Getting to Les Arcs
Les Arcs is one of the easiest ski resorts to get to by train because the station at Bourg-St-Maurice (a direct stop on the Eurostar service) is a short walk from the funicular which takes you up to Arc 1600. There are also four international airports within 3 hours’ drive of the resort, and airport transfers are easy to book online.
Nearest Airports to Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry
Les Arcs can be easily accessed from the airports of Geneva, Lyon, Chambéry or Grenoble. Approximate distances and drive times to Arc 1600 are:
Chambery Airport 125km / 1 hour 50 minutes;
Geneva International Airport 202km / 2 hours 45 minutes;
Grenoble Alpes-Isere Airport 206 km / 2 hours 35 minutes;
Lyon St. Exupery Airport 205km / 2 hours 35 minutes.
Airport Transfers to Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry
There are transfer services to Les Arcs, Peisey Vallandry, Bourg St Maurice and the surrounding villages from Geneva, Lyon, Chambery and Grenoble airports.
Ski-Lifts Airport Transfers to Les Arcs /Peisey-Vallandry
Each year Ski-Lifts helps thousands of skiers and boarders get to their accommodation in ski resorts, with a range of hassle-free, door-to-door transfer options from all major airports and train stations, and 24/7 English language assistance if needed. Get an immediate quote and book online >
Mountain Rescue Airport Transfers to Les Arcs /Peisey-Vallandry
Based close to Les Arcs, Mountain Rescue Airport Transfers offer value for money airport transfers from Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery airports direct to your accommodation in resort. No waiting for other groups, minimal waiting time and comfortable 8 seater minibuses. Mountain Rescue offers free child facilities and ski carriage and are holders of the French and International operators licence. Last minute bookings available and secure online booking and payment system. Tel: +33 (0) 6 03 05 22 17. Request a ski transfer quote >
Airport Car Hire / Car Rental for Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry
Having a car is useful if you want to visit other resorts such as La Rosiere or Val d’Isere. If you’re staying in one of the Arcs or Peisey-Vallandry, you won’t use your car when you’re in the resort so make sure your accommodation has private parking or pre-book a space in the public car parks, but hiring a car is still a flexible way of getting to and from the airport at a time that suits you.
Getting to Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry by Rail
Les Arcs is situated above the town of Bourg-St-Maurice which has a train station with TGV and international services. A funicular railway connects Bourg St Maurice to Arc 1600 from where there are free buses to Arc 1800, Arc 2000 and Arc 1950. At Arc 1800, you can change buses and catch another bus to Peisey and Vallandry, but the quickest way to reach these resorts is from Landry (the station before Bourg St Maurice) – see below.
The Bourg St Maurice-Arc 1600 Funicular railway
You can see the funicular railway that heads up the mountain from Bourg St Maurice train station. (It’s called an ‘aerial funicular railway’ because the track is elevated above ground level, so it’s easy to spot.) You can walk to the funicular from the railway station via a footbridge at the end of the platform in less than 10 minutes, but you will have to haul your luggage up some stairs. If that sounds like too much work, there is a shuttle bus that completes the journey in two minutes, or get a taxi from the station entrance.
Funicular trains leave Bourg every 20 minutes, and usually complete the 800m climb up to Arc 1600 in just 7 minutes although there are some stopping services that take a little longer. The service operates during the day and evening, see https://en.lesarcs.com/funicular for timetable
TGV and international Rail Services to Bourg St Maurice
Trains from Paris for Bourg St Maurice depart from the Gare de Lyon. The fastest take just over four and a half hours but most direct ones take between five and six hours, and most indirect ones between six and seven, and involve changing once or twice at Chambery, Aix Les Bains and/or Lyon. see www.voyages-sncf.com for details.
From the UK, Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) operates services to Bourg St Maurice from London St Pancras, which takes between eight and and ten hours. There are some direct trains with no changes, but these can take longer than services with one change in Paris, which necessitates getting from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon. If you take the Metro this is just two stops on RER line D (Direction Melun). Even allowing time to buy tickets and walk to and from platforms, this should not take more than 30 to 40 minutes. But if you have a lot of baggage, a taxi ride might be a better option.
There are also international Thalys train services direct from Belgium and the Netherlands to Bourg. From Southern and Eastern Europe, services from Geneva and Milan go via Chambery.
Getting from Bourg St Maurice to Les Arcs Ski Resorts
Arc 1600
If you don’t have too many bags, the easiest way to get to Arc 1600 from Bourg is via the funicular (see above) then walk to your accommodation which is unlikely to be more than 10 minutes walk from the funicular’s top station, as the resort is very compact. If you arrive after the funicular is closed (currently 9pm but check timetable), you will need to get a taxi. Either arrange one at the station or book one online in advance through a private transfer service like Ski-Lifts.
Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000
You can take the funicular to Arc 1600 then a free bus from the top of the funicular to the other Arcs: buses take about 15 minutes to reach Arc 1800, 25 minutes to reach Arc 1950 and 30 minutes to reach Arc 2000. There are also some buses that go direct from Bourg St Maurice to all the villages, but these usually take longer: the service from Bourg to Arc 2000 can take up to 2 hours if you are on a bus that stops at all the other resorts along the way. Timetables and prices of these buses from Bourg are available from Altibus. Or take a taxi from Bourg direct to your accommodation. (Taxi services are advertised at the station or you can book one online in advance through a private transfer service like Ski-Lifts.) Approximate journey times by taxi to Arc 1800 is 20 to 30 minutes; and to Arc 2000 and Arc 1950 it is about 30 to 40 minutes.
Peisey-Vallandry via Landry
Plan Peisey and Vallandry are best accessed from Landry, the station before Bourg. The bus service from Landry station is not very frequent – timetables and prices are available from Altibus. The taxi journey is only about 12 kms and takes about 20 mins. Again you can book a taxi online in advance through a private transfer service like Ski-Lifts.
Peisey-Vallandry via Bourg St Maurice
Not all the trains that go to Bourg Saint Maurice stop at Landry. You can get to Plan Peisey and Vallandry from the station at Bourg via the funicular to Arc 1600, then a free bus to Arc 1800, then another free bus to Vallandry and Plan Peisey. Or you can wait for a train going back to Landry, or find a bus to Landry. But if you can afford it, a taxi from Bourg direct to your accommodation in Peisey-Vallandry is much easier – journey time should be around 40 minutes. You can book a taxi online in advance through a private transfer service like Ski-Lifts or find a local taxi service in Bourg.
Villaroger
The bus service from Bourg St Maurice station to Villaroger take about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it’s not a very frequent service. A taxi takes about 15 to 25 minutes, and you can book one online in advance through a private transfer service, such as Ski-Lifts.
Local Taxi and Bus services in Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry.
There are no taxis based in Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, Arc 2000 – all the taxis have to come up from Bourg St Maurice, and are therefore expensive. There are buses however between Arc 1600, Arc 1800 Arc 1950 and Arc 2000, and also in between Arc 1800, Vallandry and Plan Peisey.
The Cabriolet lift between Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 stays open till late at night. Walking along the piste between the two villages is officially discouraged, but they are less than 250 metres from one another and plenty of people do it and survive. However cold is a killer at this altitude, so don’t attempt the journey if you’re alone, intoxicated, or underdressed (as a minimum, you will need a warm coat, hat, gloves, and boots), and at night always carry a torch/flashlight/phone so you can see and be seen by piste-bashers.
Driving to Les Arcs
Les Arcs is about ten hours drive from Calais.
Remember most of the Les Arcs villages are traffic-free, so make sure you have parking arranged in advance. Parking is often just outside the resort (or in the case of Arc 1950, it is actually under the resort).