Tignes ski resort is located on the edge of Vanoise National Park, near the Italian border and south of Lake Geneva. It is one of the highest resorts in the Alps, encompassing several villages and boasting virtually year round skiing and snowboarding. Also part of the huge Espace Killy ski area, Tignes is linked with the neighbouring resort of Val d’Isere.

Four villages feed the slopes: Val Claret and Tignes le Lac are the highest and have the best ski-in/ski-out accommodation, while the lower, more traditional villages of Tignes les Brévières and Tignes les Boisses are characterised by their baroque churches and narrow streets.

Accommodation is in hotels, chalets and rented lodgings; if it’s better accessiblity to the slopes you’re after, stay in the upper villages. There are a handful of excellent eateries throughout the villages, but if you want more choice and a livelier nightlife, head for nearby Val d’Isere.

Tignes ski resort shares 300kms of marked pistes that cover every range of ability, with an emphasis on intermediate and advanced skiiers and snowboarders. There is also excellent off-piste offering some challenging runs; while the nearby Grande Motte Glacier has year round skiing. Efficient lift systems featuring chairs and gondolas run over the huge vertical and feed all pistes.

For alternative skiing, Booneval-sur-Arc, to the south of Tignes, has some good runs. To the north is Montvalezan, which shares its slopes with the neighbouring Italian resort of La Thuile. The Aosta Valley area offers interesting sightseeing away from the slopes.

The ski season at Tignes runs from November to May and cheaper rates are offered until mid-December and towards the end of April. The most convenient means of getting to Tignes is to fly to Geneva and hire a car, or transfer by bus.