Paradiski - Bourg St Maurice (Les Arcs)

Bourg St Maurice is probably the easiest ski village to reach from the new London St Pancras International rail terminal with a direct Eurostar high speed service likely to be quicker, as well as far more pleasant and convenient, than arriving by air.  The old town is directly lift-linked by funicular railway to Les Arcs (in 7 minutes) and is just a few minutes drive from some of the world’s other leading ski areas, including La Plagne, Tignes, Val d'Isere and La Rosiere.

Numerous activities are organised in Bourg Saint Maurice and Les Arcs including paragliding, snow shoeing, horse riding, ski joring (being towed behind a horse on your skis), snowmobiling, ice climbing and, up at Arc 2000, quad biking on snow. At La Plagne there is a bobsleigh run that was built for the Albertville Winter Olympics where you can ride down in a proper bobsleigh behind a professional driver, or a self-steering raft which goes a little slower but still fast enough, which you can ride down with friends.

Families with young children have a choice of nursery options when based in Bourg St Maurice.  In the town itself the Pomme D'api nursery is open Mondays to Fridays with children under 18 months accepted for mornings or afternoons only and older children for a maximum of six hours per day. 

Alternatively, on the mountain, the Children’s Club, situated in La Cachette hotel at Arc 1600, welcomes children from the age of four months up to 12 years old. The club is open everyday, except Saturdays, from 8.30am to 6pm.

Funicular to Les Arcs 1600

With the mainline train station at Bourg Saintt Maurice, the funicular railway to Arc 1600 is a convenient and easy route into resort. It takes 7 minutes and runs every 20 minutes, starting at 07h30 and running until 20h00 (07h30-21h00 on Fridays and Saturdays). Free with a valid lift pass.

Funicular from Bourg St Maurice to Les Arc 1600 open from 10/12/11 0 29/04/12.

Peisey-Vallandry/Villaroger/Les Arcs 1600 & 1800 open on 10/12/11 and closes on 21/04/12

Les Arcs 1950 & 2000 open on 10/12/11 – 28/04/12

Vanoise Express link to La Plagne open 17/12/11 – 21/04/12

Why Bourg St Maurice – Les Arcs?

·          Easy access to Arcs 1600 from Bourg St Maurice

·          Wide variety of pistes to suit every skier/snowboarder

·          Easy rail link from the UK

Children facilities at Bourg St Maurice – Les Arcs

Les Arcs-Bourg St Maurice has acquired the Famille Plus & Top of the French Alps label for its childcare facilities. Please view here to view more information on the Famille Plus & Top of the French Alps label.

Child day-care Arc 1600 (La Cachette)

The Children’s club, situated in La Cachette hotel, welcomes children from the age of 4 months up to 12 years old. The club is open everyday, except Saturdays, from 8.30am to 6pm. If you dream of spending a whole day on the slopes with a meal at the summit, they can take care of your children’s lunch! Relax, enjoy and don’t feel guilty about it!

Baby Club: for little ones from 4 months to 2 years old, indoor activities and outings.

Please note that places are limited and that priority is given to children staying in La Cachette hotel. Tel : +33 (0)4 79 07 70 50

La Halte-Garderie Pomme D'api in Bourg St Maurice

Open Monday-Friday, usual times:

Mon – 0830-1200 + 1315-1730

Tues - 0830-1730

Wed – 0830-1200

Thurs – 0830-1730

Fri - 0830-1730

Children under 18months – either Morning: 8H30/13H30 or Afternoon: 11H15/16H15

Children over 18 months  can stay a minimum 6 hours, maximum 8 hours. Times must be specified.

Contact: 04 79 07 59 31 , 79 St Michel 73700 BOURG SAINT MAURICE

Eating Out, Après-Ski and Amenities in Bourg St Maurice – Les Arcs

Banks, supermarket, butchers, bakers, hospital, doctors, dentist, pharmacy, hairdresser, tabac, restaurants, bars

Activities in Bourg St Maurice

Activity organisers

Mineral Museum

The Mineral Museum, at Bourg Saint Maurice, presents from across this unique region, the ancestral activities of the crystal makers, kilns and the crystals...

Cinema

Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Le Savoy
Avenue Maréchal leclerc
Tel. 04 79 07 09 15

Activities in Les Arcs

If you want to spend time in any of the Les Arcs village in the evening then the last shuttle buses leave Les Arcs 1800, 1950 or 2000 to go to Les Arcs 1600 (ready for the funicular journey back to Bourg St Maurice) at around 8.30pm. This gets you to the last funicular for 9pm. During the week, it maybe that funicular shuts around 8pm…in which case the last bus would be around 7.30pm.

There are many more activities, pubs and restaurants to explore in Les Arcs village so you don’t need to stay in Bourg St Maurice in the evenings if you want to try something new. Stay in your ski boots after skiing or come back on the funicular earlier on in the day, get changed and take the funicular back up and then a bus to any of Les Arcs villages.

All the above information is for information only. For the most up-to-date information please visit the resort tourist office website

Bourg-Saint-Maurice Tourist Office

Bourg St Maurice tourist information

73700 BOURG SAINT MAURICE
Tél : 04 79 07 23 33, mairie@bourgsaintmaurice.fr

www.lesarcs.com

Les Arcs Tourist Office
Tél. +33 (0)4 79 07 12 57
Email : lesarcs@lesarcs.com

Opening:

Monday to Friday and Sunday: 9am to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18h

Saturday: 8:30 am to 19h00

Accessto Bourg St Maurice – Les Arcs                     

By Road: Distance from Calais to Bourg St Maurice: 670 miles (10-12hrs)

Take the motorway to Albertville, and then follow the dual carriageway as far as Moûtiers, a pretty little town at the foot of the mountains. Carry on along the RN 90 to Bourg-St-Maurice.

By Rail:There are direct TGV trains from Paris and Lille and direct sleeper trains from most of the main cities in France. If you are coming from London, the Eurostar will take you directly to Bourg Saint Maurice, as will the Thalys train from Amsterdam and Brussels. All of the European cities lead to Bourg Saint Maurice!

Airports:

Chambéry Airport is 112km from Bourg (1 ¼ hours)

www.chambery.aeroport.fr

Grenoble Airport is 181km from Bourg (2 hours)

www.grenoble-airport.com

Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport is 188km from Bourg (2 hours)

www.lyon.aeroport.fr
Tel. +33 (0)826 800 826
Satobus Alpes www.satobus-alps.com

Geneva Airport is 191km from Bourg (2 hours)
www.gva.ch
www.altibus.com

Please enquire for your airport transfer to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Access Plan

Bourg St Maurice France

Click on maps to enlarge

Resort Map

Bourg St Maurice France

SKI AREA

There is no skiing in Bourg St Maurice itself so you need to take the funicular railway from BSM to Arc 1600 which runs every 20 minutes from 7.30am daily so you can get on the slopes as early as you like.  Although there’s no ski run back down to Bourg St Maurice, the funicular runs until 8pm Monday – Thursday and 9pm Friday – Sunday, so there’s no rush to get back for the last train.

(You can also get a shuttle to nearby La Rosiere as well, see details below).

Arcs 1600 is set in the trees and with a small scale atmosphere and views across to Mont Blanc. The lift served area extends from 1660 metres to the 3226 metres Aiguille Rouge. Including la Plagne there is a total of 425 km of lift served runs spread over 10,000 hectares.

Les Arcs ski area is one of the world's largest with one of the biggest verticals and has an excellent variety of terrain.  Although the vertical between the top of the Aiguille Rouge and the bottom of Les Arcs own skiing is broken by the need for a lift ascent half way down, it is possible to make a spectacular descent of over 2000m from the same point to the neighbouring village of Villaroger, the lowest point on the circuit at 1200m.  The ski area takes in glacier skiing, wooded slopes and above tree-line bowls - in short, pretty well all imaginable conditions. 

The terrain will suit all levels of skier with Arc 1600 based in thickly wooded terrain, surrounded by largely gentle trails through the trees, with both 1800 and 2000 located at the treeline with wide open sunny slopes above.  

The Vanoise Express cable car, which departs from Peisey Vallandry, takes 200 people at a time (120 on the lower deck, 80 on the upper one) over to La Plagne and the joint Paradiski area in just four minutes.  The increasingly frequented off-piste route back from La Plagne to Les Arcs is a great excursion returning via the Nancroix forest, everyone else can take the lift back!

INTERMEDIATES

Intermediates, as with all 'super ski areas' can perhaps get the maximum enjoyment of all, being able to tackle most of the slopes.  Most will even cope with the red down from the imposing Aiguille Rouge, the highest point of the ski area where the cable car broadcasts a recorded announcement (once you're ascending) advising that the terrain is not safe for inexperienced skiers.  Paradiski has extensive intermediate slopes with big lift networks.Much of the terrain is long fast motorway cruising, although there is more variety than at many comparable resorts.  

EXPERTS

Experts have plenty to keep them happy including extensive off-piste terrain.  There are many other challenges including mogul runs like the Dou d'Homme.  You can also pay a small fee to make some test runs on the famous flying kilometer course speed skiing.

SNOWBOARDING

Snowboarders have five snowparks, three boardercross courses and a half-pipe to enjoy.

For 2011/2012 a six-pack is to replace the slow Mont Blanc chair from Arc 1600 and a drag above, up to Les Deux Tetes.

Bourg St Maurice – Other ski resorts

From Bourg Saint Maurice, free regular shuttle service, from Bourg St Maurice to the foot of Les Ecudets chairlift (ski access for La Rosière), passing through Séez.

See timetable for Bourg St Maurice – La Rosiere

There’s also a free service from Bourg St Maurice to Landry, passing through Hauteville-Gondon.

See timetable for Bourg St Maurice – Landry (Peisey/Les Arcs)

BOURG SAINT MAURICE PISTE MAP

To see the Bourg Saint Maurice Les Arcs piste map for 11/12 please see the resort guide panel on the top right hand side of the current page.

BOURG SAINT MAURICE SNOW REPORTS

To see Bourg St Maurice Les Arcs snow reports please see the resort guide panel on the top right hand side of the current page.

Bourg St Maurice Lift passes

Save Time in resort and budget ahead by pre-booking lift passes. See below for prices.

PRE-BOOK your PARADISKI LIFT PASS with PR

Peisey/Les Arcs: 200km of pistes

Paradiski: 425km of piste (Peisey/Les Arcs/La Plagne/Les Coches)

Paradiski Decouverte: Peisey/Les Arcs + 1 day access to Paradiski

FREE PASSES!

Children under 6 and seniors over 72 receive a FREE lift pass.

Note: Proof of age will be required for reduced price passes.

No photo necessary EXCEPT for FREE passes.

* Family pass: offer applies to people with same name living at same address.

Other lift pass on offer (to buy locally in resort in Euros):

Paradiski ski pass – ½ day and daily rates:

½ day - €29 children, €40 adults

Day - €38 children, €50 adults

Les Arcs/Peisey ski pass – ½ day and daily rates:

½ day - €29 children, €39 adults

Day - €34 children, €45 adults

Bourg St Maurice Ski Schools       

PRE-BOOK your 6 Half-Day GROUP SKI/BOARD LESSONS

Please note that a booking fee of £9 per party will be charged

Times and Schedules (ALL TIMES TO BE CONFIRMED, SUBJECT TO CHANGES).

All lessons are SUNDAY-FRIDAY.

SKI :

SNOWBOARD : Adults, Children (8-12):

Please note that lesson times are subject to change right until the last minute. Outside French school holidays the ski school reserves the right to cancel group lessons should numbers be insufficient. For peak periods (18/12-2/1, 13/2-13/3 & 9/4-24/4) we strongly recommend that you book as early as possible and in any case at least 6 weeks prior to the required dates. Morning lessons tend to get booked up first and therefore we may only be able to offer afternoon classes within 6 weeks of departure. In some resorts English speaking instructors may not always be available, particularly at peak times.

Bourg St Maurice individual Tuitions

(10/11 prices, NOT pre-bookable)

Individual tuitions can only be purchased directly from the ski school. Peak Retreats cannot pre-book these.

Please note that prices are only an indication and are subject to change

Ski school Bourg St Maurice contact numbers:

Ecole du Ski Français des Arcs - 73700 Bourg Saint Maurice

Tel. 04 79 07 43 09 Fax. 04 79 07 72 58

Ski Hire Bourg St Maurice

Ski hire in Bourg St Maurice prices start from £37 for children (skis and boots) & £64 for adults (skis and boots) for 7 days. View here for Bourg St Maurice ski hire prices.

Cross-country in Paradiski

There are also plenty of cross-country skiing routes available in Les Arcs and Peisey.  The closest route departs from the funicular train departure point in Arc 1600.  In Arc 1800 a loop starts from the top of the Jardin Alpin chairlift and in Arc 2000 leaves from the main area on the lower slopes.

Free of charge and open to all for all the loops 30 kilometres of maintained pistes , marked out all season long by the teams of the Société des Montagnes de l’Arc

*ALL PRE-BOOKABLE EXTRAS ARE PAYABLE TO PEAK RETREATS IN STERLING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. PRICES ARE IN £.

ANYTHING IN EUROS (€) WE ARE UNABLE TO PRE-BOOK AND

WILL BE PAYABLE LOCALLY.