La Plagne Ski Pass: Local vs Paradiski, Prices and Deals

What the La Plagne and Paradiski Passes Cover

The La Plagne pass covers the local lift network: 73 lifts and 133 runs totalling 225 km, which includes 77 blue runs. It reaches all the main sectors, from Plagne Centre and Plagne Bellecôte through Belle Plagne, Plagne 1800, Plagne Villages, Plagne Soleil and Aime La Plagne, plus Montalbert, Montchavin-les Coches and Champagny-en-Vanoise. It does not include the Vanoise Express link across to Les Arcs.

The Paradiski pass adds Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry, taking the total to 129 lifts and 258 runs across 425 km. The connection is the Vanoise Express, a double-decker cable car with no intermediate pylon that crosses the Ponthurin valley between Plan Peisey and Montchavin in under four minutes, moving up to 2,000 people an hour. One of its two cabins has a glass floor panel, marketed as VertiGO, for a view of the drop beneath you.

Read the fine print on what a pass actually buys: it pays for lift access, not for the runs themselves, which are open ground. That is why a ski tourer climbing under their own steam needs nothing, and why 16 beginner lifts, mostly magic carpets and drag lifts plus one gondola, can be ridden free by anyone. A La Plagne Piste Map is the quickest way to see which lifts sit either side of the boundary.

Altitudes and How the Sectors Fit Together

La Plagne runs from village level around 1,250 m at Champagny-en-Vanoise, Montalbert and Montchavin-les Coches up to the glacier at the top of the Bellecôte sector. That vertical range is why the resort works for mixed-ability groups: nervous skiers can stay in the lower, tree-lined village zones while stronger skiers head for the high, snow-sure terrain above Plagne Centre and Belle Plagne.

The sectors string together along a ridge rather than around a single hub, so where you sleep shapes your day. Staying in Plagne Bellecôte or Belle Plagne puts you close to the central lifts and the Vanoise Express; Aime La Plagne and Plagne 1800 are quieter bases with their own access; Montchavin, Les Coches, Montalbert and Champagny feel like separate villages with their own small lift networks.

Because the layout is linear, a four-hour pass can work well if you plan a single push in one direction rather than trying to cover the whole area. Build your day around one end of the resort and use the free beginner lifts or a village pass when you want something gentler. Check opening dates and which sectors run in the early and late weeks before committing to a longer pass.

Adult Prices for Winter 2026-27

Adult standard prices for winter 2026-27 are quoted at 72 euros for one day and 370 euros for six days on the La Plagne pass, against 78 euros and 412 euros for Paradiski. The same source states that standard public prices are identical online and at ticket offices, so booking ahead saves queuing rather than money on the base tariff; online-only promotions are where real savings sit. Treat those figures as the starting point and confirm the live tariff before you pay.

Is La Plagne expensive for lift passes? Judged against other major French linked areas, a six-day local pass at the published level sits in the mid-market, and the six-day Paradiski premium is modest for the extra terrain it buys. The real cost driver is how many days you ski versus rest, so a four-hour or day pass can beat a weekly product on a short break; the resort's rate pages set out each duration.

When Paradiski Earns Its Extra Cost

Paradiski pays off if you ski Les Arcs on several days or if covering a huge linked area is the point of your trip. For a one-off crossing, the smarter move is a La Plagne pass plus a single-day Paradiski extension, taken in the second half of the week but not on your last day, so you have your bearings first and can take it easy afterwards. One crossing is also a weather-dependent day, since the link sits high and exposed.

The Vanoise Express link closes on 17 April, before the La Plagne season ends on 24 April, so anyone skiing the final week should plan on local terrain only. That timing matters when choosing a pass for a late-April trip: a Paradiski pass bought for that week buys you La Plagne skiing with a link that has already shut. Confirm which lifts are scheduled before you commit.

Beginner Maths: CoolSki Versus Free Lifts

The CoolSki pass is a separate, beginner-only product giving access to protected zones with gentle slopes, learning modules and pink signage marking where they begin and end, so you cannot accidentally end up on a black run. The official La Plagne page lists a single flat daily rate for the beginner zones, priced at 39 euros for 2025/26, though this is last season's published figure and should be confirmed against current rates before you buy. Check the current winter figure with the lift-pass office before you buy.

Before paying anything, count the free options: 16 beginner lifts, mostly magic carpets and drag lifts plus a gondola, run without a pass and are open to children and adults. If you are spending your first two days on a nursery slope, those lifts may be all you need, and a CoolSki day only makes sense once you want the wider beginner zones. Book La Plagne ski lessons in parallel so your pass days line up with teaching days.

Village Passes: Champagny, Montalbert and Montchavin

Champagny-en-Vanoise, Plagne Montalbert and Montchavin-les Coches each have their own village pass covering a smaller local area, aimed at people staying in those villages who do not want to range far. They can suit returning skiers rebuilding confidence, families with small children, or anyone who values short lift queues over kilometres. The trade-off is clear: you give up the rest of La Plagne, so pick one only if your accommodation really is the centre of your week.

Village-level skiing sits between roughly 1,250 m and 1,350 m, so these are the lower, more sheltered sectors. They can be the best bet in poor visibility or heavy weather when the upper mountain is closed. If you are unsure which lifts a village pass includes, ask at a lift-pass office with your accommodation address to hand rather than guessing from the resort name.

Families: Free Under-Fives and the Family Pack

Children ski free up to the day before their fifth birthday, with proof of age needed at purchase, and ages 5 to 12 pay a reduced child rate. A Family Pack then cuts 25 euros per person on qualifying six- to eight-day La Plagne or Paradiski passes, provided the booking includes at least two people aged 13 to 74 and at least two aged 5 to 17, all on the same product, dates and duration in one transaction.

One wrinkle worth planning around: the child tariff only covers ages 5 to 12, so teenagers aged 13 to 17 normally pay the adult rate even though they help satisfy the Family Pack conditions. That makes a family with teenagers cheaper to organise as a single group booking than as separate purchases. A Piste map helps you pick accommodation that keeps everyone close to suitable terrain.

Groups and Weekend Deals

The Tribe Pack takes 10 euros per person off six- to eight-day passes when three or more people buy together, all on the same duration and ski area, paid in one transaction. For a group of friends on a week's trip, compare that against any early-booking offer for the same dates before deciding. Both routes need one person to take charge of the booking, so agree the ski area first.

Weekend offers are online-only and must be bought by midnight the day before, so they reward organised skiers who know their plans. The official La Plagne page lists flat Saturday and Sunday rates of 43 and 54 euros per day respectively, against 58 euros for a one-day adult La Plagne pass during the rest of the week. Treat it as a way to cut the cost of a short break rather than a substitute for a weekly product.

Season Dates and the Early and Late Discount Window

The La Plagne season runs from 12 December 2026 to 24 April 2027. The local pass is discounted by 15 per cent in the opening week, 12 to 18 December 2026, and the closing week, 17 to 24 April 2027. Those weeks can offer better value, but how much terrain is open depends on snow and operating decisions, so treat the discount as a bonus rather than the reason to book.

Remember that the Paradiski link shuts on 17 April, a week before the season ends, so late-April visitors should plan on La Plagne terrain alone. Early December is the mirror image: the lower village sectors may be thinner on snow than the glacier. La Plagne Ski season dates shift with the calendar, so check the resort's published dates for your year before booking travel.

Four-Hour, Half-Day and Multi-Day Bonuses

A four-hour pass exists for people who only want a few hours on the hill, and it can work out better than a full day if you plan a single morning or afternoon push. It is not a flexible top-up: you choose your window and ski within it. Compare the four-hour price against the day rate at the ticket office before deciding which suits your itinerary.

Paradiski passes of six to eight days include an extra half-day from 12:30 on the afternoon before the first full day of validity, which is useful if you arrive early and want to stretch your legs. Long-trip skiers should also weigh whether a season pass beats buying individual weeks. Neither bonus removes the need to know your arrival time, so book transfers and ski hire around it.

Insurance: Carré Neige and Your Own Policy

Ski insurance is not included in your lift pass, and mountain rescue in France can be costly, so check that any travel policy covers piste rescue, evacuation and medical costs from a skiing accident. La Plagne sells Carré Neige cover, quoted at 3.50 euros per person per day or 49 euros for an individual season policy, covering search and rescue, evacuation and repatriation plus specified medical expenses. Confirm the policy terms yourself before relying on it.

You can add Carré Neige when buying a pass online or at a ticket office, and a lift-pass office can attach it afterwards. If your bank, sports federation or travel policy already covers off-piste rescue and repatriation, compare the wording with Carré Neige rather than assuming either is complete. Skiing off-piste or ski touring changes what you need, so read the exclusions.

Buying Online Versus at a Lift-Pass Office

Standard passes cost the same online and at the ticket office, so buying online is mostly about skipping queues; it becomes essential for weekend offers and for family or group discounts, which need a single transaction. Go to a lift-pass office instead if you need a pedestrian pass, a disability discount, a one-day Paradiski extension or a senior product that is not sold online.

Sales offices and collection points sit across the resort, including Plagne Centre, Belle Plagne, Plagne 1800, Plagne Villages, Plagne Soleil, Montchavin and Aime La Plagne, with ticket machines at selected spots. Collecting near your accommodation on arrival day saves a morning detour, so check which office is closest before you set out. Passes are non-transferable, so each skier needs their own.

A 50 per cent discount is available to skiers who can show proof of a disability rating of at least 80 per cent, and where the card states a companion is required, that person can get the same discount when both passes are bought together. Bring the documentation to a lift-pass office and confirm what is accepted before you travel.

Pedestrian and Cross-Country Passes

Non-skiers do not need a full pass: pedestrian tickets cover selected lifts such as the Roche de Mio, Glaciers and Live 3000, Funiplagne, Champagny, Lac Noir and Montalbert gondolas, plus some chairlifts. They are sold at lift-pass offices and ticket machines rather than online, and prices depend on the lift and duration, so ask for a day or multi-day option if you plan more than one ride. That makes a mountain restaurant lunch or a viewpoint trip easy to arrange.

Cross-country skiers have around 20 km of marked tracks, and most need no pass at all; you only pay for lift access where trails start higher up the mountain. That keeps the cost of a mixed-activity week down, since one person can ski the downhill area while another skis the tracks. Ask at the tourist office which trails are groomed during your dates.

Fitting the Pass Around Lessons, Hire and Arrival

Your pass days should line up with your plans, not just your accommodation: book lessons first, then buy passes for the days you will actually ski, because unused days are lost value on any product. If you arrive in the afternoon, a half-day bonus or four-hour pass can fill the gap before your first full day. Sort La Plagne ski hire the evening before to avoid losing morning snow time.

Comparing La Plagne with other French resorts is useful if you are deciding where to base a trip: an Alpe d'Huez Ski Pass has its own coverage and pricing logic, so check both before committing. Within La Plagne, decide between local and Paradiski first, then layer on family, group or beginner products. A Piste map then settles which lifts you will really use each day.

Plan Your Visit

Choose the La Plagne pass for a week of local skiing and only upgrade to Paradiski if you will cross to Les Arcs more than once. Add the beginner, village, family or group product that fits your group, buy online for the weekend offers, and use a lift-pass office for extensions, pedestrian tickets and disability discounts. Confirm the current prices, season dates and the mid-April link closure with La Plagne before you pay.