play, rest and work in les arcs

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Off-piste*
Although not as big as other resorts, there is massive variety - from easy tree skiing all round Vallandry and 1600, to cliff hopping in the 'rock garden' around the Deux Tetes in 1600, to big, steep and scary from the top of the Aiguille Rouge. Plus if it's flat light or snowing, the trees mean you can still see where you're going, and with lots of families, there's less competition for first tracks!

Under the Varet bubble and to the right of the Lanchette chair, both in Arc 2000, are where they held the freeride competition, and are relatively safe places to start - quite steep, and in full view if you're not too sure where you're going! Slopes above 1800 are in the sun all afternoon and prone to sliding, as is the Aguille Grive (40minute hike from top of transarc), so be careful, but great runs.

Anything off the back of the Aiguille Rouge and above Villaroger is National Park and if you're in there without a pisteur or chicken pass (available by attending a course in local wildlife in Arc 1600), you'll be fined £100. Not idle threat either as it gives Pisteurs an excuse to ski over there and chase you!

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Moguls
Anything marked red or black on the piste map is likely to be mogully. In fact there are some pretty bumpy blues! Try the Grand Col for a sure thing!

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Speed
Les Arcs is the home of speed! For real adrenaline kicks you can rent the gear to have a go on the Flying Kilometre. But for a slightly gentler pace, and for putting in some big carving turns with few people on the pistes, try the long, wide reds and blues above Vallandry. Alternatively, if it's not too busy you can do the top-to-bottom from the top of the Aiguille Rouge to the Bottom of the Comborciere chair.

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Snowparks
The main snowpark is the Apocolypse park above Arc1600. There is a variety of kickers, rails and boxes and a wall and also a bordercross run. There is a hut at the bottom where you can sit and have lunch, sunbathe and listen to the music. Unfortunately although this park is named as one of the best in Europe there is no drag lift, you have to use a slow 2 man chair which often has a queue during busy weeks. It has to be said that this park is kept in pristine condition until the last day of the season.

There's a natural quarterpipe whcih is in Les Arc 2000 but if you're looking for a more serious half pipe you can travel to La Plagne, but there is often a small rail park conveniently placed on the piste just below the top of the Grizzly chairlift.

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Events
There is always something to do and see. The Ski Joering Championships are held here every year. There are often competitions on in the Apocolypse snowpark where you can participate or just watch. There is the ‘Flying Kilometer’ where speed skiers from across the globe come to train and compete. It is quite something to see, the particular kilometer used runs underneath the bubble above Arc 2000

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Famous visitors
Not teeming with the rich and famous (thankfully!). The only one I know of was John McCarthy!

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Away Days
With easy access to Bourg St Maurice via the Funicular, Les Arcs is a great starting point for away days. Public buses run to Tignes, Val D'Isere, the Three Valleys and La Plagne. You can also get trains along the Valley including stops at Aime and Moutiers. Tour Operators can also organise trips to gems such as Saint Foi. Further afield, Geneva, Lyon, and Annecy are all pretty easy to get to.

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Shopping
Bourg St Maurice has pretty much anything - from electrical goods, to DIY stuff, to huge supermarkets - all of which are cheaper than in resort. As far as winter sports equipment goes there are a few shops to choose from. The old favorite, Tip Top (in Bourg St Maurice and Arcs 1800) is popular although a little expensive and there is no seasonnaire discount. There are a couple of newer shops. Bazoom is opposite the train station and is a ‘lifestyle’ shop that provides wintersports equipment to buy and rent and also has a bar and restaurant, ideal for a beer before the train leaves for Waterloo! There is a new shop opposite the football pitch which is a great shop for trendy brands – the guys who run it (who are x-pros) have good taste in women’s and men’s clothing and there is a mini half-pipe if you want to try your luck! In Arc 1600, Cristina Sport is excellent, and in 1800 try the Quicksilver store for clothes and board gear. There is some varied shopping to be had in the new Arcs 1950 from posh ski gear to a good board specific shop – Concept Board Shop. If you get the Vanoise Express over to La Plagne be sure to check out Freeride Spirit in Les Coches.

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Internet Cafés
The Red Hot Saloon, Ambiente bar, Bowling alley and Chez Bou Bou all have internet access (coin operated). In Bourg St Maurice they you have free internet access (and good coffee and sandwiches) at the Super U supermarket café. There is also free wireless at McDonalds. At Bazoom there is a couple of computers, you can buy minutes from the bar.
More details

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Eating Out
As Les Arcs is very French and mainly geared to self-catering, choice is limited. The Mountain Café does amazing burgers and tex-mex and has a great atmosphere - ideal for post powder day wind down. La Santaline is the best of the local specialty restaurants, The Jungle Café does goods salads and lasagne, and Mamie Crepe is a great place to sit outside on a sunny afternoon. In Arcs 1950 there is a great Asian restaurant called East open for lunch and dinner. Over in Vallandry there is the Mont Blanc Café which serves varied menus including mid-afternoon tapas and has a ‘ski-thru’ burger hut.

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McDonalds
The nearest one is in Bourg St Maurice - only a funicular ride away!

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Shopping Day
The majotiry of apartments in Les Arcs are self-catering, however, Crystal, Skiworld and Esprit &Total all have chalets in the various stations, and the big supermarkets in Bourg St Maurice, 30 minutes drive away, are equipped with everything you could imagine (including British food sections and any electrical equipment/furniture you might be missing!). Casino does weekly deliveries and all the resorts have local bakeries. There is even an English shop in Bourg St Maurice, The Trading Post is situated down a little wynde next to Bazoom.

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Transfer Day
Bourg St Maurice station is only 30 minutes away, so Les Arcs is always popular for train arrivals. Most of the tour operators do transfers to either Lyon (3hrs) or Geneva (3 ½ hours) or both. Chambery airport is now a popular airport for access to Les Arcs as it is only 1hr 30mins away and many low budget airlines now service it.

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Après-ski Options
Popular tour operator après events include:
- Bar crawl, comprising free shots in all the bars and winding up in the Apokalypse.
- Torchlit descent - from the Arpette restaurant. Capacity 300, massively popular and always guaranteed to be messy, especially as the reps are supposed to stay sober and guide everyone down!
- Day trips to Val d'Isere, La Plagne or the Three Valleys.
- Inter operator bowling comp - especially popular during school holidays!
- Other options include skidooing, parapente, karaoke, bum boarding

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Living
Arc 1800 is a good central resort within Les Arcs.
Vallandry has the advantage of being the closest resort to La Plagne because of the Vanoise Express. There are many small, individual chalet companies here and some good bars, shops and restaurants. It is a charming, rustic French village, smaller, but with the same size community of English speaking seasonnaires as Arc 1800.
Arcs 1600 and 2000 are much of a much-ness - great location for getting straight out to the best skiing, but suffering on the Architectural side. However, they're both cheaper to live in and less temptation to go out all the time! And Café Sol in Arc 1600 is great! You can just about walk between 1600 and 1800, but Arc 2000 is 15km away. There is a bus service that runs between all of the Arcs. Bourg St Maurice has a community of seasonnaires – French and English - who commute on the funicular, accommodation prices are cheaper.
Canadian style Arcs 1950 is the newest of the Arcs and is not yet finished, there is plenty more building work going on however, it was open last season and has a great ski in/out feel to it. It also has an upmarket feel to it reflected by the standard of accommodation in the village.  There are 5* hotels and apartments widely available, infact there is little else accommodation wise. Nevertheless, for those who cannot afford to stay there, it is worth a ski through.

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MyNatives
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If you’re thinking of doing a season in Les Arcs then why not search through the 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.

[Thanks to Lauren Little for putting this Guide together]