Tignes

One of the highest resorts in the French Alps, Tignes is a very popular ski vacation destination. Its main attractions are good, year-round snow coverage and a wide slope area. Tignes is an ideal family ski vacation resort offering a vast variety of piste terrain, suitable for all experience levels of skiers. High altitude resorts have the advantage of a long skiing season, and the early months of October and November are relatively less crowded, offering excellent skiing opportunities.

Tignes is comprised of six distinct regions, each with its own specialties, although they access a common skiing area. Tignes le Lavachet, Tignes le Lac and Tignes Val Claret are the three main stations and Les Brevieres and Les Boisses are a little lower down the valley. This extensive skiing area, which includes the highest point of the Espace Killy, La Grande Motte offers a wide range of slopes for skiers of all standards. The majority of slopes in Tignes are accessible to intermediate skiers. Keep an eye on the time if you ski to the Sache or Brevieres region as the lifts close early.

The skiing in Tignes is seemingly endless and several free lifts for beginners encourage learners at the excellent local ski and snowboard schools. There are long sweeping runs up on the Grand Motte glacier which can easily be traversed by beginners with a little training and practice. For intermediates there is plenty of challenge offered by the difficult blues and reds. They can even attempt a trip down to Les Brevieres that has the added attraction of being home to some superb restaurants. Advanced skiers are lured by the vast array of black pistes and endless off-piste challenges. Try Mickey’s Ears, the Fingers or the Lavachet Wall for real spine-tingling vertical drops.

Most of the ski chalets in Tignes are located within easy reach of the resort centre and the slopes. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs between the three stations offering a variety of après-ski. Other things to enjoy at Tignes are a modern sports centre featuring aerobics, squash and sauna, a nearby cinema, skating rink and bowling alley.