 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at where to go fo rnext season, and we have narrowed it down to Les Arcs or Tignes, but which is better?
Me and my wife have been mostly to Andorra (Soldeu/El Tarter) and have always enjoyed it there, largely because its such a massive area and there's so much choice of skiing, but this year we went to Sestrierre, and honestly we weren't that impressed. OK, the bad snowfall and generally not great and too warm conditions spoilt it, but with the conditions we just couldn't get around much as lots of the slopes and most of the links to other parts were all closed, so we were kind of stuck on the same few runs all the time.
So I thought lets look at somewhere that might have better chance of good snow, and Arcs and Tignes seem to be regarded as a bit more snow sure.
As to what suits us, I would class us both as intermediates, happy on blues and reds (though one particular blue in Sestrierre should have been a red or a black in places IMO!), and will do some easier blacks, but not extremely steep or icy ones!
Quite like to sometimes have a nice relaxing time on cruisey blues, and then try and improve techniques on some steeper reds and blues. What we really look for is anice large area with plenty of choice so you're not stuck doing the same handful of runs time after time, and some nice long runs that you can spend 20 mins coming down are always good! 
Apres doesn't really bother us, as we don't really drink much anyway, I'm happy wit only 1 or 2 pints a night. We dont mind a bit of nightlife, but just don't want anywhere that is like the equivalent of Magaluf on snow, with loads of pissed up yobs puking and pissing all over (which I have heard is what you might get in Val Thorens).
Sorry for long post, but basically what are opinions on these 2 resorts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tignes.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not much to choose between them from a skiing point of view. Both have lots of pistes, including extensive blues and reds. Tignes has more terrain at altitude, Les Arcs has more tree-lined runs. Prices will be similar in both. Apres-ski will vary depending on which bit of either of the two resorts you stay in, but there will no doubt be somewhere to have a couple of beers and a choice of places to eat.
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Tignes has great skiing, though it can be a bit bleak. the slopes may be a little more challenging than Andorra. I wouldn't describe it as a cruise blue area and some of the blue slopes get quite crowded. Have you thought of adding courchevel or Saalbach in to your options.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Both great resorts. A step up from Andorra equally in terms of skiing and cost.
IMO you don't get the most of Tignes unless you are off heading off piste.
Les Arcs sounds like it would suit you better.
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Both will provide with what you want - lots of long blues and reds. Agree that Tignes can be somewhat bleak in poor conditions - suffered my first frostbite here. If mileage hungry (I'm guessing you are as you're looking for long runs), go for the area passes to link to La Plagne / Val d'Isere.
Not sure if these factors are important to you, but I found eating and drinking cheaper in Tignes, even up the mountain. Transfer times slightly longer from Geneva to Tignes compared to Les Arcs.
Not been to Andorra so can't comment on quality of skiing between there and France, but between the 2 you are asking about, their about the same - excellent.
If it was me, I'd go for Tignes, but only just. Enjoy!
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Do them both. The issue is only "in which order".
Tignes/ Val d'Isere probably has tougher runs generally, but it also attracts people who think that's what they want. Tignes is "more snow sure" in that the glacier's there, so there is that. Val d'Isere tends to be worse for vomiting Brits, I don't think Tignes is worse than average. From what I remember the trees in Tignes are way down the left hand side of Val d-Isere, so if the visibility's poor it's not the greatest place to be.
Les Arcs has a sort of "family" rep and feels more French (possibly this depends where you stay). So no vomiting Brits when I was there, but French-style family-plan-dining may not be your thing. The advantage of it is that there's a ton of off piste, much of it in the trees... and families don't do it. So nominally this is easier resort, but the true hard core may suggest it actually has more potential.
You can't really go wrong either way.
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+1 for Les Arcs
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Am biased against les arcs only because I saw half a day of the slopes in vallandry before breaking my collar bone. That said I do want to go back and see the area properly. In terms of the skiing you are seeking I think it may be the better option. I would consider Saalbach courchevel as well. The skiing in tignes is fantastic - it's snow sure - but possibly less cruise than your post suggests.
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Val d'Isere attracts very large numbers of Brits, but I have never seen any of the vomiting. For that matter, I've never seen any particularly inebriated Brits there, either. Beware of loud Home Counties accents talking about their private schools and Himalayan hiking trips on the buses, though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In terms of skiing, to me (approx. same level of skiing ability as you) Tignes and Les Arcs were pretty similar, both very enjoyable, cruisy, easy to navigate. Tignes village is a relatively quiet ordinary Alpine village, while Arcs 2000 is ugly and boring. Not much night life there either. But Arcs 1950 looks like an absolute postcard so you could enjoy your pint in style.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Val d'Isere.
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From your description of your skiing I think both would be fine for skiing.
I would choose Les Arcs because if you get bad weather tree lined runs are a huge advantage Les Arcs has a reasonable number of them (And a lot more over in La Plagne if you get the full area pass) Tignes has very few and the best are shared with Val D'Isere where the route across can be exposed and the runs themselves very busy when you need them most.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Mr bee,as a regular visitor to both, I'd go Les Arcs first, then Tignes on the next trip.
I'd consider one or two other areas too, depending what time of year you usually, or are likely to, go.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I have stayed in both over the years, so I will try and give an overview.
Les Arcs has a great variety of slopes and, as has been said, decent areas to ski when the the light is poor eg. The Peisey/Vallandry area.
It has access to the La Plagnes skiing (via Vanoise Express), which has a lot of cruisey Blues.
Years ago, I stayed in the self catering "shoe boxes" in Arcs 1800...but latterly in the Golf Hotel, which is comfortable and situated at the bottom of the slopes in 1800.
I have also stayed in the relatively new Arcs 1950, which like others, I would recommend. It may have a "Disney does a ski resort" feel about it, but it is very convenient and has American levels of spaciousness....certainly better than the desolate feel of Arc 2000 (to which it's connected by a short lift).
The Espace Killy area has a justified reputation for interesting skiing, especially off piste. There are very steep areas, which give it a high avalanche risk when there is a storm.
It is one of the most snow sure areas due to having 2 Glaciers and an advantageous location (although it's on the northern side of the Alps, its proximity to the Italian border means that snow can also arrive from the south-east). It has a fantastic variety of ski schools, with some of the best instructors that I've come across.
Val D'Isere is a very nice place to be based and has a proper villagey feel to it, though it is more expensive. It is also a bit more central for access to both its own and Tignes skiing.
On the Tignes front, I have stayed at both Lac and Val Claret. Lac is bigger and more "happening", whereas Val Claret is higher and has direct access to the Glacier....but both are connected by a free bus.
The last couple of trips, I stayed in the Diva Hotel (Val Claret), which is a great location and a decent place to stay.
In conclusion, I agree with those who suggest trying Les Arcs first, because of the skiing that you prefer.
You should also have the 3 Valleys on your radar....at one end you have Courchevel (lots of well groomed, comfortable skiing, but a long way from the Glacier). In the middle you have Meribel/Mottaret (most central access to all the skiing). At the other end you have Val Thorens (reliable snow and easy access to the Glacier, but a bit exposed in poor weather).
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Mr bee, it's a bit like asking a motoring forum "BMW" or "Mercedes" which is best!
Some will say BMW others Jaguar and then others with throw in Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Skoda to the mix.
Reality is they're both great resorts where you'd probably have a great time, to my mind it would come down to the deal you can get and the accommodation that would be the decision point.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This is a complete zombie thread, but as i
I'm currently in the same quandary as the OP, I'm wondering if anyone has any updated thoughts. And where OP chose in the end.
We're a family of 4 (children 12 and 10 at the time of travel) hoping to drive to France at Easter. Similar requirements to the OP, cruisey blues, some challenging reds, decent snow coverage. We also want a reasonably friendly ski school for at least part of the day.
Both Tignes and Les Arcs have been suggested to me.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Mr bee wrote: |
... don't want anywhere that is like the equivalent of Magaluf on snow, with loads of pissed up yobs puking and pissing all over (which I have heard is what you might get in Val Thorens). |
We've been going to Val Thorens for the past 15 years (Covid excepting) and over that period (averaging over 50 days there each season) have yet to see a single person puke or P155 in the street. Sorry to disappoint you  .
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@Owlette,
You’ll have a blast in either place. There is perhaps a little more diversity in scenery at Les Arcs (more trees) while Tignes has more terrain over 2000 metres.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Owlette, I marginally prefer Espace Killy (but it is very personal).....especially if tuition was a major factor.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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For Easter, Tignes should offer more mileage both open and in good condition, due to its higher altitude pistes.
As a family with intermediate beginners, we enjoyed our Easter week in Les Arcs some years ago but then we discovered EK and Val Tho for the same period.
IMO Les Arcs is better for Jan/March (tree runs at lower altitudes).
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TBH both are pretty awesome and you'll have a great time in either. Having boarded and skied both I'd probably go with Tignes, but that mainly as its links to Val D offer up a different side to the moonscape you get up top. Saying that I've been to Les Arcs for my last 2 trips, so they're obviously doing something right.
For those worrying about drunks the Magaluf atmosphere etc - It used to be the British Uni trips that kicked off / closed the season had a fairly bad rep (I remember bussing out to Tignes and Val T for such events) but I wouldnt worry about such debauchery during peak season. Nothing scares away the public more than 400 students taking over a resort.
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Given it's Easter, I'd agree that Tignes has the edge - if it were mid March, Les Arcs would probably have my vote. Neither has much in the way of architectural merit but that's not your priority.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@TheGingerPrince,
Only 400 students? Relatively small group. Just one University?
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This is like being asked which of your children you like best. They are both very good resorts. Compared to Andora they offer a bigger mileage, especially if you add La Plagne to the Les Arcs pass, but they also offer much harder skiing. I've pointed out in the past that some blues in Les Arcs are steeper than blacks in Andora and that the Claire Blanc piste would be a black in alsot any other resort.
@Owlette, I know it's not what you asked but IMHO La Plagne offers better skiing for cruisey blues than either Tignes or Les Arcs. Add that to your list of candidate resorts.
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Neither has much in the way of architectural merit
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Um! Les Arcs is very proud of its architecture. Lots of Arc 1600 has the French equivilant of listed building status. Though I have to say that the Club Med building is an almighty eyesore.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Easter isn't super late this season but I agree it's a consideration. Personally, I think the Paradiski is better than Tignes for an intermediate family and La Plagne a better base than Les Arcs. If you stay in the Belle Plagne area, it's easy to go exploring in either direction, up to the glacier, down to the villages in the trees or over to Les Arcs on the Vanoise Express. I think the La Plagne end of Les Arcs is also very family friendly so no need to go too far for an away day.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @Owlette, I know it's not what you asked but IMHO La Plagne offers better skiing for cruisey blues than either Tignes or Les Arcs. |
You beat me to it! But I totally agree.
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If they're tied, would Les Arcs get the nod since you can just step off the train and walk over to the funicular and skip the drive to Tignes? That seems pretty slick.
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You know it makes sense.
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+1 for Les Arcs.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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has anyone noticed that the original post is from 2016 - they might have decided by now !!!! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
| Mr bee wrote: |
... don't want anywhere that is like the equivalent of Magaluf on snow, with loads of pissed up yobs puking and pissing all over (which I have heard is what you might get in Val Thorens). |
We've been going to Val Thorens for the past 15 years (Covid excepting) and over that period (averaging over 50 days there each season) have yet to see a single person puke or P155 in the street. Sorry to disappoint you . |
A walk or drive round the town at 1am that will change! For France it's as rowdy as you'll get on certain weeks, mainly Brits and Dutch tho!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Owlette, I don't see any reason to go to Tignes which is a long drive in, no free parking and arguably you want to be skiing a bit more gnarly to get best use.
My vote is for Les Coches or Les Menuires cos that's where I go.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Being as Easter Sunday next year is 9th April I’d definitely be looking to Tignes instead of Les Arcs.
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| Dav wrote: |
| Being as Easter Sunday next year is 9th April I’d definitely be looking to Tignes instead of Les Arcs. |
regrettably that seems sensible. But I so much prefer Les Arcs.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| Dav wrote: |
| Being as Easter Sunday next year is 9th April I’d definitely be looking to Tignes instead of Les Arcs. |
regrettably that seems sensible. But I so much prefer Les Arcs. |
Same. Ordinarily I’d choose Les Arcs every time but that time of year can be risky with conditions. I did my first ski season at Les arcs around twelve years ago, I was supposed to be there until 16th April but ended up being shipped off a week earlier as there was so little snow and so few guests. Admittedly it was a poor season overall for snowfall.
If I was going to Les arcs I’d want to be taking a late decision on it, Tignes at Easter would give me much more peace of mind.
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Regarding the ski school aspect, I can recommend an awesome instructor in each resort: In Tignes there's is a guy called Pierre Vallons working for Evolution 2, and in Arc 2000 there is a guy called Lionel (I can't recall his last name, but he's the only Lionel), also working for Evolution 2. Both are wonderful teachers and really nice people.
I prefer Les Arcs over Tignes because of the tree skiing options, but both places are absolutely awesome and I'd be happy to spend the rest of my skiing life in either of them.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
I don't see any reason to go to Tignes which is a long drive in, no free parking
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Yes - it feels like an endless journey to drive 25 mins from Bourg St Maurice to the massive free car park at Les Brevieres. Or under 10 mins more to the free parking at Les Boisses and Tignes 1800 
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@mountainaddict, according to google maps it's currently 29 minutes to Les Brev but #1 on a changeover day in winter these things are stretched and #2 most people would stay in Le Lac or Val Claret another 10-15 minutes up the road.
How much is parking in Le Lac or Val Claret these days?
I have nothing against Tignes. I've skied there before and happily do so again but the OP is taking a step up from Andorra so either Les Arcs or Tignes would be fine. I am just putting out small differentials to take into account. It's not going to kill me to drive/transfer an extra 40 minutes or to pay 80 Euros to park for the week... if there is other good reason to do so.
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FAQ
