Tignes is the place to look when snow is scarce elsewhere. Its main villages sit above 2,000 m, the Grande Motte glacier takes the lifts to 3,456 m, and the season runs from late November into May. It shares the Tignes – Val d’Isère ski area (once called Espace Killy) with its neighbour: 300 km of marked pistes, 160 runs and 71 lifts.
The resort says 93% of its pistes are above 2,000 m and around 650 cm of snow falls in an average winter, which makes Tignes one of the most dependable last-minute picks in the Alps.
Tignes ski area: 300 km linked with Val d’Isère
The skiing stretches from Les Brévières at 1,550 m to the top of the Grande Motte cable car at 3,456 m. Most of it is high, open and treeless, set in a wide cirque around the lake at Tignes le Lac. The lifts link over to Val d’Isère’s Bellevarde and Solaise sectors, so you can ski both resorts on one pass. Across the whole area there are 23 green, 67 blue, 41 red and 29 black runs.
Tignes isn’t one village but five, spread along the valley at different heights:
- Tignes le Lac (2,100 m): the main centre, by the lake, with the most shops and the tourist office.
- Val Claret: at the head of the valley, by the funicular to the glacier, and the liveliest at night.
- Le Lavachet: quieter, between the two, with lifts on the doorstep and free shuttles to both.
- Tignes 1800: a newer village of stone and wood chalets, with an 8-seat gondola up to the slopes.
- Les Brévières (1,550 m): the traditional village at the foot of the dam, with tree-lined runs home.
Skiing in Tignes for beginners
Tignes is better for first-timers than its reputation suggests. The resort’s free beginner areas are served by nine free lifts: four carpets (Claret, Centre and two at Les Boisses), two drag lifts (Lavachet and Grande Pareï) and three chairlifts (Bollin, Almes and Rosset). You don’t need a pass to use them. The catch is the next step. With only 23 green runs across the whole area, most improvers move straight on to blues.
Skiing in Tignes for intermediates
This is serious mileage. There are 108 blue and red runs across the shared area, and you can cross to Val d’Isère and back in a day. The “Animaux super-héros” fun slope from the top of the Bollin chairlift and the fun zone at the bottom of the Anémone piste, with a parallel slalom and a course with tunnels, are free.
Skiing in Tignes for experts
Tignes has a big name for freeride. The resort says there are 3,200 hectares of off-piste terrain, from the Grande Motte to the slopes below the Aiguille Percée. This is high, avalanche-prone ground, so ski it with a qualified guide or instructor. On-piste, there are 29 black runs across the shared area, including some on the glacier. There are also three groomed ski touring trails.
The Grande Motte glacier: Tignes’s highest skiing
The Grande Motte is the emblem of Tignes. It’s the white wave in the resort’s logo. The Perce-Neige funicular runs underground from Val Claret to 3,032 m, and the Grande Motte cable car continues to 3,456 m, the highest point of the ski area. The resort says the trip takes about seven minutes. The summit itself, at 3,656 m, is beyond the lifts: the resort suggests going with a mountain guide.
The glacier has blue, red and black runs, and national ski teams train here from the autumn. It’s also why Tignes can offer summer skiing: in 2026 it ran from 20 June to 19 July.
Two more things are worth knowing. The Aiguille Percée, a natural rock arch at 2,778 m, is reached in winter by the Aiguille Percée chairlift (from Palafour or the Grand Huit) or the Marais chairlift. And in March 2027 Tignes hosts the Para Alpine Skiing World Championships, from 7 to 19 March, at the Stade de Lognan finishing in Val Claret. It’s the first time they’ve been held in France.
Snow in Tignes and the 2026/27 season
For 2026/27, Tignes opens progressively from 21 November 2026 and closes on 2 May 2027. The link to Val d’Isère is scheduled to open from 28 November. The lift company prices the full Tignes – Val d’Isère area as open from 12 December 2026 to 23 April 2027, with preview rates before that and special rates for the final week.
The altitude does most of the work: the heart of the resort is above 2,100 m, and the cold keeps the snow in good shape. The resort has 400 snow guns to lay a base early in the season, and the pistes are groomed every night.
The weak point is the weather. Above the tree line there’s little shelter, and in a storm or flat light the open bowls and the glacier are hard work. When that happens, head down to the trees around Tignes 1800 and Les Brévières.
Is Tignes good for a last-minute ski trip?
Yes, it’s one of the best. Three things make it a safe bet when you book at short notice:
- Height. With 93% of the pistes above 2,000 m and a glacier on top, Tignes usually has good snow when lower resorts are struggling, especially in November, December and spring.
- A long season. It opens in late November and runs into May, so it’s an option at both ends of the winter.
- Easy rail access. Bourg-Saint-Maurice station is only 30 km away, with the S83 bus up to the villages.
The downsides: the road up from Bourg-Saint-Maurice can be slow on holiday Saturdays, the lower runs to Les Brévières are the first to suffer in a warm spell, and the high bowls are no fun in a storm. Check the live lift and piste openings on the resort’s site before you book, then find a place to stay in Tignes.
Tignes lift passes
You can buy passes from the ticket offices, online or at automatic machines. Online orders can be collected from machines at six points around the villages, and most passes can be topped up online.
- Children under 8 ski free on the Tignes – Val d’Isère pass, and the child rate runs up to and including age 18.
- Families save €300 when they buy at least four passes at once of the same length and dates, including two adults aged 19 to 64 and two children aged 8 to 18. Ask for it at the checkout.
- Seniors get a reduced rate from 65 and ski free from 75.
- The beginner areas are free, so first-timers don’t need a pass at all.
Après-ski and things to do in Tignes
Each village has its own feel. Val Claret is the party end, with bars and clubs open until late. Tignes le Lac is busier by day, with shops, restaurants and the cultural centre at the Maison de Tignes. Le Lavachet, Tignes 1800 and Les Brévières are quieter.
Off the slopes, the resort lists the Le Lagon aqua centre with a pool, wellness area and gym, the Tignespace sports centre, a climbing wall, a cinema and La Banquise, a free igloo village and snow maze. There are free sledging slopes and paid ones too, including Expedition Cobra, a 3 km run reached from Tignes le Lac by the Palafour chairlift.
Who Tignes suits, and who it doesn’t
- Great for: snow-sure trips early and late in the season, strong intermediates and experts, off-piste with a guide, freestylers, and families who want free passes for under-8s and ski-in/ski-out apartments.
- Think twice if: you want a pretty chalet village (Le Lac and Val Claret are largely purpose-built), lots of easy green runs, or sheltered tree skiing. December and January can also be bitterly cold.
Skiing with children? Read our guide to Tignes with kids.
How to get to Tignes
By car
From the A430 near Albertville, follow the dual carriageway to Moûtiers, then the N90 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and the D902 up to Tignes, about 30 km from Bourg. The higher you climb, the more likely you are to meet snow, and there are chain-fitting areas along the way. Some high passes are closed in winter, so don’t blindly follow your sat nav.
Savoie is a French mountain zone: from 1 November to 31 March you must carry chains or snow socks, or fit four winter tyres marked 3PMSF. Resort car parks are run by Indigo, are paid in winter and can be booked online. If you haven’t booked, go to the Lac 3 car park ticket window under the Maison de Tignes le Lac. Free shuttles link the villages.
By train and bus
The nearest station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, at the end of the Tarentaise valley. From the UK, the Eurostar Snow runs from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice in winter, with a change of platform at Lille, and your skis travel free. From the station, the S83 bus stops at Les Brévières, Tignes 1800, Tignes le Lac and Val Claret, and skis ride free. Taxis and private transfers also run from the station.
Nearest airports
The resort says four airports are less than two and a half hours away: Chambéry, Grenoble, Geneva and Lyon. Geneva and Lyon have train stations inside the airport. Altibus, Ben’s Bus and Alpine Fleet run airport shuttles.
