International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Tignes-Val d’Isère

[SIMMS7400]

Hello Folks -

In hopes of COVID-19 being a thing of the past by the time the winter season hits (wishful thinking), my wife and I are planning our yearly Europe ski trip. This time, we have decided on Tignes-Val d’Isère .

In my initial research, it seems like Val d’Isère is more of the 'glitzy' side of this resort where Tignes is more 'down to earth' for the more hardcore skiers and riders. Would that be a correct assumption? Therefore, my wife and I decided we want to stay in Tignes.

Can anyone share their thoughts on each and why or why not to stay in one or the other? Its evident Tinges is a bit smaller than Val d’Isère which is fine but we were hoping there are still ample restaurant choices? We don't really care for the night life scene - just a good meal after a long day on the slopes. We also plan to get an AirBnb so we have the ability to cook when we want to. Are there decent groceyr stores choices in Tinges as well?

I haven't even tackled the airport transfer yet and seems to be a bit more involved than even Zermatt but that's the least of my worries at this point.

We always do our Europe trips the week before EU school vacation. But judgng by the size of this resort, I doubt there will be much in terms of queues as you get up and out of the main areas.

Any tips or recommendations are greatly appreciated!

 

[Cheizz]

Val d'Isere surely is a more glitz than Tignes. But much more charming too. And better food and restaurants. Tignes is more on the student/budget side of things. There are supermarkets, but not big. Tignes le Lac is the better place to stay, more practical and more charming than Val Claret. Other areas (Tignes Boisse and Les Brévieres) are a bit less central skiing-wise.

Tignes Le Lac would be your best bet, I think. It has everything you wish for.

 

[ScotsSkier]

Val d'Isere surely is a more glitz than Tignes. But much more charming too. And better food and restaurants. Tignes is more on the student/budget side of things. There are supermarkets, but not big. Tignes le Lac is the better place to stay, more practical and more charming than Val Claret. Other areas (Tignes Boisse and Les Brévieres) are a bit less central skiing-wise.

Tignes Le Lac would be your best bet, I think. It has everything you wish for.

Yes, Val is a better place to stay in my experience with a real -if glitzy in places - village/town. Tignes tends to be more conglomerations of condos.

 

[SIMMS7400]

Thank you, gents!!!

Just curious, how long is the bus ride from Tignes down to VD? Surely we will ski it during the day, but what about if wanted to grab dinner down there at night? 30 minutes?

 

[ScotsSkier]

Its quite a long way round by road. Unlike by ski! where basically one lift gets you over

 

[SpikeDog]

I stayed at Val Claret in 2007. Seemed okay with me, maybe a bit overrun with drunk Brits. Popped into the funicular every morning and never came back all day. Awesome skiing and a really good lift ticket deal for 6 days.

 

[fosphenytoin]

I visit Val D’Isere and Tignes (aka Espace Killy) few years ago. I flew from Washington DC to Geneva, direct flight.

Can anyone share their thoughts on each and why or why not to stay in one or the other? Its evident Tinges is a bit smaller than Val d’Isère which is fine but we were hoping there are still ample restaurant choices?

I stayed in Val D'Isere village and skied to Tignes, had lunches there few days. My impression, Val has more traditional feel, old schooled, village in the Alps type ambience, whereas Tignes is newer, modern with high rise condo buildings. I have not been to too many ski resorts, based on the limited ones I've visited, I'd think Val D'Isere and Tignes is like Alta / Snowbird. Val D'Isere = Alta; Tignes = Snowbird.
Val I'sere did not struck me as glitzy (like the way Aspen struck me). It is definitely more traditional, which I like.

We do encounter more skiers at Val side, more snowboarders at Tignes.

As for restaurant choices, my recommendation: 1) Check Michelin Red Guide (there is an online version or get a book). I found the Michelin recommendations are very accurate for restaurants and hotels in France (for taste and price). We opted for having lunch at Michelin recommended restaurants because we got the same quality food at lesser price (i.e. better value for the money).

For dinner, we had half board at our hotel (breakfast + dinner).

As for trail ratings, I found Tignes are more accurate, Val less so.

I haven't even tackled the airport transfer yet and seems to be a bit more involved than even Zermatt but that's the least of my worries at this point.

Most convenient would be flying to Geneva Airport, take shuttle to Val D'Isere or Tignes. This would be my recommendation.

Be aware, almost all shuttles run on Sat. only, couple shuttles run on Fridays as well. You might want to coordinate your arrival day and time based on shuttle schedules (if you are not driving).

You can opt to fly into CDG but then you need to find ways to get to train station from airport. It will not be a direct train, you will need to change train somewhere near 3 Valleys (?).

A pug ski member @Jacob, he helped me a lot when I was planning my Val D'Isere trip few years ago. Hope he can drop in to give you more tips / recommendations.

If you do end up going: 1) check out the run "La Face", it is a famous downhill race course that you will see it as you "enter" Val D'Isere / Tignes; 2) ride the "up and over"chair.

Espace Killy is a special place, I loved it even as a low-level skier the time I visited.

 

[SIMMS7400]

Wow, than you everyone for the additional detail. This is very helpful.

And great to know about transfers. Was thinking about CDG but flying into Generva seems easier. Do you remember offhand how much your transfer cost? I'm seeing prices for ~400USD one way.

Additionally, would folks recommend hotels to take advantage of half board or are AirBnB's okay? AirBnb's are certainly more affordable but it seems Tignes doesn't offer much in terms of hotels.

Thank you again!!

 

[Crank]

Tignes has nowhere near the charm of Val d'Isere. Kind of 70's architecture and just a mass of buildings. Easy to ski from one to the other.

We stayed at the Hotel Kandahar which had really great food. Incredible selection of local cheeses offered after dinner every evening. They have a super comfortable bar with couches and club chairs and coffee tables perfect for small groups to gather. The staff was very friendly. It was right on the edge of town and about a 1 minute walk to lifts. Indoor spa was nice, but, they think hot tubs should be about as warm as a tepid bath.

Hope you get to go.

 

[Jacob]

To start with, definitely fly to Geneva instead of CDG unless you are making it part of some bigger trip. For transfers to/from Geneva airport, look for companies like Altibus and Ben’s Bus, just to name a couple. The prices you’re seeing are probably private transfers, rather than shuttle/coach services.

It’s about 3.5-4 hours from GVA to Tignes and Val d’Isere, depending on which particular spot you’re staying in, which is why the shuttles/buses are so much cheaper than private cars. I’ve used Altibus a few time, and they’re pretty good.

I’d recommend Val d’Isere over Tignes for a first-time visitor, since it’s more of a town. Tignes is more like four separate purpose-built blocks of apartment buildings. But, there are a few hotels worth checking in Tignes. I’ve stayed in the Langley Hotel in Tignes le Lac a couple of times, and it’s nice. There’s also a Langley hotel in Val d’Isere, which is in a good location.

I’ll come back to post some more after work.

 

[weatherman]

I ran a group trip to Val d'Isere last year. It was a great time.

I found the skiing better in Tignes, but the town of Val d'Isere was vastly preferable. Everyone in Tignes looked like British vacationers renting out apartments, whereas Val d'Isere is more pleasant resort town.

Do the half-board hotel deal for the true European experience. I love half-board arrangements, especially with a group. We stayed at the Hotel Altitude which is highly recommended. It is right in front of the lifts and aquatic center and easy walk across the lift base area to town. The hotel is an old-school family operations. It is run by a guy who apparently got the hotel business operations in a divorce deal, while the structure is owned by his ex-wife or something like that. He was super nice. Building is beautiful. Location is perfect. Food and dining staff were excellent. Good value for the location.

Definitely fly into Geneva. We took Swiss Air from Boston to Zurich to Geneva. On Swiss, ski gear is free to check in addition to your standard suitcase. I don't know about ground transfers because we got a group bus. After the week skiing, we took TGV high speed rail from Bourg Saint Maurice to Paris and flew home from CDG.

 

[Jacob]

One more reason I just remembered for staying in Val d’Isere instead of Tignes is that Tignes le Lac and Val Claret are both above tree line. So when it snows or low clouds roll in, it’s low-visibility skiing pretty much all the way to the base. The only terrain below tree line on that side of the area is in les Brevieres, which requires a fair bit of skiing above tree line to get to.

Val d’Isere at least has a bit of terrain below tree line, especially in la Daille, so you can do laps of the lower part of the four bases on that side of the ski area and have some visibility on a storm day.

 

[SIMMS7400]

Very valid points about the visibility - I didn't have think that. Thank you!

Per everyone's recommendations, I have begun to search for accommodations in Val - this was super-helpful!

One monkey-wrench questions. My wife and I are planning on Sat-Sat (as are the normal stays) but before we get to T/Val, we wanted to hit Chamonix for 2 days. Are there any transfers from Cham to Val by chance? Or would that only be private charters?

 

[fatbob]

Re COVID - this is not the season to be making long haul travel plans. Personally I think you're crazy as you are vulnerable to travel lockdowns in potentially 3 countries/resort lockdowns etc

That said provided you are happy with the risk. Bear in mind that Tignes is above tree line and vulnerable therefore to whiteouts/lift closures in storms.

Also I wouldn't count on travel to VDI in the evening unless you have a car - too much of a ballache. I'm sure there are plenty of appartments on Air BnB - just be aware that French ski appts may not live up to US standards. HB hotel is a far better way to do it for a couple IMV.

 

[Jacob]

Very valid points about the visibility - I didn't have think that. Thank you!

Per everyone's recommendations, I have begun to search for accommodations in Val - this was super-helpful!

One monkey-wrench questions. My wife and I are planning on Sat-Sat (as are the normal stays) but before we get to T/Val, we wanted to hit Chamonix for 2 days. Are there any transfers from Cham to Val by chance? Or would that only be private charters?

It doesn’t look like there’s an easy way between the two. I thought there might be a bus or train running from Chamonix to Bourg Saint Maurice, where you could then change to buses running to Val and Tignes, but that doesn’t seem to be an option. Most options have you going back to GVA and then to Val/Tignes.

By taxi, it looks like 1.5 hours perhaps. If you go back to GVA, realistically you’re looking at probably 5 hours in total.

 

[Rudi Riet]

If you want to go the AirBnB route (perfectly valid if you want to DIY some meals), there are SPAR markets in Tignes and Val that have the basics covered. After all, there are folks who live there year-round and need to stock up on the basics.

Half-board is definitely the more authentic continental lodging experience, and a great hotelier makes you feel like part of the family. But you do lose the flexibility of cooking your own meals from ingredients bought at the supermarket or street market. Do the math, see what works best.

 

[fosphenytoin]

For my Val D’Isere trip, I also considered to take a detour to visit Chamonix since I had MCP that year. After some research, I decided to stay in one place and not wasting time to travel to Chamonix just because it was on MCP. Espace Killy is huge, one week barely scratch the surface. Don't know how many people visit Espace Killy + Chamonix the same trip.

As for half board option, the hotel I stayed (Hôtel La Savoyarde), we had an option to do half board on certain days. You can mix it up w/ dining out and staying in. We ended up doing half board every night (except first night) at our hotel because we were too lazy to go out. The food at hotel was good, 4-course meal every night.

Agreed w/ what @Jacob mentioned about shuttle, I remembered I used Altibus. Again, I recommend you check shuttle bus schedule before booking flights, to minimize wait time at the airport and or spending a night in Geneva.

I also remembered Tignes had better snow than Val, not sure why. Perhaps it was just the days I skied there, the condition was better?

For restaurants, michelin guide - https://guide.michelin.com/fr/en/search?q=val+d''isere
If you go to Michelin site, search for location Val D'Isere and Tignes, the following options shall come up. Each has additional details about the restaurants, shall have links to restaurant website as well.

Check out Bistrot Gourmand - It has bib gourmand sign means it offers good value for the money.
The one-star restaurants will be pricey for dinner. It'd be worth to check it out for lunch.
I'd recommend to make reservations in advance for any restaurants mentioned on Michelin.

 

[SIMMS7400]

Thank you, everyone!

I'm checking out Hôtel La Savoyarde and Hotel Altitude and both look very nice and frankly, 'reasonably' priced. Truthfully, was expecting much higher cost. Albeit they are very high for Alps standards when compared to Austria, but certainly cheaper than our stay in Zermatt.

Half board option is also cheaper, but we like the abilityt o try out different spots each night. I wil inquire to see if they would honor half board for a few nights only.

 

[AlpsSkidad]

Thank you, gents!!!

Just curious, how long is the bus ride from Tignes down to VD? Surely we will ski it during the day, but what about if wanted to grab dinner down there at night? 30 minutes?

It's about 45 minutes. occasionally the road up to Val D'Isere gets blocked by an accident, in which case all bets are off.

 

[AlpsSkidad]

We spend a lot of time in Val D'Isere. Our kid's ski team training base is Val D'Isere, So the past few years each year we have skied around 40+ days there and the rest of our season we ski and race elsewhere in Europe. Honestly, we prefer other ski areas in Europe, but this is where our team trains, so we are limited somewhat.

-Do you have a way to visit France? Perhaps things will change, but as it currently stands, you need a non-tourist way to get in- are you a resident? Are you on some critical business? You will be turned around at the French border if you aren't.
Here is the latestin English)

Coming to France? Your Covid-19 questions answered

French people who are living abroad, travelling or returning from abroad, as well as visitors from abroad, will find answers below to frequently (…)

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

-I'm not sure what you mean by EU holidays, but the most important is to generally avoid the span of French school holidays around February. (This winter it is Feb 6- March 8). Other EU countries also visit, but the French holiday weeks are the ones to avoid if possible.
-While Val D'Isere is "glitzier" than Tignes, it is not Aspen. It has some nice hotels, but definitely second fiddle to Courchevel in France for Glitz.
-As others have mentioned, Tignes is not really a village feel. Less mountain spirit. It is a lot of terrible architecture and apartments. The resorts are linked by a gondola, so, weather permitting, you can easily ski both Tignes and Val D (as long as you buy the ski pass for the entire area) You can still buy a specific pass for Tignes and a specific one for Val D, so buy the entire area pass if you plan to traverse.
-Also previously mentioned, it is easier to transfer from Geneva, although the TGV from Paris to Bourg ST Maurice is not a bad trip, and then a 40 min cab ride up the mountain.
-It seems like a huge ski area, but in our opinion, The entire area is easily skiable in a few days, and you will find your favorite parts quickly.
-Even with the size, depending on the time of day, there can be lift queues up on the mountain. Mostly 20 min or less, and it is time of day related, and more common during the French holidays.
-Look out for the drunks skiing down to La Daille from Folie Deuce around 4PM every day.
-Look out for the dog poop everywhere. Just like in Paris, no one picks up after their dogs in Val D'Isere.
-The bus (free) is very efficient throughout Val D'Isere. Whether going to the lift, or the grocery or a restaurant.
-We've stayed in a lot of different places in Val, Hotels to Chalets. In town and on the mountain. I can help you if you have specific questions.
-We have also done half board, full board, and this past season we did breakfast only, and ate different places every evening. It was a great experience to do that.
-If you have specific questions about France or Val, feel free to reach out.