France, Europe
Les Arcs
Les Arcs offers 200km across 122 runs from 1,200-3,226m. Part of 425km Paradiski. Direct Eurostar access. Season: 13 Dec-26 Apr.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
13 Dec 2025
Closes
26 Apr 2026
Days open
134
Annual snow
5m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Les Arcs spans 200 kilometres of marked pistes across 122 runs between 1,200 and 3,226 metres, delivering a 2,026-metre vertical drop from the Aiguille Rouge summit to Villaroger village. The resort forms half of the 425-kilometre Paradiski domain alongside La Plagne, linked since 2003 by the Vanoise Express double-decker cable car. Terrain distribution weighs heavily towards beginners and intermediates with 52 per cent green and blue runs, 35 per cent reds, and 13 per cent blacks, whilst 70 per cent of pistes sit above 2,000 metres ensuring reliable coverage from December through April.
Four purpose-built villages—Arc 1600, 1800, 1950, and 2000—stack up the north-facing bowl alongside the traditional hamlets of Peisey-Vallandry and Villaroger. The 7-kilometre Aiguille Rouge descent ranks among the Alps' longest continuous runs, whilst the resort's mix of open alpine bowls and tree-lined sectors around Arc 1600 and Peisey-Vallandry provides options across all visibility conditions. Arc 1800's Apocalypse Park serves freestylers, and the infamous Flying Kilometre speed skiing track remains from the 1992 Albertville Olympics.
The villages split personality by altitude and era. Arc 1600 retains Charlotte Perriand's 1960s modernist architecture with a 7-minute funicular link to Bourg-Saint-Maurice's TGV station. Arc 1800 forms the commercial hub with 100 shops, two cinemas, and the majority of nightlife including La Folie Douce. Arc 1950 delivers pedestrianised luxury with Canadian-designed chalet architecture, whilst Arc 2000 at 2,100 metres prioritises snow reliability and rapid summit access over amenities.
The Paradiski pass unlocks La Plagne's additional 225 kilometres plus reciprocal day tickets to Espace Killy, Les Trois Vallées, and neighbouring Tarentaise resorts. The 2025-26 season runs 13 December to 26 April with recent infrastructure investments including the December 2024 Transarc gondola replacement and the new 10-person Villaroger gondola cutting valley ascent from 17 to 7 minutes. Les Arcs suits mixed-ability groups seeking extensive intermediate terrain, reliable snow conditions, and direct rail access from London, Paris, and Brussels via Eurostar connections to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
2026m
Vertical
122
Runs
200 km
Piste
5m
Annual snow
The Terrain
122 runs across 200 km of piste
Les Arcs spreads 122 runs across 200 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 52%, with 63 beginner runs to find your feet and 16 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
122
runs
122 runs across 4 grades
Beginner63 runs · 52%
Intermediate43 runs · 35%
Advanced12 runs · 10%
Expert4 runs · 3%
Time it right
When to visit Les Arcs
Les Arcs opened 13 December 2025 and closes 26 April 2026, delivering a 19-week season typical of Tarentaise high-altitude resorts. The 2025-26 winter follows the pattern of mid-December starts and late-April closures, with occasional November weekend operations for early-season ski touring when snowfall permits. The funicular and main gondolas typically begin services by late November for autumn access to Arc 1600 and 1800 restaurants before full resort opening.
The domain receives an average 383 centimetres of annual snowfall with December averaging 76 centimetres and January peaking at 102 centimetres according to historical data. Summit snowpack at 3,226 metres typically exceeds 3 metres by mid-season, whilst base depths at 1,200 metres maintain 50-80 centimetres through north-facing exposure and snowmaking coverage across 43 kilometres of piste. Seventy per cent of terrain above 2,000 metres ensures reliable conditions from opening through April, with the Aiguille Rouge and Grand Col remaining skiable into late spring whilst lower west-facing slopes around Arc 1600 require morning skiing by March.
January through March delivers optimal powder conditions with February averaging 83 centimetres and 2.7 snowy days per week at mid-mountain elevation. Early December and late April offer quieter periods with shorter lift queues, though December's snowpack builds gradually and requires checking base-area coverage. March combines reliable snow depths with increasing sunshine hours—averaging 18 sunny days according to Paradiski statistics—making it popular for families. Spring skiing from mid-March sees softer morning snow and afternoon slush on sun-exposed terrain, whilst high runs retain good coverage through closing day.
The European Film Festival occupies the opening week from 13-20 December, screening over 100 films across Arc 1800 venues and attracting cinema professionals to the slopes. The Launchpad freestyle competition runs annually at Arc 2000, featuring European Big Air qualifiers with French national team riders. Speed skiing demonstrations occasionally use the Flying Kilometre track above Arc 2000, though the slope remains closed to public access. Weekly events include torchlight descents, live music at La Folie Douce from 3pm daily, and the resort operates limited night skiing on 2 kilometres of floodlit piste near Arc 1800.
Season 2025 - 2026
13 Dec 2025
Opens
26 Apr 2026
Closes
134
Days open
5 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Les Arcs, and where to stay
Les Arcs occupies the north-facing slopes of the Vanoise Massif above the Haute Tarentaise valley in Savoie département, with villages spread across the communes of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Landry, Peisey-Nancroix, and Villaroger. The valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice sits at 810 metres on the Isère river, whilst the ski domain spans from 1,200 metres at Villaroger to the 3,226-metre Aiguille Rouge summit with Mont Blanc visible 40 kilometres northwest. The resort borders the Vanoise National Park to the east, restricting development and preserving the Hautes de Villaroger nature reserve across the Aiguille Rouge's back slopes.
Bourg-Saint-Maurice functions as the transport hub 7 kilometres down-valley, serving as base for budget accommodation and offering baroque churches, weekly markets, and valley-floor amenities. Arc 1600 sits directly above via funicular, whilst Arc 1800 perches at its namesake elevation with views across to the Beaufortain range. Arc 2000 actually occupies 2,100 metres at the bowl's head, with Arc 1950 and the Peisey-Vallandry sector spreading west towards La Plagne. The Tarentaise valley concentrates Europe's largest ski resort density including Tignes-Val d'Isère 26 kilometres southeast and Les Trois Vallées 45 kilometres west via Moûtiers.
Road access follows the A430 dual carriageway from Albertville 55 kilometres northwest, continuing as the N90 through Moûtiers to Bourg-Saint-Maurice—a journey of 1 hour 50 minutes from Chambéry or 2 hours 45 minutes from Geneva in normal conditions. The final ascent from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to the villages takes 20-30 minutes on winding mountain roads requiring winter tyres or chains during snowfall. Parking costs approximately €88 weekly for indoor or €71 for outdoor lots at Arc 1600, 1800, and 2000, whilst all villages maintain car-free pedestrian cores with underground garage access.
Chambéry airport lies 125 kilometres west with 1 hour 50 minute transfers, serving UK regional flights from Bristol, Birmingham, and Edinburgh on weekend winter schedules. Geneva airport sits 165-180 kilometres northwest offering the broadest flight selection with 2 hour 30 minute to 3 hour 15 minute transfers depending on Saturday traffic and customs delays. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry and Grenoble airports both sit approximately 205 kilometres distant with 2 hour 35 minute journey times via the A43 motorway and N90. Bourg-Saint-Maurice TGV station receives direct Paris services in 4 hours 40 minutes and London Eurostar connections via Lille, with the funicular providing immediate slope access without road transfers.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Les Arcs, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow
Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.
19 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
12 Aug 2026
Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On
Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.
8 Aug 2026
Live webcams
10 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Les Arcs's live webcams
Check live conditions across Les Arcs with 10 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Les Arcs 2000 Olympique2000m
- At the heart of France's most expansive ski domain, this central Les Arcs webcam captures the bustling activity of Arc 2000 village at 2,000 meters elevation. The strategic location reveals current conditions across the resort's highest village, where skiers access the challenging terrain leading to the Aiguille Rouge's 3,226-meter summit. These Les Arcs live cams provide essential visibility updates for families and experts planning their descent through the Paradiski area's most diverse skiing terrain.
- Les Arcs 2000 Varet2663m
- From one of the Alps' highest webcam positions, this spectacular Les Arcs live cam at Varet delivers breathtaking summit views at 2,663 meters elevation above Arc 2000. The elevated perspective showcases the dramatic high-altitude terrain that defines Les Arcs skiing, including access routes to the legendary Aiguille Rouge cable car. Advanced skiers depend on these Les Arcs cams to assess wind and snow conditions before tackling the resort's most challenging off-piste adventures.
- Vagère Les Arcs Live Cam1713m
- The interconnected nature of France's Paradiski domain unfolds through this strategically positioned Les Arcs webcam at Vagère at 1,713 meters elevation. This mid-mountain location reveals current snow quality across multiple trail networks, making these Les Arcs live cams crucial for timing your exploration of the 200 kilometers of marked pistes. Intermediate skiers rely on this live cam perspective to monitor conditions across the varied terrain connecting all four Arc villages.
- Mont Blanc Arc 1600 Live Cam1600m
- Stunning Alpine panoramas come alive through this remarkable Les Arcs webcam positioned at Arc 1600 with spectacular Mont Blanc views at 1,600 meters elevation. The camera captures both the family-friendly village atmosphere and the dramatic mountain backdrop that makes Les Arcs one of France's most scenic destinations. These Les Arcs cams showcase why the resort's location within Vanoise National Park creates such extraordinary skiing experiences across the Tarentaise Valley.
- Arcabulle Les Arcs Cam2534m
- High-altitude skiing conditions reveal themselves through this commanding Les Arcs live cam at the Arcabulle lift summit at 2,534 meters elevation. The elevated position provides crucial visibility information for accessing the resort's most advanced terrain, where powder hunters find some of the Alps' most reliable snow conditions. Expert skiers use these Les Arcs webcam feeds to assess the challenging runs that connect to La Plagne via the impressive Vanoise Express cable car system.
- Les Arcs 1950 Cam1950m
- The sophisticated charm of France's most architecturally striking ski village shines through this Les Arcs webcam at Arc 1950 at 1,950 meters elevation. Located in the heart of this pedestrian-only village, the camera shows current conditions where luxury accommodations meet direct ski access to 425 kilometers of Paradiski terrain. Families planning their Alpine holiday rely on these Les Arcs live cams to assess village activity and nearby slope conditions.
- Les Arcs Arpette Cam2394m
- Current snow conditions across Les Arcs' diverse terrain zones come into focus through this essential Les Arcs live cam at the Arpette lift summit at 2,394 meters elevation. The strategic mountain position reveals weather patterns and snow quality across multiple sectors of the resort's expansive skiing area. These Les Arcs cams provide vital intelligence for skiers exploring the varied terrain that spans from gentle nursery slopes to extreme off-piste adventures.
- Les Arcs Grizzly Live Cam2269m
- The pulse of high-altitude Alpine skiing beats through this dynamic Les Arcs webcam at the Grizzly lift summit at 2,269 meters elevation. This mid-to-upper mountain perspective captures the diverse terrain where tree-lined runs meet exposed alpine bowls, showcasing the variety that defines Les Arcs skiing. Advanced and intermediate skiers depend on these Les Arcs live cams to time their approach to the challenging descents that make this Tarentaise Valley resort legendary.
- Les Arcs Mont Blanc Live Cam2286m
- Breathtaking views of the Alps' highest peak frame this spectacular Les Arcs webcam at the Mont Blanc lift summit at 2,286 meters elevation. The camera position offers unparalleled perspectives of both the resort's skiing terrain and the surrounding peaks that define the Vanoise National Park landscape. These Les Arcs cams capture the stunning mountain environment that makes skiing here one of France's most visually rewarding experiences.
- Les Arcs Vanoise Aerial Tram Live Cam1598m
- The gateway to Europe's largest ski area opens through this crucial Les Arcs live cam at the Vanoise Express terminal at 1,598 meters elevation. This strategic position shows real-time conditions at the remarkable cable car station that connects Les Arcs with La Plagne, creating the massive 425-kilometer Paradiski domain. Skiers planning multi-resort adventures rely on these Les Arcs webcam feeds to assess conditions before embarking on their interconnected Alpine skiing exploration.
Les Arcs snow cams FAQ
How often do Les Arcs snow cams update?
All Les Arcs snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Les Arcs.
Which Les Arcs webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Les Arcs 2000 Varet webcam at 2,663m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Les Arcs webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Les Arcs lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Les Arcs snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Les Arcs snow cams?
Check Les Arcs webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Les Arcs lift tickets?
Use our Les Arcs webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Les Arcs webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Les Arcs snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Les Arcs intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.