These two resorts in Haute Tarentaise, in Savoie, form a unique ski area.
The Espace
Tignes
-
Val d'Isère
occupies a special place for lovers of snow and the Alps.
In these mountains, which have the particularity of offering skiers slopes, elevations and each of their slopes, winter lasts almost half the year, just like this season: the ski areas are accessible. since November 27, 2021 and until May 1, 2022, Tignes having opened its glacier on October 16 for its traditional fall skiing.
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The altitude obviously has something to do with it: the village of
Val d'Isère
is located at 1,805 m while the slopes culminate at 3,456 m on the Grande-Motte de Tignes glacier.
Its location, at the top of
the Tarentaise valley
, also makes the ski area very favorable for snowy episodes.
Powder hunters also appreciate it for the frequent “easterly returns”, those cloudy overflows from the Italian border.
Another particularity of this exceptional area is its wild setting, at the gates
of the Vanoise National Park
, which offers an endless range of off-piste routes.
Read alsoOur selection of the best mountain hotels in the Alps
The Tignes-Val d'Isère ski area: 300 km of slopes, a focus on families and beginners
A “ski start” area in Tignes.
The resorts, with very sporty slope profiles, are trying to attract more families and beginners.
Stephane Cande
Named
Espace Killy
until 2016 then renamed Espace Tignes-Val d'Isère in Tignes (and Val d'Isère-Tignes in Val d'Isère), the Savoyard ski area has 300 km of slopes, distributed equally between the two resorts, which each have their glacier (
the glacier Pisaillas
and
the glacier of the Grande Motte
where you can still ski a little summer).
Among the 163 tracks in total, some legendary faces have become essential.
These include
the Oreiller-Killy piste
and
the Bellevarde face
of Val-d'Isère where, for 66 winters, the Critérium de la première neige has been one of the flagship events of the World Cup circuit.
The
Tignes
mogul slope
is definitely associated with Edgar Grospiron's Olympic victory in 1992, and more recently with XXL freestyle ski modules in international competitions.
Races, champions and a solidly anchored ski club culture have traced the reputation of these two resorts over the years.
Read also Sanitary pass and ski lifts: how ski resorts are prepared
But this image of sporty skiing on steep slopes can also scare a less technical audience. Also, for the past three years, the focus has been on families and beginners. On the Val d'Isère side, the sunny heights of
the Solaise massif
are modeled specifically for this population. The
Val Kids
combines fun descents and a large playground. It is completed by
the Madeleine slope
for beginners of all ages. A most comfortable "lounge" with free access and a specific package are also available to them. Note also a new ski touring trail in the La Daille sector: Trifollet with its 450 m of D + for 2.5 km of ascent.
In Tignes, these are progressive learning spaces called 1,2,3 ... Ski Start which are developed from each of the four villages of the resort.
The beginners' areas and three green runs served by chairlifts are accessible free of charge.
Apprentice skiers can then gain altitude and enjoy 570 m of vertical drop on the easy
Génépy
and
Rabotch
, starting at over 3,000 meters above sea level.
Over the entire area, 90 slopes are now affordable for beginners and intermediate levels with 21 green and 69 blue.
Ski lifts, entertainment ... News for 2021/2022
The Grande-Motte glacier cable car and its panoramic cabins.
Andy Parant / Tignes
80 ski lifts serve the entire area.
Tignes is continuing its Altitude Experience project in collaboration with the Vanoise National Park, aimed at promoting the heritage of the glacier.
This includes, in addition to its
panoramic cabins for the Grande-Motte glacier cable car
with roof terraces accessible in summer, the creation of routes with viewpoints for pedestrians and in-depth cleaning of this particularly sensitive area. .
The lost village, a new relaxation area to discover in Val d'Isère.
Val d'Isère Tourism
In Val d'Isère, investments have focused on Funival, with the transformation of departure and arrival stations.
Val d'Isère Téléphériques has also developed relaxation areas in the area, the largest of which,
the Village Perdu
, is a novelty in its own right in the ski area, at an altitude of 2000m in the Etroits forest.
This vast playground allows you to evolve in ski boots in the trees via footbridges and in cabins.
The project supported by the ONF and the Régie des Pistes did not require any clearing or earthworks and only uses the famous larch.
Read alsoSki touring: the guide to get started
Which ski pass to choose in Tignes-Val-d'Isère?
Unlike Val d'Isère, Tignes offers a specific lift pass, at a price of € 53 per day.
But the area is so connected that good skiers will have every interest in taking
the Espace Tignes-Val d'Isère pass
at 63 €.
In Val d'Isère, apprentice skiers will opt for the Solaise package at 39 € for 12 accessible slopes in this sunny area, dedicated to smooth and safe skiing.
The 5-day Freedom Pass at € 300 for the entire area offered by the two resorts, allows you to ski 5 days over a period of 8 days.
Likewise, Family Pass (Val d'Isère) or Tribu Pass (Tignes) save € 30 per person.
For a family of 4 to 7 people, on condition of simultaneous purchase of ski passes of the same duration and same validity dates.
Thus, the 6-day pass costs € 294 instead of € 324 for adults and adolescents;
230 € instead of 260 € for child and senior
The prices of the ski passes can be found on the official websites of Val-d'Isère and Tignes.
Read also 2021-22 ski season: five ideas to pay less for your ski pass
Our favorite slopes in the Tignes-Val d'Isère area
FROM TIGNES
La Sache, the most natural
La Sache starts at the
foot of Pointe Percée
, a beautiful geological feature that looks like the moon. In this area, which marks the limit of the Parc de la Vanoise, you may be lucky enough to spot chamois. The favorite playground of the country's champion children is a succession of large reliefs. The first wall sets the tone: if you have difficulty descending it, it is preferable to choose the escape route offered by
the Arcosses slope
. Because after the long flat that follows, you will find yourself on a slope dotted with trees and rocky bars, steep and impressive. Arrival is in
the village of Les Brévières
at an altitude of 1,550 m, below the
Tignes dam
.
Black slope, accessible by
the Sache chairlift
.
The Génépy, the longest
La Génépy, a blue slope that allows you to enjoy the view or improve your skiing.
Tignes tourist office
Quick access to more than 3,032 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Grande-Motte glacier.
The longest track in Tignes takes you down to
Val-Claret
(2,150 m) in a spectacular setting.
A long and pretty hilly walk that plunges into an isolated valley before reaching the resort.
Easy, wide, it gives skiers the leisure to slide with their family, to enjoy the view, or to improve their carving skills.
Blue slope, accessible from the top of the
Perce-Neige funicular.
FROM VAL D'ISÈRE
La Bellevarde, the most legendary
The face of Bellevarde, one of the most demanding slopes in our French Alps.
BRUNO MAZODIER / Le Figaro Magazine
We no longer present the famous "face", this star who thrills even the greatest champions.
Beautiful, intriguing, demanding… We speak of her as a person.
Designed specifically for the premier downhill event at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games, the 3,000-meter track quickly gained an extreme reputation in the competitive world.
This dizzying route is groomed every night, so if you tackle it early in the morning it will be easier to ski.
To avoid the two steepest walls, there are loopholes under the bend of P2 and below, following the fork towards
Joseraie
.
But the first is sometimes closed for avalanche risks.
In this case, you have to tame the wall by making long crossings from one end of the track to the other.
Thus, fewer bends and face-to-face with this slope which literally overlooks the village 1,000 meters below.
Admire, higher on the left when exiting the cable car, the original start of the men's descent of the Olympic Games and then of the 2009 Worlds. You will have an idea of what “steep slope” means.
Black slope accessible from
the Olympic cable car
.
L'Arcelle, the most secret
We do not suspect the existence of this beautiful red slope, here at the bend of the green Madeleine, in this sunny area and designed for beginners. Yet it is the path whose name takes place under the down jacket, a little nugget recognized by those who grew up there, skis on. It is also the favorite slope of Ingrid Jacquemod, former descendant of the French team and now at the head of the ski club organizing the criterium of the first snow. Fun and technical, it offers 700 m of vertical drop and plunges into
the unspoiled Manchet valley
. Away from the hustle and bustle, you are at the edge of the Vanoise National Park, with
the Roche des Fours
on your left
. To optimize the view and the sunshine, take the Arcelle at noon.
Red slope, accessible from
the Solaise gondola
then
Madeleine chairlift
.
The Lost Valley off-piste
The Lost Valley, a canyon-like off-piste.
Val d'Isère tourist office.
As astonishing as it is fun, this well-known off-piste has the appearance of a canyon along which skiers zigzag between rocks and larches over more than 500 meters of vertical drop.
Depending on the snow cover, the descent can be a bit acrobatic, with a natural slide of ice or the need to remove the skis to cross certain passages.
Halfway, you can reach
the red Triffolet
.
Otherwise, you take a descent into the forest.
There, at the bottom of the valley, you will have the impression of being in a wild and totally isolated area, before emerging… just above the buildings of La Daille.
Accessible from
the Tommeuses chairlift,
La Daille
sector
.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Coming to Tignes and Val-d'Isère
By train.
From Paris, direct TGV to Bourg-Saint-Maurice (about 5 hours) then transfers by bus or taxi.
By plane
.
To Geneva from Paris and several large cities.
Then about 2 hours 40 minutes by taxi or rental car.
You will find more information on the Tignes and Val-d'Isère sites.