La Plagne & Paradiski Lift Pass Options - Winter

La Plagne Pass This is the local area pass that gives you unlimited access to all the lifts in the La Plagne domain (including Plagne Centre, Plagne 1800, Bellecote, Belle Plagne, Plagne Villages, Plagne Soleil, Aime La Plagne, Plagne Montalbert, Les Coches, Montchavin and Champagny-en-Vanoise). 225kms of piste, 136 different slopes and an altitude variation from 3417m to 1250m; if you are quite happy skiing at your own pace or perhaps have get back to meet your children from ski school for example, then this pass could be just what you’re after.

Paradiski Decouverte
For a few euros more, you can upgrade your La Plagne pass to the Paradiski Discovery ticket. This pass is valid for 6 - 8 day durations only and whilst it covers the same area as the La Plagne pass, it also gives you one day skiing in the remainder of the Paradiski area.

Paradiski Area
The Paradiski lift pass sings, dances and can jump really high in the board park! If you like clocking up the miles and want to explore every inch of the available terrain then this is the only choice for you. Unlimited access to 425kms of piste, 144 lifts and 2 glaciers - anyone of an intermediate ski ability and upwards would undoubtedly get great enjoyment from this pass. For Paradiski passes of 5 days or longer, you are also entitled to ski for free for one day in either of the Espace Killy resorts (Tignes or Val d'Isere) AND in the 3 Valleys (Meribel, Courchevel & Val Thorens/Belleville Valley). Restrictions may apply so be sure to ask at one of the cash desks before heading out of resort.

NB. Both the Paradiski and the Decouverte passes have 6 ½ and 7 ½ day options enabling you to ski on the day of arrival too!

There are also a number of other variations, making your lift pass more flexible to suit you:

1 day pass:  If you're not sure whether you're going to be skiing every day, buy your lift pass a day at a time and ski when you feel like it.

1/2 day ski pass: if you only fancy doing a half day skiing here and there, then the afternoon pass gives you just that flexibility.  Starting at 12.30pm, you can buy a half day pass for just the La Plagne area or for the whole of the Paradiski region. 

4hr pass: if you don't want to wait until the half day pass kicks in at lunch time, then you can get even more flexibility with the 4 hour pass.  Valid for 4 consecutive hours and giving you access to all the lifts in La Plagne, your 4 hours begin from the moment you take your first lift.  Once your time is up though, the pass will not scan at the turnstiles and you will have to pay to use any further lifts, so make sure you leave enough time to get back to where you’re staying!

NB.  For these shorter duration passes, be prepared to queue up at the cash desks each day to buy your pass.

If you are a complete beginner, then it is likely that you will be joining ski school for most of your stay so it is worth discussing with them which pass option is best suited for their beginner groups. There are sometimes also special deals available on lift passes when bought in conjunction with lessons, so it’s always worth asking!

If you've just arrived in resort and want to find your feet before buying a lift pass then there are a number of lifts that you can use for free.  They are all drag or rope lifts and finish at the top of nursery slopes that are also free of charge and are reserved for beginners and children.

The free lifts are as follows:

• Plagne Centre - Telebaby
• Plagne Villages - Le Biquet
• Plagne Soleil - Le Solü
• Aime la Plagne - Aime la Plagne
• Plagne 1800 - Praconduit
• Belle Plagne - Belle Plagne, Croets
• Montchavin - Montchavin, Sucette, Plan Bois
• Les Coches - Patinoire, Le Petit Sauget
• Champagny - La Bergerie
• Montalbert - Montalbert

For those of you that are skiing “en famille”, La Plagne offers reduced rates for families buying 4 identical passes at the same time (6 days or more, same period and for same area – La Plagne or Paradiski). Families with 2 adults and 2 children aged between 6 and 17 years will enjoy the family rate and additional teenagers aged 14-17 years from the same family will be charged at the child rate. Proof of age is required for all family and children’s passes; please see here for a full breakdown of lift pass prices.

La Plagne has really tried to cater for everyone with their lift pass options and as a result, there are a number of other variations available, making your lift pass more flexible to suit you:

4 hour ski pass
Does exactly what it says on the tin and is valid for 4 consecutive hours giving you access to all the lifts in specific areas within the La Plagne domain. If you like to ski as and when you please but are not fussed about being out all day then this is an ideal choice. Your 4 hours begin from when you take your first lift so make sure you leave enough time to get back to where you’re staying!

1 day pass
If you don’t feel like skiing every day, it is also possible to buy your lift pass a day at a time. Both day and 4 hour passes are available for 3 different areas - the La Plagne high altitude resorts or for Montchavin/Les Coches/Champagny and Plagne Montalbert if you fancy a day skiing in the trees. These options make it ultra flexible for people who don’t want to spend all day every day trying to get their money’s worth out of a week-long pass!

It is also possible to opt for a block of six afternoons meaning that it can work out cheaper if you don’t think you would make the most of a more comprehensive pass. Do bear in mind though that lift office queues can be busy, especially in high season. So, a little planning ahead can go a long way, unless you want to spend all your time off the mountain waiting in line for a pass that is only valid for a few hours!

Freestyle Pass
If all your interested in is bigging it up in the snowpark, then there is also a special lift pass for that! For €20 a day, the Passpark gives budding freestylers unlimited access to the 7 Cube (the snowpark at Plagne Centre), the boarder cross at Belle Plagne and the half pipe at Bellecote. With over 20 obstacles spread across almost a kilometre of snow the ‘7 Cube’ is split into 4 areas: The Green, The Blue, The Red and The Black. As you can imagine, these are named according to their level of difficulty and diversity of their obstacles. You can expect to find a variety of rails, tables and jumps to keep you busy all day! You can find out more about the snowparks in La Plagne in our Insider’s Guide >>

Ski "a la carte"
If you’re a regular visitor to La Plagne then you should enquire about the ski "a la carte" offer for frequent skiers. This card is valid for 8-20 non-consecutive days and enables you to ski at a reduced daily rate.  The card can be bought on-line for €29 (€15 seniors, free for juniors) and entitles you to 15% reduction on the adult La Plagne or Paradiski day pass rate.  It also offers 15% discount on day passes in neighbouring St Foy, La Rosiere, and Val Morel, as well as reductions in  Val d'Isere, Tignes, Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz etc) and Serre Chevalier.as well as special promotions and loyalty bonuses throughout the year.  For example, you can ski for €1 per day on your 9th, 14th and 19th days skiing.

The card is valid from the date of your subscription until 30th September of the following year and you will be billed at the start of each month only for the days you have actually skied.  For more information and to subscribe, visit www.skialacarte.fr.

With a multitude of other activities to take part in, such as snow shoeing, dog sledding, and ice climbing (not to mention trying out all those mountain restaurants...) you don’t have to be strapped to skis or a board to make the most of the Alps. Many of the lifts are open to pedestrians. They include:

• Bellecôte télécabine
• La Roche de Mio gondola
• La Grande Rochette Funiplagne
• Biollay chairlift
• La Roche chairlift
• 1800 chairlift
• Montchavin, Plan Bois chairlifts
• Pierre Blanche, Montchavin
• Montalbert and Le Fornet chairlifts
• Le Lac Noir gondola, Montchavin Les Coches
• Champagny gondola
• Vanoise Express

You can either buy a week long pedestrian pass or buy return tickets for individual lifts; the price is the same for 6 to 71 year olds, anyone older or younger than that can travel for free! (You will need to show proof of age).  The Vanoise Express is the double-decker cable car runs between La Plagne and Les Arcs from which you can get an incredible view of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps - don't miss it!

You can also purchase the 'Pass Glacier', which gives you lift access to the Bellecôte glacier as well as entry to the ice caves and a platter of Savoyard specialities in the Restaurant La Roche de Mio (not recommended for children under the age of 3 years). 

'Classic' Style

Get back to nature and explore tranquil cross-country trails at your own pace. There are two different techniques – classic and skating. Classic is the easiest for beginners; you simply place your skis in two parallel groves, push off and glide around the trails. Skating is more energetic and a slightly harder skill to grasp; you push your feet out to either side as though you are ice skating and use your poles simultaneously to gain momentum.

You can hire the comfortable boots and lightweight skis and poles fairly inexpensively from most sports shops and book a group or private lesson to learn the basics from most ski schools or private instructors.

For those used to downhill skis, at first you feel precariously balanced and downhill sections are definitely more exciting on narrow skis with no edges! The skis are lighter and slimmer than downhill skis and the boots are much softer and more comfortable. The tranquility of cross country (also known as Nordic) skiing is perfect for anyone who enjoys peace and quiet, or finds the downhill pistes too crowded or too steep. It is a great form of aerobic exercise and one can be as energetic or slow as one likes, while the relaxed pace makes it a more tranquil way to enjoy the surroundings!.

'Skating' Style

Once you have grasped the essentials, head off for the tranquil cross country trails that criss cross the Paradiski area. La Plagne is very popular with cross-country skiers as there is a variety of specialised tracks around the resort; the majority of the cross country pistes are free of charge unless you want to cheat and get the odd lift here and there! The only one that is not free is the Champagny track - the longest and hardest track in resort that runs around the mountain from Les Bauches in the Montchavin/Les Coches area to Plagne Bellecôte. It bypasses just above the village of Les Coches, deep in the forest, and is a beautiful and peaceful track. At an altitude of just over 2000 metres, good snow cover is guaranteed. There is shorter circuit above Plagne Soleil which is right in the midst of the downhill ski area and is graded as easy. Also an ‘easy’ route is the longer, slightly more downhill track from La Roche, below Plagne 1800, to just above Montalbert. There are a couple more areas in Montalbert that are specifically for learner cross-country skiers and are just small circuits to practise on.

If you have a car whilst staying in La Plagne and wish to have a trip out for an afternoon’s cross-country skiing, then you can visit the beautiful Vallee de Bellecôte which separates La Plagne from Les Arcs. Drive as far as you can up the valley and right at the very end you come to the Nordic area of Peisey-Nancroix. Here, you will find 44kms of cross country ski trails, a club house and café where you can hire equipment. The area has been affected by a number of massive avalanches with snow falling from the North Face of the Bellecôte glacier and the villages up there are no longer inhabited all year round because of this. The destruction caused by the avalanches is very clear, with areas flattened trees stretching for several hundred metres. It is of course, well secured and is a very interesting and beautiful place to visit. In the Nordic area, a pass is required in order to use the trails, the profit from which goes towards their daily upkeep. Prices are as follows:

• Half Day - €4.90 (€3.40 child)
• Full Day - €5.90 (€4.20 child)
• 2 Days - €9.20
• 6 Days - €23.00 (€10.50 child)

La Plagne consolidates its reputation as a forward-thinking resort by offering an impressive 50% reduction on La Plagne and Paradiski passes to disabled skiers and their guides, on presentation of documentation proving a level of disability of at least 80%. They also offer 20% discount off the public rate prices on proof of a lesser degree of disability.  This offer does not extend to the accompanying guide for season passes.

Senior Citizens aged 72 and over also qualify for greatly reduced lift pass rates and for 2009, 1-15 day passes cost €5.50 for La Plagne or €8.50 for the Paradiski area and season passes can be bought for a bargain €15.50 (local area) or €21 (full area)!  Photos are required for passes valid for 3 days and more.  If you're not a skier, then you can still make the most of La Plagne's wonderful lift system on foot, as seniors can travel for free on all the pedestrian accessible lifts in the area simply by obtaining a ticket from one of the cash desks. 

Children under the age of 6 can get a FREE lift pass of the same type and duration as that of a parent (except for La Plagne 4 hour, season and La Plagne and Paradiski 6 and 12 non-consecutive day passes).

These can all be obtained at the ticket office and proof of eligability will be required (proof of age etc).

Insurance
It goes without saying that you must be properly insured before taking to the slopes, but you can also purchase insurance on a daily basis as you buy your lift pass. ”Carré Neige” is the instantly recognised mountain sports insurance in France that covers you for: