Les Arcs - transfer guide

The villages of Les Arcs can be accessed via the unique funicular railway that runs from Bourg St Maurice to Arc 1600, and there are buses and taxis too

Bourg St Maurice - Les Arcs 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000

The ski resort of Les Arcs has four different villages: 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000.  You can access them either via the funicular railway that runs to Arc 1600, or directly from Bourg St Maurice by bus or taxi (without taking the funicular). 

The map below shows you the relative positions of the villages.

Funicular railway - new film

This is a new film that Snowcarbon founder Daniel Elkan made about Les Arcs' unique funicular railway, for Les Arcs Tourisme

Funicular transfers - Bourg St Maurice - Les Arcs

Funicular to Les Arcs

The seven-minute journey

The funicular train takes you between Bourg St Maurice railway station and Arcs 1600, making the 800-metre climb in just seven scenic minutes. This is the fastest way to get to or from Arc 1600 (and to the other villages, by connecting buses) and there are great views as you ride.

The winter timetable is simple.  The funicular departs every 20 minutes, every day from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm.

As the film above shows, the entrance to the funicular is at the end of the train platforms, or accessed by shuttle bus (a two-minute journey between Bourg St Maurice and the funicular).  If you walk down the platform (which is the shortest route) you'll need to lug your bags up the steps of the bridge. Think of it as good exercise, and at the other end of the bridge there's a lift to go down. Or walk alonside the platform, or take the shuttle bus or a taxi.  Either way, it's easy.

If you are staying in Arc 1600, then all the accommodation is a short walk away from the top of the funicular - literally metres.

Accessing Arc 1800, 1950 and 2000 from the funicular
If you are staying in the villages of Arc 1800, Arc 1950, or Arc 2000, then there is a free shuttle-bus service organised by the tourist office.The buses run every 20 minutes and are timed to meet the arrival of the funicular, so you won 't be waiting at all. You just turn left out of the funicular and about 100 metres awy you'll see the buses waiting. There are always enough buses to collect all the people coming by funicular (so there is always space).  It takes about 15 minutes to reach Arc 1800, 20 minutes to reach Arc 1950, and 25 minutes to reach Arc 2000.

Instead of taking the funicular, you can book taxis from the station at Bourg St Maurice. But you can’t book a taxi only from the top of the funicular, because all the taxis are based in Bourg and are only bookable from Bourg (or from the resort to go all the way down to Bourg).

Funicular prices
Single ticket : 8.50€/adult – 6.50€/children (from 6 to 13 years old)
Return ticket : 13.50/adult – 11€/children (from 6 to 13 years old)

Free with a valid ski pass
If you have a valid ski pass can ride the funicular for free. However, if you are arriving into Bourg St Maurice on a Saturday, for example, but your ski pass starts on the Sunday, this won’t give you free access to the funicular. If you have taken an overnight train and are arriving with a voucher for the ski pass to ski the same day, you can give this to the lift pass office at the bottom of the funicular and they will issue your ski pass (so that you can ride the funicular for free).

Another film about the funicular

Taxi transfers - Bourg St Maurice - Les Arcs

Here are some prices from local taxi companies, researched in 2019. Prices may vary a little for this winter, therefore.

Book Bourg St Maurice to Les Arcs taxi transfers online

Bus transfers - Bourg St Maurice - Les Arcs 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000

Bourg St Maurice station

Buses depart from a bay right outside Bourg St Maurice station. You walk out of Bourg St Maurice station and the buses are right there.  Bourg St Maurice station has a big hall and waiting room, so you can wait in the warm.   The station has a shop which also sells hot drinks, and there are cafes and restaurants opposite and around the station - so plenty of places to wait, eat and drink if there is a gap between train and bus. 

You can buy bus tickets at a counter at the train station, but it is recommended to buy them in advance online at www.altibus.com which shows timetable information too.

Bourg St Maurice station information & restaurants

photo:Daniel Elkan

Restaurants at Bourg St Maurice

Bourg St Maurice station has a waiting room, ticket hall where you can buy tickets for buses if you haven't pre-booked.

There's a small shop (open from about 6am) that sells newspapers, magazines and croissants and sandwiches.

The bus station is located right outside the railway station, as is the taxi rank. So you can wait for your transfer bus in the station waiting room or ticket hall.

Just a few metres from the station there are plenty of restaurants, so if you want to have breakfast, lunch or dinner before catching your train then you have lots of decent options.