Champagny Ski Resort Guide
Champagny en Vanoise is a traditional French mountain village, as well as being one of several outlying areas which make up the larger La Plagne ski resort. This charming village set in a pretty, wooded location has been growing ever since it was first linked with La Plagne in the early 1970s. With the opening of the double-decker Vanoise Express cable car in 2003 Champagny became a popular resort both at the centre of the Paradiski area, and with some of the best transportation routes to both La Plagne and Les Arcs.
Sitting at 1,250 metres altitude and just south of La Plagne, Champagny en Vanoise has a retained a rustic and friendly atmosphere despite a large growth in popularity. Luckily, the modern expansion of accommodation and retails facilities has been done sensitively. The centre of the village is still a very pleasant square which is lined with shops and restaurants. Creperies, pizzerias and Savoyard restaurants make for excellent lunch or dinner choices, while souvenir and sports shops sit next to a lovely deli and bakery.
Champagny is still largely overlooked by large tour operators so accommodation will mostly be private rentals and independent hotels. There are a beautiful array of chalets, cottages and converted farmhouses to choose from here. The village is very family-friendly, and very friendly in general in fact. Nightlife in Champagny is quiet, but there are still several lively bars which keep busy late into the night.
If you are looking for a resort with a slower pace of life and a closer sense of community the Champagny would make an excellent choice for a ski holiday. Added to this is the fact that it has a world class ski area right on its doorstep with easy access, and Champagny en Vanoise becomes a seriously interesting option for skiers and snowboarders looking to stay away from big name and big budget French resorts.
Skiing in Champagny
As you would expect, most tourists staying in Champagny are looking to head straight to the Vanoise Express and cruise the miles and miles of amazing terrain within the Paradiski area. Covering over 10,000 hectares and with over 250 pisted runs, the Paradiski region has something for every level of skier and snowboarder. With Champagny sitting at the heart of this area you are well placed to explore as much as possible and rack up as many miles as you want.
For beginners, or those looking to cover less distance on their holiday, Champagny falls under the La Plagne village ski pass. A direct high-speed cable car takes skiers up the 800 metres from Champagny to join the La Plagne ski area in just 8 minutes. From this point on much of the skiing terrain is above 2,000m which ensures a good level of snow cover throughout the winter. Beginner slopes and a terrain / fun park can also be accessed directly from this cable car.
Champagny and La Plagne’s local ski area has a good mixture of pistes available for all abilities. Intermediate blue and red runs form most of the slopes but there are also a good amount of challenging, steep slopes as well as extensive off-piste sections to be found. Long, winding trails allow skiers & snowboarders to cruise back down to Champagny itself at the end of the day. As these are sheltered from the wind by the surrounding forests they tend to keep their snow well – but snow cannons also keep these convenient routes home open all season long.
