Snowsure: 4.6
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- La Plagne is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for La Plagne Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
February 03, 2014
Rob Spalding from
United Kingdom
Rob Spalding from
United Kingdom
Positive review of La plagne!
We returned from a long weekend on 28th Jan 2013 and the conditions were about as good as anyone could ask for. Although it's not a record year for snow, every run was open and the ski conditions were superb. It snowed at night and we had nice and clear days for skiing. La Plagne has made some good improvements over the last few years, to the lift systems, and by installing new lifts and changing some of the exists to pistes they are eliminating bottle necks.
We had a mixed group of experienced skiers and lower intermediates and we were all able to ski together. The more confident skiers could tackle some of the great reds whilst meeting the others at the bottom who were on blues. The steeper black runs were not all open and this was due to the avalanche risk which will be in place over most of the Alps this season. We stayed in La Bergerie apartments in Montalbert which is a really nice little village connected to the whole of La Plagne.
January 25, 2014
Roger from
United Kingdom
Roger from
United Kingdom
I was at Belle Plagne the same time as another reviewer and didn't quite see it his way. We arrived on the Saturday in heavy snow and woke up to wonderful conditions on Sunday. It wasn't cold but all the pistes above 1800 mts were fabulous and as they opened one by one; there were avalanche risks, they were used by happy skiers. The off-piste was also fantastic.
The week brought blue skies and warm temperatures but as long as you stayed away from the bottom villages the skiing was great. All alpine resorts suffered with very warm conditions, La Plagne being no exception.
Runs to Champagny were soft, they are south facing but that was where there was mud to be seen. Otherwise, select your runs at altitude or north facing and no problem. If the lift was raced well then great, as they travel at modest speeds and the flats are easily passed over, if aware of them.
Myself and my two sons had a great week in Belle Plagne and the groomers did a wonderful job no problems.
January 12, 2014
Rick from
United Kingdom
Rick from
United Kingdom
We returned from La Plagne 11th January 2014.
I was not impressed with the skiing in La Plagne.
Firstly, too much was closed, or in such bad condition that it should have been closed. Mud was appearing on runs, even at the top of the mountain. The bottom of the runs, at the higher villages, were rock hard ice in the am, and slush/mud mixture by eleven. The lower villages were close to un-skiable. The Piste Bashers worked hard to keep the runs this good. La Plagne is in need of a lot of snow and a drop in temps. The black & red runs close first, so unless you enjoy blues there is little fun to be had.
We played race the lift, and could get down many blues in less than half the time it took the lift to get us back up, even for lifts with no queues.
The half-pipe & snow parks were closed when we were there. One opened later in the week, with a single 4 inch high jump in it.
Secondly, the ski day is too short. The main lift from Plagne Bellocote opens at 9:25, just before the ski school jumps the queues, and takes all the capacity. It closes again at 15:40. A few connecting lifts run a little longer.
Thirdly, my 10 year old son and I skied every open run in 2 days; not really what we expected from the amount of ski runs they claim.
The runs are graded too easy in my view, the few open reds were blues with a single short steeper section. Didn't get on any blacks; they were all closed.
On the plus side, if you enjoy long blue runs in the sun, La Plagne is great. Most lift queues are short, and you can avoid the few lifts with long queues.
I did not really get the mountain experience in La Plagne, you are never far from the ugly buildings.
The best bits, for us, were the glacier skiing, when it opened, which has a couple of short but interesting runs. The link to Les Arcs allows you to visit ARC 2000, which also has a couple of interesting runs.
In general, the runs are very quiet; a few are busy, but easily avoided.
January 02, 2014
Karl from
France
Karl from
France
La Plagne promises a lot but disappoints. It has a huge area but much of it is flat. So if you are a beginner you will love it but much past intermediate you will quickly get bored unless you are intrepid enough to {hike} ski avalanche chutes.
The lifts are badly laid out spending much time moving horizontally rather than up any particular mountain or ridge. And almost all the chairs originate in La Plagne which means huge lines on holiday weekends and no ability to really stay and ski in a bowl or part of the mountain you like.
it also means that to change parts of the mountain requires long traverses that gobble up precious altitude.
April 08, 2013
David & Nicky from
United Kingdom
David & Nicky from
United Kingdom
We stayed in La Plagne with Ice and Fire a couple of weeks ago and were very impressed with the service we received, and the value of the whole deal. The cooking was excellent, the general attitude of the chalet staff and the company owners was very positive, and there were some very nice touches, eg. canapés and cocktails every evening, plus a complimentary bar available all day, every day! On our way home we managed to misplace a handbag with about £1k of valuables in it (d'oh!)
April 04, 2013
Seankata from
United Kingdom
Seankata from
United Kingdom
In La Plagne at the moment. The snow is still good although some slopes are a little icy. Contrary to reports on many sites the temperature is still low but not the minus 1's and 2's generally reported and we've seen a marked thaw since our arrival last Saturday. We're staying at Laux Apartments in Plagne 1800 and although the nightlife is almost non existent it is the prettiest of the Plagne resorts and we have our own heated pool which is fun and I would recommend these apartments for self catering although they are a bit on the snug side for 4 people (there are 3 of us).
Generally, the centres themselves are eyesores unless you have a thing for 70's concrete but the skiing area is both high and vast with plenty of virtually empty runs. The quality of the pistes are almost always excellent with the majority of blues and reds regularly bashed. Lifts have to be amongst the most comfortable and reliable I have come across and the majority have no queues at all. Signage is good and making your way around the whole resort is relatively straightforward without the need to fall back on a map. Incidentally, we have found the piste map occaisionally misleading but it must be hard to get such a big ski area all on one page.
La Plagne is obviosly a well run and popular resort for families with little in the way of apres-ski and what places there are seem uniformally family friendly. We travelled here via Crystal Ski and have been pleased with our holiday as we have a 5 year old and she can, with minimal effort, get around just about the whole area via the wide and gentle blue run network. The ski school has been faultless and the daycare excellent.
What La Plagne is not is a good resort for anyone more advanced with their skiing than an average to competent beginner. What few reds there are are either short, icy or unpisted and the few blacks do not seem to be graded as black on anything other than the fact they are horribly lumpy rather than steep. With the one exception of the Kamikazee run (and its offshoots) at the top of the Grande Rochette there really isn't a red run worth the name and we have found the blues just a little bit boring often just standing up or shooshing from one hill to the next. For families looking to learn to ski or improve their technique on easy runs La Plagne cannot be beaten but anyone looking for a greater challenge probably needs to look elsewhere.
March 24, 2013
Helen peterborough from
United Kingdom
Helen peterborough from
United Kingdom
February 06, 2013
steve from
United Kingdom
steve from
United Kingdom
i would also like to add support to the La Plagne fan club. We have been for the last five years. We were there last March when snow was not at it's best: slushy in afternoons and a little icy in morning. Had to get up early and ski when snow was at it's best. Hey, they could not help the fact it was 20 above. This Jan: 20 below, snow fantastic and has been great on every other occasion. Going back in March again this year. Whatever the weather we will enjoy our holiday.
January 11, 2013
AndyD from
United Kingdom
AndyD from
United Kingdom
I would just like to add my support to the admirers of La Plagne. Admittedly the night life is not the best, especially if you want to go clubbing till the early hours, but there are plenty of friendly bars, and if you make the effort the locals are very friendly. Skiing wise, most of the resort is ski-in ski-out, even for novices. Plenty of piste skiing available for beginners and intermediates, and for the advanced there is a massive amount of off-piste in the area. We first skied here as a family 18 years ago, and I am still finding or being shown new off-piste routes. With the link to Les Arcs the Paradiski area is massive - you would struggle to ski all the pistes in a week's holiday. There are several excellent independent ski schools - notably Oxygene, and my own favorite: Reflex. I have skied and still ski other areas, but of all the 20 or so resorts I have visited, I still prefer La Plagne. We have just finished another excellent week in resort, and look forward to my next visit.
January 01, 2013
E. Marven from
United Kingdom
E. Marven from
United Kingdom
I can only endorse what another reviewer has said. I skied La Plagne in April '12, skiing over from Les Arc on 3 occasions. Snow conditions were marvellous. I have had 3 ski holidays based in La Plagne and have booked for 2013. I have skied since 1969 and have 3 ski holidays each season, usually January, March and April. In that time I have experienced a wide variety of conditions, surprisingly the poorest conditions and service have been at Christmas and New Year and luckily only once as described in the comment 'turn back now'. I am so looking forward to skiing in La Plangne again, although sadly it will signal the end of another season.
Nearest