Skiing & Snowboarding in Tignes

Tignes’ massive snow cover and impressive terrain makes it a popular resort for snowboarders of every stripe. It is made up of five villages— Le Lavachet, Le Lac, Val Claret, Les Boisses and Les Brévières—located at varying altitudes. The architecture has been upgraded from the haphazard apartment buildings of the 1960s, and the overall atmosphere is more stylish and refined than it was a few years ago.

The skiing and snowboarding

There is a vast tract of land for skiers and boarders. Freeriders have a lot of choice with some great off-pistes. From the Toviere area into Val Claret, the snow is epic. If you want to go off-piste, remember to take along a guide as it can be complex. For the freestylers, there’s a snow park complete with pipes, rails, a boardercross and, of course, the grosse table pro.

Skiers of all abilities have a wide choice of slopes of all widths and pitch. The Grande Motte Glacier is a great piste area and its massive length is a challenge for any skier. For beginners, there’s a wide choice of schools to choose from. Kebra Surfing in Le Lac and Surf Feeling in Val Claret offer freestyling and freeriding training programmes. Tignes Spirit Rentals have a good selection of good quality skis and snowboards for rent and offer a mobile delivery, fitting and collection service.

Where to stay

In Tignes-le-Lac, the best-located place is the three-star Hotel Le Levanna. It’s in the village centre, on top of the pistes and right next to the lifts. Another well-located hotel is Chalet-hotel Corniche, which is spacious, chic and family-friendly. A good choice for families is the Chalet-Hotel Aiguille Percee. It is located a mere three minutes from the pistes and lifts, has great service and food and there are well-equipped nurseries inside. For the ultimate Val Claret luxury experience, stay at Les Suites – Maison Bouvier, a highly posh and classy hotel with a swimming pool, spa and a first-rate gourmet restaurant. Head to UCP and Club Med for all-inclusive options.

Tignes also has a good range of affordable and well-located self-catering apartment accommodation. Great for families and groups on a budget. The village of Val Claret is where you’ll find most of the self-catering apartments, from the economical Hameau du Borsat to the more expensive Ferme du Val Claret.

Where to eat

In Le Lac, head to Tignes Cuisine for some great lunchtime noodles and wraps. The Bagus Café is a good choice for bistro-style food and local cuisines. Arbina is split into two sections: the lower section is a pizzeria, the upper section is for more sophisticated dining. Clin d’Oeil is a tiny restaurant where you can try rich foods like pot au feu, foie gras, daubes, and truffles. In Lavachet, Wooloomooloo is an ideal spot for texmex-style food and pizza. Pizza Mick is probably the most popular pizza joint in town. In Val Claret, Couloir offers tasty and spicy ribs, steaks, burgers and foie gras. Boef Haute Altitude is another good restaurant that serves seared beef cooked in cream sauce. Pizza lovers can try Pizza 2000 which has a good menu.

Après shred

If you’re in Le Lac, try Jacks, where late-night DJs play a wide range of music from 70s disco to 90s rock. Loop Bar has good music sessions with live acoustic guitar, DJs and stand-up comedy. Alpaka Lodge is a more mellow choice, and very welcoming with its warm log fires. Caves du Lac offers live music and sports, an ideal spot for some late-night drinking. In Val Claret, The Couloir is the number-one club for some great live music. Go to Drop Zone to watch live bands play and to La Blue Girl Club for Euro-pop. The Melting Pot is probably the best club in Tignes with some very good DJs. In Le Lavachet, you can check out Scotty’s with its live music and pub food. Other clubs include TC’s Bar and Brasero.