I made the visit to Tignes Val claret last year (2006) and was lucky enough to be staying with friends who owned 2 apartments there so didn't have the cost of accommodation to worry about so sorry can't comment on that. I paid 30pounds each way for flight from Liverpool to Geneva and then had ... Read review
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Advantages: Ski to your door, huge number of runs, great off piste, nice bars, crazy dutch party bar! Disadvantages: No great clubs, you have to leave to come home!
I made the visit to Tignes Val claret last year (2006) and was lucky enough to be staying with friends who owned 2 apartments there so didn't have the cost of accommodation to worry about so sorry can't comment on that. I paid 30pounds each way for flight from Liverpool to Geneva and then had a bus into Tignes from there. I arrived about 4PM so quickly dropped my things off at the apartment and sorted my lift pass and rented skis etc for the week ... ...runs that come right into Tignes and that was usually because I was hungry. The area that you can ski is that large that one day I skied from Tignes to Val D'isere had lunch and headed back and nearly misses the lift back to the hill entering Tignes. This was mainly because I was having that much fun skiing that I forgot about the lift closing at 430.
The off piste skiing is fantastic too and although I wouldn't class myself as a fantastic ... more
I made the visit to Tignes Val claret last year (2006) and was lucky enough to be staying with friends who owned 2 apartments there so didn't have the cost of accommodation to worry about so sorry can't comment on that. I paid 30pounds each way for flight from Liverpool to Geneva and then had a bus into Tignes from there. I arrived about 4PM so quickly dropped my things off at the apartment and sorted my lift pass and rented skis etc for the week that I would be there ready for the next day!
The lift pass was great value as for the week I paid just over 100pounds though I am informed that this has increased in price this year as you would imagine. For this though you are able to ski across the 3 valleys of Tignes, le lac and Val D'isere. That is a massive amount of top quality pistes and just as much off piste skiing. I spent everyday skiing for 5 or more hours (usually more) and only felt like I was over using the runs that come right into Tignes and that was usually because I was hungry. The area that you can ski is that large that one day I skied from Tignes to Val D'isere had lunch and headed back and nearly misses the lift back to the hill entering Tignes. This was mainly because I was having that much fun skiing that I forgot about the lift closing at 430.
The off piste skiing is fantastic too and although I wouldn't class myself as a fantastic skier I managed to raise the confidence to leave the piste and thoroughly enjoyed making my own routes down the mountain through completely untouched snow.
The runs at the top of the mountains were usually relatively quiet and there was always plenty of room on the slopes for everyone with many people taking breaks down the side of the longer runs as it was by far wide enough to do this safely. Towards the bottom of the runs as you entered Tignes or le Lac the runs inevitably got a lot busier as everyone has to use the bottom of the runs at some stage. This however didn't mean the slopes couldn't cope at all thankfully as they were built to suit so everyone felt comfortable skiing into the town.
Once the days skiing were over and dinner was on everyone's mind the restaurants started to look a lot smarter than they had in the day surrounded by ski boots skis and poles. There was a reasonable selection of restaurants serving pizza, pasta, burgers and one or two with a slightly classier menu. However with a well stocked local shop I tried my hand at home cooked pasta and take-away pizza a few nights.
Once I had had my fill I headed every night to the grizzle bar which is a lovely little bar owned by a man called jean-Louis who built the whole bar out of wood from the trees surrounding the area! He has 4 or 5 photo albums to prove it. He is the most fantastically accommodating guy there is and after a drink or 2 he has enough stories to tell to keep you there till the sun comes up. His wine list isn't half bad either and reasonably priced.
For me though after a few drinks in jean-Louis's bar I'd head to the Dutch party bar Yorin. This bar has crazy parties every night and will have you dancing early and keep you dancing until 12 or 1 depending on the night. The bar is well stocked for a few short drinks and shots to give you that energy to keep dancing and the music ranges from some classic queen tracks to some euro dance tracks but always with a high tempo lively beat.
As the fun dies down for the end of the night in Yorin those who have the energy head over to The Melting Pot to keep on dancing, I myself only made it there twice and when I did found it not really to my liking, the music was in all honesty terrible I have no idea what it was, the drinks are twice the price of Yorin and those who do make it there are usually so drunk they should have gone to bed or too tired to be there really! Plus you have to pay 5 euros to get in so it wasn't for me as by 12 or 1 after a long days skiing I'm always ready for bed.
Aside from the skiing and the nights out in Tignes there is also ice karting available on the outskirts on Tignes which looks like fantastic fun but is only open 3 or 4 days a week so if your interested ensure you chase it up and book early in the holiday to avoid being disappointed as I was. Also ensure that you afford yourself one night out in Le Lac and take in the parties that happen at the Angel bar! If you do this check out the records on the walls around the pub and see if I still hold the record for drinking 10shots of vodka in 12seconds! It'll say Oliver from Sandbach on a mirror above the bar, though I imagine they start again each ski season!
All in all I would say Tignes is a fantastic place to go for a holiday, oh and parents be aware that their is a fantastic ski school for youngsters with many teachers who can speak many languages. The ski school is located at the bottom of one of the main slopes into Tignes, it is easy to find, safely segregated and you are welcome to watch your children have their lessons or come back to collect them after some skiing yourself.
To anyone who is thinking of going to Tignes do its fantastic for the ski and the views, make sure you have a brandy at the panoramic restaurant, and say hi to jean-Louis for me.
Thanks for reading, if you want to know anymore send me a message or leave me a comment and ill write back ASAP.
Advantages: Cheap(ish), good snow Disadvantages: only a few very easy runs which can get busy
...Val d'Isere. Tignes is the cheaper of the two, and the atmosphere is much less like and Eton Boarding School Open Day and more like a multi-cultural resort.
The ski-ing in Tignes is superior to that of Val d'Isere with the majority of the black runs over this side. I would however recommend the full area lift pass so you can experience both resorts.
We stayed in Val Claret, not Tignes le Lac which was a good choice. Val Claret is situated at the ...
keavy 05.12.2000 (04.12.2000)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Tignes
Advantages: loads of runs, this resort would keep anyone amused Disadvantages: limited unless you buy the slighty more expensive lift pass
...i can honestly say that tignes was the best resort yet! Its a huge area with thousands of exiting runs. If you get the 'acess all areas pass then you can ski all over the area which gives you a lot of variety and you would be lucky to fit it all in in one holiday.
I stayed at tigne val claret but the area covers tigne la lac and all the other local valleys etc. If your lucky (like I was) you'll be staying in a hotel where you can ski right up to ...
weno_101 16.07.2000
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Advantages: Vast ski area, Great snow Disadvantages: I had to come home
...Val disere!
I visited Tignes for the 1st tim on Jna 21st 2006 a s part of a large group of mixed ability. Having been a skier for over 20years, I have visited many resorts in the french Alps but until now had never been to Tignes.
Well, I had been missing out!
The resort itself is a 2 1/2 hour transfer from Chambery airport ad sits at 2100m high. The resort is split into 3 areas but is superbly linked by a 24hr FREE bus service, which turns up ... ...and bumpy, whatever your standard, Tignes has them all and in such a quantity that you will not cover them in just a week.
Snow conditions were perfect, with a sprinkling of fresh snow and the sun shining. Temperatures however dropped daily to the -20c mark, so make sure the thermals are packed.
The resort bustle with shops and bars, restaurants catering for fast food to slow expensive dining. The bars and pubs I ventured into were far friendlier ...
wompie99 06.02.2006
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Advantages: Off piste skiing is vast Disadvantages: resort can be a bit quiet (could be a good thing!!)
...from a 10-day trip to Tignes Les Brevieres, The lowest of the Tignes ski area at only 1550ft people may think there would be little snow, this is where they are very wrong in the village we had over 1.5meters of snow! The Village of Les Brevieres is quite quiet with only a hand full of bars and restaurants but all top class establishments. The Restaurants are very well priced not extortionate prices that you find on the pistes and in Val D'isere, ... ...to the next village of Tignes Les Boisses, the blue run back to the village is a nice run back to Les Brevieres but hard work for snowboards, there is also a bubble lift which takes you to the top of a long red back to the village but also lets you access the rest of Tignes ski area via a want a quiet holiday you can or a drinking holiday you can the chair lift once there it is extremely easy to get to the other resorts.
Saying that because it is ...
deckstar 18.03.2007
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Advantages: Great skiing, great chalet, beautiful village Disadvantages: cold
We went to Tignes Les Brevieres in January and had a great time. The chalet we stayed in was by far the best we've ever been to (www.skibrev.com). It was really good value as well with all the beer and wine included in the price. The bedrooms were all ensuite and the family rooms had built in pine bunks for the children.
Brevieres was much nicer than the main parts of Tignes that we'd been to before - there were lots of old buildings and a lovely ... ...with loads of snow at a time when other resorts in the alps hardly had any. There weren't many lift queues either - and it looks like the lifts are really new. THe ski school wasn't great - we had group lessons and I think for almost the same money we could have hired a private instructor. This is what we'll be doing next season. All in all a great resort and we've now found the perfect chalet - we'll definitely be back next year. ...
James1999 28.02.2007
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Advantages: Its Massive Disadvantages: Expensive lift pass
If you haven't heard of this place then you must be a ski / board virgin. One thing is for sure, after being here you won't be. Its the most famous resort going, simply because of its capacity and extensive skiing. The town can house loads of people and the skiing, when including Tignes is massive. They've got a great Downhill course for budding racers as well. Should be on telly in the Uk quite soon so check it out.
One really bad thing is the price of a lift pass. EEEEK it is expensive. So ski fast and get good value out of it. If you want to ski on some of the highest lift fed skiing in Europe, head up to the top Glacier at Tignes. You can't miss it. This will be some of the highest skiing you ever do. ...
Stavros 05.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Val d´Isère
Advantages: Nightlife, excellent skiing. Disadvantages: Not for beginners
Having learnt to ski here 11 years ago with our two kids, I would not recommend this resort for beginners or children. However, for anyone else this resort is unbeatable. Linked with Tignes the Espace Killy is vast and varied, and even though we went at Christmas the slopes were not too crowded and lift queues not too long (the French tend to go over the New Year). Accommodation is often basic and most of it is just off of the main road along which a regular bus service runs to take you to the centre for ski lifts and shops. Nightlife can be very lively. ...
wendyg 11.11.2000
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