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Voykit pocket guide · France
La Plagne
Ski or board for 3–5 days in a linked high-altitude area; a day trip from Bourg-Saint-Maurice is too short to justify the lift pass cost.
La Plagne is a large ski resort in the Tarentaise valley of Savoie, linked to Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry via the Vanoise Express gondola to form the Paradiski area. Its highest point is 3,080 m at the Glaciers gondola (2023). Most visitors come for a ski week; non-skiers will find limited activities outside winter.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (ski season); Jan–Mar for best snow
- Avoid
- May–Nov (resort mostly closed outside winter)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €100–150 excl. bed · Mid €150–250 excl. bed · High €250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Fire and ambulance 18 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
Get in
By air
- CMF · Chambéry
- about 1 h 45 min by car or shuttle
- GVA · Geneva
- about 2 h 15 min by car or shuttle
- LYS · Lyon-Saint-Exupéry
- about 2 h 30 min by car or shuttle
Typical fares
- Paradiski lift pass (1 day)
- about €70–80 (2026 estimate)
- Shuttle from Geneva airport
- about €50–70 one way
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Free resort buses connect the villages. Ski lifts and gondolas cover the slopes. A car is not needed inside the resort.
See and do
Known for
- Paradiski ski area (La Plagne + Les Arcs + Peisey-Vallandry)
- Glaciers gondola (3,080 m)
- Family-friendly slopes and snowparks
- Vanoise Express cable car
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Car or shuttle bus, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Les Arcs | Vanoise Express gondola (included in Paradiski pass) | About 30 min |
| Val-d'Isère | Car, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Chambéry | Car, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Plagne Centre
- Central, ski-in/ski-out, most services.
- Plagne Bellecôte
- Higher altitude (1,930 m), quieter.
- Aime-la-Plagne
- Lower village, free bus to lifts.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbohn-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-byen sa koot |
| Where is the lift? | Où est le télésiège ?oo ay luh tay-lay-syej |
| I need help | J’ai besoin d’aidezhay buh-zwan ded |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Lift pass prices are high: a Paradiski pass costs about €70–80/day (2026 estimate).
- Book accommodation and lift passes well ahead for Christmas, February school holidays.
- The resort is mostly closed outside the ski season (May–November).
- Altitude up to 3,080 m: take it easy the first day if you are not used to it.
Standard Alpine risks: altitude, sunburn on snow, and icy paths. Ski within your ability; check avalanche risk daily.
One and two days
No timed day plan for La Plagne yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Paradiski ski area (La Plagne + Les Arcs + Peisey-Vallandry)
- Glaciers gondola (3,080 m)
- Family-friendly slopes and snowparks
- Vanoise Express cable car
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- La Plagne official website: www.la-plagne.com/
- Wikivoyage: La Plagne, revision 5049905 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5049905
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
La Plagne
À cette adresse, s’il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has an embassy in Paris; consulates in Lyon and Marseille. Most other countries have embassies in Paris.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/la-plagne). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.