Val d'Isère & Tignes

A top ski resort at the head of the Tarentaise Valley, forming the Espace Killy ski area with Tignes; in summer, cross the Col de l'Iseran into Vanoise National Park.

Val d'Isère lies at the very top of the Tarentaise Valley in France's Savoie department, near the source of the Isère River, at an altitude of about 1,850 m. Bordered by Italy's Gran Paradiso to the east and Vanoise National Park to the south, it combines with neighbouring Tignes to form the Espace Killy ski area (named after triple Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy), one of the world's top high-altitude ski destinations. The Alpine downhill at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics was held on the Bellevarde face, and an Alpine Ski World Cup event takes place here every December. Winter: the ski season runs from December to late April/early May, with slopes between 1,550 and 3,456 m and about 300 km of pistes; snow is reliable, and on the Grande Motte glacier you can ski into late spring. The resort retains its old village of stone chalets and the Church of Saint-Bernard, and is renowned for its nightlife and food. Summer: from late June to early September the Col de l'Iseran (2,764 m, one of the highest paved passes in the Alps) is open, so you can cycle or drive over it to Bonneval-sur-Arc, or hike in Vanoise National Park to see marmots, ibex and glacial lakes, while Lac de Tignes is the hub for summer water sports. Getting there: the nearest train station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, from where buses take about 45 minutes to the resort; in winter shuttle buses run from Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry airports (about 3–4 hours). Suggested stay: 5–7 days for skiing, 2–3 days in summer. Note: Saturday is changeover day in the ski season, so mountain roads are congested; at high altitude protect yourself from the sun and watch for altitude sickness; the opening dates of the Col de l'Iseran vary each year depending on snow.

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Where to eat

Itineraries