Christmas & New Year 2019 in La Plagne - What weather to expect & what to do

Although much of La Plagne was stormbound at the beginning of Christmas week, when this current pattern clears the area is going to offer up epic riding. The most recent forecasts seem to point to a significant change on Wednesday – yep, that’s right, just in time for Christmas morning. It seems Santa’s gift to La Plagne this year will be a metre of fresh fluffy snow, to be enjoyed by young and old. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation building across resort, not just for Christmas itself but also for the clearing conditions we should see midweek. Wednesday has the potential to be one of the days of the season before clouds build through Thursday and the snow returns again on Friday. Thereafter, things a little more unclear, however, early predictions seem to point to fairly settled, cold weather into early January.

Between now and then though, lies the festive week and, really, there’s nowhere better than a mountain resort to celebrate Christmas. Whether you’re travelling with kids, in a group or just as a couple, La Plagne has something for everyone from its quaint villages in the valleys up to the more purpose-built resorts higher up. And, while the area is undoubtedly family-centric and does a great job of catering for children, it also has some good options for late-night partying if that’s more your scene.

Another particularly nice thing about celebrating Christmas in La Plagne is you can make as big (or as small) a deal of it as you like. Christmas Day itself feels pretty much like every other day – people get up, get out, go riding and tend to only stop later in the day to do the usual “Christmassy” stuff. As we’re surrounded by snow most of the season, and the decorations stay up from the start of December through until April, there’s significantly less pressure to make a big deal of things (unless you want to, of course). In many ways, the 25th feels just like any other day in resort, albeit with a few more parties, Santa appearances and the obligatory, “Joyeux Noël” from strangers in the street.

That said, the French are particularly fond of fireworks - for any reason, at any time of year, so you can expect the festivities to go off (literally) with a bang. There will also be numerous smaller parties and celebrations held over the coming fortnight so here’s a little taster of what you can expect across the area over the coming weeks:

23rd-25th December: La Magie de Noël (all stations)
Despite being a rather busy man this time of year, Santa has already confirmed he’ll be stopping past La Plagne in the build-up to the big day itself. You’ll be able to catch him in all the resort villages and higher stations in the run-up to and on Christmas Day. Expect elves, reindeer and special presents for the young ‘uns. There will also be a special figure skating show with world champion Brian Joubert in Plagne Centre.

25th December: Christmas fireworks (Plagne Centre)
Although this has yet to be fully confirmed by the resort, for the last four years there’s been a fireworks show held on the Front de Neige in Plagne Centre from around 18:00. If you time this right, you should get to say a final 2019 farewell to Santa before the main show starts.

While the official celebrations for Christmas might be over, there will still be numerous parties held across the resort’s bars and clubs, particularly in the higher stations. For a good night out in a great atmosphere, try the newly-refurbished La Mine in 1800 or Spitting Feathers in Bellecôte, both of which offer live music and various themed nights throughout the week. If you’re staying in Belle Plagne, Cheyenne or La Tête are probably the best bets (near the Roche de Mio gondola station, in central Belle Plagne). Alternatively, for those staying in Centre, Igloo or Luna Bar would be our recommended picks while those in Plagne Villages or Plagne Soleil should head to Monica's. For a slighter later night, Belle Plagne has Saloon open til 06:00 or there’s also Showlex in Bellecôte (both of which will come pick you up and take you home).

La Plagne’s annual Hogmanay celebrations, La Nuit du Pompon Rouge, will again be held on the Front de Neige in Plagne Bellecôte, starting at around 22:30 and running til 01:30. As ever, expect various street performers, DJs and open-air dancing in the lead-up to a fireworks show to bring in the New Year at midnight. Note: The Pompon Rouge is served by free, interstation buses until 02:30 but, if you want to be sure of getting back to the main stations without walking, you should leave a good bit earlier. There are always people left walking back through the night so be warned – if you don’t want to risk getting stranded (or have young children with you), you should definitely consider leaving early. If this is less of a concern to you or you’re staying in Bellecôte itself Spitting Feathers tends to stay open late or there’s always the Showlex club.

Get in touch with our reporter Stuart Hamilton on his new site iRide, featuring videos, guides, playlists and more. Stuart also produces SnowGuru, SnowGuruVR, SnowboardApp and SkiApp – a range of Android skiing and snowboarding apps that improve your time in the mountains.