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Val D'Isere or Tignes?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My first trip to the Alps for myself Male Adult and my two children 14 and 12.

Which resort would you choose?

We are all parallel skiing but probably in the category beginner to intermediate.

Eldest daughter insists on some ramps/rails etc!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Val is a much more attractive place than Tignes, and definitely better in bad weather. Tignes is above the tree line and can be very bleak when a blizzard moves in.

The drawbacks of Val are that it is usually rather more expensive, and there is no easy way back to the resort. The less difficult home runs are inappropriately graded, overcrowded ice sheets that terrify the unwary. I always take the blacks back to town to dodge the crowds; if that doesn't appeal, you can always download in a gondola.

Apart from that one issue, Val is a fantastic place if you can afford it.
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@dominichayhoe, Have you skied in the mountains before? Val is pretty, but expensive. No really easy way back down to the valley, so be prepared to download. Tignes easier to ski back too, but not not nearly as attractive - especially with the new building in Val Claret. You'll find snowparks in both areas.
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@ski No our first trip, so it sounds like Tignes may be the better option. Thanks.
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@dominichayhoe, is Val D and Tignes your only options?

Probably wouldn't pick either personally for my first trip. You'll have a great time, but there's probably better options out there for first timers.
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@dominichayhoe, Tignes for me every time. Though I would reccommend Le Lac over Val Claret for beginners the direct return from Val d'Isere skiing can be a bit exciting. But your instructor would not take you that way.
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Tignes Le Lac for me too. residence les almes1, Ferme des 3 capoucines close-by for nice reasonably priced dinner too. Easy access to gentle slopes, trees if the weather is bad
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@swskier only other issue is that my dates are set 10th to 17th December so obviously it limits the places you can ski that early in the season.

Where else would you suggest?

Thanks.
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@dominichayhoe, that early in the season definitely limits you, so I guess Tignes wouldn't be a bad shout, possibly Val Thorens also.
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@dominichayhoe, Don't you already have another thread on this?
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@rjs No. That other thread asked where one might go for early season skiing.
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@dominichayhoe, 10th to 17th December is early season, people suggested where you could go.
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@rjs sure. Not sure what your point is. Im now asking which resort out of Val D'Isere or Tignes folks would choose.

What's your problem, exactly?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
IMV Your choices boil down to...

Tignes Le Lac - Probably the lowest part of Tignes open for your week. Blue runs down from one side (Palafour)- but black (Trollies/Julian Clary) from the Val Diz direction (or download on the gondola)
Tignes Val Claret - Higher than Le Lac, with 2/3 blue runs back into resort from all sides.
Val Diz - Depending where you stay - not ski-in/ski out, and regardless of the colour grading shown on the piste map no easy runs back into resort.
La Daille - Lower than Val Diz, but relatively easy runs back into resort. However that week some of it may be closed for downhill racing.

I would rule out Tignes Les Boisses and Breviere - unlikely to be open that week so you'll be bussing up to Le Lac. You might also like to checkout which universities are going where this year. rolling eyes
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Tignes.
What sort of accommodation are you looking for? Self-catering or catered? And if the latter hotel, chalet or chalethotel?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Judwin wrote:
IMV Your choices boil down to...

Tignes Le Lac - Probably the lowest part of Tignes open for your week. Blue runs down from one side (Palafour)- but black (Trollies/Julian Clary) from the Val Diz direction (or download on the gondola)
Tignes Val Claret - Higher than Le Lac, with 2/3 blue runs back into resort from all sides.
Val Diz - Depending where you stay - not ski-in/ski out, and regardless of the colour grading shown on the piste map no easy runs back into resort.
La Daille - Lower than Val Diz, but relatively easy runs back into resort. However that week some of it may be closed for downhill racing.

I would rule out Tignes Les Boisses and Breviere - unlikely to be open that week so you'll be bussing up to Le Lac. You might also like to checkout which universities are going where this year. rolling eyes


Just to clarify there is NO racing (Womens) World Cup so skiing to La Daille will be fine early season this year. The Face is being used for the Mens World Cup before that but that will be the only piste out of action. So La Daille will be fine then (and its only about 10m lower than 'downtown' Val. Haha)
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Some good suggestions here.
Check your options and your budget.
Val has more mountain chic but it's definitely more expensive (hotels, self catering, dinners etc.). The Funival to Bellevarde will bring you to a perfect bowl in order to improve your skills, check the skimap.
If you'll go for the ancient ass kicking Mont Blanc chair you'll easily access Tignes Val Claret blue pistes. Easy to return to La Daille from there then take the free bus to Val d'Isere or go up to Bellevarde and download on Olimpique.
OTH If you'll choose Tignes Le Lac your kids can go to Tignespace if they want to skip skiing for a day etc. Cheaper s/c options available. In normal years Palafour should be open starting with the 10th, affording you more blue options
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Quote:
Tignes easier to ski back too, but not not nearly as attractive - especially with the new building in Val Claret.
This presumably refers to the massive new-build Club Med? Having seen the place in July this year, I beg to differ.

As far as modern, French, new builds go, it is quite aesthetically pleasing. Despite its enormous scale, it is built at different heights in different designs, making it appear to be 3 or 4 different buildings and not just one hotel. These blend in well and, in my view, improve the ambience of the main road up to the Grande Motte end of the resort.

I did view the forthcoming development with trepidation and will miss the convenience of the car parking that has now gone. However, on balance, the development does look better than the huge car park it has replaced.
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Tignes le lac
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Neither, go to Austria
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ribblevalleyblue wrote:
Neither, go to Austria

Seriously? On December 10? After an extremely dry summer in an extremely energy challenged period, leaving a huge question mark above all man made snow?
IMO it's too early to enjoy all that Austria has to offer.
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drporat wrote:
ribblevalleyblue wrote:
Neither, go to Austria

Seriously? On December 10? After an extremely dry summer in an extremely energy challenged period, leaving a huge question mark above all man made snow?
IMO it's too early to enjoy all that Austria has to offer.


ischgl and sölden will do the OP just fine.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Mother hucker, be it as it may, that early in the season a ski trip's success is usually based on man made snow, which this winter seems less certain.
In 2 former December trips to Otztal, all connections between Solden's glaciers and Giggijoch's area were on hard, snow cannons snow with death cookies prevailing. Not a beginners' fave.
Ischgl has some nice blue pistes from Idalp but they are not that many and some of them are rather short, not my idea of relative beginners fun place. YMMV
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drporat wrote:
@Mother hucker, be it as it may, that early in the season a ski trip's success is usually based on man made snow, which this winter seems less certain.
In 2 former December trips to Otztal, all connections between Solden's glaciers and Giggijoch's area were on hard, snow cannons snow with death cookies prevailing. Not a beginners' fave.
Ischgl has some nice blue pistes from Idalp but they are not that many and some of them are rather short, not my idea of relative beginners fun place. YMMV


I got to chime in here, after spending +30 weeks in Ischgl - One of the most snowsure areas in Europe, but really not ideal for beginners. A lot of the area will not be accessible to them, and the blues around Idalp can be quite crowded, although probably not that early in the season.
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Have to say I prefer Tignes Val Claret not Le Lac - In Le lac, you'll be limited to skiing the home run on Palafour/Chaudanne side only (or downloading on Toviere gondola over the Black run), or skiing in to VC then jumping on the bus back to Le Lac - so why not stay just stay in VC, you'll be able to ski the home run from all 3 sides.
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Not sure Alpine charm will be the top priority for 12 and 14yo’s. I’d go for the convenience of ski-in ski-out in Tignes and the easier pistes back to town. The kids will love it!
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'd prefer Val Claret too. With the right weather (i.e. sunshine and little wind) the fast ride up to the Grande Motte glacier, and some of the easy skiing up there, feeling on top of the world, would be magic for the kids.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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@BobinCH, adding in the Aspen awesome burger joint or the Taverne de Neige nearby.
Perfect ending for a skiing day in Val Claret
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@drporat, but in le Lac you have the swimming pool, the sports centre and the climbing wall - perfect apres ski.
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@johnE, the Tignespace indeed.
Those are good dilemmas, should I go for the place with good burgers and hot french soups or for the place with fun sports and exquisite cuisine?
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@drporat, a tough choice indeed made even worse because the navette only runs every 10 or 15 minutes ish. Get it wrong and you could be waiting a while
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@dominichayhoe, Tignes would be the best of the two. Be prepared for very cold/windy weather!
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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drporat wrote:
@johnE, the Tignespace indeed.
Those are good dilemmas, should I go for the place with good burgers and hot french soups or for the place with fun sports and exquisite cuisine?


Val Claret has nothing on this Smile
La Ferme des 3 Capucines
+33 4 79 06 35 10
https://maps.app.goo.gl/A5ZC1cewAr6cG2aQ7?g_st=ic
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I love espace Killy (don't think they still call it that? Anyway, Tignes / Val) BUT think there are better / cheaper options for you - many resorts will tick the boxes you are after ... hang on ... now see you are fixed on 10-17 Dec - then either are great choices (more snow sure than other resorts, few open much this early), I would pick Tignes for price, access to glacier and slightly better bad weather options. However note bad weather is a real challenge, you want trees, but hardly any that are high enough at this time of year. La Daille has some, but this link to Tignes will be broken if weather bad (often). Bad weather options in Tignes are usually fun (in my view) but challenging - and very limited if you stick on 'open' pistes
You are also unlikely to find much or any park - more likely in Tignes.
You might start from the other end and find the right deal first - If you are thinking you want lessons you might find Club Med attractive ... All inclusive can quickly add up for you Smile
finally I am pessimistic this year about when and how much snow we will see ... Anyone else?
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@mooney058, Val Claret has the good burgers (Aspen) and the good soups/french dishes (Taverne de Neige).
I was thinking of the Ferme when I mentioned Le Lac for exquisite cuisine.
But I never tried La Table de Jeanne in VC
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Thinking about it, I wouldn't assume the snowpark in Tignes will be open that week. They only got the Palet area open on about 8th December last year, never mind the park. However, if you've never skied in the mountains before, you (and your kids) may well find the added challenges more than enough without adding in a snowpark.

Presumably you're planning on some lessons? I'm sure folk around here will come up with some recommendations for instructors (although I'd imagine some of the favourites will be tied up with the PIPAU Snowheads Bash that is happening in Tignes that week.)

Tignes really can be glorious on a good day, but can be very bleak with many lifts closed on a bad day (and I've experienced a few of those in December). It might be worth considering Les Arcs/La Plagne - I've never been there that early but I'm sure others will be along to advise if that is a good idea.
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johnE wrote:
@drporat, but in le Lac you have the swimming pool, the sports centre and the climbing wall - perfect apres ski.


And you can have the fun of walking to it by crossing the middle of the frozen lake (if it's frozen then) otherwise very easy to get the bus for the one or maybe two times you go. I'd stay where there are more choices for 1st lifts and home runs, do activities by bus - I hate ending a days skiing with a bus ride.
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Extremophile wrote:
Have to say I prefer Tignes Val Claret not Le Lac - In Le lac, you'll be limited to skiing the home run on Palafour/Chaudanne side only (or downloading on Toviere gondola over the Black run), or skiing in to VC then jumping on the bus back to Le Lac - so why not stay just stay in VC, you'll be able to ski the home run from all 3 sides.

To answer your 'why not just stay in Val Claret':- the week in question is the one most often used by British students for their Uni trips, and if Tignes is the destination this season (don't know, but it often is) they stay in VC.
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Kenzie wrote:
Extremophile wrote:
Have to say I prefer Tignes Val Claret not Le Lac - In Le lac, you'll be limited to skiing the home run on Palafour/Chaudanne side only (or downloading on Toviere gondola over the Black run), or skiing in to VC then jumping on the bus back to Le Lac - so why not stay just stay in VC, you'll be able to ski the home run from all 3 sides.

To answer your 'why not just stay in Val Claret':- the week in question is the one most often used by British students for their Uni trips, and if Tignes is the destination this season (don't know, but it often is) they stay in VC.


Yeah, because Le Lac is peace and quiet Shocked

*don't make me get my sarcasm sign out*
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Extremophile wrote:
Kenzie wrote:
Extremophile wrote:
Have to say I prefer Tignes Val Claret not Le Lac - In Le lac, you'll be limited to skiing the home run on Palafour/Chaudanne side only (or downloading on Toviere gondola over the Black run), or skiing in to VC then jumping on the bus back to Le Lac - so why not stay just stay in VC, you'll be able to ski the home run from all 3 sides.

To answer your 'why not just stay in Val Claret':- the week in question is the one most often used by British students for their Uni trips, and if Tignes is the destination this season (don't know, but it often is) they stay in VC.


Yeah, because Le Lac is peace and quiet Shocked

*don't make me get my sarcasm sign out*

Did I mention Le Lac?
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