Val d’Isere & Tignes Ski Area

Sitting in the Savoie Alps,Val d’Isere & Tignes ski area is the oldest skiing destination in the region. With 156 trails, 300 kilometres of wonderfully prepared trails and nearly 90 lifts, there is enough variety for any skier or boarder.

Chambéry (144km) is the nearest airport to the Val d’Isere & Tignes  ski area (about 2.5 hours away by road). However, it is often closed due to inclement weather. Your better options are either Geneva is (187km / 3.5 hours) or Lyon Saint-Exupéry (221km / 3.5 hours). While Geneva has excellent bus and shuttle links, the journey from Lyon St-Exupery is quick and easy with a car rental.

There are countless off-piste trails to offer at Val d’Isere & Tignes ski area. In addition, the area provides glacier runs on the Grande Motte, trails through the woods to Val d’isere and wide open pistes into villages below Tignes. Not to miss are the numerous deep snow runs or the world famous racing trails at Rocher de Bellevarde in Val d´isère. Sophisticated mogul trails at the Solaise and the ski canyoning stretch into the Gorges de Malpasset round off the offer for expert skiers.

Val d’Isere & Tignes ski area is named after the famous Jean-Claude Killy, who was born in Val d’isère. Dominating skiing in the late 1960s , he won three gold medals at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. The ski area is officially famous as “Le plus bel espace de ski du monde”, meaning „the most beautiful skiing area of the world“. It encompasses three mountains and two valleys, and joins the two ski resorts of Val d‘isère and Tignes.

Val d’isere ski resort

Val d’isère, with its picturesque “old quarter”,  is a bustling town with a lively nightlife. It was once a small hunting village owned by the Dukes of Savoie. Skiing started here in the 1930s. Thereon, it gradually acquired a reputation as one of the finest ski areas in the world. Val d’isere ski resort’s snow-sure runs make it an ideal venue for many ski and snowboard events each year.

Tignes ski resort

Tignes, much more recent than Val d’isere, is a purpose-built ski resort. It was the host of the freestyle skiing venue for the 1992 winter Olympics. As well as a co-host city for the 1992 Winter Paralympics. Here, skiers enjoy world-renowned terrain parks and half pipes. The ultimate symbol of Tignes is the famous white “wave” against the blue sky. It can be found at the summit of the Grande Motte glacier.