Are you looking to get out of town for the weekend with your crew of favourite skiers and snowboarders? Jump in the train at Lyon, Grenoble or Chambéry and head to La Plagne! On the programme, two ‘Shred & Chill’ days (in other words, great skiing and plenty of opportunities to relax, with or without a glass of something nice). Follow the guide!
1. In the daytime: skiing (at a great price!) Saturday AND Sunday
When the snow is cold and crunches perfectly under your skis, practise your long and short turns on the 225 km of ski runs for all levels in the La Plagne ski area (425 km of runs in total in the linked Paradiski area: La Plagne + Les Arcs + Peisey-Vallandry). Don’t forget to take in the whoop-de-doos and banked turns on the boardercross!
When the snow is softer in the springtime, take out a pair of twin tips or a snowboard and head off to the snowpark Riders Nation (it will take you 20 min from Plagne Bellecôte on the Arpette chairlift then Replat blue run). When you get there: 36 modules (tables, rails, boxes…) on 4 runs from level XS (beginner) to XL (expert) and deckchairs where you can lounge in the sunshine between two runs. Don’t forget to pop your most stylish sunnies in your backpack…
When there is fresh, light powder, check that your avalanche beacon, shovel and probe are in your airbag and get on your fat skis to shred with the best, with one of the mountain guides or a freeride instructor! Enjoy a warm-up run down the Combe des Rossets, explore Montalbert forest or discover the legendary North Face of Bellecôte (where there are some 15 variants for good to expert skiers)… In La Plagne, the playground for ski lovers is quite simply exceptional!
💡 Great ideas for winter 24/25:
- On Saturdays, a La Plagne ski pass is at a flat rate of 42 € / person* for anyone who has remembered to buy their pass in advance online (by midnight on Friday at the latest) on Samedi Je skie
• On Sundays, a La Plagne pass costs 52 € / person* using the online offer Dimanche Malin (not available during the Christmas and February school holiday periods – but you wouldn’t have chosen those weekends to come skiing with your friends anyway… would you?!)
*Instead of 68 €! (price of a 1-day La Plagne pass)
2. At the end of the afternoon: sip a cool beer and enjoy a plate of tapas
After skiing, it’s après-ski time! Don't bother to go back and change – head straight for the best spots in the resort to drink to your exploits of the day. Au Brix for example (Plagne Centre): THE place for beer enthusiasts (8 draught beers and over 100 bottled beers!). Don’t hesitate to ask the staff for recommendations: they are experts and will point you in the direction of some little hop-flavoured nuggets that deserve more recognition than they get… Another spot you are bound to enjoy: La Mine (Plagne 1800). A British-style pub (run by genuine Brits, which would explain that) with an interior that calls to mind the old mines in La Plagne. Don’t worry, though, you don’t need to be a geology expert to enjoy their wide range of beers and ciders served on tap!
If you don’t want to put your Dry January (or Dry Year or Dry Life…) to the test, but you don’t fancy yet another Perrier slice either, get your taste buds tingling at La Bodega (Belle Plagne)! On the menu: mocktails and platters to share (local cheeses, Iberian ham, truffle-flavoured cold sausage…), as well as spicy (or not so spicy) tapas (crispy chicken wings with chipotle pepper mayonnaise, Iberian ham croquetas, guacamole, falafels and more…). There are, of course, alcoholic beers and cocktails in case you change your mind during the evening (La Bodega is open until 4am!).
👀 See the full list of bars in La Plagne
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health, please drink moderately.
3. In the evening, it’s party time!
At night, it’s time for electro, house, drum & bass, hip-hop, techno or rock music… The festive programme in La Plagne’s bars changes every week, so there’s no point in suggesting any one place in particular (everyone’s tastes, etc, etc.). However, the three places below are pretty much a safe bet:
🍹 Le Luna Bar (Plagne Centre, in the gallery): billiards, table football and darts, friendly staff, a great list of short and long drinks (or you can order a customised cocktail if you really can’t see anything you want), DJ sets every week… Shall we go on, or is that enough to convince you?
🍹 La K’Bine (Plagne Centre, under the Télémétro departure station): you will go there for their excellent fresh pasta, then you’ll stay tapping your feet until 2am! “Small place with a big atmosphere”: a comment left on Trip Advisor that sums up the welcoming, festive ambiance perfectly…
🍹 La Rhumerie (Plagne Aime 2000): as its name suggests, this is a bar that will appeal to anyone who enjoys aged rums, exotic rums or rum cocktails (served in a latino-tropical atmosphere that is muy caliente!).
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health, please drink moderately.
Practical info
✅ Accommodation for a weekend or a week Find somewhere to stay for a weekend or for a week (easier and cheaper outside of school holiday periods, i.e. January, March)
✅ See the timetable for the local bus service between Aime-la-Plagne train station and the resort before you buy your train ticket bus timetables
✅ Buy your ski pass at the best price on Samedi Je Skie and Dimanche Malin
✅ Book a lesson with a ski instructor Book a 1hr, 2hr30 or full day session with a ski instructor to progress quicker (and go home with some great images to include in your monthly Insta ‘photo dump’…)
