Quick Facts

Resorts in the Tignes - Val d'Isère ski area

Tignes

Tignes spreads across five villages at different altitudes, from Les Brévières at 1,550m to Le Lac and Val Claret at around 2,100m, with the Grande Motte glacier rising to 3,456m above them. Much of the terrain sits high above the treeline, on wide, open slopes that hold their snow well through a long season. Beginners have progression zones in Val Claret, Le Lac, and Le Lavachet, with moving carpets and short chairlifts to start on. Intermediates can cruise the long, open blues and reds of the Palafour and Tovière sectors, and up on the glacier, the undulating Génépy blue makes a long, scenic run down from altitude. The glacier has something for every level, with steeper slopes near the summit for stronger skiers. For advanced skiers, La Sache is the signature run, a long, mogul-covered black that drops from the Aiguille Percée all the way to Les Brévières, while ungroomed routes such as the Golf and Campanules add plenty of variety.

A stay in Tignes is all about being close to the snow. In the upper villages, ski-in, ski-out apartments put the slopes right on your doorstep, and Le Lac and Val Claret have the widest choice of restaurants, cafés, and shops, from fondue to fine dining. Après-ski spills out onto sunny terraces as the lifts close, and the biggest choice of bars is in Le Lac and Le Lavachet. For a quieter, more relaxed base, the wooded villages of Les Boisses and Les Brévières suit families, linked to the rest by shuttle bus and gondola. Off the slopes, the frozen Lac de Tignes is the centre of winter life, with dog sledding across the ice, skating when it's thick enough, and even ice diving beneath the surface. Le Lagon, on the lakeshore, adds a 25m pool, water slides, and a wellness area with views over the frozen water.

Val d'Isère

Val d'Isère's skiing spreads across three main sectors above a long valley village at 1,850m. Bellevarde, rising to around 2,830m, is home to the Face de Bellevarde, a steep black run that hosted the men's downhill at the 1992 Olympics and still welcomes the World Cup each December. Solaise, the resort's original ski area, has an excellent beginner area, with moving carpets on the plateau at the top of the gondola. At the far end of the valley, Le Fornet leads up towards the Col de l'Iseran, with high, scenic runs and access to the resort's summer glacier. Intermediates will find plenty to enjoy across all three, from Solaise's sunny, rolling blues and reds to long, open runs on Bellevarde and high-altitude pistes around the Col de l'Iseran. Advanced skiers have La Face itself, plus some of the area's best off-piste on Bellevarde, including the Tour du Charvet.

The village stretches along the valley floor, with a traditional centre at its heart and plenty of shops and cafés to explore. Accommodation ranges from ski-in, ski-out residences at the foot of the slopes to chalets and luxury hotels in the centre. Food is a highlight of any stay here, with Michelin-starred dining alongside cosy Savoyard spots and mountain restaurants serving classic Alpine dishes. Val d'Isère is also one of the best-known après-ski destinations in the Alps. The original La Folie Douce sits on the mountain above the village, and back in the centre, the party carries on into the early hours. Off the slopes, you can try guided snowshoeing, dog sledding, or paragliding, or spend a relaxed afternoon at the aquatic centre. For families, the resort holds the Famille Plus label, with a children's village and dedicated activities for young skiers.

Skiing in Tignes - Val d'Isère by level

Beginners in Tignes - Val d'Isère

Tignes - Val d'Isère has a reputation for big, challenging skiing, but it's also a welcoming place to learn. Both resorts have dedicated learning areas with moving carpets and gentle slopes, and there are ski schools in every village, so lessons are easy to find wherever you stay. Because the learning areas sit high, it's worth taking your first day steadily while you adjust to the altitude.

In Val d'Isère, the Solaise plateau at the top of the gondola is a lovely place to start, with three moving carpets, sunny slopes, and big mountain views. Once you're ready to move on, Solaise's gentle, rolling blues make a comfortable next step without leaving the plateau. In Tignes, progression zones in Val Claret, Le Lac, and Le Lavachet sit close to the accommodation, with moving carpets and short chairlifts. The wide, open green runs around the lake give you plenty of room to practise your turns, and when you're confident, the long blues up on the glacier are a memorable reward.

Intermediate skiing in Tignes - Val d'Isère

Intermediates have plenty to explore across both resorts. In Tignes, the Palafour and Tovière sectors have wide blue and red runs with long, steady pitches, ideal for building confidence and speed. For a longer journey, a blue trail runs all the way down from the Aiguille Percée (a rocky peak named after the natural arch near its summit). Up on the Grande Motte glacier, you’ll find the Génépy, which is a long, undulating blue with wide, gentle rolls and big views across the Vanoise National Park. The snow at that altitude usually stays in good condition well into spring.

Val d'Isère has just as much to enjoy. Solaise is sunny and rolling, with blues and reds that are easy to string together, while Bellevarde has long, open runs and great snow. Confident intermediates can also try the OK, the World Cup downhill course from the top of Bellevarde down to the entrance of the resort. For a change of scenery, the runs around the Col de l'Iseran are high and open, leading down towards the far end of the valley.

If you have time, skiing from one resort to the other makes a great day out. From the entrance to Val d'Isère, easy pistes connect straight through to Tignes, so the crossing is well within reach for confident intermediates.

Advanced and off-piste in Tignes - Val d'Isère

Tignes - Val d'Isère is one of the great advanced ski areas in Europe. Much of the terrain sits high above the treeline, where steep faces, long mogul fields, and big vertical drops give strong skiers and riders a proper workout from the first lift to the last. Both resorts also have natural snow runs, which are patrolled and secured against avalanches but never groomed, so they ski like off-piste without leaving the marked terrain.

Val d'Isère's steep skiing has a racing pedigree. The Face de Bellevarde, which hosted the Olympic men's downhill in 1992, plunges more than 900m straight back into the village, and the slopes around it hold some of the resort's toughest bumps. In Tignes, the challenge comes from length and altitude, with long, ungroomed descents that drop from high, open ridges all the way down to the forest above Les Brévières. The best known is La Sache, around 10km of moguls from top to bottom.

It's the off-piste, though, that has made this area famous amongst expert skiers. Lifts across both resorts give quick access to huge bowls, steep couloirs, and long descents into quiet side valleys. The slopes around Tignes' Aiguille Percée are a good place to start, while Bellevarde and the glaciers hold bigger, more committing routes. This is serious high-mountain terrain, so explore it with a local guide.

Snowboarding in TIgnes - Val d’Isère

Snowboarders get the best of both worlds, with wide-open slopes made for carving and some of the most varied off-piste in the Alps. Above the treeline, the pistes are broad enough to lay down long, fast turns, and the glacier's smooth, high-altitude runs are a treat early and late in the season. After a fresh snowfall, riders head straight for the bowls and gullies on both sides. If you're just starting out on a board, the moving-carpet learning areas in both resorts are an easy place to find your balance.

Freestyle runs deep here too. Tignes once hosted the Winter X Games Europe, and that spirit lives on in its big snowpark at Val Claret, packed with jumps and rails to session, plus several boardercross courses for racing your friends. Over in Val d'Isère, a snowpark of its own means you're never far from a park lap, wherever you're staying.

Tignes - Val d'Isère ski pass

Many visitors are happy to stay on one side of the area, where a single-resort pass covers plenty of skiing at a lower price. The Tignes pass covers around 150km of pistes, from the Tovière and Palafour sectors down to Les Boisses and Les Brévières, and includes the Grande Motte glacier. The Val d'Isère pass covers a similar 150km across Bellevarde, Solaise, and the slopes around the Col de l'Iseran. Either one is a good fit for beginners or anyone planning a more relaxed week.

If you'd like to ski both resorts, the full Tignes - Val d'Isère pass covers around 300km of pistes, including the Grande Motte glacier, with passes available from one day up to a full season.

How to get to Tignes - Val d'Isère

Chambéry is the closest airport, around 140 to 155km from the resorts. Geneva and Lyon are about 210 to 245km away, and Turin, just across the Italian border, is around 270 to 285km. From any of them, you can book a shared or private transfer or hire a car, with the final stretch climbing up the Tarentaise valley.

If you'd rather arrive by train, Bourg-Saint-Maurice is the nearest station, around 25 to 30km from both resorts, with seasonal services from Paris and London. Regular buses run from the station up to Tignes and Val d'Isère during the season.

Once you've arrived, a car isn't essential. In Tignes, shuttle buses link the upper villages and a gondola connects Les Brévières, while ski buses run the length of Val d'Isère. The two resorts are linked on the mountain, so most skiers simply ski between them. If you're not skiing, buses and taxis cover the roughly 12km road journey between the two.

Best time to visit Tignes - Val d'Isère

For the best snow, aim for January to mid-March, when conditions are usually at their peak. With most of the terrain above 2,000m and the Grande Motte glacier topping out at 3,456m, though, the area is one of the most reliable bets in the Alps all season long, from the full opening at the end of November right through to early May. Christmas, New Year, and the February school holidays are the busiest weeks, so if you can travel outside them, early December and the first half of March tend to be quieter on the slopes. Early December also brings the Critérium de la Première Neige, a World Cup race on the Face de Bellevarde that has been held here since 1955.

Few areas can match the late season in Tignes - Val d'Isère. April skiing is a real possibility, with spring snow and sunshine on the upper runs, and both resorts open their glaciers for a few weeks of summer skiing in June and July.