Tignes vs La Plagne this year

Hey guys! My parents and have currently got La Plagne booked for the last week of January but the snow cover is currently looking pretty bad and we could possibly move our bookings for no cost to Tignes.

We usually ski one or two weeks a year and I'd say my father and I are advanced compared to the majority of skiers, though he is getting older (50, I'm 17) and tends to get tired doing too difficult stuff. My mum isn't too great unfortunately - her technique is pretty bad but she can get down most reds and below.

We've been going to La Plagne for the past 5 or 6 years and we've enjoyed it but I think I want a change of scene. How does Tignes compare for entirely on-piste skiing? We don't really want the pistes and lifts to be too busy either and La Plagne seems to be more spread out and has more lifts and pistes, but people always seem to say the skiing in Tignes is better.

So to those of you who've skied the resorts, what would you recommend, taking into account the snow coverage at the moment and the forecast for the upcoming month?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply :)

I've skied both a number of times and personally prefer La Plagne. However I would say that the pistes are on a par with each other, both resorts have a glacier and they aren't particularly far from each other as the crow flies. We are going to Les Arcs on 7 Jan having changed it from the first week of Feb in Val Disere (for personal reasons) and I wouldn't have thought about the snow being any better due to geographical location.

I'm praying for a snowfall in the next week, as you know the weather can change in an instant and yes the resorts can differ as well but I think the snow is pretty much the same.

If you do want a change then go for it, Tignes is sightly uglier than La Plagne :)

Last week in January is still a while away yet, and the current high pressure won't last forever... :roll:

If it's just piste skiing you're after, then there's not much to choose between the two; either in run options or snow cover. Tignes might have a slight edge snow-wise at present but both have lots of good skiing available at altitude.

Personally I prefer Tignes, as I find the runs are a bit more varied but that's very much my personal opinion and lots of people love the classic wide-open runs La Plagne is known for.

I wouldn't say the snow is enough of a reason to change resorts at the moment, but - as you say you've been to La Plagne for a few years, then Tignes would make an interesting change for you.

I think it's a close call in the "ugliness" stakes (sorry Nelly); both have high rises that challenge our "chocolate box" notions but they're functional, convenient, and - I think - in keeping with their stark surroundings.

I'll be posting up a short report from our trip to Tignes later today, so that might help also.

With regard to the forecasts, the collapse of the current high pressure is pretty much impossible to predict with any certainty regarding the when - they're stubborn sods - and the major forecast models are struggling. That said, it does look like there will be some snow pushing into the East of The Alps this week - possibly as a precursor to a greater change in the first week of January - but nothing remotely certain yet.

Skied both Tignes and La Plagne few times. Stick to La Plagne, end of Jauary is way off and conditions wil almost certainly change for the better, Don'tl forget, as already mentioned, La Plagne has a glacier and is virtually as snow sure as Tignes. Also, La Plagne has possible more varisation and, if the snow comes as it will, you are not constantly skiing above the tree line as in Tignes giving more variation and choice of villages, restaurants etc.

I've skied both and would choose Tignes over La Plagne. Enjoyed the latter when we were there but the link to Les Arcs not as good as the one in Espace Killy and also endured horrible queues in La Plagne (30 mins +).

Agree that there is a lot more tree skiing in La Plagne and therefore more variety.

I have a friend in Tignes this week, she said there's plenty of snow at Le Lac and above that, there's also snow forecast for Monday & Tuesday so hang in there!

Been to both and would be happy with either. If I really had to choose, it'd be Tignes on account of possibly longer, tougher runs (although there are some great long greens (called easy blues elsewhere) above VDI for your mum), cheapish beer ( happy hour 7.5€ for 2 large beers) and better lift infrastructure. VDI and Follie Deuce also nice pluses. LP has the more varied runs, didn't think night life was great. If you have been to LP the last couple of times, I'd go for Tignes.

Skied La Plagne 5+ times and Tignes/VDI 3 times. La Plagne wins for me hands down, (even without Les Arcs).

No complaint with Tignes per se, but I enjoy the layout of La Plagne more. I find the variety of runs better in La Plagne too, but that contradicts others' thoughts. So Swap for the sake of a change if you want, but not if it's just based on conditions now.

However, if glaciers are thrown into the mix, then I've read La Plagne's glacier is being left completely ungroomed this season, so is now only for the experienced. Good or bad remains to be seen in Feb.