In Les Arcs, snow reliability comes down largely to one thing: altitude. The higher you go, the more plentiful and dependable the snow, early and late in the season. Here's what you need to know to choose where to stay — and when to come.
A ski area climbing from 1,200 to 3,226 m
The Les Arcs area stretches from 1,200 m (the bottom of the slopes, on the Villaroger and Bourg-Saint-Maurice side) up to 3,226 m at the summit of the Aiguille Rouge — more than 2,000 m of vertical. That range is a real asset: in a thaw, there is almost always good snow higher up.
Your village's altitude matters
- Arc 2000 (2,120 m) and Arc 1950 (2,040 m): the two highest villages. The most reliable snow, with ski-in ski-out in good conditions all winter, including December and April.
- Arc 1600 and Arc 1800 (≈ 1,700 m): at the tree line, a little more exposed to thaws at the village base.
- Villaroger (1,200 m): the lowest point, superb in powder but sometimes thin late in the season.
Staying high, as in Arc 1950 (2,040 m), means skiing in good conditions and skiing back to the door even when the lower slopes weaken — with direct access to the snow-sure high-altitude sectors of Arc 1950 and Arc 2000.
The best time to ski
The season runs from mid-December to late April. In practice:
- December: festive atmosphere, fresh snow higher up, quieter slopes early in the month.
- January to March: the heart of winter, the best snow and the largest area open.
- April: long, sunny days and spring skiing — favour the high-altitude runs (Aiguille Rouge, Col de la Chal), which stay well covered.
Les Arcs also has a snowmaking network that secures the runs back to the villages in early and late season.
Before you go: check the live snow report
Conditions change daily. Before your stay, check the official snow report on lesarcs.com and the village programme on arc1950.com.
👉 Our apartment is in Arc 1950, at 2,040 m, ski-in ski-out — see availability.