Travel book · Alpes du Nord

Skiing Tignes-Val d'Isère: 300km of slopes and the Grande Motte glacier

By the AEC Collection team Updated on 26 July 2026 4 min read

At 3456 metres, the summit of the Grande Motte cable car sits upon the glacier. The cabin holds 125 passengers in a single rotation, sometimes 130 depending on conditions. It is the highest arrival point in the Tignes-Val d’Isère ski domain, formerly Espace Killy, named in honour of Jean-Claude Killy, triple Olympic champion from Grenoble 1968. The panorama extends beyond the French Alps: Mont Blanc, Grand Combin and Gran Paradiso are visible. Below, two resorts share the terrain.

The domain connects Tignes (1550-2100m) and Val d’Isère (1850m) across 300 kilometres of marked slopes, served by 76 mechanical lifts. Coverage spans all levels; the joint pass has granted access to both sides since 1985. Standard season: December to May. On the glacier, skiing extends into summer, from 5 July to the end of August.

Two resorts, one valley

Val d’Isère begins at 1850 metres in the valley floor, on the Route de l’Iseran. Tignes le Lac and Tignes Val Claret, higher up, sit at 2100 metres, on the rim of the glacial lake of the same name. Tignes Les Brévières, the lowest outpost, opens at 1550 metres. Skiing starts directly from the hotel threshold, with no shuttle required: it is one of only two or three major French resorts where lifts depart truly from the village.

The highest skiable summit reaches 3456 metres, at the foot of the Grande Motte (3656m). The glacier offers a descent of 1350 metres’ vertical drop directly to Tignes Val Claret, one of the longest in Europe. On the Val d’Isère side, the Solaise sector and that of Pissaillas (3300m) cover long south-facing slopes.

The Grande Motte glacier

Access is via the underground funicular railway at Tignes, opened in 1993. Seven minutes’ ascent at 3000 metres, through a tunnel cut into the rock face. Then the Grande Motte cable car takes over for the final 450 metres of vertical, up to 3456 metres. Allow 25 minutes in total from Val Claret.

The glacier opens for skiing year-round, except in May, June (thaw) and October, November (maintenance). In summer, skiing takes place in the morning before 12:00, when the snow is still firm. International schools and national teams train their slalom racers there during summer camps.

The sectors and their character

Val d’Isère side: Bellevarde and its Face de Bellevarde (the men’s Olympic downhill run from 1992, open to the public under certain conditions), Solaise for families, Pissaillas and Col de l’Iseran for guided off-piste. Tignes side: Toviere and the Aiguille Percée sector for blue and red run variety, Palafour for beginners, the Grande Motte for long, sustained descents.

For experienced skiers, guided off-piste around Col Pers (via Pissaillas) and the Vanoise traverse (Val d’Isère → Champagny-en-Vanoise over two days) are the classics. ESF and independent schools (Snocool, Mountain Masters) offer routes on request.

Val-d'Isère

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Passes and access

The Tignes-Val d’Isère pass grants access to the 300 kilometres of shared slopes; Tignes only (155km) or Val d’Isère only (145km) passes remain available for short stays. Dynamic pricing introduced in 2024. Online purchase 8 to 30 days in advance for the best rates.

Access from Geneva: 2.5 hours by car, 3.5 hours by train plus bus (TGV to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, then Altibus coach). From Lyon, 3 hours by car. Val d’Isère’s open-air car park is 2 minutes from the centre; hotels and chalets typically have their own parking spaces.

When to visit

January (outside school holidays) for fresh snow without crowds. Mid-March for long days and sunny terraces. April for spring snow and lower prices. The first week of July to open the glacier season without the summer school holiday visitors of August.

Planning a stay in Val d’Isère or Tignes

AEC Collection selects and represents around twenty properties in Val d’Isère and Tignes: slope-side chalets, apartments at La Daille, suites in collective chalets with services. All are inspected by our agents before entering the collection.