How to Spend a Week in La Plagne

Whether it's your family's first trip to La Plagne or you're already counting down to your next, there's a rhythm to a great week in resort. Here's our guide to making the most of every day, from the moment you land to the moment you reluctantly hand your skis back.

Getting to La Plagne is part of the adventure. The resort's nearest airport is Chambéry, around 1 hour 45 minutes away by road - but it's a small airport and prone to weather-related delays and cancellations, so we'd recommend Geneva instead. It's a little further out, at roughly 2 hours 30 minutes depending on traffic and conditions, but flights are rarely cancelled due to bad weather, giving you real peace of mind at the start and end of your trip. Whichever airport you've flown into, the drive up through the Tarentaise Valley is a proper "we're on holiday now" moment, especially once the peaks start closing in around you.

At Graciosa, our ski-in, ski-out suites sit right in Plagne Centre at 2,003m, on the Mont St Saveur blue piste - so once you arrive, you're already exactly where you need to be for the week ahead. Your chalet host will be on hand to welcome you in, show you round, and get you settled with a glass of champagne and canapés after a long day of travelling.

A few jobs worth ticking off on arrival evening:

Collect your ski hire. With equipment prepared and labelled in advance, collection is as simple as walking into the ski room - no queuing in a resort shop on your first morning.

Flag any allergies or dietary requirements with your chalet host if you haven't already, so the kitchen's ready from breakfast the next morning.

Get your bearings. A short wander to see where the lifts, ski school meeting point and nearest café are will save you time (and stress) come Monday morning.

Get cosy. Unpack, settle in and let the first proper meal of the week - and an early night - set the tone for what's ahead.

First mornings can be a little chaotic with kit to sort and ski school drop-offs to manage, so build in more time than you think you'll need. If you've pre-ordered your lift passes with us, they'll already be waiting for you in your chalet, so there's no need to queue at the ticket office before you've even had breakfast. It's also worth pre-booking ski lessons ahead of your trip - and not just for beginners, either, as skiers of any level can benefit from a few pointers. Aim to get children to their ski school meeting point with ten minutes to spare rather than sprinting over at the last minute.

If you're staying with us at Graciosa, Monday and Tuesday both come with complimentary ski guiding included, so you can make the most of a local instructor showing you the best of the mountain.

For the first runs of the week, stick to gentle blues to warm the body up before venturing further. The wide, rolling pistes around Plagne Centre and Plagne Villages are perfect for this - nothing too testing, but enough to get your ski legs back. If anyone in your group is starting from scratch, take a look at our guide to the best beginner ski areas in La Plagne for the gentlest spots to build confidence.

Mid-morning, break for a hot chocolate at one of the cafés dotted around La Plagne before continuing to explore. For lunch, keep it simple and slopeside - Chaudron in Plagne Centre is a reliable, unfussy option that won't eat into your afternoon skiing time.

As the lifts start to quieten in the late afternoon, ease into the week with a relaxed après stop rather than diving straight into anything too lively - save the bigger nights out for once everyone's properly found their ski legs. Head back to the chalet for something delicious waiting for you, and let day one's efforts catch up with you over a good night's sleep.

This is where the week really opens up. A few ways to make the most of these middle days - and if anyone fancies a break from the piste, our La Plagne activities guide has plenty of off-slope inspiration too:

On bluebird days, head up towards Roche de Mio for some of the best panoramic views in the resort, then explore the long, sweeping blues and reds that fan out from the top of the lift system - ideal for building mileage as confidence grows through the week.

For lunch, mix it up. Le Refuge and Les Cocottes in Plagne Centre are dependable and popular choices for a quick refuel. For something with a bit more atmosphere, Le Matafan in Belle Plagne or the Friolin at the end of the Les Crozats red are both worth the detour. If you fancy a proper sit-down lunch with a bit of theatre, La Bergerie - perched above Plagne Villages on the Mira piste - does a lively, late lunch that has a habit of drifting into early après before you've quite decided to stay. For the full rundown of where to eat across the resort, see our favourite La Plagne restaurants.

For après, La Bergerie is again the obvious pick from around 2:30pm onwards if you want music and atmosphere, while Le Bonnet in Plagne Bellecôte offers a similarly sociable spot with DJs and a big terrace. If you'd rather keep it low-key, plenty of village cafés and bars offer a quieter spot to watch the sun go down without the crowds - our guide to La Plagne's best bars covers the full spread, lively or laid-back.

Use these days to let ski school groups progress, sneak in a family ski afternoon together and find your own favourite spots - by Wednesday or Thursday, you'll likely have a lunch stop and a piste that you want to return to.

However tempting it is to sleep in, a full last day is worth it. Use the morning to tick off any runs you've been meaning to try all week, whether that's finally tackling a red you've been eyeing up or squeezing in one more loop of your new favourite blue.

Ski hire returns are far less stressful if you don't leave them to the last possible moment - aim to bring equipment back to the ski room in good time before your transfer, rather than rushing back from the slopes with minutes to spare. At Graciosa, the labelled, on-site ski room makes this about as painless as it gets. Use any remaining time for a final hot chocolate, a last look at the mountains, or simply enjoying the chalet before it's time to pack.

Give yourself plenty of time to be ready for your transfer - pack the night before where you can and keep travel documents and anything you'll need for the journey somewhere easy to find rather than buried at the bottom of a case. If you’re staying with us, your resort manager will be in touch the day before with your confirmed departure time.

Whichever airport you're flying from, your driver will have the timings factored in (bear in mind, if snow is forecast or it‘s a peak holiday week, you may need to leave earlier than you might expect) - so all that's left to do is enjoy one last look at the mountains before you go and start planning next year's trip.

Ready to plan your own week in La Plagne? Get in touch with our team and we'll help you with every detail - from pre-booked lift passes to the perfect chalet.