Arrival time sets the drop-off point
A transfer leaving the Riviera at dawn reaches the valley in early afternoon. A transfer leaving at midday arrives after dark, at the end of a resort climb, on a Saturday changeover. That is not the same job, and it is not the same drop-off point.
Arriving early allows the car to climb and unload outside the accommodation. Arriving late on a changeover day makes the valley dense and the climb slow. In that case, unloading at the valley floor becomes the better decision, and here it carries an advantage few destinations offer: a funicular takes over.
The railway station is the clearest meeting point
The town hall tells the story plainly. The Arc en Ciel funicular opened in 1989. It links the railway station at 810 metres to Arc 1600 at 1,620 metres, a rise of 810 metres. The commune mentions direct access from the platforms and a footbridge renovated in 2016.
For a driver that is an ideal landmark. Public, named, unambiguous, usable after dark, and it removes the mountain road up to the 1600 and 2000 levels entirely. The resort site quotes about seven minutes of travel; the town hall gives no duration, so we do not present it as a timetable.
A pedestrian village with one underground entrance
Higher up, Arc 1950 works differently. The official site describes a fully pedestrian village and a covered underground car park of 688 spaces on five levels, with a single entrance and exit and lift access to the residences. The car does not reach the door: it goes down into the structure and the guest comes back up.
What the fare covers: the whole run, tolls and fuel, the winter routing through Albertville and Moûtiers, and the agreed waiting time at drop-off. What it does not cover: the funicular ticket, a reserved space in the underground car park, and the headroom of that structure, which nobody publishes officially.