Posted on 12 December 2020
For an alpine skiing holiday in among picturesque landscapes, the Espace Killy ski-area steps up as a worthy contender. Sitting in Tarentaise Valley of southeast France, the high-altitude peaks offer excellent snowfall conditions for a better and longer extended ski season on the panoramic Mont-Blanc grand massif.
Classed as a top area for skiing in Europe, whether you want relaxation, a lively nightlife scene, adrenaline sports beside ski and snowboard, Espace Killy delivers. Connecting the resorts of Tignes and Val d’Isère, luxury chalets and apartments highlight the best of each ski-resort and are the perfect base from which to hit the slopes and terrain. Skiers, snowboarding fans, and those looking for off-slope fun will find everything they want.
About Espace Killy in France
Freestyle skiing holidays come to the forefront of leisure with 155 green, blue, red, and black slopes covering 300 kilometres that suit beginners, intermediates, and experienced skiers. Sitting between altitudes of 1,550 and 3,450 metres, it also delivers with off-piste and cross-country skiing across 3,200 hectares, and because of its height is an area with a season that opens in summer on the Grande Motte glacier at 3,456 meters.
To get around, 78 ski lifts prove the area’s dedication to investment in infrastructure. There are six choices of somewhere to stay, the ski resorts of Val d’Isère and the five villages belonging to Tignes.
Beautiful Tignes
In 1936, snowy Tignes welcomed its first tourists with only ski lift. After the dam construction in 1952 drowned the old town underwater, Tignes rebounded and gained height to settle at 2,100 meters above sea level. In the 1970s, Tignes underwent a metamorphosis and quickly became the international and legendary resort of today.
Les Brévières: At the dam’s foot, at an altitude of 1,550 metres, is the village of Les Brévières and its traditional chalets, where it is good to snuggle up on cosy winter evenings around a fondue or a raclette near a fireplace.
Tignes 1800: The new resort village in the heart of the Espace area opened in December 2013. Organized around its church, 1800 is like an international resort. Stone and wooden ski-in ski-out luxury chalets, sit near 300 km of slopes thanks to the new Boisses gondola (8 seats.) Many on-site services make your life easier, and alongside the specially designed area for beginner skiers, the new village also caters for families and kids’ ski activities.
Lavachet: Want to combine calm and skiing? The Lavachet district will seduce you! Ski lifts are just a few minutes from Le Lac and Val Claret with free shuttles and you can take advantage while enjoying the district’s tranquillity.
Le Lac: If the ideal program of your vacation includes skiing, terrace sunbathing, shopping and relaxation, head to Le Lac. There is always something to do, whether this is skiing, browsing through shops for souvenirs and local delicacies, or indulging in well-being and spa at Estavayer.
Le Val Claret: If your holidays should rhyme with fun, discover Val Claret! In après-ski, and until the night ends, go from ski slopes to dance floors, from the restaurant hut to a typical or unusual table. Cosmopolitan evenings are guaranteed!
Stylish Val d’Isère
Leave your mark during your Savoie holiday. The ski area extends its curves over 300 km of slopes with an absolute snow guarantee until April-May to putting on those skis and hitting the slope. A vast playground where you can follow the trail left by skiing legends on the mythical face of Bellevarde. Also indulge in many winter sports activities offered by tour companies. Finally, stay in sumptuous and typical chalets, apartments, or hotels for a unique change of scenery.
Val d’Isère, a village nestled among the peaks of Vanoise National Park boasts of green landscapes, accessible verticality and an authentic atmosphere that makes it the ideal place to breathe fresh outdoor air. Enjoy mountain activities like road biking the Col de l’Iseran, or through a bike park with 160km of trails and mountain hiking. Take advantage of mountain holidays in summer with village festivals to discover local folklore, major sporting events and participatory exhibitions.
Getting here: To enjoy skiing on your holiday, there are no direct train connections but any skier can catch a plane to Geneva, Grenoble, or Lyon airports, all of which are roughly 220 kilometres or 3 hours drive away.
Other Nearby Resorts in France
Many skiers like touring the various alpine resorts. As the closest three valleys mountain resort, Courchevel, roughly 90 minutes drive away, steps it up a notch as the most luxurious destination with copious amounts of champagne. The same route also takes you to Meribel and Val Thorens. In the opposite direction, Chamonix is three hours’ drive away and people looking at going from Tignes to Alpe d’Huez, Morzine or Avoriaz need to factor in a journey time of 3 hours by car.
Also read
Summer in Val d’Isère: As well as offering summer skiing, a host of other activities for holidaymakers include mountain biking, para-gliding, a leisure centre, and food tourism. Indeed, tapping into the Espace Killy area is not just for the winter season.
5 Villages of Tignes: In this article, we look in depth at the five villages making up the resort, what makes each one unique and which type of holidaymaker they suit.
