Tignes
Together Tignes and Val d’Isere form the huge Espace Killy ski area, with ski pistes reaching heights of 3456m makes it one of the best places for snow sure skiing in the Alps.
Tignes huge 360° arena offers skiing and activities to all ages and abilities and comprises of 5 villages. You can ski from the top altitude of 3456m on the Grand motte glacier all the way down to 1550m to the beautiful village of Les Brevieres
Tignes Facts
- The first ski lift in Tignes was installed in 1936
- The first original town of Tignes has been under water since 1952 when they built the dam. Every so often they drain the dam and you can see the old village ruins.
- The resort above 2100m was developed largely during the 1960s and the building style reflects what was regarded as good building design at that time
- Tignes was the venue for the 1992 Winter Olympic Games
- Tignes has over 300kms of ski runs from beginner green runs and tranquil zones to expert blacks and natural slope that have been made safe but not groomed
- There are 113 snow cannons that can produce 450,000 m2 of artificial snow each year if needed
- At 4.2 km long, Tignes boasts the 4th longes funicular train in the world! The Perce-Neige funicular allows you to reach ski runs on the Grand Motte Glacier in just 7 minutes and can transport up to 3000 people per hour!
- You can ski in tignes in the summer and autumn too!
Your Tignes Ski Pass
You might not need to buy a ski pass if you are under 5, over 75 or a complete beginner, and you can also save money by buying as a family or as a group of 4 or more you all pay the child’s rate.
6 DAY SKI PASS
ADULT
14 to 64 yoCHILD
5 to 13 yoSENIOR
65 to 74 yoFAMILY
2 adults 2 children*The above prices do not include the Carte Neige insurance that is offered when you buy your lift pass at the ski pass office. Most people already have their own snowsports insurance before they come, but I recommend taking the extra insurance if you’re unsure how well you are covered – It costs around €2.90 per day.
All the Winter pass prices can be seen here. Summer and autumn prices cost less.
You can find all the lift pass prices and buy your ski pass online skipass-tignes.com.
Tignes Meeting Point
My meeting point for all abilities is at Maison de Tignes in Le Lac, next to the Palafour chairlift or at your hotel on request
Tignes Accomodation
Self catered apartments
Catered Chalets
3 and 4 star hotels
5 star hotels and apartments
Tignes Transfer
Tignes Ski Hire
Receive 40% off ski hire at Tignes Spirit in Le Lavachet when you ski with TORI.SKI
Val d’Isere
Val d’Isère and Tignes form the huge Espace Killy ski playground that was named after the triple olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy who grew up in Val d’Isère
Val d’Isere Facts
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Val d’Isère is just 5km from the border of Italy
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During the Winter Olympics in 1992, the famous ski piste called La Face was where the men’s downhill race was held.
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Val d’Isère regularly hosts World Cup ski races, usually for the men in early December
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Like tignes there is a glacier that offers early summer skiing
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Val d’isere is 1,850m at village level with 60 per cent of the ski pistes set above 2,200m
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The Espace Killy has over 300km of ski runs
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One of Val d’Isère’s gondolas has heated seats and Wi-Fi
Val d’Isere Meeting Point
My meeting point for all abilities is on the snow outside the Ski Pass office, between the Solarise Bubble and the Sun Bar restaurant or at your hotel on request
St Foy
Sainte Foy is the perfect resort for all the family. Small but with bundles of Alpine charm, don’t be fooled by its size. It has a lot to offer with two nursery slopes, two green, seven blue, eleven red and four black runs. Plus the vast amount of adventurous off-piste; there really is something for everyone. Ossie loves the fun terrain, jumps and forest runs – it’s a completely different environment to the Espace Killy. For children who are competent skiers the whole resort is an adventure ski land!
Skiing powder all morning, stopping for lunch and then coming back out to ski more fresh tracks isn’t something I’d had chance to do in the larger resorts, which get tracked out early in the day. It got me exploring more of Sainte Foy and before long I discovered all of its big off-piste routes. More than 98% of Sainte Foy is in the protected Vanoise National Park. Some of my favourite ski days have been long tours exploring hidden villages like the beautiful Monal and then skiing back with friends as the sun sets.
FOR CHILDREN AND BEGINNERS
The nursery slopes are right in the heart of the resort. Slow-moving magic carpets and wide gentle pistes make it a relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere for little ones’ first turns on skis. Once they can control their speed and turns it’s easy to get kids up skiing in the mountains quickly. The chairlift is child-friendly – it has a bar that goes between their legs and locks securely – so they can safely go higher to ski their first gentle forest run that winds through the trees and leads back to the nursery slopes.
FOR CONFIDENT CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
Older and more advanced skiers love Sainte Foy’s secret forest ski trails, which all have animal names like Fox and Wolf. With rolling drop-offs, natural half-pipes and rock drops, they love using the natural shapes of the mountain like a giant snow park.
FOR IMPROVERS
The long, quiet blue runs are ideal for anyone wanting to improve their technique, giving you space to perfect your wide carved turns. The steeper, more technical and challenging red runs are excellent for practicing shorter turns and controlling your speed. Sainte Foy has a brilliant bumps piste right under L’Arpettaz chairlift as well as un-groomed black runs Crystal Dark, Morion, and Cret Serru du Haut. They’re a great way of developing your skiing and preparing you to tackle more demanding terrain. Snoworks offer All Terrain Safari courses to competent skiers in Sainte Foy.
FOR OFF PISTE AND POWDER LOVERS
Sainte Foy may only have four chairlifts but it really is a huge north-facing, freeride paradise! Those who ski there usually keep it a secret because the lift queues are always short and the fresh tracks can last all day. For the bravest and most experienced you mustn’t miss the famous Pointe de la Foglietta. The start is located at 3000m after three chairlifts and around an hours’ hike and it really is one of the most beautiful north-face skis of the Tarentaise valley, offering a long downhill run of powder snow all winter. However it’s important that you go with a guide and all the correct avalanche safety equipment.
St Foy Facts
- Number of pistes: 15
- Km of pistes: 35 Km
- Max. Vertical Drop: 1000m
- Max/Min Altitude: 2620m
- Min Altitude: 1550m
- Types of pistes: Green: 1, Blue: 5, Red: 6, Black: 3
- Lifts: Chairlifts: 4 and 2 Magic Carpets
St Foy Meeting Point
My meeting point for all abilities at the bottom of the first chair lift or at your hotel on request
NEVER STOP EXPLORING