Tignes - village

Here’s a summary of the key benefits of Tignes’ five villages:

• Val Claret: good for advanced skiers as it provides the quickest access to Grande Motte and Petite Balme, and for boarders who want to be near the terrain park. Home to some of the liveliest bars and nightclubs.
• Le Lac: the main hub of Tignes, with most of the best hotels and restaurants. Good for intermediate skiers and beginners.
• Le Lavachet: a good option for families, with easy access to the beginner slopes and quieter nightlife than Val Claret and Le Lac.
• Tignes les Boisses and Tignes les Brevières: prettier than the three higher villages and relatively well-linked to the ski area by lifts and buses. The benefit of staying here is the cheap accommodation.

Accommodation types

Tignes has a good selection of hotels, chalets and apartments – all significantly less expensive than in neighbouring Val d'Isère. Furthermore, most accommodation is ski-in/ski-out, particularly in Val Claret, Le Lac and Le Lavachet.

Ski/snowboard equipment hire

Snowfun (00 33 479 063 555) has eight shops dotted around Tignes with specialised kit for ladies and telemarkers and boot-fitting services. Book online to save up to 40% on rental.

Non-ski activities

The non-ski activities in Tignes are as hardcore as the skiing and include ice-diving, mountain biking down the pistes and ice-driving at the foot of the Chervil dam. Lower octane pursuits include ice-skating and relaxing in the ‘Le Lagon’ public pool and well-being centre in Le Lac.

Childcare

Les Marmottons (00 33 479 065 167) provides skiing and non-ski care for children from 2 - 6 years in Val Claret and Le Lac while Valtina Childcare (00 33 479 069 540) provides qualified nannies for day and evening care.