Tignes: A British Love Affair
“Down there? You’re having a F*#%ing laugh!”
Now, that’s no way to speak to your father (fortunately that was my wife’s response and not the kids), but that’s what was shouted in my directon when half-way down the Piste Perdue I told my family to take off their skis and butt-slide down a steep tunnel through the rock, before swinging down a six-foot drop on a tatty old rope.
I often wonder why the Brits flock to French ski resorts, there’s a whole world of options out there, yet the British - which represent nearly 10% of all skier visits to French ski resorts - around 700K a year - do. I guess it’s the proximity, yet a lot of those fly, so in reality they could be flying anywhere in Europe without a significant change in journey time and, if the truth be told, Tignes, Val d’Isere and the 3 Valleys aren’t even near an airport (3 hour plus transfers is the norm).
Yet Tignes, a resort I knew in my youth, but not returned to in around 20 years, has been luring Brits for decades, so when it came to a family holiday, with a sprinkling of lift assisted off-piste I knew those Brits just couldn’t all be wrong, and when Inghams offered travel by train, well, we were in.
One thing I remembered with great joy from my time there, which amazingly is still available, are the low down and dirty, full fat, chocolate milkshakes at the Restaurant Aspen. As my kids tuck in to this aprés-ski delight - I catch up with long time local Neil McNair, from McNair Snowboarding.
Neil runs Kick Start courses in Tignes, early season, to get you up and running, concentrating on ‘mountain flow’, line-choice and all things backcountry. As Neil has a real in-depth knowledge of the area I’m keen to hear his recommendations for me and the family.
“The Chardonnet bowl was sweet today, it’s protected from the wind, has easy access and options for all levels, with flowing, entry-level backcountry right up to engaging straight-line couloirs.”.
And, “If you fancy an early one the Toviere bubble - opens at 08.45, 15 mins before every other lift. You’ll get a 360-degree options of routes on all aspects.”
Not just terrain tips either: “If you need a coffee hit, the Jam bar in le Lac, right next to palafour, serves proper Italian coffee from Rocco and Delphine, it’s eye opening. And the Kodo in Lavachet. Jo is a top Asian fusion bar, relaxed vibes, great value, no fuss. Try the Bang Bang Broccoli!”.
Formally known as the Espace Killy, the Tignes-Val d’Isère ski area boasts 155 runs and a massive 300km which sits between the altitudes of 1,550m and 3,450m! The pistes are world-class but it’s the lift-assisted slack-country that makes the area stand out. Well, so long as it’s high-alpine you’re after, as there is limited tree-riding.
We spent the Easter week riding actual powder, which for April isn’t always the case, but when the snow stopped falling we had mostly sunshine - a little wet down low but the snow up high was mind-blowingly good for so late in the season.
For first steps into the backcountry Tignes has multiple options, and as a family we hit the Aiguille Percée, which after a short traverse opens to a wide-open face of a sustained pitch.
Once the kids had got there legs in, we rode down the Vallon de la Sache, which is easily reached but has consequential terrain, so don’t enter without a guide.
Later in the afternoon we hopped over to Val d’Isere, for a blast down the Piste Perdue, which set my wife off with her sweary vocabulary. The Piste Perdue is found just behind the Folie Douce, an aprés bar where the massive deck was already packed - dancing, drinking, and thumping tunes. We swerved it and dropped into the Vallee Perdue, to give it’s correct name, which is a tight riverbed with compulsory narrow turns between rock faces.
About halfway down you have to take your planks off and scramble down a rock drop, which depending on snow levels is a dug-out tunnel to an 8 foot drop. The Vallee Perdue is a full-on terrain trap, so enter with care and only in stable conditions.
Nothing in Tignes comes particularly cheap, and I was a little shocked at the lift pass prices: A 6-day adult pass at €396, with kids being €336, that’s a whooping €1,464 for my family of four. You do get a bonus 7th day though when you buy a 6-day lift pass, which works really well if you take the train and can ride on the last Saturday of your holiday too.
Thankfully, we were staying with Inghams, in the Chalet Les Arolles, in Tignes le Lac, which was catered and so included free wine with dinner, meaning we (or I, anyway) didn’t have to drop €8 on a pint downtown too often. The Chalet is really close to the lifts and a free bus stop is almost outside, if you wanted to start your day in another area. The Tignes App is great, with real-time bus positions right to your phone.
Two other excellent and family-friendly evening options are the swimming pool, included on your lift pass, and the climbing wall/leisure centre, which has a small skate-ramp and all the normal racket sports too.
So all-in-all, I get it why the Brits flock to Tignes, there’s slope after slope to ride, English is pretty much the, er, lingua-franca, the slack/backcountry is epic, and the aprés is lively.
Linked with the more exclusive and expensive resort of Val d’Isere you get a lot of mountain on one pass, plus lunch and lift choices are almost endless, if pricey.
So if you want a bang, for a lot of your, bucks look no further than Tignes, especially now Inghams make it’s easier on the train again too.
How Do I?
Inghams Ski holidays - by train:
Inghams reckon that 59% of carbon released on an average holiday comes from customer flights. So with most of their destinations being short-haul from the UK, they saw an opportunity for rail travel to help with efforts to cut their carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
Inghams Ski do want to make it as easy as possible to choose train travel and lower carbon transport alternatives to get there. Departing from London St Pancras, all their route options have been designed to be as low-hassle as they can make it, competitive on price, with minimum changes and easy transfers to final resort destinations. They want to start presenting the journey as part of the holiday - connect more with the changing landscapes, at a gentler pace you get to your favourite resorts.
They are offering shorter check-in times than flying, no weight limits on luggage and more freedom to move around onboard, you can get to resorts across Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy, including the French resorts of Courchevel, Les Menuires, Meribel, Val Thorens, La Plagne, Val d'Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Rosiere, Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre.
For example, 7 nights chalet catering at Chalet Cairn, at Tignes le Lac, in France, with train departing London St Pancras on 16th December this year is about £1,399 per person, based on 2 people sharing - that includes all rail travel, accommodation and transfers. For comparison, doing the same but by plane from London Gatwick: Same price.