about La Tania
La Tania is a relatively new ski town by French standards, only having been constructed in the late 1980s and opened in time for the 1990/91 winter season and to act as a residential village for the ‘92 Winter Olympics.
The name La Tania comes from a nearby but long disappeared called La Tagna which meant ‘the bear’s dwelling’ in the local dialect reflecting the fact that bears used to reside in the Tarentaise forest. Unfortunately today the only bear we see is the one in the logo for La Tania, but at least they’ve not been completely forgotten.
La Tania has managed to retain a fair amount of charm, which is no mean feat given the hugeness and popularity of the Three Valleys area in which it resides. Being smaller than nearby Meribel and Courchevel it has a more secluded and village-like feel despite it’s purpose built nature. The village sites at 1400m and is car free, while the buildings are mainly wood-clad which helps them to blend into the surrounding trees a little more than the usual grey concrete found in other purpose built ski resorts.
Access from La Tania into Meribel or Courchevel is easy, just a couple of lifts will take you into these larger areas and the lifts themselves are modern and fast, so it makes for a great base to explore the expansive Three Valleys. Free buses make regular tips to Courchevel giving additional options to get around, and during the peak school holidays you’ll also find buses heading to Meribel.
This is still the Three Valleys so don’t expect bargain basement prices but La Tania offers the best value in the area which is good news for families. Catered chalets are the way to go here as hotels can be very expensive, and there are some great independently owned chalets offering excellent service and food.
There is quite a bit of snowmaking here, as there is across the whole of the Three Valleys, which is good as at 1400 meters plentiful natural snow isn’t guaranteed, but with sheer size of the ski area accesible from here you'll have no problem finding the snow.
need to know
Total ski area:150km
Pistes:115
Number of Lifts: 67
1 day area pass:€39.50
6 day area pass:€235.00
Official website
http://www.latania.com
Linked areas:
Courchevel, Les Menuires, Les Menuires, St Martin De Belleville, Val Thoren
GETTING THERE
By air
The closest airports to La Tania are Lyon, Chambery and Geneva all are less than 3 hours away.
By road
The RN90 connecting Grenoble to the Petit Saint Bernard pass, will take you to Moutiers, from there La Tania can be reached.
By train
Closest train station is Moutiers. A short transfer by bus or taxi will take you to La Tania.