down to 1600 and 1800 were well maintained if a little 'gravelly' in places. Probably not great for experts as the number of black runs were limited. Early closure of the Gollet chair lift in 1600 put paid to our plans early one day and the closure of the Villards chair lift for most of the week we were there (prob. due to lack of snow) also hindered us slightly, but, overall the skiing was brilliant. The apres-ski must have improved since the last feedback reports. We found most places very welcoming, especially as we had a small 'lively' child with us. The Red Hot Saloon deserves a special mention, the music was brilliant, the staff were very friendly and the free pool table helped! We also found Benji's very good as well. The mountain cafe's suited our needs and the views were spectacular. Overall we would recommend Les Arcs and in particular 1800 to anyone but especially, families, beginners and intermediates alike!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• James Pellatt (20 January 2005)

  Despite the spring like conditions we had yet another excellent week in Les Arcs. The variety of ski-ing remains excellent and the introduction of automatic read only lift passes has removed all queues on the lifts. I took the trip on the Vanoise express for the first time and enjoyed the ability to visit La Plagne. I am not sure I would buy a week long pass but it is worth it for a day out.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Steve Huckle (19 January 2005)

  Visited Les Arcs over New Year 2005. Stayed at Chalet Madeleine in Arc 2000 with Thompson Ski which was excellent due to our hosts Gary and Manouk,who worked very hard, We were unimpressed by Les Arcs in terms of the difficulty of the runs (which was limited by conditions closing all but the one black run from the top of the Aguille Rouge). The piste map was very poor indeed, as was the piste marking, which was OK only if you were heading in the general direction of a particular destination such as the La Plagne cable. On this note, if trying to get back to 2000 from 1800, the Transarc bubble closes at 16:20 some time before the rest of the system, after which the only way back to 2000 is by a very long bus trip. We had the gates closed in our faces even though it read 16:15 on the clock at the lift! If you stay in 2000 this makes a Paradiski pass of dubious value due to the time involved in treking across, and anyway you get a day included in the Les Arcs local pass. Some great eateries to be found if you venture into the villages of 1600, and Plan Pleissey for lunch.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jon (21 September 2004)

  We went to Les Arcs in Jan 2004, and I was very impressed overall. The accomodation for the most part was pretty grim with the corridors reminding us of a multi storey car park, and the bathroom being something out of a 60's film set (2001 a Space Oddessy?). However, the boarding/skiing was fantastic, offering something for all of the standards in our group. Also, contrary to other reports here, we found the nightlife to be spot on (especially compared to montgenvre and La Plagne). The bars were friendly and packed, and the Raclette evening up in one of the mountain restuarants followed by torch lit descent was the best night any of us have ever had in the last 5 or more years of boarding/skiing holidays.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• William Young (14 February 2004)

  Having visited Les Arcs at least once a season for the last 17 years I am probably somewhat of a biased source. I was only 7 years old on my first visit and have grown up with the resort. I find the skiing there is excellent, even in years with very little snow there are still parts which remain good. I have been out in most weather conditions, from rain to white outs and sun to driving snow, one of the joys of having parents who believe in making the most of ones lift pass. The critisim that is most often levelled against Les Arcs is that there is a lack of apres ski, I find that this simply not true, at least in arc 1800 there are several lively bars and night clubs that will keep the party crowd going till the early hours. A personal favourite night out would be to start in Le Benji Bar then to move on to the Apokolypse night club. it may not be the best available in the Alps but the drinks flow and most people seem to have fun, anyway thats where you will find me!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Cliff Morgan (05 January 2004)

  We stayed at Arc 2000 for Christmas 2003 - family of 6 with 3 teenagers and a 5 yr old. The resort was ideal for all with plenty of skiing at advanced and intermediate level and very good introduction for the 5 yr old. The older teenagers were challenged and learned new tricks. The 5 yr old learned to ski. What on earth is "ski to lunch" set? There were plenty of places to ski and almost as many places to have lunch - wine lists were fabulous and good value for money. Ordinary food was a bit expensive. Hotel accommodation a little cramped - as one would expect in France - overall - would definately go back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Neil M (01 January 2004)

  Self-catered with a small group in Les Arcs 1800 for 7 days in last week of March 2003. The ski area, served by a modern'ish lift system, is impressive, from tree-lined blues in 1600 to narrow blacks in 2000. The lengthy, black-to-red, mountaintop-to-valley Aiguille Rouge is without doubt one of the most enjoyable runs in the world. Snow coverage was near-100% in late-March, with pistes open down to Villaroger at just 1100m (3600ft). As is often reported late in the season in Les Arcs, resort-level snow remained skiable but became unusually slushy / watery / gloopy after 11am every day. In contrast to the world-class ski area, apres-ski in Les Arcs 1800 is truly dreadful. Cheesy clubs, soulless bars and second-rate restaurants tainted the group's vacation. Of the 20 or so resorts I've visited over the years, only Serre Chevalier offers comparably poor nightlife. In summary, the ski area at Les Arcs 1800 is world-class, but the apres-ski is bad enough to make one think twice about revisiting in the near-term.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jill Gildersleve (23 February 2003)

  Great skiing and efficient lift system but woefully dirty resort with doggy do's everywhere and overflowing wastebins day in day out. Vallandry and Villeroger much more desirable.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.

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