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Named after French ski racer and three time Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy, the Espace Killy ski area is home to two of the best known French ski resorts, Val d’Isere and Tignes. These two areas are fabulous in their own right, offering a mix of excellent runs, snow and facilities. 

Shared between Val d’Isere and Tignes are 300 km of pistes served by an excellent lift system - the funicular at Tignes that takes you through the mountain and up to the top in 6 minutes is particularly impressive. There are 2 freestyle parks for the skilled and 2 glaciers offering excellent snow conditions and a nice long season - in fact Tignes has one of the longest ski seasons in France. There’s also around 44km of cross country skiing on offer, but frankly with downward bits this good we can’t understand why you wouldn’t pick up your snowboard or skis every time.

The two resorts are excellent in their own right but each offers something different from the other. They have their own vibe and their own advantages which helps make the Espace Killy such a great linked ski area.

Val d’Isere is well known for it’s popularity with the Brits and it’s lively night life. It’s always buzzing here but it’s not exactly the cheapest place. Slope-wise Val d’Isere has a plethora of excellent runs, and intermediates and stronger skiers will get the most from the terrain here.

Tignes is, quite frankly, a bit ugly, but sits at a slightly higher altitude than Val d’Isere and has the La Grande Motte glacier on hand as well as some of the most extreme off-piste skiing to be found in France.

Total ski area:344km
Pistes:154
Number of Lifts:87
Glacier skiing:Yes
Freestyle parks:2

1 day area pass:€38
6 day area pass:€192

Official website
http://www.espacekilly.com/

Linked areas:
Tignes, Val d'Isere

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  By air
  A number of airports are suitable for flying to the Espace Killy, generally you’re looking at transfer times to Val d’Isere or Tignes of between 2.5 and 4 hours depending on traffic. Geneva has the most flight options but is the furthest away with a 3.5 hour transfer. Chambery is the nearest and around 2.5 hrs away. Lyon and Grenoble are also options with transfers taking around 3 hours.

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  By car
  When heading here for skiing, ignore any GPS routes that direct you through the Petit Saint Bernard or Iseran passes as these routes are closed during winter. Tignes is a car-free resort so you need to park at one the car parks and get the shuttle busses into the resort proper. Parking in Val d’Isere is expensive.
  If hiring a car from the airport, Geneva offers the most options but the drive to the resorts is little less straightforward than from the other airports.

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  By train
  Bourg St Maurice train station is about 30km away, from there you can get taxis, busses or private transfer services to Val d’Isere or Tignes.