First off I found out about the Mytignes card if you are staying in one of the official partner hotels in Tignes you get this card for free. This gives you access to a range of activities including and most importantly mountain biking. But also the big swimming pool all the La Lac water sports etc but mostly mountain biking. This is after all that we were going for. I am riding my Hope Tech HB130 and fully kitted by The best biking kit on the market Endura. Super Lucky to be an ambassador for both brands.
Hotels
First I will be honest with you throughout this post. It was hard work to find a hotel in Tignes it was not as simple as I am used to that is for sure. We found a few good deals and booked Résidence Inter-Résidences Pierre and it was lucky we did. This is in the Val Claret area of Tignes.
This hotel is a typical ski part hotel with one main living room that has a little kitchen area. With two hobs, a microwave, fridge, and a dishwasher. This had room to sleep 4 with two in a bunk bed and a little bath with a shower overhead. This is important as we could not find the information anywhere it was not apparent if we had a shower. Our room had a balcony where the bikes could be stored. It also had a swimming pool and sauna. That makes it sound super posh but it was an average hotel. Nice enough for two bikers and lots of biking kit. It also has free parking across the road.
We later found out that our second choice of a hotel does not let bikes in your room. Hence why I said it was lucky we booked this one. Defo check you can take bikes to your hotel before booking.
The biking
First things first I must say there are so many trails here it is incredible and all included in MyTignes card or 16 Euros your a day. Under MyTignes card, you have access to 160km of trails. Ranging from green to black and purple. There are specialised Ebike trails too. They class some trails as enduro and some downhill. I will be focusing on the trails we did and spent most of our time on.
I need to mention here do not book the last week of uplift. They shut all but the Toviere gondola and the whole village it would seem. After the 28th very very little was open and there was no information anywhere about this. Anyways back to it.
There are two main gondolas and three chair lifts.
Here is a rundown of what grades are off which gondola. First I need to mention the difference between the UK and Tignes. On a green trail, there can be big jump options in Tignes take a run down every trail before committing to anything. There are massive gap jumps on routes you would not expect here in the UK. Dont worry there are chicken lines. They are just options but sometimes they look ok but are big jumps and gaps. So ride with caution people.
From Tignes La Lac
Palafour chair lift which is accessed from right beside the main village. This seemed to be where we saw the most families and beginners. This chair lift is the only front wheel scoop you put your bike on yourself here.
This has the following trails
- Green smoothie -super fun for every levels.
- Blue jump- around fun fun fun
- Red Red hot - a bit techier with lots of loose rocks and a couple little drops
- Purple Palaf which appeared to be a black trail to us here in the UK - Epic techy step-sided rocky with some incredible step berms
These all return you back to the Palafour chair lift.
There are also a couple of extras from this chairlift.
- Blue Tarte A Lognan is a great blue which ends in Val Claret so perfect to end on if you are staying over in Val Claret. It does have step berms and some loose rock sections.
- Red Called Rocky trail. This trail is epic and would be black here but I do not say this lightly this has a very very long push over a walker's trail to get back to the chair lift. If we had more time I would have loved to do this again but the pushback was a lot and I am a fit person. it was very steep and not bikeable
- Black SV Salon de La Vache this one takes you to Tignes Les Boisse where you need to get a bus uplift back so we didn't do this as it would have taken a lot of time out of the day.
Toviere gondola (La Lac)
This is a smaller gondola which fits two bikes and bikers in it.
From here you have the following trails that take you back to the bottom of the gondola
- Black Karmasutra is a great black trail with techy features including jumps steep sections and techy corners and rock
- Black Gypsy accessed via a blue called gun powder -one step techy corner with rock overhang techy
- Black Black metal accessed via gun powder further down good black with techy steep sides and big steep berms
- Black Moustache The techiest trail here with severe steep sides and no get-off points, not for the faint-hearted
Other trails can be accessed but you need to ride back (only about 5 minutes mostly downhill) over to La Lac or head back up Tufs chairlift
- Blue Gun powder big fun berms
- Blue Funky Tufs super fast and flowy blue has small red option.
- Red Kangooride this one is just a tighter version of the blues.
A trail that takes you to Val d Isere from Toviere and Tufs
- Blue Borsattack fun blue which links into Val blue.
From Val Claret
Tufs Chairlift here your bike is put on the carrier by the chairlift operators.
From here the trails go back to the bottom of the chair lift and also to Val d Isere and over to the Borsat chair lift. So this has a lot of access from staying in this area.
The first trails that loop back to Val Claret mentioned above too as Tufs and Tovieve gondola top station are the same. So gun powder, Funky Tuf and Kangooride.
Borsat chairlift
Which is called Bellevarde on the park map and counted as part of Val d'Isere area. This is another chairlift where your bike is loaded for you. These trails take you to Val d'Isere
- Purple Very bike trip - Epic black one of my favourites long techy with some climbs but views to kill for totally Instagram territory.
- Blue Blue Lagoon - nice long flowy bermy blue links into Val blue
Trails which take you to Val Claret
- Green Bollinette -fast and flowy
- Blue Tarentaise - Steep-sided blue trail
- Red might be a blue Fresse Tagada - tight berms like gunpowder.
- Black Scarefresse - has a massive drop to start
Val d'Isere
Olympique gondola
This is the far the biggest gondola it has space for a few bikes and bikers and has a bike mount on the floor. I do not recommend using these unless you want a mechanical. The trails from here are some of the longest in the park.
The trails from here take you back to this gondola
- Green Popeye is the easiest and beginner-friendly trail nice and long at 13km
- Blue Val blue 8.6km of fun fast trails with options of jumps but super chill.
- Red Fast wood accessed via Val blue start this has nice drops and jumps 6km
- Red Tabasco more natural in nature
- Purple Rock n Ride Awesome super rocky trail very different in nature to others.
- Black Bellev'hard was closed when we were there
So that is all the biking in Tignes and a quick overview of the trails. I will be putting up a few Youtube videos on Tignes and you can follow me on Instagram for more biking stuff.
Another couple of insights about Tignes.
Bike shops
The biggest bike shop was in Bourg Saint Maurice called Labo. There are Intersports through all the villages in Tignes. Not a whole lot of options for kit but enough that should get you through. You will defo be able to pick tyres etc but I would stock up in brake pads especially if you run Hopes Techs like me. I mean why wouldnt you, they are the best brakes. I only found one store that had Hope items and no brake pads when I was there. So pack spares.
Food
Restaurants and food shopping here are expensive. This is something to bear in mind. It is more expensive than other areas of France I have stayed. If you want a large supermarket stop in Bourg Saint Maurice on your way. We went to the Super U but there is a lot in this area. The biggest bike shop was in Bourg Saint Maurice called Labo.
Best crepes
I sampled a few but the best I found
Val Claret - Creperie Le Planté de Baton sweet savoury just all amazing
Tignes La lac - The Break which is located beside the Palafour chairlift.
also Croq Burger super lovely service here and good prices.
Waffle/ Ice cream Val Claret
Really good place just past the sherpa supermarket but I can't find the name. They make waffles and ice cream with handmade waffle cones.
Pizza
Takeaway. There are two SOS Pizza in Val Claret and one in La Lac great pizza both are really good takeaway pizzas.
Restaurant Brasserie du Petit Savoyard is expensive but nice food and great service.
Bakery
Rogers run by brits good bakery for your pastry fix.
Mid Trail lunch
Le Trifollet This one is located halfway down Val blue. Excellent for hotdog and beer and a lovely view. There are signs on the trail which say the snack bar is worth a stop for sure.
I hope you have enjoyed this little round-up of a trip to Tignes If you have any questions I can help with please do let me know either here or over Instagram.
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