Travel Eye on Les Arcs (Alps, France)

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Overview:

Found in the Tarentaise, Les Arcs sits directly above the town of Bourg St Maurice. Although 15km by road the resort can also be reached by funicular from Bourg St Maurice. It was created by the visionary Robert Blanc in 1968, who was responsible for the revolutionary teaching method 'Ski Evolutif'.

This system - where you get longer skis as you improve - is still used there today. The resort is made up of three modern 'villages', with Arc 1800 the biggest and most popular. Most visitors self-cater and benefit from traffic-free streets; non-ski activities are thin on the ground.

1800 has most of the shops, restaurants and clubs, although these are perhaps not amongst the Alps' greatest hotspots. There are really only two bars of any stature. Families will particularly like Les Arcs, with the resort gaining the highest grade from the Board of Tourism for its children's facilities.

The lift system is one of the best, with few queues except at rush hour. Beginners and intermediates are spoilt for choice, with well over 50% of the 120 pistes graded as blue or red. Advanced skiers don't miss out, with lots of off-piste and challenging black runs.

Boarders have much to thank Les Arcs for, as it was one of the first European resorts to pick up on the sport in the '80s. They have a specialist park, with a half-pipe, jumps and boardercross course. If you're really up for it, have a go at the speed skiing course.

The accomodation here is modern, purpose-built, wood-faced buildings comprising predominantly self-catering apartments and a few middlemarket hotels, most of which are situated in the older Arc 1600.

Overall, an all round skier's resort - ideal for those not fussed about hectic nightlife and excessive Alpine charm.

Locality:

Les Arcs is in south east France, in the Savoie region, close to the French/Italian border (10 mls above and SE of Bourg St Maurice, 42 mls SE of Albertville, 42 mls SW of Courmayeur, 128 mls E of Lyon and its airport, 100 mls SE of Geneva and its airport).

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to

Each village has its own variety of shops from supermarkets, souvenir shops, banks and post office to sports and ski-hire shops, cheese shops and delicatessens; Arc 1800 has the most choice, Arc 2000 the least. The residential district of Charmettoger in 1800 has only basic facilities, with main shopping often a 500-yd walk away.

During the daytime the winter activities include downhill, cross-country, slalom and speed skiing. There is also plenty of facilities for snowboarding, tobogganing, skidoos, para-skiing, ice-skating, snowshoeing, kite-surfing, snow-mobile rides, paragliding, dog or horse sleigh rides,"ski Joering". For the indoor types there is a fitness centre, sauna and amusement arcade at each village.

Arc 1800 is the largest and liveliest of the resorts, additionally offering squash and 10-pin bowling.

Nightlife offers several lively bars, with a few unsophisticated discos, cinemas and floodlit and torchlight night skiing.

All of the villages offer a variety of restaurants from fast-food outlets and pizzerias to good-quality French cuisine and local specialities. Several mountain restaurants. Try the local Beaufort cheese.