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Christmas ski holidays in La Plagne

Christmas in La Plagne

Christmas in the mountains is a bit special. I’ve spent nearly 20 Christmases in La Plagne, first working in a hotel and now with my three kids, and I still get a bit giddy when the lights go up in the villages and Santa comes to visit.

Click to the bit you need, or keep on reading!

But a Christmas ski holiday isn’t quite the same as a normal ski week. It’s peak season, so it costs more and it’s busier, and there’s the small matter of getting Christmas (and all the presents) to the Alps.

So here’s everything I’d tell a friend before they book: what the snow is usually like, what’s on over Christmas week, how to keep the cost down, the family bits nobody warns you about, and where to find a party once the kids are in bed.

What's the La Plagne snow like at Christmas?

You might already know La Plagne is a ‘snow sure' ski resort. If you don't know what this means, check out my article, all about La Plagne.

But, put simply, La Plagne is one of the highest resorts in the Alps, meaning that it gets the best or more reliable, snow conditions in the region.

Whilst it's impossible to guarantee amazing snow conditions for Christmas in La Plagne, I have lived here for nearly 20 years and always had a satisfyingly white Christmas!

Of course, there will be lower snow seasons and some winters with heavy snowfall for Christmas. However, it does seem to be a trend that we get heavy snowfall over the Christmas and New Year weeks.

When it comes to the weather and temperature, December in La Plagne is not as cold as January skiing. However, it will likely snow whilst you are in La Plagne – which is awesome! But it does mean you need to pack for a variety of weather. Check out my packing guide for more tips on this.

Jen’s Top Tip: Throughout the winter, I do a weekly snow report video with a live rundown on the pistes, off-piste conditions, queues, etc.

Planning a family ski holiday?

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La Plagne Christmas event schedule

Every village puts on something over Christmas week, and the resort goes all out to make it magical for the kids.

Expect a Christmas market, a visit from Santa, lights, carols, shows and kids’ workshops, plus a few festive touches on the slopes. Each village has its own programme, so check what’s on near you.

The day-by-day programme for Christmas 2026 hasn’t been published yet. It usually comes out in December, and you’ll find it on La Plagne’s events calendar (it’s all online now rather than paper leaflets). I’ll add the highlights here as soon as it’s out.

Look out for the torchlight descents too. And if you’d rather dodge the busiest runs, here’s how to find quiet pistes in peak weeks.

How to save money when booking a Christmas ski holiday

There is no way around it: skiing at Christmas means heading to La Plagne during a peak ski week. However, there are some ways to try to reduce or limit your costs and hack your ski holiday costs. Here are my top tips:

Book your trip as early as possible to get early bird discounts. This is a good one for those who need specific accommodations, resorts, or travel times.
Book last minute – if a resort or accommodation is less important to you, then last-minute deals can be very attractive.
Whilst on holiday, contact your holiday provider and tell them you'll book for next Christmas if they honour this year's price. You'd be amazed how often this works!
Look at self-catered options. Whilst a traditional Christmas dinner might be a must for some. If you're open to doing things differently, book self-catered and head out for Christmas lunch.
Look at French Immobillier sites, which are basically French estate agencies. They have a lot of apartments, residencies, and chalets that aren't often advertised to the UK market.
Book as many things in advance as possible, from travel to lessons, lift passes, après activities, and restaurants.

If keeping the cost down is top of your list, my La Plagne ski deals page has all my discount codes in one place, from transfers to ski hire. My guide to skiing La Plagne on a budget has loads more ideas, and it’s worth reading up on the peak ski weeks so you know what you’re booking into.

Family Christmas ski holiday – things to think about

Having kids around at Christmas makes it truly magical. Before I had my kids, I used to love the Christmas weeks in my hotel and welcoming all the kids on Christmas morning.

However, if you've usually stayed at home for Christmas, then there are some things you need to put into place before heading on a Christmas ski holiday.

Family Christmas traditions. Think about what will travel and what won't. Make sure your kids are forewarned about what to expect. If they are expecting the dreaded elf of the shelf to be on the ski holiday and you haven't packed it, you're in for trouble!
Christmas gifts. With limited packing space, it is likely that most of your gifts won't come with you. So, how will you handle this? Also, if you’re still shopping, my gift guides are full of ski and Alpine ideas: for him, for her, for kids and for the home. And for the countdown, there are my ski advent calendars.
Ski lessons over Christmas. If you and the kids are in ski school, lessons run as usual over Christmas. However, you might choose not to drop them off. It's totally fine, but remember to let the ski school know; otherwise, they'll be waiting on you.
Finding ski lessons in peak weeks can be difficult! Try to be as organised as possible and book in advance. The more popular sessions are in the mornings, with the afternoon sessions quieter – but still in high demand over Christmas – and New Year weeks.
Christmas dinner. If you are self-catered and need to book a restaurant on Christmas Day, this blog post on where to eat Christmas dinner in La Plagne might help make your mind up.

Non-skiing Christmas fun

Christmas ski holidays aren't just about skiing – which seems silly to say! But holidays in the mountains are also about enjoying an alpine lifestyle. There are lots of non-skiing activities to enjoy at Christmas:

La Plagne bobsleigh – the only place in France where you can ride on a professional bobsleigh track!
Ski-doo and Moon Bikes. Moon Bikes are basically electric ski doos and are more environmentally friendly and quieter.
Winter eBikes – available after the pistes are closed.
Parapenting – There are various take-off points. Grande Rochette above Plagne Centre and Roche de Mio above Belle Plagne are the 2 main ones.
Husky dog sledging is an amazing activity for young children.
Ice skating – Plagne Centre and Belle Cote. A lot of fun, and they have carts and baby skates for little ones. I was able to take my boys from the age of 2.
Winter sauna and beauty spas. The Deep Nature spa in Belle Plagne is pretty great and has separate family and adults-only spaces.
Swimming pools
Sledding and bum-boarding. Each village in La Plagne has a safe sledding area set up for younger children.

Christmas & religion

The main church is in Plagne Centre, just after the lift pass office but the Christmas mass is held in the Salle Omnisports, which is much larger and can accommodate the crowds for the Christmas service.

The service is usually around 18h on Christmas eve, although check the La Plagne weekly news to confirm this.

The Salle Omnisports is in Plagne Centre, just below the main bus station, opposite the zip line from Aime 2000.

Christmas après parties

Christmas is, of course, centred around the children. However, you might be looking for some adult-only après events and parties.

Christmas weeks are peak, pricier weeks because of the school holidays, so most bars are actually quieter than in off-peak weeks, which can be great because you'll always find a seat! But it can mean that the atmosphere is calmer than you might expect.

You'll still find the usual live bands for après in places like La Mine in Plagne 1800, La Tete Inn in Belle Côte, evening parties in Saloon/Bodega in Belle Plagne, and Bowling Bar in Plagne Centre.

Generally speaking, Christmas Eve is a big party for all the seasonal and hospitality workers. But Christmas day is pretty quiet everywhere as most staff will be working hard to provide Christmas dinner. Most guests will relax and enjoy Christmas in their accommodations.

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More Christmas in La Plagne

Everything else you might need for a Christmas (and New Year) ski holiday, all in one place:

And that's La Plagne & skiing holidays at Christmas!

I'd love to know what you think. Do you usually head to the mountains for a Christmas ski holiday? Or perhaps you're thinking about doing it for the first time?

What are you worried about? Or, what are you most excited about? Drop me a message below and let's see if I can help or put your mind at ease!

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