Tignes

Europe’s high training ground

Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley of Savoie, in south-eastern France, and Wikipedia credits it with the highest skiable area and the longest ski season in Europe. Its sporting pedigree runs deep. It was the freestyle skiing venue for the 1992 Winter Olympics, a co-host of the 1992 Winter Paralympics and a host of the Winter X Games, and that history, combined with year-round skiing, the length of the season and a large number of ski parks and slalom runs, has made it the go-to training base for snow-sport athletes.

Terrain that leans towards the strong

Together with neighbouring Val d’Isère, Tignes forms a single continuous ski area of 300 km of piste, served in our data by 79 lifts and three terrain parks. The breakdown gives 72 km of easy runs, 140 km of intermediate and 88 km of expert, so close to 30% of the area is rated for strong skiers, a high proportion for a domain of this size. Wikipedia notes that the terrain of the valley lends itself to more challenging skiing and that advanced skiers often choose Tignes as their preferred area. The commune has worked on the other end of the scale too, introducing easier runs lower in the valley towards Tignes-Les-Brévières, upgrading existing chairlifts and installing new ones with smaller elevation gains. Off-piste skiing is a tagged strength, as is the lift system.

Altitude and season

The lifts run from 1,550 m up to 3,456 m, an altitude range of just over 1,900 m, and it is the top of that range that underpins the snow record. Skiing that reaches almost 3,500 m is well beyond the point at which altitude alone secures reliable snow, and the resort is tagged as snow-sure. Our data lists a season stretching from October to May, which in the Alps is exceptional and lines up with Wikipedia’s claim of Europe’s longest season.

Who it suits

Confident intermediates and above will get the most from Tignes, and freestylers have three parks and an Olympic heritage to draw on. Beginners are better served than they once were thanks to the lower, easier runs, but this remains a resort where the strong skier sets the tone. Groups of mixed ability will find the split workable, since 140 km of intermediate piste is a large number in absolute terms, but the resort’s reputation rests on its upper end.

Practical

Tignes has good transport links with Lyon, Geneva and Chambéry, and the nearest airport in our data is Turin (TRN), roughly 65 km away as the crow flies across the Italian border. The commune’s official website carries local information.