The best après-ski bars and activities in La Plagne
The scattered nature of La Plagne’s villages and its family-friendly reputation mean that dancing till dawn is not as commonplace as in some other resorts. That said, there are bars, clubs and late-night drinking dens to suit every kind of après-skier; you just need to know where to look. Belle Plagne is the liveliest of the resort villages, and the gondola linking it with Plagne Bellecôte runs until midnight.
Away from the bars, there’s a world of adventure, including the mile-long Olympic bobsleigh track, the relaxing Belle Plagne Deep Nature Baths and Spa, and La Voie Blanche, perfect for snowshoeing.
For further La Plagne inspiration, see our guides to the resort's best accommodation and restaurants.
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Bars in La Plagne
La Mine
Back before La Plagne 1800 was a ski resort it was a mining village, which helps to explain why the interiors of this British pub look like an old mine shaft. There are mining carts for tables, pickaxes on the walls and lanterns hanging from the ceilings.
La Mine is one of the most popular bars in La Plagne for a post-ski drink or two, with 16 draught beers, cider and stout on rotation. Live sports play on large screens, bands perform regularly throughout the winter season and DJs keep the party going until 2am.
Price: £-££
Contact: bar-lamine.fr
Spitting Feathers
The cheery Spitting Feathers bar has become something of a La Plagne institution since it pulled its first pint back in 2007. Modelled on a traditional British pub, this is the place to come to swap ski stories, watch live sporting events and take part in the bar’s popular bilingual Thursday quiz and karaoke night.
As well as a good range of drinks – everything from Meantime London Prime Ale on tap and local wines to a wide range of cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – Spitting Feathers serves up tasty pub grub. Happy hour runs daily from 4-5pm.
Price: £-££
Contact: spitting-feathers.com
Igloo Igloo
Bar Igloo Igloo has a specific look: a waddle of penguins, a solitary polar bear and well-worn sheepskin throws cover moulded ice-white benches underneath a mounted fluffy moose head. Quite why there’s a tree growing in the middle of this quirky bar is anyone’s guess, but no matter, the vibe at this popular drinking spot is non-stop après-ski fun. Daily happy hours take place, and when bands are not playing a DJ spins crowd-pleasing tunes until the early hours.
Price: £-££
Contact: 0033 61566 4384; facebook.com/iglooigloobar
Le Holidays Bowling Club
If you’re looking to score, then head to Le Holidays Bowling Club and see if you can strike it lucky. This popular bowling alley in Plagne Centre might be best known for its four 10-pin bowling lanes but it also delivers a lively night out. There’s a games area with a pool table, dartboard and arcade games, as well as big screens showing live sport (everything from football to ski racing). Regular themed party nights start at 10pm with guest DJs keeping the party going until the early hours.
Price: £
Contact: 0033 62083 1246; facebook.com/leholidaysbowling
La Bodega
No sooner do the lifts shut than La Bodega opens, serving hungry skiers and snowboarders a range of Spanish-style tapas with a mixture of traditional small plates (think bite-size croquettes de jamon) and international sharing dishes (falafel and guacamole both feature on the menu). But this is not your average post-ski fuel stop; La Bodega is also a lively bar and club with regular live music and DJ sets that last until the wee small hours (4am to be exact). By the time you leave, the lifts will nearly be ready to start up again.
Price: £-££
Contact: labodegabelleplagne.com
Le Bonnet
For most of the day, slopeside Le Bonnet whips up quick eats where you can chow down on hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders and oversized portions of frites without sacrificing much ski time.
Come 4pm, however, and the kitchen closes and the bar staff get to work. This is one of La Plagne’s best slopeside après-ski scenes, where you can drink, dance and be merry under the disco ball on the oversized terrace. It’s a guaranteed good time on any winter afternoon, but it’s the regular DJ spots that really get the crowd jumping.
Price: ££
Contact: 0033 68328 6629; facebook.com/LeBonnetLaPlagne
Bar Le 5 à 7 Siete
If you like your après more mellow then head to Bar Le 5 à 7 Siete, a cosy wine bar with leather armchairs and an open fire. During the day, the bar is open for quick bites, either on the terrace or inside (the croque reblochon maison deserves a mention). Post ski, tapas-style sharing platters are available to accompany the many cocktails, beers and wines on the menu.
Things can get livelier as the evening progresses, and music and dancing does take place. Sports fans will be pleased to know that matches are screened during big tournaments.
Price: ££
Contact: le5a7siete.com
Bar Fort Colorado
For a rootin’-tootin’ good time, head to Bar Fort Colorado, a Wild West-themed fort and one of the most unusual places to stop for mid-afternoon beer or hot chocolate. The semicircle of wooden huts is predominantly an outdoor bar, with some sheltered wooden benches and chairs if you need to take cover.
Set at the foot of the Pollux piste above Plagne Centre, it’s a lively place to end the day, with guest DJs playing throughout the week and a good selection of drinks. Hot dogs and paninis are available if you just can’t wait for dinner.
Price: ££
Contact: 0033 65096 1288; instagram.com/fort.colorado
Le Brix
Beer lovers unite. This stylish bar in Plagne Centre is the place to go for a post-ski brew. With more than 120 bottled beers and eight beers on tap, it enjoys the largest selection of lagers and ales in La Plagne.
Don’t worry if beers are not your thing though, Le Brix bar staff make a mean cocktail too (the espresso martinis are particularly good). Kick back in one of the leather club chairs or pull up a stool at the bar and raise a glass to another great day on the slopes.
Price: £-££
Contact: la-plagne.com/going-out/bars-and-pubs/le-brix
La Tête Inn
You’ll have to squeeze your way into this popular bar in Belle Plagne, but who needs elbow room when you can have this much fun. A local favourite, this small Alpine bar is hidden inside the Corail building, where friendly bar staff do a stellar job pulling pints, serving shots and handing out free baguette and pâté during the daily happy hour (4-7pm). A merry medley of bands perform live throughout the winter season, otherwise you can expect rousing tunes over the speakers, with plenty of French party favourites.
Price: ££
Contact: 0033 47955 1982; instagram.com/barlateteinn
Other activities in La Plagne
Olympic bobsleigh
Built for the 1992 Winter Olympics, the La Plagne Bobsleigh run is the only one of its kind in France and one of only 18 tracks in the world. Located in La Roche, a former mining village, today the track is used for training by national and international athletes, and as a novel après-ski activity for thrill seekers. There are three ways to experience the 19 twisting turns: in the self-steering bob raft that fits four people, on the speed luge, or in an actual bobsleigh. Children over 130cm (4ft 3in) can ride in the bobraft, but the luge and bobsleigh are for over-16s only.
Price: ££ - £££
Contact: la-plagne.com
Snowshoeing in La Voie Blanche
La Plagne is home to a unique topography: rolling gypsum hills that have eroded over time, creating an undulating landscape of gullies and peaks. In winter months, these quiet marshmallow mounds – tucked away between La Plagne’s busy ski slopes – provide the perfect playground, particularly for families. The reward for snowshoeing up the snowy piles is to sit and slide down sometimes zippy tracks, landing in piles of fresh, fluffy white stuff at the bottom. Book a guide so you know the best places to go.
Price: ££
Contact: plagne-evasions.fr
Spa Deep Nature
Rest weary ski legs for an afternoon at Spa Deep Nature in Belle Plagne, a wellbeing space set against a magnificent mountain backdrop. There’s an adults-only space, the Espace Spa Premium with whirlpool baths, a swimming corridor, a salt grotto, and dozens of treatment options. There’s also a family spa area with outdoor pools with water lounges and jets, as well as kid-friendly saunas. Best of all are the spa treatments for children, including “my first spa” experience and double treatment rooms, where kids over six years old can have a massage alongside a parent.
Price: ££-£££
Contact: deepnature.fr
Dog sledding
Get mushing with a dog sled ride across La Plagne’s snowy plateau. Hors Trace Aventure has been leading dog sledding expeditions for more than 20 years, guiding friends and families in sleds led by teams of up to 10 dogs. The pups – packs of samoyeds, malamutes, Greenlands and huskies – are well looked after, and are all types of dogs bred for dog sledding. Children as young as two years old can take part (just remember to wrap up warm). The 30-minute dog sled rides take place every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at Dou Du Praz and on Mondays at Longefoy and Montalbert.
Price: £££
Contact: horstraceaventure.fr
