A ski holiday in the Espace Killy is the perfect opportunity for some quality family time. Whether you’re a young family wanting to introduce your kids to the mountains for the first time, or an older family trying to spend some much sought-after quality time with your teenage kids, Tignes and Val d’Isere have plenty of activities to fill your days and evening with.
Below we have compiled together a list of things for families to do during their holiday in the Espace Killy. These activities, combined with staying in our beautiful family-friendly chalets, will give you and your family a holiday to remember for the rest of your lives.
Ski!
A slightly obvious choice for a ski resort, but Tignes and Val d’Isere are great for families wanting to ride this winter. With such a vast mountain range, there’s slopes and lifts for everyone – and plenty of beginner slopes for first timers.
There’s a nursery slope in Les Brevieres – located next to the Brevieres bubble – which has a drag lift taking beginner skiers halfway up the local slope, perfect for first-timers. Plenty of young children use this slope every year so, if accompanied by an adult, it can be a great play and practice area for little’uns.
There are also a variety of ski schools for young children, as well as adults, so you can leave your kids to practice their skills while you head off into the mountain. Club Piou Piou by ESF is a good option for younger kids.
For families with older children – see our guides to the Espace Killy for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders, for some handy advice on good routes to take.
Ice Skating
There are a couple of different ice-skating rinks in Tignes and Val d’Isere which are always very popular amongst families.
In Tignes Le Lac, there’s an ice rink run by Tignespace which lets you ice skate on the beautiful frozen lake. And in Val d’Isere, Patinoire has ice skating throughout the season, located in the centre of the town.
Swimming
The indoor swimming pool in Tignes Le Lac called Le Lagon is another very popular alternative activity in the Espace Killy. And it’s not just a standard swimming pool – Le Lagon has slides, rapids, waterfalls, bubbles, and shallow areas for kids to splash around it. So it’s good fun for the whole family!
Swimming can also be a great place to warm down your muscles at the end of a tiring day on the slopes and you get entry for free with your lift pass.
Tobogganing
Relive your childhood snow-days and hop on a taboggan for some classic snowy fun that never stops being a laugh, no matter how old you are.
There are a couple of organised tobogganing places which open in the evenings in Tignes and Val d’Isere. First, the Pala’fou in Tignes Le Lac has a 3km tobogganing slope, a 40-metre tunnel, and a regular slope. It’s all accessible from the Palafour chairlift so hop on up and slide on down!
There’s also ‘snowtubing’ in Val Claret which consists of sliding down the slopes in rubber rings. Kids as young as three years old can have a go at this, but it is also fun for all ages – getting up to speeds of 45km/h! This is located at the Grande Motte park entrance in Val Claret.
Or if you’d rather go DIY, you can hire out taboggans or sleds from a local equipment hire shop and head to whichever slope takes your fancy. However, this does come with possible risks so please be safe and sensible!
Cinema
There is a cinema located in Val Claret so if you’re feeling an evening in with some popcorn and entertainment this is an easy and enjoyable activity for the whole family.
Dog Sledding
Step into the boots of an arctic explorer and let a troop of furry friends guide your way through the snow. A great activity for the whole family, dog sledding is the perfect way to explore the mountains in style.
Evolution 2 organises dog sledding in Le Lac and in Val Claret, and Tignes Excursions runs it from Tignes Les Boisses – so get yourselves up to one of these points and mush your way across the Espace Killy!
Paragliding
Think you’ve conquered the heights skiing down some of the beautiful slopes of the Espace Killy? Think again. Paragliding can offer the ultimate mountain experience for those who just can’t get enough and those who want to see the snowy views from new heights.
Guided by experienced instructors, classes are held for all abilities by a variety of different companies including ESF, Tignes Parapente, Evolution 2, and Tignes Excursions.
Wilderness camp
For adults and children above the age of 16, Evolution 2 runs a wilderness camp for a magical family experience under the stars. From Tignes, the group – led by an experienced instructor – heads up to the forest near Les Boisses where the group sits round a fire and then eats an evening meal in the traditional yurts, before descending down the mountain by sled to Les Brevieres.
Ice Karting
Again probably better suited for older kids, ice karting or ice driving is the perfect go-to activity for the thrill seekers among you. Get behind the wheel and on to the ice and test your skills in emergency braking, turning,
counter-steering, and skidding – with the safety of a certified instructor to guide you through it.
You can book out a kart from various companies including Evolution 2 and Circuit Glace – and get the ultimate driving experience of your life in either Tignes les Brevieres or Val d’Isere.
Play in the snow
Don’t forget that with hundreds of meters of soft untouched snow across the Espace Killy, the mountains truly are your playground. Kids of all ages can truly lose themselves (hopefully not literally) in the heaps of snow just outside their front door. Make a snowman, an igloo, or even a five-story building if you’ve got the time!
Chill out in your chalet
Our chalets in the Chardons group are super family friendly and can be a great place to spend your evenings. With TV, game consoles, DVDs, and board games, as well as many having hot tub and sauna facilities, the communal areas of our chalets are a perfect place to get cozy in front of the fire and relax with your loved ones while the snow falls outside the window.
There’s a list of our favourite family friendly activities- let us know yours in the comments below!