That's La Plagne

The Best Beginner Ski Slopes for each La Plagne Village

When I first arrived in La Plagne to do a ski season, I was a complete beginner. In fact, I came to do a ski season because I couldn’t afford a ski holiday and I was desperate to learn how to ski! So after graduating from university, I headed to La Plagne for “just one ski season.”

Now, living here in La Plagne, I've seen firsthand how well-suited our resort is for beginners, including first-time skiers, those who are a bit nervous, and especially little ones just starting out on their ski adventures. La Plagne is fantastic for beginners for a few key reasons: the variety of gentle slopes, the quality of ski schools, and the overall family-friendly atmosphere of the resort.

But today, I want to dive into some good beginner ski slope recommendations, depending on which La Plagne village you are staying in.

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How to choose a good beginner ski resort

When recommending beginner ski areas, I always consider a few essential factors:

Gentle Slopes: Look for areas with a good selection of green and easy blue runs. In La Plagne, you'll find that the resort has been designed with progression in mind. Areas like Plagne Centre and Plagne Bellecôte offer fantastic green runs that are wide and gentle, perfect for building confidence.
Ski Schools: A good ski school is crucial for beginners. La Plagne boasts several reputable ski schools with English-speaking instructors who specialise in teaching first-timers and children. They know exactly how to make learning fun and safe, which is essential for building confidence on the slopes.
Magic Carpets & Button Lifts: For those just starting, magic carpets and button lifts are a less daunting way to get back up the hill. They're easier to navigate for beginners and La Plagne has invested over the last few years to have one of these in each La Plagne village.
Family-Friendly Zones: Look for designated areas that are specifically marked for beginners. La Plagne has several such zones, where the slopes are reserved for learning, ensuring a safer environment away from faster skiers and snowboarders.
Convenience: Especially for families, convenience is key. You'll want beginner slopes that are easily accessible from accommodation areas, so you don't have to navigate the entire resort just to start your day. So it’s not just about the colour of the ski slope, but also how close your accommodation is to that piste or the magic carpet.

Good beginner ski slopes in La Plagne

Each of these villages offers something unique for beginner skiers, from quiet, secluded runs to more challenging slopes for those ready to advance. Remember, the key is to progress at your own pace and, most importantly, enjoy the experience of skiing in the beautiful French Alps.

Plagne Soleil & Plagne Villages

Although a lot of the pistes around here end up in the same areas, there are often quite big differences in the steepness of the ski slopes. So when I make a recommendation, I’m also going to highlight any ski slopes you should avoid!

The main lift used for beginners or nervous skiers in this area is the Bergerie. But be careful how you head there!

Piste Name: Bridge: The top section of this piste into Plagne Centre is great for building confidence. However, do NOT carry on into Plagne 1800. It get’s much steeper after you pass the green piste in Plagne Centre and the Boulevard lift.
Piste Name: Chevrette: A blue piste which criss-crosses with the Bridge piste.
AVOID: Piste Name: Ecartée: A blue piste and on the map, it looks like the easiest place to get down to the Bergerie chairlift. But it is much steeper than the above 2 pistes as it doesn’t come via Plagne Centre but drops straight down to the Bergerie chairlift.

Plagne Centre

Magic Carpet – For first-time skiers, you have the Cowboys magic carpet on the snow front. Perfect for the first time on skis. This is next to the Funi Plagne Bubble Lift. You don’t need a lift pass for this magic carpet.

Boulevard Chairlift – This chairlift is for the green slope that runs below the Le France building. You do need a lift pass for this one. It’s where beginner skiers, learning their first turns can build up confidence.

After the above two lifts in Plagne Centre, you going to be heading to the Bergerie chairlift, to access the same pistes as I’ve recommended above for Plagne Villages and Soleil. The Bridge or Chevrette pistes will both bring you to the snowfront in Plagne Centre.

Colorado Chairlift

After the Bergerie chairlift, the Colorado lift is the next one to explore! There are several pistes coming down from the landing point and are more or less comparable. But I’m going to highlight some differences for you.

Piste Name: Capella: I would start with this one, off the chair and turn left. It is usually much quieter than the slopes to the right.
Piste Name: Puy du Fou: A blue run that offers a bit more of a challenge. It has gentle slopes mixed with some steeper sections, so you can test yourself a bit more. This can be quite busy as it is the route home for a lot of skiers.
Piste Name: Buffalo Park: This is one of the fun slopes for kids, with wooden bridges, bells to ring etc. It is very popular and it isn’t steep. So quite accessible for all levels of skier. However, I don’t recommend it very often because it is very busy! With beginners and young kids skiing in all directions! So if you are nervous, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Bellecôte

Colosses Chairlift

Piste Name: Arolles: A very quiet, not popular piste. It is actually quite gentle, and flat at the bottom where it joins the other blue pistes. Good for building ski legs. Avoid it if you’re snowboarding!
Piste Name: Trieuse: Take the Trieuse back down towards Bellecote. As you ski into Bellecote, several pistes merge together for the last section. The bottom area is quite steep and often moguled and busy. So aim for the Rhodos piste that winds across the other pistes. It’s quieter, and much less steep. It is also prettier (in my opinion!) coming through the trees into Bellecote.

Arpette Chairlift

There are several runs back into Bellecôte and Belle Plagne from the top of the Arpette chairlift. All are good ones to build your ski legs.

Piste Name: Laines: This is quieter than the other 2 pistes from the Arpette. Plus, it winds through Belle Plagne rather than dropping into Bellecôte. This is good because of the following point.
AVOID: Piste Name: Arpette: Whilst the top section of the Arpette slope is pretty good for building confidence, the bottom section that drops into Bellecôte is by far one of the worst secretions in La Plagne! It is busy, moguled and steep. Avoid at all costs.

Belle Plagne

Piste Name: Belle Plagne: From Belle Plagne, you can join the bottom section of this piste to ski down into Bellecôte and then explore the runs recommended above.

Plagne 1800

In Plagne 1800, you have a dedicated beginner area on the snow front. There is a small drag lift and some very gentle slopes back into the village. Perfect for those first ski slopes.

Then the Meleze chairlift takes you to the foot of the Bergerie chairlift (see above) and the foot of the Boulevard chairlift for the Plagne Cente green slope (see Plagne Centre section above).

AVOID: Piste Name: Bridge: Do not get tempted to take the Meleze chairlift up and ski back into Plagne 1800. This piste is steep and icy. It is a blue piste but it is a steep piste and not for beginners.

To explore a new area, hop on the Plagne 1800 chairlift.

Plagne 1800 Chairlift

From here, drop down to the Golf chairlift and take this up to the top of Aime 2000.

Piste Name: Golf: A gentle and wide blue run, perfect for those just starting out. This area is often called the Serenity Slope in Aime 2000.
Piste Name: Edmond Blanchoz: This blue run offers a little more challenge for those building confidence. However, before taking this piste check to see that the Evners chairlift is running. You only want to do the top section of this ski slope and then take Envers chairlift back up to Aime 2000. Do not be tempted to ski down into La Roche, it gets steep and then it gets icy!

Aime 2000

From Aime 2000, a lot of the local pistes are as those above I’ve recommended for Plagne 1800. So the Golf piste and then Edmond Blanchoz piste.

To head across to the other side of the piste map, take the blue piste down into Plagne Centre. Then, your recommendations are the same as those for Plagne Centre.

That’s La Plagne and the Best Beginner Ski Slopes

I hope this helps you begin to build confidence in skiing comfortably and safely around La Plagne. Remember:

Practice Areas: All the villages have nearby practice areas equipped with magic carpets, drag lifts or rope pulls. These are fantastic for absolute beginners to get used to the sensation of skiing on flat ground before tackling any slopes.
Take a Lesson: No matter where you're staying, taking a lesson from one of the ski schools in La Plagne is invaluable. Instructors will often start beginners in the most suitable areas for their level, which may include some of the pistes mentioned or others that are equally suitable.
- Check out all the best La Plagne ski schools here to get something organised.
Progress at Your Own Pace: The beauty of La Plagne is its variety of slopes. As you gain confidence, there are plenty of blue runs to progress to, which offer a bit more of a challenge without being too daunting.

See you on the slopes!