La Plagne

La Plagne is one of the largest ski resorts in the French Alps, sitting in the Tarentaise valley within the Savoie department, at an altitude of around 1,250 metres. The nearest larger town is Albertville.

Where is La Plagne located?

La Plagne lies in the western Alps, in the Tarentaise valley — a region that concentrates some of the best-known ski destinations in the world. Albertville, famous for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics, sits closest to the resort and serves as the main reference point when approaching from central France or Lyon.

How do you get to La Plagne?

The usual gateway is Albertville, from where a mountain road climbs into the valley and up to the resort itself. Travellers arriving from abroad typically fly into Lyon, Geneva, or Chambéry airports and continue by car or transfer coach — the standard route used for most resorts across the Tarentaise valley.

What's the story behind the resort?

La Plagne was built in 1961 as a purpose-designed modern ski resort, part of the French wave of so-called "third-generation" stations engineered to give skiers direct, ski-in-ski-out access to the slopes. Since 2003, La Plagne has been linked with the neighbouring resort of Les Arcs to form the combined Paradiski ski area, connected by a cable car spanning the Isère valley — a link that considerably expanded the total network of runs and lifts available to visitors of both resorts.

The resort is currently owned by Compagnie des Alpes, one of the largest ski resort operators in France, which also runs several other well-known Alpine destinations.

What can you see and do in La Plagne?

The resort's standout landmark is its bobsleigh and luge track, built for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, where it hosted the bobsleigh and luge competitions. A year later, in 1993, the same track staged the FIBT World Championships. It remains one of the few facilities of its kind in Europe still open to visitors, who can try a guided bobsleigh or luge run under instructor supervision — a genuinely distinctive attraction not found at most other Alpine resorts.

The wider Paradiski area, formed by joining La Plagne with Les Arcs, ranks among the largest ski domains in France by total piste length, making it a strong choice for both beginners and advanced skiers looking for varied terrain.

When is the best time to visit?

The ski season in La Plagne typically runs from December through April, with the altitude and Alpine climate ensuring reliable snow cover for most of the winter. The busiest periods fall around the Christmas holidays and February, when slopes see the heaviest traffic but also benefit from the fullest range of facilities and on-site activities.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paradiski? Paradiski is the combined ski area created in 2003 by linking La Plagne with the neighbouring Les Arcs resort via a cable car over the Isère valley.

What's the nearest town to La Plagne? Albertville is the closest larger town, known for having hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Can you visit Olympic venues in La Plagne? Yes — the resort's bobsleigh and luge track hosted the bobsleigh and luge events during the 1992 Games, and the FIBT World Championships the following year.

How old is La Plagne as a resort? The resort was built in 1961 and has since grown into one of the major ski destinations in the French Alps.