Skiing:
Tignes has one of the best snow records in the Alps and is virtually guaranteed snow from late October. It also has some of the best piste and off-piste skiing in Europe with very little queuing and direct links to Val d’Isere and the whole of the l’Espace Killy area. You can ski to The Grand Motte Funicular, Bollin Fresse and Tufts Lifts (which both link into the Val d’Isere lift system), ski school and nursery slopes from the ski room. The Tignes funicular railway carries 300 people and takes just 6 minutes. Facilities for children are well catered for. A pre-season week in November or December or spring week in late April can offer some superb skiing opportunities. The main winter ski season starts mid December and extends into May.
Summer Skiing:
Tignes is recognised as the Summer Skiing capital of Europe, with long runs on the Grand Motte glacier and is open from the last week of June until the 1st week of September. The Grand Motte glacier, cable car and funicular are usually closed mid-May until mid-June and mid-September until mid-October. Apart from skiing, Tignes offers wind-surfing, swimming (brand new indoor swimming pool with slides etc.), sailing, canoeing, climbing, miles of marked mountain walks, mountain biking (bikes can be hired locally), Fitness centre, horse riding (if you can canter they organise all day rides into the mountains), hang gliding, parapenting, 18-hole golf course, archery, tennis , shooting, (wild water rafting and waterfall climbing nearby). By car Val d’Isere is less than 20 minutes, Bourg St. Maurice with hypermarkets, shops and a indoor and outdoor swimming pools is 35 minutes. Touring the surrounding Vanoise National Park and the Tarentaise/Savoir area by car is excellent.
Traveling:
By car – The journey from Calais to Tignes is approximately 656 miles using the French Auto Routes. The tolls on the motorways amount to about approximately £80 return. Mechanical breakdown/recovery insurance can be arranged through the AA/RAC. Snow chains (which are mandatory in bad weather) can be hired from the AA/RAC or purchased en-route at garages and hypermarkets.
Ferries/Le Shuttle – Dover-Calais is the most direct route, prices vary according to the time of year.
By air – Fly to Geneva or Lyon. Many of the ski holiday companies offer flight and coach transfers to Tignes. If arranging your own flight, buses run from Geneva airport to Tignes 3 or 4 times a day during the main skiing season.
By train – It is now possible to take the train from Waterloo International to Bourg St. Maurice. Shuttle buses to Tignes are right outside the station.
Whichever way you wish to travel searching the Web usually gets some excellent results!
Other Activities:
Summer Skiing.