NetChalets

Tignes is linked to it’s sister resort Val d’Isère to form the large Espace Killy ski area, and boy does it have some great terrain.

Tignes is situated at an altitude of 2100m so it’s high, snow-sure, and often bitterly cold. But stick your thermals on and the altitude gives you access to luxurious snow conditions, long runs and glacier skiing. Not to mention some pretty hard-core off-piste for those who are experienced enough to handle it.

As you’d expect from a resort at this altitude, Tignes is purpose built and definitely looks it. It’s certainly no pretty alpine village, rather a collection of large concrete buildings, however some slightly more sympathetic buildings have begun to spring up in recent years and, well, you come here to ski, not admire the architecture. You can ski here almost year-round, the glacier is shut for just the peak summer period for ten weeks or so, but outside that time it’s one of the prime French spots for early or late season skiing. The winter season starts here at the beginning of October.

Like many French ski resorts Tignes is not just a single spot. There a number of individual areas to get your head around with some being further away from the main lfts which offer more secluded accommodation. Val Claret is one of the main sections and the highest part of Tignes at 2,100m. It’s from here that you get up to the glacier the easiest via the Funiculaire Grande Motte, an impressive underground train. Just beneath Val Claret is Tignes-Le-Lac which has a large range of hotels, shops and mainstream facilities. Just beneath Tignes-Le-Lac and linked to it by the ski bus is Le Lavachet. Heading down the mountain are the smaller villages of Tignes-Les-Boisses at 1800m andand Tignes-Les-Brevières at 1500m. These areas are smaller so you won’t find a huge selection of shops and other facilities but it’s still easy to get up to the main ski area from here. Accommodation is usually cheaper than further up the mountain and it’s where you’ll normally find some great chalet operators rather than the mega apartment blocks.

Access to Val d’Isère is easy, and it’s well worth taking the time to head over and take in as many of the excellent pistes as you can. If you miss the last lift trying to get back from Val d’Isère  at the end of the day, don’t worry, just grab a beer enjoy the apres then jump on the bus back.

The apres scene here isn’t as wild as it is in Val d’Isère, but there’s plenty to keep everyone occupied particularly in Tignes-Le-Lac and Val Claret. It’s a large resort after all so there’s plenty of bars restaurants and nightclubs depending on what takes your fancy, and because there are a large number of apartment blocks there’s usually a young crowd looking to stay out until the early hours.

Total ski area:150km
Pistes:73
Number of Lifts:47

1 day area pass:€38
6 day area pass:€192

Official website
http://en.tignes.net/

Linked areas:
Val d’Isere

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  By air
  A number of airports are suitable for getting to Tignes, with transfer times between 2.5 and 4 hours. Geneva is often a favourite because the large number of flights available but it's also the furthest away with transfer taking 3.5 hours with no triaffic priblems. Chambery is the nearest airport and about 2.5 hours away. Lyon and Grenoble are also options with transfers taking around 3 hours from each.

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  By car
  When heading here for skiing, ignore any GPS routes that direct you through the Petit Saint Bernard or Iseran passes as these routes are closed during winter. Tignes is a car-free resort so you need to park at one the car parks and get the shuttle busses into the resort proper. If hiring a car from the airport, Geneva offers the most options but the drive to the resorts is little less straightforward than from the other airports.

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  By train
  Bourg St Maurice train station is about 30km away, from where you can get taxis, busses or private transfer services to Tignes.