Located in the French Alps near the Italian border, Tignes has one of the best snow records in Europe, thanks to its high altitude setting at 2100 metres and the Grand Motte glacier reaching up to 3,456 metres, offering skiers access to great snow until early May.
Situated in the vast Espace Killy, the ski area offers 300km of runs shared with neighbouring Val d’Isere. In the summer, the area offers golf, bike trails, lake activities and ski runs on the Grande Motte glacier until late August.
The skiing in Tignes is exceptional with the ski area offering a range of slopes for all abilities, brilliant nursery slope areas and some great slopes for steeps skiing. The resorts are all effortlessly interconnected by one of the fastest lift systems in Europe.
Part of Tignes appeal is it’s close proximity to its more cosmopolitan neighbour in Val d’Isere, with its excellent on slope apres ski venues, such as the Folie Douce, offering quick and easy access back to Tignes.
The layout of Tignes is rather tricky to get to grips with, as it is comprised of a group of villages dotted over the mountainside. The main purpose built resorts of Tignes-Le-Lac (2100m) and Tignes Val Claret (2100m) sit on a plato with a large frozen lake in the middle of the valley connecting the two resorts. Located opposite the glacier Tignes Val Claret offers quick access to high-altitude skiing on the Grand Motte.
Further down the mountain you will find the more picture perfect traditional Savoyard villages of Tignes Les Boisses (1850m) & Tignes Les Brévières (1550m).
Each village has it’s own individual style with excellent ski-in/ski out accommodation and a range of great restaurants, shops and bars in the more lively areas of Tignes Le Lac (2100m) and Tignes Val Claret (2100m).
Tignes Les Boisses (1850m) & Tignes Les Brévières (1550m) are set away from the central hub of Tignes but are well linked into the main ski area with their own lifts. The villages are far more traditional with a few local french restaurants serving delicious Savoyard cuisine and a few fun local bars.
Don’t be put off by Tignes reputation for challenging terrain. Tignes has 4 different nursery slope areas to choose from and is an excellent choice for beginners and children, with endless long, cruisy greens, blues and reds to whip around the vast ski area once they progress.
The extent of the skiing in the vast Espace Killy, shared between Tignes and neighbouring Val d’Isère, offers one of the biggest ski areas in France. There’s also a world-class fast, comfortable lift network to whisk you around the slopes.
It’s true that more experienced skiers will be particularly excited as the off piste terrain is amongst the best in the world, so skiing or boarding with a fully qualified local guide is essential.
For those looking for a challenge, the 10km long ‘La Sache’ black run descends from the top of the L’Aiguille Percée and ‘the eye of the needle’, through a spectacular valley to Tignes Les Brévières at the base of the valley, where hungry skiers can take in a delicious and welcome lunch.
Whilst some resorts famed for their challenging skiing don’t have much to offer first timers, Tignes, by contrast, has excellent nursery slopes and a great choice of ski schools right on the doorstep. Tignes has 4 different nursery slope areas with free lifts for beginners in Tigne-Le-Lac, Tignes Val Claret Tignes Le Lavachet and Tignes Les Breviere, all easily accessed from your luxury ski chalets.
Beginners progressing on to green and blue runs have easy access back to resort, as they can easily taking one of the fast comfortable lifts back into the village.
The Tignes area offers an excellent choice of childcare with several private nanny companies available and skiing from as young as 2.5 years old offered in Tignes Le Lac at the Piou Piou kids club run by ESF.
There are half-a-dozen different ski schools offering snow kindergarten and ski school classes and a vast array of special classes right through childhood and teenage years, depending on taste and ability.
It’s also worth mentioning that Tignes Le Lac has great facilities for children and families off the slopes too including a brilliant public sports and swimming pool complex next to the slopes and an ice-rink.
