Ski holidays in Tignes

Tignes is a lively area with plenty of restaurant and après options, from live bands and happy hours in 'Loop Bar' to delicious local Savoyade fondues in 'Coeur des Neiges'. Tignes Val Claret has the famous 'Cocorico' apres bar and pizzeria, then 'La Folie Douce' is up in the mountains. There's a lot of restaurants dotted around the ski area for that well deserved mid-morning hot chocolate and then a lunch break.

As with many winter resorts in France, Tignes provides a grand gourmet experience. There are plenty of restaurants, both on the mountain and in the town, where you can sample the delicious, Savoyarde cuisine such as tartiflette and fondue. Typified by their use of cheese and potatoes, these regional specialities provide a filling and necessary meal after a heavy work out.

‘L'escale Blanche’ in the centre of Tignes le Lac serves a magnificent fondue, while ‘L'Alpage des Chaudannes’ at the top of the Chaudannes lift serves one of the tastiest tartiflettes on the mountains.

The ‘Aspen Coffee Shop’ in Val Claret is an American themed cafe with affordable food and a good range of burgers. A short walk from the pistes it is an ideal stop for lunch.

Alternatively ‘Tignes Cuisine’ which serves either noodles or burritos (an odd mix we know) is located at the end of the Trolles black run coming back from Val d’Isere. Why not reward yourself after taking on that challenging, steep piste?

There are plenty of new bars and restaurants opening this winter, the Panoramic restaurant is a fantastic choice for the gourmet lovers, serving baltic black beef to turbot cooked over a fire - it is sure to impress. 

Tignes is a lively resort with a great range of bars and clubs. ‘Loop Bar’, near the Toviere gondola, attracts a young crowd and is popular with off-duty seasonnaires and ski-bums. Their menu is pretty tasty too, especially the chilli nachos, and it makes a great stop off for lunch.

Those looking to have a more sedate après experience will enjoy ‘Grizzly’s Bar’ in Val Claret. Decorated in a very ‘bear’ fashion, as supposed to a very bare one, the benches in this establishment are lined with fur rugs and extra blankets are available. It’s a perfect place to cozy up with a hot rum chocolate.

Inside Bar in Val Claret is the newest addition, with a large terrace and a fantastic view of the Grand Motte glacier, it is a great apres spot - plus it is open until 2am most nights with live music, DJs and themed nights. 

The culture of Tignes is heavily focused around sport – winter sports in particular. Tignes has played host to the SFR Freestyle Tour for the past two years as well as the Ski Halfpipe World Cup Final. Non-sporting events held in the resort include a Christmas parade with fireworks and Santa Claus touring the local villages, as well as a Pop-Rock festival to herald the New Year.

Between the 9th-16th March the resort has a programme of demos, shows, music and tricks - the finals of the Big Air Ski World Cup and Slopestyle World Cup will be held in the resort. It is also the same week for the Winter Art Camp - artists from all over the world are presented with the challenge of customising a DC Snowboard, they will be on show at the Maison de Tignes Le Lac for public viewing.

Towards the end of March Tignes hosts Europe’s largest gay festival of winter sports – European Snow Pride. The festival features many après events and DJ sets as well as a pool party.

Tignes is a magical place when it snows but if you find you want to spend some time away from the slopes there are also plenty of other activities to keep you occupied. Here are just a few of our favourites, all of which are recommended by our Destination Experts.

Visitors to Tignes who have booked a Tignes-Val d'Isère lift pass will have free access to the swimming pool at Le Lagon aquatic centre.  The centre also provides wellness facilities such as Jacuzzis, saunas and a hamman which can be paid for locally.

In addition to Le Lagon many of the hotels and apartments in Tignes have luxury spa facilities available for their guests to use. These include the Village Montana Hotel and the Résidence le Telemark Apartments.

There are plenty of small supermarkets dotted about Tignes for those staying on a self-catering basis and require groceries. Similarly, there are lots of shops selling souvenirs and postcards so you can bring gifts back home for those unfortunate enough not to join you on your holiday.

Equipment rental and sports shops are typically open until late in the day so you can maximise your time on the mountain before returning your equipment at the end of your last day.

The transfer in Tignes will stop as close as possible to your chosen accommodation and in some cases there may be a 5 minutes' walk due to the location of the property not being accessible by coach.

There is a traffic light system in the Tarantaise Valley controlling traffic and stopping cars and coaches sitting in places where rocks could fall, and to make snow clearing easier when snowing.

Transfers may be longer during bad weather conditions or French school holidays. French school holidays span 20 Dec 25-05 Jan 26, 07 Feb-10 Mar 26 and 04-25 Apr 26.

Private transfers and self drive options are available.