Les Arcs Mountain Biking

Les Arcs is one of the biggest lift-served bike parks in the French Alps, spread across the villages of Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, Arc 2000 and Peisey-Vallandry above Bourg-Saint-Maurice, all part of the Paradiski ski area. The shared Les Arcs / Peisey-Vallandry Bike Park runs to around 151km of marked trails: 7 downhill runs graded green to black, 8 enduro routes including the legendary La 8 descent to the valley, and 6 cross country, e-MTB and gravel routes, plus a pump track and a beginners' loop. It's quieter than resorts like Morzine and Les Gets, with a strong following among enduro and all-mountain riders as well as downhill racers.

The Trails

• Downhill (7 trails, green to black): La Trank's (green, around 5km) and Kids Rock give beginners a way in, with Woodstock (5.7km, 515m descent), Legend (4.6km, 380m), Marsupilami (2.2km, 230m), Yellow Stone (3.1km, 360m) and Rock N'Arolles (4.3km, 550m) covering blue and red grades. The black-graded La Cachette (3km, 550m descent), served by the Cachette chairlift above Arc 1600, is the park's signature downhill run.
• Enduro (8 routes): Easy Rider, Golf, Village Express, Déval'Landry (Peisey-Vallandry) and Elle Chablatte range from family-friendly to full-on. The standout is La 8, a black-graded 6.7km forest descent losing around 820m continuously down to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, widely regarded as the park's defining trail.
• Cross country, e-MTB and gravel (6 routes): includes Route 66 (22.2km), Hot Wheels (12.5km) and the 31.5km Tour de l'Aiguille Grive, mixing singletrack, forest road and gravel-friendly family riding across the Paradiski villages.
• There's also a pump track at the Marais entrance to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and a dedicated beginners' loop.

Gravel Riding

The bike park's cross country and e-MTB routes double up as gravel riding: the official trail network lists six e-MTB, cross country and gravel routes on forest road and hardpack, from the easier Route 66 loop out of Arc 1950 up to the 31.5km Tour de l'Aiguille Grive linking the upper villages. These sit apart from the graded downhill and enduro trails and make a good lower-intensity option for linking the Paradiski villages by bike.

Admission and Prices

Riding the graded downhill, enduro and pump track trails needs a paid bike park lift pass: a full day costs EUR 30, and a half day or a Saturday costs EUR 19, with reduced rates for under-18s and free access for children under 5. Weekly and season passes are also sold at the bike park's ticket offices. Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates on the Les Arcs website before you book.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

The lift network is the main uplift here, with additional van-shuttle and guided-day options for routes such as La 8 that finish below the lift system. Hire, lessons and guided rides are based around Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

• Arc Mountain Bike: mountain bike, e-bike and kids' bike hire, private lessons, family outings and guided e-MTB rides, based at the Chalet ESF in Arc 1800.
• Evolution 2 Les Arcs: guided downhill coaching for parent and child, beginner, intermediate and advanced riders, with bikes and protective gear included, based at Arc 1950.
• Gravity Lab: mountain bike, e-bike and gravel bike hire with a workshop and bike fitting, based in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
• Summit Bike: van shuttle service and guided enduro, downhill and e-MTB days and camps across the Tarentaise, Haute Tarentaise and Beaufortain valleys, based in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Getting There from the UK

Chambéry is the closest airport, around 1 hour 40 minutes from Bourg-Saint-Maurice by road. Geneva and Lyon are both roughly 2 hours 30 minutes away and have the widest choice of flights from the UK, and Grenoble is around 2 hours. Shared and private transfers run from all four.

By rail, take the Eurostar to Paris or Lille and a TGV on towards the Alps. On some peak summer days a direct TGV runs from Paris straight through to Bourg-Saint-Maurice; on other dates you change at Chambéry onto a regional train for the final leg. Bikes need planning on the high-speed legs: TGV services generally need the bike folded and bagged, while regional TER trains take bikes free of charge, space permitting, so check the carriage terms for your specific train before you book.

Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 980km, roughly 9 to 10 hours on toll motorways via Reims and Dijon towards Albertville and on to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Having a car makes it easy to bring your own bikes and kit and to reach the other valleys in the Tarentaise.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice train station sits at the foot of the funicular up to Arc 1600, the bike park's main access point. The funicular carries bikes as well as riders, with its own VTT fare alongside the walking pass, so a car-free arrival is realistic if you're happy basing yourself at Arc 1600 or riding down into the valley to finish.

When to Go

The lift-served season runs from mid-June to mid-September, in 2026 from 13 June to 13 September, with the lifts running daily through that window. Outside those dates the bike park lifts are closed. The season falls within the French school summer holidays, and the resort is busiest through July and August; the first couple of weeks in June and the last couple in early September are usually quieter, with a lower single-day rate on offer as the season winds down.

The top of the network sits well above 2,000m at Arc 2000, so it can be cool and windy up high even on a warm day in the valley, and conditions can change quickly. Summer thunderstorms build through the afternoon and can close lifts temporarily, so it's worth starting early, carrying a waterproof layer and checking the forecast each morning. The lifts and trails generally stay open in moderate rain.

Where to Stay

The bike park is shared across five villages, so where you base yourself depends on which lifts and trails you want closest to hand. Arc 1800 is the resort's main hub, with the largest concentration of downhill trails, the Le Charvet lift-pass sales point and the Chalet ESF bike school. Arc 1600, reached by the funicular from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, sits at the foot of the Cachette chairlift and the black-graded La Cachette run. Arc 1950 has the densest cluster of apartments close to the lifts and is a base for guided downhill coaching. Peisey-Vallandry has its own lift network and the Déval'Landry enduro route, and suits riders who want a quieter base. Staying down in Bourg-Saint-Maurice itself is the cheapest and most rail-friendly option, with the funicular carrying you straight up to the lifts and the valley floor being where the long La 8 descent finishes.

Accommodation across the five villages runs from apartment residences and hotels to chalets and mountain refuges. The Pass Piéton covers the pedestrian lifts, including the Aiguille Rouge cable car up to 3,225m, and the resort's other summer activities, which suits non-riding family members, but it does not replace a bike park lift pass.

Les Arcs shares the Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Moûtiers rail hub with the rest of the Tarentaise valley, so it's easy to combine with a stay in nearby Tignes and Val d'Isère or Méribel if you want to ride more than one bike park on the same trip.

Getting Here

Bourg-Saint-Maurice train station sits at the foot of the funicular up to Arc 1600, and there's parking at the Tourist Office near the station if you're starting from the valley. Check the current lift opening timetable before you travel, since the bike park typically runs from mid-June to mid-September with reduced lift access either side of the main summer season.

Beyond the Trails

Les Arcs is a full Alpine resort beyond the bike park: outdoor swimming pools at Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, via ferrata and rock climbing, paragliding over the Tarentaise valley, an adventure and tree-top park, mini golf and a cinema, plus shops, restaurants and accommodation spread across the five villages from Arc 1600 up to Arc 2000. It makes an easy base for a multi-day riding trip with plenty to do on a rest day. See the full Les Arcs website for the wider programme.

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