Summer in Tignes

If you’re a thrill seeker looking to mountain bike or hike in the fresh mountain air. Then get planning a Summer in Tignes is well worth it!

However, as it is technically out of season getting yourself there and staying there if you are on a budget (especially if you are traveling alone) it can be expensive. If you are looking for some tips on how to get there, find somewhere cheap to stay and make sure you do as much as you can for as little as possible, keep reading.

How to get to Tignes:

Flights to Tignes:

If you are planning to travel to Tignes by air then makes sure Skyscanner is your first port of call. It’s the largest flight search engine, doesn’t charge you commission and it’s never let me down yet! Read my guide on finding cheap flights here.

The closest airport to Tignes is Chambery, however in the summer flights can be very expensive and limited.

The other airports close to Tignes are all around 3 hours drive away but open all year round, they are Geneva, Lyon, and Grenoble. As Geneva is the closest airport to Tignes that is open all year round and has budget flights, this is the airport most people use.

Flying to Geneva – This is the airport I would recommend as there are lots of flights all year round making flights cheaper. The public transport route is easy between Geneva and Bourg St Maurice. As a bonus Switzerland, it’s also outside of the EU you can get Duty Free!

Fliging to Lyon and Grenoble – During the summer there aren’t so many flights so flights tend to be more expensive and transport on isn’t as easy as it is from Geneva.

Travel from Geneva to Tignes

To get from Geneva to Tignes you will need to catch the train from Geneva airport to Bourg St Maurice. If you arrive during the day then there is a bus from the station to Tignes. Although there are only 1 or 2 per day, so be sure to confirm the times before you travel.

If you don’t arrive in time for one of the two busses then your only other options to travel between Bourg St Maurice and Tignes are to either take a taxi which costs around €90. Or you can hitchhike, which I’m assured by the locals is quite safe and very common.  I spoke to my sister who lives there and locals are always picking up people up and give them a lift up the mountain.

If all of that sounds a bit too much like hard work for you then make sure you check blabla car. Many locals who commute between Geneva and Tignes post on there to offer lifts cost is around €20 euro making it a really cost-effective way of traveling between Geneva and Tignes, and as an added bonus you get to spend 3 hours in a car with a local whose brain you can pick of information about what to do when you arrive.

If you have the budget or are traveling in a group then an Airport transfer is around 400 Euro

Another idea would be to hire a car for the week and drive yourself there and back. If you plan on doing some day trips and traveling around a bit then this would be the best option.

Helicopter – yes that’s right if you have the money you can get a helicopter transfer! This would hands down be the quickest way up the mountain but you would undoubtedly pay a substantial amount for it.

 

Tignes Accommodation

Tignes Apartments 

The best place to find reasonably priced Tigne apartments is on Airbnb or booking.com. Many locals leave after the Ski season ends and put their apartments up on there. Most of the apartments are small but have everything you need including a kitchen so you can eat in to save money.

To rent an apartment in Tignes it will cost you between €200-300 euro per week for the Tignes summer. Most of them sleep 3/4 minimum so the more people in your group, the more cost-effective.

Tignes Hotels

The Tigne hotels are lovely, however not great if you are on a budget. I think my Dad paid €84 per person per night half board to give you an idea. For that, they also got a complimentary activity pass and access to the Spa. Skyscanner also lets you search for accommodation and they include booking.com so it’s worth looking there first.

Tignes Accommodation Recommendations

Here area few places to stay in Tignes that I recommend:

Chalet Colettine

Things to do in Tignes

I have written a whole post on things to do in Tignes in the Summer so take a look at that here.

To save money make sure you get yourself an activity pass and use it. If you book a hotel it will be included, if you don’t you will need to buy one from the tourist information center. Cost is from €27 for 3 days. It covers everything from canoeing to archery.

Summer in Tignes Tips

Wear Sun Cream

Make sure you bring some high factor with you. It really is a must as you can burn very easy up there. My whole family burnt to a crisp in a matter of about 30 mins and suffered for a few days because of it. It may not feel very hot because of the cool wind but the sun is strong.

Be aware of the Weather changes

The weather can change very quickly so if you are planning on a day hiking make sure you pack for all eventualities, it’s wise to also pack some emergency supplies just in case as the rescue helicopter can’t get you in a thunderstorm. Don’t get caught on a hike unprepared, check the weather before you leave.

Plan to go Hiking in Tignes

If you are planning on doing some hiking then I’d recommend bringing walking sticks. Mostly for the decent. I’m pretty agile but I would have appreciated the extra balance as I was bounding down the mountain!

Prepare for the Altitude

Mostly people don’t notice much difference but do be careful when drinking as you will most likely get drunk quicker. Also walking uphill and doing anything when you might need to breathe heavier (like running) could be a strain. It doesn’t matter how fit you are it’s just how you are built. I found I was fine, I went running and didn’t notice much difference apart from when I ran uphill. Then I thought I might die for a minute or two…

Go careful traveling up and down the mountain

Take care when Cycling or driving up between Tignes and St Maurice as local drivers can be impatient and drivers who don’t know the roads often misjudge them. Take care on the corners and just pull over to let people overtake you at the passes.

Don’t worry too much about knowing French

Most locals speak English in Tignes. There is a large expat community living here all year round so although knowing some French is advisable it’s not a deal-breaker.

Tignes nightlife

TC’s bar – is open all round they do a wicked Saturday morning fry up from 10 am (you will find my sister in there most nights of the week propping up the bar, if you see her say hi and buy her a vodka and coke as she gave me all the information for this post).

Marmot Arms – is a very friendly bar, the staff are always up for a laugh. It’s a sports bar so you will always find some kind of sport on the TVs and they do a wicked burger.

Embuscade – is a French bar but there are lots of English-speaking people who go there. They do cocktails and lot of deals at happy hour. If the weather is nice they have a lovely terrace where you can relax with your cocktail.

Loop Bar – is another pub with English-speaking staff. They have a big sunny terrace and younger chill-out vibe to it.

Tignes Restaurants

If you don’t want to eat in one of the Tignes restaurants then there are a lot of shops spotted all overall where you can buy food to prepare yourself if you are on a budget.

There are also lots of taking aways offering a delivery service in Tignes (you can even get Raclette and Fondue delivered in Tignes)

Cheap places to eat out in Tignes:

Pizza and Crêpe snack bar

Ron de Vous – reasonably priced range of French food and pizza and pasta

Or you can eat in any of the bars mentioned above for a reasonable price.

Parking and Travel around Tignes

There is a free local Tignes bus that you can get to take you around the resort that runs throughout the day.

Parking is free all over Tignes and there are local taxis.  But everywhere is the walking distance so you shouldn’t really need it.

This post was proofread by Grammarly