Skiing Les Arcs over the Festive Period

28th December 2023 | James Cove, Les Arcs.

Last modified on January 5th, 2024

PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, is spending Xmas in the Alps with his family. Rather strangely none of them actually wanted to be skiing in the festive period – in Les Arcs or anywhere else for that matter. UPDATED

Now don’t get me wrong, as a family we utterly love skiing and will go pretty much anywhere at anytime.

Just not at Christmas.

The snow can be unreliable and then there are the crowds, the queues and the prices.

The Cove family prefers to avoid ski resorts at this time of year.

Last year we opted for Morocco rather than mountains.

This year we had booked to go to Egypt for our family Xmas – for diving, snorkeling & generally chilling, but the conflict in Gaza & the situation in the Middle East changed our minds.

And so, we find ourselves in Les Arcs for Xmas.

We switched our TUI holiday to Hurghada in Egypt to a Crystal Ski holiday to Arc 1800 in France – Crystal Ski is owned by TUI so we could transfer relatively easily.

Some of my preconceptions were met on the first day with huge crowds and lift queues with survival mode skiing on some of the busy slopes.

Les Arcs, France. Image © PlanetSKI

But with a bit of planning it is possible to avoid the crowds.

Les Arcs, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Don’t leave at 9 o’clock when ski school starts and head to the less-crowded areas, are two of my guidelines.

Take an early or late lunch is another.

Les Alps, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Get to the deck chairs first in the afternoon.

Les Alps, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Any worries about the snow were not needed this year as at altitude there are some of the best Xmas conditions in recent memory.

Here’s my first PlanetSKI video snow report report filed on Xmas Eve that gives you a flavour of the snow conditions:

We chose Les Arcs for the size of the ski area and its altitude.

It is part of Paradiski, the third largest ski area in the France, with 425kms of slopes.

70% of the slopes are over 2,000m.

On Xmas Day we headed we headed to one of my favourite areas in Les Arcs – Arc 1950.

As Arc 1950 turns 20 we look at its past, present & future

The village is the opposite of some of the other Arcs (1600,1800 and 2000) with a real centre and village-feel.

Arc1950, France. Image © PlanetSKI

It goes out of its way to celebrate Xmas with a focus on families:

Xmas Lunch for the Cove Family was at Le Chalet de L’ Arc.

Arc1950, France. Image © PlanetSKI

There was (thankfully) no turkey on the menu so we enjoyed other Xmas treats.

Lamb shank, ravioli truffles, seasonal chicken and of course tartiflette.

Myrtelle tart replaced Xmas pudding.

Rounded off by genepy, rather than brandy.

Arc1950, France. Image © PlanetSKI

12-months ago the Cove Xmas lunch was in Agadir in Morocco.

Agadir, Morocco. Image © PlanetSKI

Boxing Day was a belter as we toured the full Les Arcs ski area, rather than just lazing around by a pool with our feet up.

Agadir, Morocco. Image © PlanetSKI

Les Arcs, France. Image © PlanetSKI

On Boxing Day +1 we headed over to La Plagne via the Vanoise Express.

La Plagne, France. Image © PlanetSKI

The double-decker lift is the largest cable car in the world and can transport 188 people.

Fabulous conditions awaited.

La Plagne, France. Image © PlanetSKI

With serious amounts of snow.

La Plagne, France. Image © PlanetSKI

And here’s the next snow report video filed as the day drew to a close with my new Xmas friend, Rudolph.

Though the Xmas queues in La Plagne had been some of the worst I have ever seen.

La Plagne, France. Image © PlanetSKI

It’s a popular spot:

It’s always a dilemma to know which lift pass to buy for these huge French ski areas.

A 6-days pass for the Paradiski area is €369.

For just the Les Arcs area it is €330.

I would actually recommend the latter and just head over to La Plagne for 1 day with a €25 supplement to pay.

There is more than enough skiing in Les Arcs and you can spend half the day skiing across and back just trying to get somewhere else.

Unlike Egypt there was no snorkeling, diving or camel rides on offer, but the apres ski in France is undoubtedly better than Egypt.

From the Folie Douce to L’ Arpette above Arc 1800.

On our holidays we like a few ‘excursions’.

In Africa for our Xmas treats it was camel rides and a spot of golf.

In Les Arcs this week it was a ski tour – to get away for the crowds and enjoy the simple pleasure of heading uphill under one’s own steam in the mountains.

We picked up touring skis from the local Intersport shop as it opened.

My daughter, Tashie, has never been touring before.

She attached skins to the base of her skis to be able to slide uphill.

Then we set off.

Tashie will be posting a full article about her ski tour experience later, so look out for that one if you wonder why we love ski touring, and highly recommend people to give it a go.

If ski touring is not your thing then there’s a zip-wire, a sledging track and a first-tracks programme where you get up the slopes ahead of everyone else.

So, next winter will the Cove Family opt for another holiday well away from the mountains, or be heading to a ski resort?

It’s going to be a tough one as this Xmas week in Les Arcs with the family has been truly, truly wonderful.