 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all!
We are a group of 4 families with mixed ski abilities from total beginners to advanced (but none true experts) planning for next winter. We would also need a gardarie (daycare) for a three year old. Which would be better for us, Les Arc 2000 or Tignes. Ohter suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
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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 consider myself moderately advanced, and while Les Arcs is fantastic, Tignes does trump it. There is just more variety, and also better longer reds for pushing yourself at speed. Beginners would be better off in Les Arcs. Timid intermediates also. Blues in Les Arcs are very easy, and most (though not all) reds would be blue in Tignes. Confident intermediates might be better in Tignes, with some really long challenging reds and groomed blacks. Blacks in Les Arcs are serious and probably beyond the reach of an intermediate skiier. There isn't any really steep groomed slope in Les Arcs, which is a deficiency as doing moguls all day every day does damage your knees. For advanced skiiers, I think there is just better variety in Tignes, and overall better lift system and less queues. True experts will not want to miss out on Aiguille Rouge and Bellecote north face off-piste routes in Paradiski though, but they won't be short of great runs in Val d'Isere. Hope this helps.
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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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I think Les Arcs for familes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks! Could you explain why is it better for famalies?
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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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asael, Les arcs 2000 has a more defined centre, and easy runs back to the hotels and apartments, it is a easy lift down to 1950 for more bars and places to eat, the runs are often tree lined down to 1800 and lots of mountain restaurants. Tignes is great for skiing but more widely spread out and a focus on long and often challenging runs. I cannot remember what Tignes was like for beginners , the blues were not like blues in Morzine, Les Gets and to an extent the 3 valleys.
No doubt a ski god will be along and say other wise.
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Don't think there's a big difference between the two, so whichever you choose will offer your group a nice holiday. There's a wider choice of ski schools in Tignes, including some British ski schools which you might prefer. Les Arcs offers more treelined runs which might be good if the weather is poor, conversely Tignes offers more high altitude terrain if the snow is a bit sparse. Not quite sure about childcare options, but the Cariboo Club in Arc 1950 (which is very easy to get to from Arc 2000, down a free pedestrian lift) looks fun. Both resorts offer very extensive ski terrain for more experienced skiers, as well as a range of gentle terrain for beginners.
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| Quote: |
Thanks! Could you explain why is it better for famalies?
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Well i guess it depends on the ages and skill levels
More runs suited to beginners (there is also plenty of more difficult terrain)
Shorter runs with multiple villages to visit
More and lower tree lined runs (bad weather)
Lots of other families
Potentially cheaper (certainly in the lower villages)
Slightly shorter transfers?
Easy access from Bourg (Eurostar)
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Done Les Arc 1950 and Tignes Val Claret with family groups.
General agreement was that Tignes was better.
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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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Own a place in Arc2000 and skied Tignes to. Both excellent places and you would be lucky to have a holiday in either. One thing to be careful while all claim to be 'ski to the front door' in both areas you can get accommodation that looks ok but is actually quite a hike to the slopes.
Arc 2000 is cheaper than 1950 but reality is there is a free gondola down to 1950 and we spend most of our time there. I'm slightly biased towards 2000. Potentially 2000 has a shorter transfer than Tignes?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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looking out of my bedroom window there is not much snow left in Les Arc, if you looked hard you might find a few little bits. Today was seriously HOT HOT HOT
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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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Les Arcs.
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Not been to Tignes, but stayed in Les Arcs 2000 last season. Looked good for families but bad weather can make it a bit isolated and if I was taking the kids to that area then I would stay further down in the trees.
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You know it makes sense.
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Tignes? Les Arcs 2000? .. have you got the brochure of ugly ski resorts in front of you?
Turn to pp7 for Flaine, pp9 for Courchevel 1600 and you have the set.
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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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Tignes and Les Arcs have some of the most magnificent skiing scenery in the world. Why do you say they are ugly?
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Poster: A snowHead
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johnE, aesthetically speaking the villages are ugly. Tignes is a concrete jungle, Arc 2000 a 1970s monstrosity. That said, I've done a season in Les Arcs and half a season in Tignes and the skiing in both of them is absolutely wonderful. And as you say the scenery is beautiful, and I'm not one who particularly cares about how much alpine charm the village has, its all about the mountain.
To answerasael's original question, Tignes isn't overwhelmingly great for complete beginners. The beginner slope at Le Lac / Lavachet is very short (with a crushingly slow chairlift), Val Claret's beginner run is even smaller (by the Tufs lift), and the other free lift / beginner run (Bollin/Fresse, i never remember which) is long but very steep in parts for a complete beginner. Arc 2000 on the other hand would IMO be much better for complete beginners, there are quite a few long, gentle, easy blues to improve on and actually feel like you're seeing a good bit of the mountain.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dav, +1 - very well summarised, although I think if you can afford it 1950 would be a better bet than 2000 in terms of quality of accommodation.
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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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ESF run ski clubs for children from 3 y.o. You might want to enquire with them at whichever resort you choose. I think it's called club piou piou. It can be better than a simple day care.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tignes for me without a doubt.
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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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Although I'm a 1950 lad, I have to say that the new village part of 2000 is considerably better than the original Olympic village. And even that has benefited from the Fatcontroller's apartment blocks and new retail outlets.
But the quasi village that has grown up between 2000 and 1950 is really quite OK. Yeah, yeah, so you go up/down 8 (I think!) floors on the lift to get to the new streets from the slopes, but don't assume that the concrete jungle that we all know and love is the be-all and end-all of 2000.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tignes definitely - its epic!
There are a lot of challenging runs but I think that's good for you 
Also a friend of mine goes every year and hires a nanny from a company based in Breviere (part of Tignes)
I thought they were very good and very professional - cant remember the name of the company but can prob. find out.
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Tignes.......
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I am always intrigued when skiers don't go somewhere because the resort is "ugly". Mountains in ski resorts are invariably beautiful. Its one of the reasons I ski. Personally, during the day, I concentrate on the mountains and my skiing so what the resort village looks like is pretty irrelevant. In the evening its usually dark!
Les A / La P I would say has a higher % of easy motorway stuff. Tignes/Val D'I has decent % of all types of run. So if party dominated by beginners probably Les A but if a good variety of skill level then Tignes. Both have limited tree-skiing during bad weather
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