Arc 1600
The original village and the one the funicular from Bourg-Saint-Maurice arrives at. The obvious choice for a car-free trip.
Where to Stay in Les Arcs: 1600, 1800, 1950 or 2000
Les Arcs is four numbered villages stacked up one mountainside, and as at Courchevel the number is the altitude. Unusually for a large French resort, it is also genuinely reachable without a car — a funicular runs up from the valley railway station.
FamilyParadiskiCar-freeEasy by trainTarentaise
The rail connection is the strongest practical argument for Les Arcs over its neighbours. Bourg-Saint-Maurice is served by direct trains including seasonal services from further afield, and the funicular removes the transfer that usually makes a car-free Alpine week awkward. If you would rather not drive a mountain road in February, this is the resort that makes that easy.
Between the villages, the trade is the usual one: 2000 has the snow and the access, 1800 has the restaurants and the noise, 1950 is the newest and the priciest, and 1600 is the quietest and the one the funicular reaches. Families with young children tend to land on 1950 or 1800; skiers chasing early starts choose 2000.
Quick facts
- Département
- Savoie (73)
- Village altitude
- 1200 m
- Highest lift
- 3226 m
- Piste in resort
- 200 km
- Linked ski area
- Not yet verified
- Lifts
- 53
- Season
- Not yet verified
- From Geneva (GVA)
- 142 min
- From Lyon (LYS)
- 139 min
- Nearest station
- Bourg-Saint-Maurice (27 min)
Compare hotels on the map
Live availability and rates. Search by date, then compare against the guide below.
Some outbound booking links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to appear here.
Best areas to stay in Les Arcs
Arc 1800
The largest and busiest of the villages, with the widest choice of shops and restaurants.
Arc 1950
A purpose-built car-free village and the most recent addition. Polished, convenient and priced accordingly.
Arc 2000
The highest base, closest to the Aiguille Rouge side. Chosen for snow and access rather than atmosphere.
Some outbound booking links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to appear here.
Worth knowing before you book
- The only resort here you can reach by train and funicular
- Trains reach Bourg-Saint-Maurice and a funicular climbs from the station to Arc 1600. No road transfer, no hire car, no chains. It is the strongest practical argument for Les Arcs over any neighbour.
- Check the funicular's hours against your arrival
- This is the single thing that catches people out. A late train into Bourg-Saint-Maurice after the last departure turns a smooth car-free plan into a taxi up a mountain road.
- The number is the altitude, from 1600 to 2000
- 2000 has the snow and the shortest morning. 1800 has the restaurants and the noise. 1950 is car-free and the most expensive. 1600 is the quietest and the one the funicular reaches.
- Paradiski is two resorts, not one continuous area
- Les Arcs on one side, La Plagne on the other, joined by one cable car. Base your choice on the side you will actually ski rather than on the combined kilometre figure in the brochure.
Who it does not suit
Anyone who wants an old village. All four numbered villages were built for skiing, and 1950 — the prettiest — is also the newest and the most deliberate. Saint-Martin-de-Belleville or Le Praz in Courchevel are where the genuine article is.
Anyone whose plan depends on skiing La Plagne daily. The Vanoise Express is a single cable car, so the whole of Paradiski runs through one crossing point. Once or twice a week it is a pleasure; every morning it is a queue and a timetable.
Anyone who wants a short transfer from Geneva. This is one of the further destinations in the guide by road. If the drive is the thing you dread, Chamonix and Annecy are around an hour, and Les Arcs answers that problem with rail instead.
Browse by hotel style
Also in this area
Frequently asked questions
Can you reach Les Arcs without a car?
Yes, and more easily than almost anywhere else in this guide. Trains reach Bourg-Saint-Maurice and a funicular climbs from the station to Arc 1600. Confirm the funicular's operating hours against your arrival time — that is the one thing that catches people out.
Which village suits a first family ski trip?
Arc 1950 if budget allows — it is car-free, compact and built for exactly this. Arc 1800 if you want more choice of restaurants and are comfortable with a busier base.