UPDATE: 12 Jan: You can buy your €50 "weekly ticket" from the new "parking chalet" at the foot of the steps below the funiculaire. If you arrive outside working hours, you can go and see the chap on the desk before you leave. However, factoring in the 12€ for the return ride on the funi, we now have the sad situation where parties of two or more can save money by making the 15km climb up to Arc 1800 and paying the 65€ charge there...
Les Arcs is no stranger to parking controversies. The introduction of parking charges in 2009 did not go down well with the local saisonniers and proprieteres. The Council was very clear at the time that it needed to introduce charges to help cover its deficit, and saw no strong argument as to why parking in the ski resort should be subsidised by local taxpayers. Not all were convinced, but the issue seems to have died down now.
For many years, a very sensible alternative for the holidaymaker has been to use the funiculaire from Bourg St Maurice, leaving the car in the adjacent (free) car park. The parking is of course heavily used by locals as part of their daily commute.
This state of affairs has now been thrown up in the air, in the wake of the municipal council's decision this October to introduce new parking charges in Bourg St Maurice.
For the tourist, a daily charge of €3 sounds reasonable, but there is a cunning surcharge for an overnight stay which means I clocked up a €65 bill for a four day stay. When I questioned the amount, I was advised that "You do not have the right to park overnight". It does seem, however, that parking overnight is not entirely frowned upon: a €50 weekly ticket (for 5-7) days is now available. Full details of the costs are on the Les Arcs website.
For those working in Les Arcs, there is the option to buy a €180 ticket covering the season.
This has been condemned as a "tax on work" and the CGT and FO unions representing the resort workers have have launched a campaign. This included a march on the town hall the week before Christmas. The issue appears to be far from over...
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| Bourg St Maurice, 21 December 2013 |
For the moment, Les Arcs' claims to be "eco-friendly" or "car-free" appear a little hollow. By my maths, the new cost of a week's parking down in Bourg (50€ plus return ticket to Les Arcs) makes driving up to the resort and paying the 65€ charge the cheaper option. Which seems odd.
Bourg seems obsessed with parking issues - perhaps because the council haven't got the imagination to make money any other way! What you don't say about 2009 is that the people (locals) rose up and broke down the barriers, etc. Perhaps a lesson should be learnt from history....
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