SKI SEASON REVIEW: Les Tops et Les Flops

 It's nearly the end of the season, with April conditions easily an 8 or 9 out of 10 compared with the norm. A few thoughts on what's hot and what's not so hot in Les Arcs this winter.

One of the top viewpoints is from summit of Grizzly chairlift in Peisey-Vallandry

LES TOPS

* Coffee: The snow shack below the Arcabulle (en route to les Chalets de l'Arc) is far less busy than the Bulle Cafe and a great place to stop in the sunshine. Bring cash.

* Lunch: The Vanoise Restaurant in Peisey-Vallandry remains the go-to place for a sit-down meal, with prices in line with what you get at the self-service places in the more mainstream areas of the reports and quality far far higher. Pro tip: try the Tarte au Beaufort with a glass of sparkling Savoie or regular Les Abymes white wine.

* Afternoon drink: The Altiport is quieter and has better views than the Arpette. Staff and punters seem super-happy here! The patron of the Rooftop bit is a wine fan and has a fun Instagram account (rooftop_altiport). I hear good reviews of their lunch dishes as well. 

* Social media: Follow R'Les Arcs and Eric Siri on Facebook if you are a French speaker. Ski Club of Great Britain - Les Arcs on FB is great for latest conditions and opportunities to meet up with people to go skiing. The Les Arcs account on Instagram is quite good, though they seem to have given up on Twitter. Follow @RFJ1966 during the season instead.

LES FLOPS

* Morning buses from Arc 1800 to the Funicular on Saturday (changeover day) simply can't cope with the demand.

* The Blanche Muree: sadly it isn't what it was since the change of ownership. High prices and middling service/food.

* Club Med: it's been there a few years now, looking sullenly up at the beautiful Mont Blanc piste and refusing to fit in with the landscape. The feeble Xmas trees above the jardin des enfants will presumably soften the view in time. The only silver lining is that it seems to have been a catalyst for change as the new administration in Bourg-Saint-Maurice now have a "no new developments" policy.

OTHER THINGS

* The new Arpette restaurant has a great Les Arcs vibe including memorabilia all over the walls, but I wasn't sure they had the menu quite right. There is still a self-service, but it lacks that genuine mountain and everyone-in-it-together of yesteryear.

* The lightshow at the Varet gondola is well worth the time.

* Stand by for NEW Transarc for 2024/25 which will be an 8-seater (like the Vallandry lift) and reduce journey time from Arc 1800 from 20 to 13 minutes.