 Poster: A snowHead
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Still to book my week in February and we are waiting until the last minute. Have been looking periodically at holiday deals and there is a good deal coming up for Tignes. What's it like?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi jb1970, I've been to Tignes 2/3 times. With a school trip in 1984, with my sister in 1991 and to Val D'Isère in 2000. All in the distant past but I do remember certain things. The skiing is great. It's a huge ski area shared with cosmopolitan Val D'Isère and the snow conditions are usually good as the ski area is high. The runs on the VDI side tend to be quite over-graded, the Tignes side less so.
Choose your accommodation carefully. With the school trip we stayed down the mountain and were bussed up to Val Claret (top village of Tignes) which is very convenient for the lifts and seems quite nice for a purpose built ski village. However when I went with my sister in 1991 we stayed in an awful apartment in Lavachet. At the time there was nothing in Lavachet other than a few dreary apartment blocks and a hire shop and it's a long walk to the central village of Tignes (Le Lac). The whole valley is a little bit bleak and treeless and I don't remember anything resembling nightlife. VDI in the next valley is much more lively but also much more expensive.
If I could ever find a decent budget hotel in Tignes, I would certainly consider going back there, the skiing was great. However, I have been put off self-catering shoebox apartments for life.
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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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jb1970, what do you look for when you are choosing a ski resort? What are your priorities?
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| jb1970, what do you look for when you are choosing a ski resort? What are your priorities? |
Snow sure, nice runs, good food, value for money.
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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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jb1970, one answer Cervinia
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| jb1970, what do you look for when you are choosing a ski resort? What are your priorities? |
Snow sure, nice runs, good food, value for money. |
It's as snow sure as any resort and has a very extensive ski domain so offers good skiing for all grades of skier. There are plenty of options for food, although if you stay somewhere which is half board or in a catered chalet the quality of that will have a greater impact on your holiday that what the resort itself has to offer. Lunchtime on the hill can be expensive, but there are plenty of places where you can eat well without breaking the bank (equally there are plenty of places for lunch and apres ski where you can spend the family inheritance, should you wish).
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What would be the best - Sauze D'oulx or Tignes?
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| What would be the best - Sauze D'oulx or Tignes? |
Never skied in Sauze D'oulx but from what I've read of it it's equally likely to offer a great skiing holiday as Tignes.
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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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jb1970, it's a hell hole - avoid 
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Skiing - Tignes
Apres - Sauze
Which is more important to you?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Personally, I think I would prefer Sauze to Tignes, but I haven't been there (yet!). I tend to prefer Italian resorts for easy, nicely-groomed runs, fun après, good value hotels with the chance of a single room or two and yummy Italian food. But like rob@rar says, everyone wants different things from their ski holiday. If it was purely about the skiing/snow, Tignes would probably win.
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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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jb1970, as maggi says
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| Quote: |
| Snow sure, nice runs, good food, value for money. |
Tignes definitely ticks the first 2 boxes, there's loads of great skiing. I've only eaten a few lunches there (always stayed in Les Boisses) but there look to be a few decent restaurants about. I was surprised when I went a couple of weeks ago prices seemed to have fallen a little since last year, probably a combination of tax reductions and having to do something to avoid losing too many customers. Can't be described as cheap though.
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You know it makes sense.
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jb1970, Sauze is likely to be a bit cheaper than Tignes and you seem to be able to get more cheaper deals with the TOs to there.
But I agree with the others that the skiing in Tignes is probably a little better. Sauze itself doesn't have great skiing. It is more of a cruisers paradise with great long runs to Sestriere and the rest of the MW.
On balance FWIW I'd go to Sauze because I like pizza more than tartiflette.
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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 love Tignes, great expanses of nicely groomed and reasonably varied blues and reds to cruise, slopes not too busy in my experience, fast modern lifts, great off piste, loads of intructors and guides. It is high though so in bad weather is a bit foul, other than that been very happy there and in neighbouring Val d'isere, would happily return but went three times in the last two years so heading somewhere else this time!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Tignes has got massively better skiing in my opinion than Sauze or Cervinia if jb1970 wants snow sure, good runs and value for money. Pretty he won't get, but the ski area is so big, varied and easy to get around.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was introduced to skiing in Tignes four years ago. Since then I have been back there five or six times and skied somewhere else (Les Menuires) once. So my views are a bit one-sided.
But.... It is as near to being absolutely snow-sure as anywhere in Europe. If there isn't enough snow to ski on in Tignes then I seriously doubt if you can ski anywhere else within 3000 miles. There is a vast amount of skiing for anyone from absolute beginners through green and blue run tourists to black and off-piste maniacs. There are legions of instructors, many of whom are excellent. Some of them are
You can eat like a king if you have the dosh. It ain't cheap. But like anywhere else a bit of ferreting around will find some less ruinous alternatives. Night life is probably less stellar than some other places but nevertheless there are bars and clubs that seem to do good business.
And I will be there on Saturday!!!!
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 29-12-09 1:11; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Bogusman wrote: |
| If there isn't enough snow to ski on in Tignes then I seriously doubt if you can ski anywhere else within 3000 miles. |
WRONG!
Approx 550 miles away....Snow Dome Hemel
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bogusman wrote:
If there isn't enough snow to ski on in Tignes then I seriously doubt if you can ski anywhere else within 3000 miles.
WRONG!
Approx 550 miles away....Snow Dome Hemel
yeah well... for the pedants amongst us you can indeed ski in a big fridge. Other big fridges are available.. So too are dry slopes but I think everyone knew what I meant 
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| daehwons wrote: |
| Bogusman wrote: |
| If there isn't enough snow to ski on in Tignes then I seriously doubt if you can ski anywhere else within 3000 miles. |
WRONG!
Approx 550 miles away....Snow Dome Hemel |
REALLY!!, Doubt a crow could even do it in 550 miles
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Just got back from a week in Tignes (12th-20th) - brilliant week.
Trip report here if it helps: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1409021
Never been to Espace Killy before, and would go back in a second. Huge ski area, loads of runs for just about everyone, reliable snow, and easy access to everything we could have wanted.
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| Kel wrote: |
| daehwons wrote: |
| Bogusman wrote: |
| If there isn't enough snow to ski on in Tignes then I seriously doubt if you can ski anywhere else within 3000 miles. |
WRONG!
Approx 550 miles away....Snow Dome Hemel |
REALLY!!, Doubt a crow could even do it in 550 miles |
well maybe not if it flies sideways for a bit in a cross wind
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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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Tignes isn't the prettiest of resorts and it's expensive. But fantastic value nonetheless for the great ski-ing (with Val d'Isère of course) and brilliant lift system. I've been going there for 20 years. Can be depressing on January boiler-plate (those snow cannons are incredibly noisy) or in a week-long blizzard, but where else can you ski in good conditions from 3500m down to 1550m in sunny mid-April?
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2 out of 4
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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just for your info , the snow is falling here ...again , it has been a brilliant start to the season and the snow is fantastic .
if you are thinking of booking ...do it now , most of the big tour ops are filling all their airline seats on a weekly basis , crystal & neilson have been full all winter so there may not be the last minute deals you are all waiting for
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| Daf wrote: |
jb1970,
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| Snow sure, nice runs, good food, value for money. |
Nothing wrong with the skiing; it's as snow-sure as anywhere although above the tree line which means not much to fall back on if the weather closes in. I went late season a couple of years ago and found plenty of variety, if anything a little quieter over on the Val D'Isere side; coming back down to Tignes late afternoon was like the M25 at rush hour. Food was as good as any ski resort but I'm not one of your fussy types; I'll eat pretty much anything that's put on the table  I didn't find things that expensive but appreciate that Sterling has depreciated a fair amount since 2007 and prices may have risen as well; would be interesting to hear from recent visitors re current prices for drinks etc.
Nightlife's not the best I've seen but perfectly OK for a week; focus on the area around Le Lac, there's not much elsewhere. I think it was the Grotte Yeti that had live music; worth a visit. I've got a week out there at the end of Jan - can't wait, can't wait...... |
on the subject of prices : there has been a cut in the VAT level on food , but not many restaurants have implemented this , although i must say we have dropped our Plat du jour to 10 euros from 13 , and have not increased food prices or our beers in five seasons .
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You know it makes sense.
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I would agree that some restaurants have made a few price reductions in their menus. A Euro here and a Euro there. It's still an expensive place to be but every little helps - a bit.
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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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| jb1970 wrote: |
| Still to book my week in February and we are waiting until the last minute. Have been looking periodically at holiday deals and there is a good deal coming up for Tignes. What's it like? |
Forget Feb - full of french kids on half-term holidays, you should go in March - howabout this week http://www.europeangayskiweek.com/
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| jb1970 wrote: |
| What would be the best - Sauze D'oulx or Tignes? |
Never skied in Sauze D'oulx but from what I've read of it it's equally likely to offer a great skiing holiday as Tignes. |
I've skied both. Tignes/Val D'Isere a lot. I actually stayed in Sestriere, but it links into Sauze. Both have some great skiing, just one bit of advice for skiing the Milky Way, get the French version of the lift map from Montgenevre, the Italian one is crap.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| Forget Feb - full of french kids on half-term holidays |
Fancy - a FRENCH ski resort having French kids on holiday 
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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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braserobar,
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on the subject of prices : there has been a cut in the VAT level on food , but not many restaurants have implemented this , although i must say we have dropped our Plat du jour to 10 euros from 13 , and have not increased food prices or our beers in five seasons .
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Smashing; I'm sure we'll be popping in periodically for some thirst quenchers. We'll be staying at Mark Warner's above Scotty's the week after next. From what I gather it's practically the other side of the road from you
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i have stayed in both resorts. i have been back to tignes 5 times, but would rather chew off my own leg than go to sauze again. sauze is benidorm in the mountains. it is also ugly. you can see a motorway on the valley floor from the slopes. it is not snow sure and when there is limited snow the ski area is tiny. there is a reason that it is so cheap. i still have flashbacks of being forced to endure multiple rousing choruses of robby chubby brown's "alice". *shiver*
in contrast, tignes is brilliant. some of the buildings could be more attractive, but the newer ones are all being built in a more sympathetic, alpine style. i find that you don't even notice the buildings when you are there as it is situated in a spectacular natural bowl high, high up in the mounatins. bars are good, restaurants are good. above all, the ski area is fantastic. best places to stay would be le lac or val claret.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Daf, From what I can gather if you find the place in a presentable condition, You'll be lucky. It appears to be a bit tired from the reviews I have read, but I'm not really bothered about that as long as the grub is half decent and their is plenty of hot water I don't give a hoot.
Main thing the conditions are looking pretty good, just leave some freshtracks for me.
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| What would be the best - Sauze D'oulx or Tignes? |
Pretty open ended question there jb1970 "best" depends so much on what you want from a resort. 
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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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| stewart woodward wrote: |
| bertie bassett wrote: |
| Forget Feb - full of french kids on half-term holidays |
Fancy - a FRENCH ski resort having French kids on holiday |
I know! Anyone would think they owned the place!
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| jb1970, what do you look for when you are choosing a ski resort? What are your priorities? |
Snow sure, nice runs, good food, value for money. |
1st 2 - Tignes
2nd 2 - Sauze
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FAQ
It was the last week of the season with no further bookings after us so a good opportunity for everyone to have a bit of fun.