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Bars and Clubs
There are about 50 restaurants and bars and several night clubs, so apologies to those that are not on our list but these are some favourites:
Plagne 1800
La Mine – Seasonaires favourite, gets really crowded has live music.
Plagne 1800
La Mine – Seasonaires favourite, gets really crowded has live music.
Plagne Centre
PlanJA.nl – Plays all kinds of music, dancing, gets very lively, great atmosphere and shows the Big Games (also known as the Dutch Bar).
Scottys Bar – Live music , large sun terrace and always a party.
La Luna Bar – Popular meeting place which sells ‘towers’ of beer, live music.
Bar Plein du Soleil – Good atmosphere, music and has all the live Footie and Rugby games.
Bellecote
Cozy Bar – Good atmosphere, DJ,s, late free shuttle bus.
Spittin’ Feathers –English Bar, music, live sports and Curry Nights. And free shuttle bus home.
Belle Plagne
Le Saloon Cowboy Bar – Can be very lively and is open until 4am, Also lots of other good bars with live music and entertainment, great for a pub crawl.
Plagne Soleil
Monica’s Pub – DJs, live music and good outside deck for lunch.
Aime 2000
La Montana – Smallish bar with live music, theme evenings and sheepskins on the chairs. Nice sunny deck at lunch time.
Lots of other watering holes too numerous to mention!
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Off-piste
Lots of ‘just off to the side’, under the lifts, between the pistes you know, all the usual stuff, but here some ‘big’ days out. Usual advice here, do not go alone, practice and know how to use your transceiver, probe and shovel in case of an avalanche. There are organised practice sessions by SAP that you can attend around the resort. Please ski or board off piste with a guide.
The North Face of Bellecote – has become popular in recent years, there are a few routes to take down it and the Couloir Canadiene, with its 45 degree angle, is used for freeride competitons. You finish by the cross country track above Nancroix.
Glacier of Col De Nant – Take a guide to avoid the crevasses! Wind your way down to Laissonney and its cross country tracks, then finish out at Champagny-le-Haut where you can catch the bus to Champagny for a well earnt beverage before you catch the bubble back to reality.
For all you need to know
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Moguls
Well, anything marked red or black is likely to get moguly, for example La Source. You can find some, if you must, on Les Bosses, a black at the top of Les Verdons, snow permitting. Also under the Bellecote Bubble on the Roche de Mio glacier and on the always un-pisted Morbleu and Les Etroits (blacks) which are accessed by the drag at the top of Le Becoin chair. Bon Chance! Oh, and when the bump course is built for competitions in Bellecote.
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Speed
Lots of wide open reds and blues to blast on, when the crowds permit of course.
Snowparks
Good one above Plagne Centre on the Capella Piste. A skier cross course and a good half pipe at Bellecote. Also a small park at the top of the Bijolin and Dos Rond lifts.
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Events
There are always things going on. The best advice is to is get Le Guide Hiver from the Tourist Office - it's a small book packed full of info. There is also another small weekly events magazine, which keeps you up to date and aware of changes. The French Freestyle Champs took place in March.
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Away
Days
We are quite close to La Rosiere, Val d’Isere, Tignes and the Three Valleys it would be an awful waste not to make the most of your days off.
It’s really easy to hop on the impressive Vanoise Express, a four-minute ride from Montchavin to Peisey in Les Arcs.
A real skiers challenge is to ski from one side of Paradiski to the other and return in a day. If you have the legs, start at Montalbert 1350m in La Plagne and travel to Villaroger 1200m in Les Arcs (via the Aiguille Rouge). Lunch at La Ferme at Villaroger is recommended.
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Shopping
Things in resort are quite expensive so it's best, if you can, to wait until you go to the valley for Bourg St. Maurice and Moutiers.
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Internet
Cafés
Cyber Café in Centre by the shuttle bus-stop is probably the most well known, but there are also various hot spots all linked in around all the resorts. Some bars let you use the internet if you buy a drink.
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Eating
Out
There are many restaurants of different types and standards, and most bars also serve reasonably priced food. Here are some of our faves:
Plagne 1800 Le Petit Chaperon Rouge – Savoyarde Specialities
La Grande Mere. Open for lunch, you can ski to it, and also good for savoyarde specialities in the evening.
Plagne Centre
La Vega – A good all-rounder, on the piste front with a good sunny deck for lunch.
Le Chaudron – Always busy, pricey, piste front and has a sunny deck for lunch.
L’Estaminet – Small and friendly, Savoyarde theme and reasonably priced.
La Grolle – Good friendly atmosphere
La Ferme – Kebabs, pasta, burgers, sandwiches etc
La Refuge – The original ‘warming place’, reasonably priced.
Dominos Pizza – Lots to choose from.
Belle Plagne
Le Matafan – Savoyarde, a bit pricey, but good. Also has a sunny deck for lunch.
Pappagone and North Face are across the path from each other by the entrance to the bubble. Both are good and have a varied menu.
La Cloche- Always busy, pizzas and Savoyarde fare.
Plagne Villages
Le Grizzli – is a favourite, it’s small, pricey, but has good charm!
Le Spatule – Good pizza and character don’t be put off by the apartment building it's in. Yummy hot chocolate on their small deck in the day.
Plagne Soleil
The Gargantuan – Very popular, nice atmosphere.
Aime 2000
La Montana – Good restaurant, quite pricey.
Le Mont Blanc – Great views. Good food but expensive.
Mountain Restos
Again, too many to mention them all but here are some worth a visit:
Les Borseliers – In the Champagny sector and has the most reasonable prices. Is a sheltered suntrap, very popular inside and out, with a great terrace.
Roc de Blanchettes – One of the best views in town out towards Courchevel and its altiport, also has deckchairs on the snowy beach!
Le Chalet de Friolin – At Les Bauches. Very traditional inside and recently refurbished. There are a few leg-burning off-piste routes to get there.
Le Plein Soleil – Towards Montchavin with a Father Christmas hanging from the roof! Best coffee in town last season!
Le Sauget is just down the hill, it is also a very cosy auberge with lots of character.
Le Forperet and L’Abreuvoir at Montalbert are old, quaint, cosy, charming, and traditional, a perfect stop when you take to the trees on snowy days!
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Shopping
Day
Things in resort are quite expensive so it is best, if you can, to wait until you go to the valley eg Bourg St. Maurice and Moutiers.
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Radio
I mention this because Aire-la-Plagne 101.5 have good piste and snow reports in French and English in the mornings.
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Après-ski
Options
All the usual: skidoos, parapenting, bowling, ice skating, swimming, tobogganing.
Then there is the bob sleigh. Unique to La Plagne, it was built for the Olympics in 1992 and it's not the sort of tourist attraction where you take a Disney type tour - this is the real thing! If you want to scare yourself witless go on the mono-bob. You're sent on your way, alone, enclosed in a cage, on a high-tech sledge that reaches speeds of 90kph!! On a taxi-bob you go with a professional driver and experience 3.5G. Holy S***! Keep your eyes OPEN so as not to miss a thing. The more sedate driverless bob-raft only goes at 80kph and you travel with three other people which is great fun (wear a head-cam so you can relive the adventure). All are highly recommended - can’t wait to go again!!
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Living
It’s very easy to get around with the free resort bus service, but beware if you miss the last bus it’s a long cold walk home, and it's been known for the last one not to turn up at all. Plagne Centre, Aime 2000, Bellecote and Belle Plagne are quite spread out but you'll be amazed how the news of a nite out travels through the resort.
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MyNatives
If you’re thinking of doing a season in La Plagne then check out MyNatives to see who else has worked there and what advice they may be able to offer. Why not join yourself and tell us about your season, in a blog, or post some photos in our Gallery.
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[Thanks to Chrissie Kimber for putting this Guide together] |
