Les Arcs is not a town or village.

It is a group of modern complexes high above the Savoy transportation hub of Bourg St. Maurice. It was designed expressly as a ski resort; a purpose-built collection of large sprawling hillside buildings with an unusual swooping roof design and an new modern faux-Savoyard village..

Here is an interactive village map for Bourg Saint Maurice.

Here is an interactive village map for Arc 1600.

Here is an interactive village map for Arc 1800.

Here is an interactive village map for Arc 1950.

Here is an interactive village map for Arc 2000.

This resort has become part of one of the largest interconnected ski and snowboard areas in the world. Les Arcs recently linked its trail system with that of La Plagne via Plan-Peisey. The combined area, Paradiski, has 425 km. of trails. The enormity is mind-boggling. The joint resorts boast 144 ski lifts: a funicular, four light-weight cablecars, a twin-cable cablecar, 10 sections of gondola lifts, 18 detachable chairlifts, 44 chairlifts, 28 ski lifts suitable for walkers and 25 ski lifts accessible free of charge.

A cablecar, Le Vanoise Express, with 200-person cabins spans the valley from Plan-Peisey on the Les Arcs side to Les Coches on the La Plagne side. The span is 3,000 meters and the cablecar hangs 380 meters above the valley floor. The trip from station to station, takes four minutes. The La Plagne (the largest individual ski area in France) trails are detailed in a separate chapter.

Les Arcs has had a remarkable unity, not only in its modern architecture, but also in its infrastructure and support systems. A new village, Les Arc 1950, takes a different tack. It is a modern collection of hotels and U.S.-sized condominiums built in the guise of a traditional Savoyard village.

Of the other three high-altitude complexes that comprise Les Arcs (each named for its altitude in meters). Arc 1600 is a family-orientated area. It was the first built, with three hotels, shops and a nursery that cares for children four months or older. Rooms tend to be functional and more moderately priced, and the nightlife is minimal. Arc 1800 is the largest complex, with the biggest selection of restaurants and shops. Arc 2000 was constructed when the lift system expanded to reach the higher elevations. It offers skiing and riding for every level and easy access to the glacier. Its surrounding expert terrain has made it a famous shrine for serious skiers.

Overall, the resort is decidedly international with a little less than half its clientele arriving from outside France. You’ll have no difficulty finding someone who speaks English if you need help, nor will it be a problem striking up conversations.

Included in the ski pass for the area are lifts originating in the lower villages of Peisey-Nancroix, Vallandry and Villaroger. These hamlets are century-old settlements that offer a strong contrast to the stylized angular atmosphere of Les Arcs.

For visitors who want to combine a bit of local flavor with their high-tech ski adventure, a seven-minute funicular ride down the steep slope from Arc 1600 to Bourg St. Maurice offers a chance to spend a few hours in the shops, museums, and restaurants of a Savoyard town. A bustling open-air market on Saturdays offers Savoy specialties such as mountain ham, wine, and rich and creamy Reblochon and Beaufort cheeses.

There are tourism offices in all 4 Arcs and in Bourg-St. Maurice. They are open daily from 9am to 7pm.

The main office is at Bourg Saint Maurice
105 Place de la Gare
73700 Les Arcs/ Bourg-St. Maurice
Country code: 0033
Telephone: 0479 071257
Fax: 0479 072490
Email: lesarcs@lesarcs.com
Internet: www.lesarcs.com

Le Charvet, Les Sapins,
73700 Arc 1800, France
Telephone: 0479 07 12 57
Fax: 0479 07 24 90

Central Booking Office
B.P. 58, 73706 Les Arcs Cedex, France
Telephone: 0479 07 68 00
Fax: 0479 07 68 99
Email : reservation@lesarcs.com

Note: All prices are in Euros unless otherwise noted.

For more information on skiing and staying in the country of France, click the map.