For each of the 4 Les Arcs villages it is unlikely that you would need a car, as they are linked by a bus service during the day and each has sufficient night life to keep you in your village at night time.
If you do decide to drive remember that it is a legal requirement in France to carry a warning triangle and spare bulbs, and that the Motorway speed limit depends on the weather. You can find out more about driving in France in our FAQ section.
Car Parking in Les Arcs
Indoor and/or outdoor parking is available at each level of the Les Arcs resorts and in certain places, i.e. Arcs 1950, it is compulsory as the resort is traffic free. Both Bourg St Maurice and Arc 1600 have free outdoor parking, but the remaining designated parking areas (covered or uncovered) are all paying. As a guideline, the covered car parks cost around €75 per week and can be booked in advance, whereas outdoor parking is €0.40 per hour and is on a first come first served basis. You can find the latest tariffs and book an underground parking space via the links below.
The car parks in Les Arcs are located as follows:
Arcs 1600 Free outdoor car park and one covered parking - La Cascade.
Arcs 1800 Four outdoor car parks and three covered parkings - Charmettoger, Charvet and Villards.
Arcs 1950 One compulsory covered car park. You will be allocated a space most conveniently located for your residence.
Arcs 2000 Five outdoor parking areas and one covered - Lac des Combes. If you are prepared to leave your car 5km away by the Comborciere chair lift where the parking barrier is (from which you take a ticket to park nearer to resort) there is a free shuttle bus to take you into Arc 2000 and 1950.
Plan-Peisey and Vallandry both have numerous outdoor car parks but there isn't any communal covered parking in either resort. If you want to ensure that you can park your vehicle underground during your stay, enquire at the time of booking to see if your accommodation has private covered parking spaces.
The main car parks are detailed on the resort car parking map >>
The nearest airports to Les Arcs are Chambéry (144km), Lyon Saint-Exupéry (222km) and Geneva (225km). The train station of Bourg Saint Maurice is just a 45 minute journey away and there are regular shuttle buses going back and forth between the station and resort. There are daily bus links to the train station and all airports with Altibus, see below for timetables. To read more about how to get to Les Arcs please go to our Travelling Between the Airport & Les Arcs section.
With the mainline train station at Bourg St Maurice, the funicular railway to Arc 1600 is a convenient and easy route into resort. It takes 7 minutes and runs every 20 minutes during the winter, starting at 07h30 and running until 20h00 (07h30-21h00 on Fridays and Saturdays). In the summer, the funicular runs on the hour and half hour from 08h00 to 19h00. The cost for adults is €7 and the return journey free, or you can travel for free with a valid lift pass. The train is also free for all children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult.
Between Arcs 1600,1800,1950 and 2000 there is a free (to all lift pass holders) inter resort bus link, which starts at 7.30 and continues until 19.40. To travel between Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 a short gondola lift (Cabriolet) is available. These services operate during the main winter and summer seasons but not during interseason.
Plan Peisey and Vallandry are serviced by a free shuttle bus service which runs every 30 minutes between the 2 villages normally from 9am to 6pm. There is also a free bus from the 2 villages to the Nordic ski area at Nancroix. The service runs around 5 times a day during the winter. From Plan Peisey/Vallandry a free bus will take you to Landry (where there is a train station). This service starts at 07.55 from Landry or 08.50 from Peisey/Vallandry. The last train from Landry is at 16.55 and from Peisey/Vallandry at 18.45.
All the Les Arcs villages can be reached by ski or board using the ski lift system.
Arc 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry are linked by La Fðret ski run which can be used to walk between the 2 places. Otherwise you would need to organise a taxi. You can reach other ski resorts and towns by bus or train from Bourg St Maurice.
For Les Arcs, the most convenient airport is Chambéry, situated 144 kms (2hrs) away. From here, you have a number of different methods of transport to choose from to get you up to resort.
If you can’t get a flight to Chambéry, the next best options are Grenoble (211kms), Lyon (222kms) or Geneva (225km); all of which are serviced by a number of the major airlines. Each airport has it pros and cons. Chambery is closest but may close in bad weather and your flight be diverted elsewhere. Geneva has excellent bus/shuttle links to Les Arcs, but finding the route in a hire car isn't particularly easy. Lyon St-Exupery has fewer links to Les Arcs, expecially midweek, but the journey is easier and quicker than from Geneva if you hire a car. Each major airline carries destination information on its website - although you either have to try all of them to find one which operates to from your local airport or know your local operators. However, before succumbing to a bargain flight into one of these airports, take a few minutes to investigate your onward transfer options below; your flight may only cost you £50 but your transfer to resort could set you back €300 - €400!!
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