Ski holidays in Tignes, France

Tignes is one of the French Alps' most snow-sure destinations, sitting at 2,100 metres with glacier skiing up to 3,456 metres on the Grande Motte. Together with neighbouring Val d'Isère, Tignes forms the legendary Espace Killy, named after the French skiing legend Jean-Claude Killy. A ski holiday in Tignes suits those after ensured snow and challenging pistes.

The ski area spans an enormous alpine landscape with 150 km of its own pistes and 300 km in total across the Espace Killy system. The Grande Motte glacier allows skiing all year round and is one of the few places in Europe where you can ski in summer. The terrain ranges from broad glacier runs to steep couloirs and technical off-piste areas.

Tignes is made up of several village areas: Tignes Val Claret sits highest and closest to the glacier, Tignes le Lac has a central position by the lake, and Tignes les Boisses offers a quieter atmosphere. The architecture is dominated by functional concrete buildings from the 1960s and 70s, giving the resort a different character to traditional alpine villages.

For advanced skiers, Tignes is a paradise. The off-piste skiing around Aiguille Percée and Col du Palet ranks among the best in France. The freeriding possibilities are almost endless, with guided tours to inaccessible mountainsides and steep couloirs that draw experienced skiers from all over the world.

5 tips about Tignes

1. Beginners in les Boisses Tignes les Boisses has a calmer feel and fewer people on the slopes, making it a good choice for anyone who wants to practise at their own pace.
2. Make the most of the whole Espace Killy The lift pass gives you access to all 300 km of pistes in Espace Killy, so plan a day trip over to Val d'Isère to see more of the system.
3. Skiing in summer The Grande Motte glacier at 3,456 metres offers year-round skiing, a rare chance to get out on the snow well outside the winter season.
4. Travel outside the school holidays Book weeks that fall outside the French and European school holidays for lower prices and shorter queues, while the snow reliability high up remains just as good.
5. Stay close to the glacier Tignes Val Claret sits highest of the village's sectors and closest to the Grande Motte glacier, giving you the shortest route to the most dependable snow.

Pistes and lifts in Tignes

Tignes offers 150 km of its own pistes and 44 lifts, with access to 300 km in total across the Espace Killy system. The Grande Motte glacier (3,456 m) provides the highest skiing altitude, and the long runs back down to the village involve height differences of over 1,300 metres. The piste distribution favours intermediate and advanced skiers, with plenty of red and black runs. The off-piste skiing here ranks among the best in France.

Piste map for Tignes

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The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Tignes

Tignes lies at an altitude of 2,100 metres, with skiing up to 3,456 metres on the Grande Motte glacier, making it one of the most snow-sure resorts in the French Alps. The difference in altitude of more than 1,300 metres between the summit and the village means that snow conditions hold up throughout the season, from the high glacier slopes right down to the village.

Thanks to its glacier, Tignes even offers skiing in summer, something few other ski resorts in Europe can match. That high altitude is the main ensure of stable snow conditions, whatever the weather is doing further down the valley.

Best time to travel to Tignes

Tignes enjoys one of the longest seasons in the Alps, running from October to May thanks to the glacier. January and February bring the best snow conditions across the whole area. March and April offer fantastic spring skiing with sunshine and stable snow cover at altitude.

Will there be lift queues in Tignes?

The lift system around Tignes carries 156,857 people an hour across 82 lifts. 38 of the 82 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 6 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,090 people an hour, for example Tommeuses. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.

When is Tignes busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Tignes in the 2026/2027 season.

• France: The French winter holidays roll through three zones and together cover 6 February to 8 March. All three zones head for the same valleys, so the whole period is busy.
  6 to 22 February: zone C, including Paris and Toulouse
  13 February to 1 March: zone A, including Lyon and Bordeaux
  20 February to 8 March: zone B, including Marseille and Strasbourg
• England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
  8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
  15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
  26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
• Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
  20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
  22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
  3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
• Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
  26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
  6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
  27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
  1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

The weeks before 6 February and after 8 March are noticeably quieter and cheaper. January is the best time for anyone who wants the pistes to themselves.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 14 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Tignes - Val d'Isère lift pass, which covers 300 km of piste. The pass is worth around €450.

How to get to Tignes

Last-minute deals in Tignes

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Tignes is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Tignes