Tignes Weather Forecast 2nd – 4th May – Powder:

A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Mon night. Temperatures will be below freezing (max -1°C on Sun 2nd May morning, min -4°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light and fresh powder guaranteed. Tignes is one of the last ski resorts to close for the winter season and is open well into the spring for some late-season skiing and is offering some deals to match.

Great spring skiing at even better prices

The Happy End deal, running from 1st to 8th May marks the end of the season in Tignes (before the summer ski season starts again in June !!!) . 100 kilometres of pistes stay open until May 9th and guests can enjoy seven nights’ accommodation plus a six-day SuperTignes pass starting as low as €175 per person. My chalet style Tignes ski apartment with great views sleeping seven people is available from as low as €400 for six people .

Tignes does make an effort to attract the punters

Tignes goes a long way to celebrate the end of the season and the deals are incredible. Tignes also include free entry to the massive indoor swimming pool and free ice skating. There are a lot of reasons to visit the ski resort not least a mix of long sunny day, quality snow, lively “after ski”, well, just the perfect cocktail to celebrate Spring time !

Remember Tignes for next ski season

My advice, take advantage of the deals available. You won’t get better powder skiing at lower prices anywhere next season. If you can’t make it this season there will always be a happy end next season.

Ski hire is an obvious one. We all have seen the offers for 20% and 30% reduction on skiing and boarding gear. Never mind all the banners from websites offering reduced rates for online bookings. How much of a real discount you are getting depends which starting price you take.

The problem with ski hire, everybody want to make a cut. If you are getting 20% discount via your booking agency or via a ski travel website you can bet that they are making 10% to 15% on you too. As always, direct is the best way to go. A friend of mine just came back from Tignes. He told me that he got a 45% discount on all the ski gear for his entire family including helmets and safety wear. I can’t name the shop (for obvious reasons). Just browse around in Tignes town and negotiate. There are plenty of ski hire shops in Tignes.

It is safe to assume that snow gear for sale is heavily reduced in price too. Most ski related business will have had an average, if not poor season to date. Businesses in Tignes are no different. I bet that sales for ski, boards, accessories and ski wear have already started. You should expect discounts of 50% – 80%. Now is the time to buy, if you are in the market for a new pair of ski or a snowboard.  Shops will still have all brands and sizes. Prices might be low at the end of the season too, but stocks will be limited.

Looks like airport transfer operators have started to discount too. If you are looking for a ski transfer to Tignes, submit your request to Ski Transfer Finder which should get you some transfer options. I have been told that some providers offer good midweek deals. A friend of mine booked a midweek private Grenoble airport transfer to Tignes and got a 50% discount.

Ski accommodation seems to be in plenty supply too. I know this first hand as I still got my Easter weeks free for this season. Here you go, even the last rental weeks in my ski apartment are on sale:  Ski apartment Tignes – 25% discount, directly from the owner (me).

Expect to see more happy hours and more meal deals in Tignes as the ski season progresses into April but don’t expect any discounts on ski passes. Also don’t bank on any preferential rates in Tignes many mountain refuges and restaurants . Things might be bad, and most things in Tignes are on sale. However it will take a lot more to break the cartel of lift and refuge owners in Tignes.

Last weekend holes were even higher with additional ‘greens’ set-up below the Grand Motte at over 3000m. Up there you don’t call them greens any longer, better ‘whites’ as the golf is played on the glacier.

Now Tignes is not your average resort and golf is not know for its underground movements. To understand last weekend’s concept of golf you have to understand the difference between a middle class skier and a crazy off-piste boarder.  For one weekend only, the golf course is extended around the entire resort and the mountains nearby. Everyone could join in, which might not be the spirit of the normally elitist golf.

The weekend and concept of ‘Wild Golf’ in Tignes has gone down very well with everybody in Tignes. BBQ and Concert on Saturday evening by the lake drew a huge amount of people.

This week the golf course is back to normal, 18 holes and more of a traditional crowd. Beware traditional means something different here in Tignes.

This year I skied a lot of other ski resorts as my ski apartment was booked for most of the season. To be fair, the snow was great everywhere I been and I had powder most days. However I can’t suppress my excitement about going back to Tignes. There is a different kind of spirit and energy out there in the ski resort and on the slopes… and I can’t wait for my first run down the Grand Motte all they way into Val Claret. I can already feel those legs burning and the head rush of adrinalin.

The weather forecast is great and there has even been some fresh powder last few days, which is not unusual for Tignes in late April. I have been hear on the last day of the season and experienced a dump of 1m powder …. and all the ski lifts closed the next day.

The season in Tignes finishes on the 10th May this year and with current snow levels they could probably go on for another few months. Although most Europeans have finished with the winter and are enjoying spring time activities. Keeping the resort open beyond the end of April is probably not commercially viable.

April skiing in Tignes, especially after the Easter holidays, is propbably the best in the world. High altitude gurantees good snow conditions, lift hours are extended and there tend to be long sunny spells. There are also no crowds at all with 300 km of piste used by very few skiers and boarders.

Cost for a ski trip are also low, with 3 day trips costing as little as 80 – 100 euros including ski pass and ski accommodation.Compare that to a peak time February or March ski holiday.

Having been in Tignes every single month of the year over the past two decades, April must be my favourite month. You will remember my words when you ski down those empty sunny slopes or enjoy a party on the terrace of the Folly Douce overlooking Val D’Isere.  Don’t forget to take the last chairlift back to Tignes. Even in April they don’t run during the night.

Enjoy April holidays in Tignes, I hope you do one day.

skiing holidays Tignes - Val Claret

The answer could be very very short. Tignes is a lot cheaper and a lot more fun than Val. You get more for your money, both when you buy or rent. But I suppose it is never that straight forward and there are many more reasons why I prefer Tignes to Val D’Isere. Here are a few:

1. Tignes got the better snow, better pistes and better off-piste. It is a well known fact that most serious skiers based in Val come over to Tignes to do most of their off-piste.
2. Tignes ski accommodation is lower cost across the board but still gives you access to the same ski resort ‘Espace Killy’ which connects Tignes and Val D’Isers
3. Tignes got a much wider valley base, is a lot more sun blessed and has more sun hours per day. Not so important for me, but for those who love late afternoon sun ski runs and afternoons on the terrace.
4. In general Tignes got more energy, with  skiing, boarding and sports in general at the centre of the ski resort’s agenda . Unlike Val D’Isere, which seems to be the hang out for old money, middle class skier and overpaid banker these days.
5. Tignes got an urban, built for purpose feel to the ski resort. Its business is skiing,  easy access, great facilities, great slopes and great lifts. Surely the village of Val (except La Dailles) looks prettier than Tignes, but if you are looking for pretty ski resorts don’t go to either and visit Austria or Switzerland instead.
6. Tignes got great none ski facilities including a massive public indoor pool, spa, gym and all of it overlooking stunning mountains.
7. Tignes got one of the best glaciers in the world (for skiing). If you ever done the run from the Grand Motte (3450m) all the way down to Val Claret you know what I mean. The glacier is open for skiing most of the year where Val is shut for seven months of the year.
8. Tignes got a lake. May be not the most important thing during the winter season as it is frozen and used as a short-cut between Tignes Le Lac and Val Claret. However it really adds to the atmosphere especially during the summer season. Great fro jogging or walking along the sore too.
9. Tignes got a vibrant summer season. Most famous for the glacier skiing on the Grand Motte used by many national ski teams to practice during the off season. However, I never ski in summer and tend to do some climbing, hiking, mountain biking and the odd tennis. Tignes got also a 18 hole golf course including the highest golf hole in Europe.   Tignes got enough summer visitors to make the place look alive but not too many so it still feels nice and relaxed. Restaurants and bars are open and there is enough to do for a 2 week holiday without getting bored. Val is dead in the summer and feels more like a ghost town.
10. Val D’Isere got some excellent and very expensive restaurant but some of the other nightlife feels more like a cheap night out on the Costa de Sol. Just think of Morris Pub, Dick’s and Pasific Bar and you get my point (Although I really like Cafe Face).  Tignes got some real gems. Reasonably priced, good and cosy restaurants hidden away underneath the 80th architecture. Some really cool bars with interesting people. I really like Tignes.

There are a lot of other thoughts I would have on Tignes, but may be for another post.

I suppose one more good thing about Tignes is that there are still French and other European ski holiday makers unlike Val D’Isere which is nowadays dominated by English (middel and upper class). For some people this might not be a bad thing. However I prefer a cultural mix and real people.