single.php Destination post

Geneva to Tignes Transfer

Flying in to Geneva Airport and booking a private transfer with Mountain Drop-offs means you can be in high-altitude Tignes getting your skis on within three hours. The beauty of Tignes, of course, is that the two main resort centres of Tignes le Lac and Tignes Val Claret are perfectly snow-sure, at 2100m and 2127m respectively.

And if you’re hesitating between hiring a car, or going for an airport transfer to Tignes, we can honestly say that once in resort, you don’t need a car. There are ski lifts in every direction and free navette buses running 24 hours a day. What’s more, during the winter season it’s obligatory to park in one of the paying municipal covered or open air car parks on the periphery of the resorts, so leaving the driving on those high-mountain roads to your experienced transfer driver makes sense!

Guide section

Tignes Destination Guide

Functional, snow-sure Tignes

A winter holiday in Tignes is a delight. Whilst it may not be the prettiest of mountain resorts, from nearly every hotel, chalet or apartment in Tignes you can ski right to and from the door and the choice of lifts and pistes is immense.

And let’s face it, Tignes is all about making the most of the outdoors, not staying in an apartment admiring a fancy stone fireplace or such like. In fact, over 95% of visitors to Tignes indulge in at least one sporting activity each day of their stay, so the place certainly lives up to its sporty reputation!

When you arrive in Tignes on your transfer from the airport you’ll feel like you’ve landed on the moon, as the resort sits in a huge curved bowl. And at 2100m +, you might well feel the affects of the altitude (hardly surprising when you think the top of the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis is 1344m). Yes, Tignes is a serious mountain resort!

Tignes – hosting international sporting events

After linking with Val d’Isere in 1984 to form the super resort that is Espace Killy, Tignes has gone from strength to strength, hosting many major sporting events. Tignes welcomed the freestyle acrobatic skiing events at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics (and you can still see the Philippe Starck designed metal flame holder at the foot of the Palafour chairlift in Le Lac) and has hosted the European X Games, Air Ladies, the SFR Tour and numerous FIS events too.

The different ski areas of Tignes

If you’re looking at booking a holiday to Tignes and an airport transfer to get you there, here’s a rundown of each of the hamlets that make up this expansive resort.

Tignes Val Claret – the highest resort at 2127m is dominated by the Grande Motte (the highest skiing point at 3456m) and Toviere at 2704m, which is the main crossing point over into the Val d’Isere ski area. It’s pretty much all ski in, ski out here and a great choice for those who want to maximise their slope time.

Tignes Le Lac – the main municipal centre for Tignes sitting at 2100m. Le Lac is where many of the resort’s activities and facilities around the lake and sports centre are. Easy access to all ski areas including the ‘must-do’ Sache black piste from Aiguille Percee at 2748m, right down to Tignes les Brevieres, boasting over 1200m of vertical height difference!

Tignes les Brevieres – at 1550m, this is the lowest of all the hamlets that make up Tignes resort and the only one you get to on your transfer from the airport without going over the Tignes dam. It’s nice and ‘olde worlde’ and has a bubble lift up to the main skiing and a linking chairlift to les Boisses. Ideal for quieter holidays.

Tignes les Boisses – along with the purpose-built resort of Tignes 1800, it’s all a bit more neo-Savoyard round these parts, with wood-clad chalets and a lack of high-rise blocks. A bubble lift takes you directly up to the main ski area.

Tignes le Lavachet – a hamlet of residences housing lots of studios and apartments and the quietest part of resort in terms if night life, but still well-linked with lifts and the free ‘navette’ bus service. Often where the seasonnaires live!

Activities section

Things to do around Tignes

Adrenaline action in Tignes

As soon as your Mountain Drop-offs transfer driver has dropped you off in Tignes, you’ll be itching to get out there and explore. As we’ve already said, Tignes is a pretty sporty place, so the chances are you’ll just want to jump into your ski trousers and get out on the slopes. There are other activities to tempt you in Tignes though, with some of them requiring some serious guts…

content-activities.php

Water fun

The ‘Lagon’ swimming and leisure complex in Tignes le Lac is a must-do for water babies and gym bunnies alike. The aqua bit is superb with several pools and plenty of things like slides and mini waterfalls to keep the kids amused. Then there’s the well-being centre with hammams, saunas and the like, whilst the fitness gym has all the machines and classes you’ll need.

content-activities.php

Ice driving

Ice driving – quite possibly the most fun you can have in a car! Head down to the bespoke circuit in Tignes Les Brevieres, where they teach novices to drift around a slippery, snowy circuit. Get behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza equipped with studded tyres and go power sliding around the corners sending plumes of snow into the air. This is your chance to bust moves you’ve always fancied trying in the snow, but didn’t dare…

content-activities.php

Bungee ski jump

If you’re a gung-ho type, try the Le Bun-J Ride, which is basically ski jumping combined with bungee jumping and a 3000m-long zip wire. Get harnessed up, strap on your skis or board, pelt down the 30m ski jump, fly into the air, get bounced by the bungee cords and then be whizzed along back down to earth by the zip wire!

content-activities.php

Ice diving

The lake right by the Lagon leisure centre in the heart of Tignes le Lac is also where you can go ice diving. If you’ve got the daredevil attitude, you can dive under layers of ice into the freezing water. You’ll be immersing yourself in an incredible underwater world, where the silence is enthralling and the shards of daylight dance on the frozen surface. An amazing thing to do in Tignes and, of course, your guide/instructor is with you all the way!

Events section

Upcoming events around Tignes

Tignes is not only snow-sure, it’s fun-sure too! There are loads of events and activities to keep all ages entertained during the main winter and summer seasons in Tignes. Whether you want to try a new sport or just party the night away waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care, there’s something for you in Tignes. 

So, don’t forget, skiing isn’t just for winter in Tignes. Book a summer transfer from Geneva to go glacier skiing on Tignes’s Grande Motte and you might want to bring a mountain bike with you as well. That’s because the ski runs are open 07:00 to 13:30, leaving you all afternoon to enjoy the bike parks and trails.

Just imagine, a morning on the snow, followed by a bit of downhill biking. Bliss. And if you needed any more convincing about Tignes, our airport transfer buses carry skis and bikes for free when you book them in in advance.