The plan of Charmettoger below shows the location of the Aiguille Grive III building in which our apartment is located (the car park opposite is also indicated). The CIS Immobilier letting agency where you will pick up keys is located in the centre of Villards, close to number 14 on the plan.
MANAGING AGENT AND KEYS
The CIS Immobilier letting agency is where you will pick up and drop off keys, and also the place to contact if you have any questions about the apartment during your stay. It is located in the centre of the pedestrian area in Villards, just along from the supermarket - it is easy to spot by its yellow and black signage. If you need to email the agency before your arrival the address is arc1800@cis-immobilier.com and their phone number is +33 4 79 07 46 21.
You should pick up the keys from the agency between 17:00 and 19:00 (they may be available earlier, but this cannot be guaranteed - please see the left luggage information below if you are arriving early or departing late). If for any reason you are delayed and may arrive after 19:00, then it is essential you call CIS Immobilier to make alternative arrangements. When picking up the keys you will be asked to provide a payment card as a loss/damage/additional cleaning guarantee for the apartment.
Each set of keys contains a door key and an electronic badge. You will need the electronic badge to enter the apartment complex and use the lifts, and the key to open the door to the apartment. To lock the door you must lift the door handle upwards, let it return to horizontal and then turn the key.
Please vacate the apartment and return the keys to the agency by 10:00 on the day of your departure. Please be careful not to lose the keys/electronic badges – you will be charged the replacement cost (over €100 per set) if lost.
ACCESS TO THE SLOPES
From the apartment go up to the fourth floor in the lift – turn left and go to the exit at the end of the corridor. You will find yourself at the bottom of the Charmettoger chairlift which takes you to the heart of the Arc 1800 ski area.
BAKERY AND SUPERMARKETS
There is a bakery and small grocery store on the ground floor of the next door building (Aiguille Grive II) - you can see it from the apartment balcony. There is a larger Sherpa supermarket in Villards (opening hours 08:00-19:30 every day).
BED LINEN AND TOWELS
All beds have duvets and pillows, but please note that to keep costs low, bed linen (pillow cases, duvet covers, sheets) and towels are NOT provided. Most guests bring their own linen and towels (all beds are 90cm x 190cm, and pillows 60cm x 60cm), but for an additional fee (~€23/person for linen, ~€14/person for 1 large and 1 small towel), this can be provided.
If you choose to rent linen/towels, this is organised by the agency where you pick up the keys and is not included in the apartment rental (you pay the agency directly when you pick up the keys, or they may email you in advance with the option to save time by paying for your linen/towels online in advance).
CAR PARKING
During the ski season, parking charges are controlled through a ticket system on entry and exit to the resort. In Charmettoger there is a covered car park directly opposite the apartment. You can also park in one of the many outside car parks for a slightly lower cost. Please see https://en.lesarcs.com/my-car-park/arc-1800 for further details and online booking.
CLEANING
Please clean the apartment at the end of your stay and leave it as you would wish to find it.
The refrigerator should be emptied and food not consumed should be removed or thrown away. Kitchen utensils and crockery should be washed and replaced in the cupboards. Floors should be left clean – there is a vacuum cleaner in the cupboard in the entrance hall. All bins must be emptied and the apartment must be completely cleared of all waste. Linen should be removed from beds. Blankets should be folded and pillows and bedspreads neatly replaced. Disposable bed linen should be discarded.
The agent will inspect the apartment after each tenancy, and reserves the right to charge for any extra cleaning work necessary.
ELECTRICITY
When you enter the apartment you will need to turn on the electricity supply. Open the cabinet located on the right hand side as you enter the front door, and press the grey button (marked l) near the top. When you vacate the apartment, press the red button (marked 0) to turn off the electricity.
Please note that all the individual fuse switches in the cabinet should in the up position (marked I). In the event of a fuse blowing, one or more of the switches will have moved. To reset the fuse(s) simply push the relevant switch(es) back to the up position.
HEATING
Base heating is provided centrally to the whole of the Aiguille Grive complex. In addition there is a radiator in the living room, which operates whenever the main electricity supply is on, and small radiators in the other rooms which have individual temperature controls (please note that a red indicator signifies the ‘ON’ position, and a green indicator means ‘OFF’).
There are heated towel rails in the bathrooms. If for any reason a towel rail is not heating up, press the tiny reset button on the control panel (we recommended leaving the temperature at level 2 or 3 to avoid the rail overheating and needing a reset).
HOT WATER
Metered hot water is provided centrally to the Aiguille Grive complex and included in your rental fee.
INTERNET/WIFI
The apartment does not have its own WIFI, but the Aiguille Grive 3 building has WIFI - simply connect to the open SSID and follow the instructions on the login page.
KITCHEN APPLIANCES
The apartment contains various kitchen appliances including: dishwasher, electric hob, microwave oven, mini-oven, electric kettle, Nespresso machine (original capsules), filter coffee machine and a cafetiere (french press).
LAUNDRY
There are self-service laundrettes in Villards (on the lower level near the Centre Médical) and in Charvet (behind the Spar supermarket, on the ground floor of the Residence Miravidi). There is also a full-service laundry located at the far end of Charvet, on the ground floor below the Post Office.
LEFT LUGGAGE
There is a left luggage facility (bagagerie) located in the bus station in Villards, close to the CIS Immobilier office where you will be picking up the apartment keys. Showers are also available. Opening hours are 08:00 to 18:30 - please see www.lesarcs.com/services-bagageries/bagagerie-des-villards-arc-1800.html for details.
MOUNTAIN RESTAURANTS
The tourist office in Charvet provides a brochure with up-to-date listings of all restaurants in Les Arcs, but here are a few of our favourite mountain restaurants for lunch:
Blanche Murée – central location, to the right of the Transarc midstation and top of Charmettoger lift on the loop of a blue run. Can get busy, but good food.
Les Chalets d’Arc – above Arc 1950/2000, this full service restaurant is larger than it looks and serves excellent traditional food.
Le Sanglier qui fume – above Arc 1600, this full service restaurant is located near the Mont-Blanc chairlift and serves excellent food
La Ferme – located in Villaroger, this excellent restaurant, is a great destination, and makes a fun trip from Arc 1800. Snow at the bottom (only 1,200m) can get slushy, but the food, and views from the terrace are well worth it.
ORIENTATION
Arc 1800 is made up of three main villages:
Charmettoger, the furthest right/west, is where the apartment is located. It is the least commercialised of the three villages.
Villards, in the middle, contains several bars, restaurants and other shops. It is also where the ski school meets, and where the high speed Transarc gondola lift starts. Villards is a 5-10 minute walk down the hill from Charmettoger.
Charvet, on the other side of Villards from Charmettoger, has the greatest selection of bars, restaurants and shops and is a few minutes walk past Villards.
REFRIGERATOR
At the end of your stay, please clean the refrigerator and leave the door open (you should switch off the main electricity supply at the cabinet/fuse box beside the front door when you leave).
WASTE DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING
There are large rubbish/waste and recycling bins in front of the Aiguille III building, beside the access road to the car park. Please note that there are no longer any waste disposal or recycling facilities within the Aiguille Grive building itself. The apartment must be emptied of all waste at the end of your stay.
SKI AND BOOT HIRE
There is a Precision Ski (www.precisionski-rent.com) rental shop on the ground floor of the Aiguille Grive III building. There is also a Skiset (www.skiset.co.uk) rental shop on the ground floor of the Aiguille Grive II building. Significant savings are available when booking online in advance.
SKI PASSES
Ski passes are available from the ticket office in Villards and online (if you purchase online you can pick up your passes 24x7 from the ticket machines in Villards. The two main options are the Les Arcs pass ("Classic") and the Paradiski pass including La Plagne ("Essential"). Children up to 6 years old do not need a pass. Reduced rates are available for those aged 6-14 and 65 and over.
SUGGESTED SKI RUNS
Les Arcs has skiing for all levels and preferences, but here are a few suggestions:
- Long run: try skiing the 2,026m drop from Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger
- Trees: any of the runs near Vallandry/Plan Peisey
- Pretty: Edelweis (blue), Combe (easy red), Bosses (black)
- Good snow: Aiguille Rouge /Arandelières (red) or Grand Col (red)/Refuge (black)
- Confidence building blue: Charmettoger (and convenient too!)
- Fun red: Belette
- Easy black: Écureuils
- Exciting blacks: Robert Blanc, Lanches, Comborcière, Droset
- Competitive: Boarder cross
TOURIST TAX
The Bourg St. Maurice authorities charge a local tourist tax to all tourists over 12 years old. If you booked with Airbnb, you will have paid the tourist tax when you made your booking (show your Airbnb booking confirmation if anybody tries to charge you).
If you did not book through Airbnb, you will be charged the tourist tax (of approximately €2 per person per night) by the agency when you pick up the keys.
TRANSFERS
Most guests arrive either by car, or by train/eurostar. If, however, you require a coach transfer, Altibus operates transfers to/from Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble and Lyon airports. Please visit www.altibus.com for timetable, tariffs and online booking.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is essential that you have travel/ski insurance for your holiday. It is advisable to purchase such insurance before you travel, but if you have not done so, ski insurance can be purchased with your ski pass for an additional premium.
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.lesarcs.com General information about Les Arcs, ski passes etc.
www.onsnow.co.uk Articles and advice on skiing and snowboarding
www.skiclub.co.uk Ski Club of Great Britain
www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Les-Arcs/6day/top Les Arcs snow forecasts
www.expressgeneva.com Holiday Inn Express Geneva (medium priced, convenient for airport)
www.accorhotels.com Various Ibis/Mercure hotels in Moutiers, Albertville, Chambery, Annecy
UK CONTACTS
CIS Immobilier (+33 4 79 07 46 21) will be your main point of contact while you are in the resort. If you have any questions before you arrive, you are welcome to contact the owners, Dominic and Nicola, who are based in the UK:
- Dominic Hirsch, dominic@hirsch.org.uk, +44 7967 138067
- Nicola Winn, nicola@hirsch.org.uk, +44 7905 808082