What will be different?

A snowHead

We've skied Soll, Saalbach, Sauze, etc. Next year, we're doing 9 days in Tignes/ Val. Everyone says how it's such a great resort, but looking at youtube, it just seems a bit bleak.

What am I missing? Will I really notice the difference in the quality of the skiing? What will be different from our other experiences? Also, since we're going at Easter, will we be able to ski in our t shirts?

I realise this seems like a wind up, but honestly, it's not Little Angel

I was telling my son about it earlier and when he asked me what to expect, I didn't know what to say.

A snowHead

Tignes/Val is big Smile

Don't think of it/them as a resort but an area. And each of the 2 resorts is split into areas.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@faithsdaddy, EK has a lot more scope than those places. It's on a different scale in terms of terrain.

Yes to T-shirts - possiblly needing another 5 layers on top, possibly not wink

there's also a BIG difference between staying in Tignes and staying in VD

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@faithsdaddy, it is bleak, distinct lack of trees. High, can be very windy, but in a warm end-of-season will have better snow than anywhere else around. But it's not all gnarly skiing - plenty of scope and choice. Excellent lift system.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@red 27, What's EK? We're staying in a tiny apartment in Val Claret- is that an 'ok' base?

Is it.... 'better' skiing than we've done before?

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@faithsdaddy, Espace Killy - that's what the whole area is called. Val Claret will certainly be OK. Don't know about "better", never been to the other places.Think "different to"

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@faithsdaddy,
Wot the others have said.

Bleak? well it can be when the weather is bad, equally at Easter it can be nice and sunny and not feel bleak at all. It is in the mountains and condition can be quite variable.

Will you notice the difference in the quality of the skiing?
Quite a lot depends on what the skiing you are used to is and when you have gone to the other resorts.
If the skiing has been good there is no particular reason to suppose it will be better, however at Easter you should find it more reliable than lower resorts. Although it is high you will still need to take into account the effect of the sun runs that are good in the morning may not be in the afternoon.

It is a very big area and the variety of skiing is outstanding

After all it is free

@faithsdaddy, why did you book Tignes when you could have gone back to the same place twice? Tbh sounds like a windup

To be honest, I think of EK as being somewhat quantity over quality in terms of piste skiing... just my opinion...

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Had a great 7 days skiing last week of EK season last year. Skied in a tshirt most of week and the snow up on the tignes glacier was outstanding.

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@peanuthead, Seems boring to go back somewhere, when there's so many new places to try. If I get to go 2 or 3 times each year, I'll probably go back to my favourites (Saalbach).

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Doesn't sound like a wind-up to me, either, sounds like a genuine question.

Mind you, can't think why anyone would book up well before Easter 2015 for a holiday at Easter 2016 - low season.

You know it makes sense.

Think of Tignes /Val d'Isere as a giant Saalbach with many more options. Saalbach is great, but Tignes is better.

snowHead

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

It has the best on piste skiing in the world.That comes from someone who is going on Saturday for the first time Very Happy

A snowHead

Guess it depends what you want from a skiing trip. You won't get much in the way of tree-lined pistes, resort charm and pounding apres in Tignes. But you will get a vast ski area for all abilities and a high probability of good snow conditions at Easter. Take a bit more money than you usually do, you might find prices a wee bit higher.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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If I was looking to ski at Easter, Tignes would be about top of my shopping list

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Every single mountain is different. Just need to know how to look at them.There is no such a thing like better or worse skiing.Remember you could always be at work rather than on slopes.Just make most of it wherever You go.

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Love skiing at Easter. Never been to EK though. On the t-shirt front... I've skied in a t-shirt one day and then in thermals, mid layer and jacket the next. It can be very unpredictable. I carry a very lightweight windproof cycling jacket that I just tuck in to a pocket for days where it seems warm enough to not wear a ski jacket - just in case.

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After all it is free

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@faithsdaddy, I really like Tignes, and I say that as someone who also likes original villages with tree-lined skiing. Tignes is just different to those kind of places, not better or worse. The skiing is excellent, and the Espace Killy area is easy to navigate, with a modern and fast lift system. You can cover a lot of ground and go on trips to all the different linked stations. To me, Tignes feels like a purpose built mountain town at 2000+ m, and it has an energy to it. I don't think it will feel bleak at Easter, though it's high up, so I'm not sure a t-shirt will suffice! Val Claret is a very central base for exploring the whole area, and has a purpose built 'village' square with shops and restaurants. Very easy to find your way around and quick access up to the glacier via the funicular. I really think you'll have a great time.

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@queen bodecia, - fair summary I think. Personally find it soulless. There are good reasons why France is the most popular destination but for my friends as much as love France generally it is anywhere but France for skiing. Just personal preferences.

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You can find better places for architecture, you can find better apres elsewhere, there are places with more trees and there are resorts with smaller queues, you will even find much better places to strut about if you're more into posing and shopping, but for me I go on a skiing holiday to ski and that is why I've spent quite a lot of time in Tignes, you see it's all about the skiing. snowHead

Just one person's view.

@gixxerniknik, that's good summary - if you are just into skiing and I can completely understand that if you have limited opportunity to ski then it is a really good place. Friends also like apre, good company, snow, atmosphere, scenery, food, value, language, culture, experience and are less bothered by high mileage convenience. No right or wrong, better or worse just what does it for you.

You know it makes sense.

@TTT, do you think that "Austria" has more snow, atmosphere, scenery, food, language and culture (whatever that is) than "France"? I have little doubt that it has more "apray", in the sense that people usually use that term. That being one of the more compelling reasons to ski in France, for me. wink

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@TTT, that's a sweeping generalisation about skiing in France. It's not all as you portray it and I think you're missing out if that's your opinion.

To the OP, there is something very special about skiing at high altitude, not least the views. EK is spread over a big area and you get a great feel of really travelling about. You can also ski some incredible verticals if that's your thing. From the pissailles glacier all the way down to Le fornet in one go is a great run.

A snowHead

@TTT, actually I find french skiing in general particularly good value (compare the lift pass prices of say Kitzbuhel with EK). More ski in/ski out means that more actual skiing is done regardless off whether it be motorways or back country. I can do a week in France self catering, so it's cheaper to start with, the food is good if not better (I cook) and the wine is as good as you want, the company I take with me and we make our own atmosphere. Scenery? Does it get any better than looking out the window at snow covered mountains, wherever you are? I'm still at the stage where I wake up each morning and look out the window and get excited, especially if it's snowed during the night in which case I'm like a dog with two tails!
Each to their own as you say.

A snowHead

@pam w,I hink you may have got the drift by now wink

I didn't actually say it had. It was more list of criteria and said anywhere but France not Austria. wink

Best snow tends to be whereever higher/colder. Atmosphere is obviously harder to define but not overly keen on purpose built factory resorts anywhere personally. Scenery probaably Dolomites although I have other favourite spots. Food while skiing- Italy although most of my favourite meals have been in France while not skiing. I find that mountain restaurants at the top of Tignes win the prize for the most unpleasant over priced food on mountain ever although I reccall a great restaurant in Val Claret. Language and culture is what works for you but prefer somewehre that can speak local language so can interact with locals and not a large Brit contingent otherwise just feels less like you are on holiday. Apre in narrow sense is Austria by a distance but I agree there is also a broader meaning and enjoy soemewhere that offers a range of different after ski experiences. I think you only have to look at the alpine ski world Championships though to see though which is the number 1 ski country and where Britain ranks as a ski country ;- ( We will iconveniently ignore freestyle for the purpose of this argument). France though for convenient high mileage is number 1. There are a lot of generalisations in there! Forgive me though when we have pages dedicated to an anchronistic ski Club´who I'm sure has really great people but none amongst those I have met, a Brit ski instructor who can't ski parallel and pages of French bashing that a little mocking of the earnnestness on here is called for. There is some good bits and pieces on here as well. I think it is good to try different places and always try somewhere new every season but have some favourites too which varies depending on who I'm with and what I want to do so there is no better or worse even just for me. Each to their own.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Personally, I find that Austria and Italy do have better atmosphere, food, service, VFM and general charm. However, few places can beat the sheer scale of the French resorts/areas. France is also rather easier to get to for many. I love skiing in France, but skiing elsewhwere in recent years ws something of a revelation. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. There are some countries that i probably wouldn't ski in, e.g. Bulgaria, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because holiday time is precious, the costs of skiing are pretty high and I'm inclined to go to places that I know for sure will be good.

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@grazzenger, very sweeping! more tendencies as varies so much from resort to resort. France - Apres? Please wink

I've done France and I don't feel like I'm missing out though. Do agree about high altitude skiing as not only tend to get great views on a clear day but also great snow and I do like the feeling of travelling around and verticals. I do find going up a lift to ski down again a Llittle hard to explain and prefer to ski to a destination.

@gixxerniknik, don't disagree with any of that either. It is also available outside France though so is also a generalisation.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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@pam w, I find stereotypes are just that but there is usually an element of truth in them. In reality I think you have to think in terms of resorts rather than countries as resorts vary so much. For some reason French skiing does not do it for me. May be it is the lack of apres that I enjoy and it not the sort of apre you suggest! but then I have been to other resorts with limited apre which I have really enjoyed. Some places just have a good feel about them which you can't easily put into statistics.

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@faithsdaddy, EK has great skiing. It was the first 'Big' resort that I went to having only been to Bulgaria and Austria beforehand, and I am still very keen to go back.

Only tip: Watch out for the flat light. If you don't have one, might be worth getting a low light lens / goggle.

(They have done this now, but don't know quite how much is covered... http://www.icesi.org/blog-more.asp?NewsID=289 )

After all it is free

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I don't find that - the problem with flat light is not that you can't see where the piste ends, it that you can see no definition/texture on the snow. Very often this "flat light" happens when you can see mountains and buildings miles away. Trees are very useful in poor visibility/fog, to show where the piste goes and to provide a bit of a "horizon". In really flat light it's the bumps and troughs in the snow that you can't see - and I don't find that seeing trees way away at the edge of the piste helps one little bit.

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What will be different?

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