Hotel Refuge, Tignes

Tignes skiing

Lift linked to Illustrious neighbour Val d'Isère to make up the ski area formerly known as l'Espace Killy, the Tignes ski area is, needless to say, vast and varied. The 300km of marked pistes cater for all levels and tastes with great off-piste, long wide blues and two snowparks (with another, even better one, over in Val d'Isère). Tignes also has the Grande Motte glacier providing year-round skiing. The glacier and Tignes' high altitude, make this resort for a great early or late season ski holiday destination. The whole area is serviced very well by an efficient lift system and the five villages that make up the resort are all linked by free bus. This is a resort that ticks the boxes for all!

Tignes ski resort

Although not known for its alpine charm, Tignes more than makes up for this as off-snow activities are excellent. There is a nice range of decent restaurants and bars whilst there are supermarkets for the self-catering crowd. Nightlife and après ski is pretty healthy. The legendary Folie Douce is just one lift away, and Cocorico has now expanded into Tignes - this unique apres ski experience takes things to a whole new level. The old favourites like the Loop bar still provide a great atmosphere. High-end dining can be found if you know where to look - the Grizzly in Val Claret does an exquisite BBQ.

The leisure centre has seen significant investment in recent years and provides a superb off-slope distraction for families. The frozen lake makes for idyllic walk and you can even try your hand at ice-diving if you can brave the cold!

In summary, Tignes is a modern, well laid out resort that caters for everyone. If you're after alpine charm then perhaps try Val d'Isere, but for sheer convenience, quality of skiing and snow record, it's hard to beat Tignes.