Mad Dog Ski: Ski Resort guidebooks for Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland

Families - Tignes - France

With a little planning before you arrive, skiing can be a fantastic and rewarding family holiday. Children love the excitement of a ski resort and the eternal Christmas atmosphere and if they're older than four years old, they can start learning to ski and will soon be beating their parents down the slopes. Childcare facilities and ski school do get very busy so if possible book well in advance.


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Mid Range

Mark Warner

20 Kensington Church Street,London,
0870 770 4228
Mark Warner generally operate chalet hotels that are close to the slopes. They usually have good childcare ...
Mid Range

Chalet du bollin

Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 06 46 44
Lifts; Bollin, Tufs, Paquis, Aeroski, Fresse, Tommeuses. Pistes; Piste 'H', Prariond. Pedestrian; Bollin.  ...

Cinema

Val Claret,Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 06 66 62
Cine claret - Situated on left as you enter val claret centre, left of maison de Tignes.  English films are ...

ESF Tignes

Tignes,
With 250 instructors in their bright red uniform, ESF is the largest ski school in Tignes. Whilst there is no guarantee ...

Evolution 2

Head office,Val Claret Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 06 35 76
EV2 as it is now, is one of the mainstays of the Tignes ski schools. They have a number of bases across the resort and ...

Farfadets

102 Acorn Walk,London,SE16 5DX
+33 (0)6 89 28 81 50
Full and part-time English-speaking nanny service, covering Val d'Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, Courchevel & Meribel. They ...
Mid Range

Hotel Diva

Tignes,73320
+33 (0)4 79 06 70 00
Located on the Grande Motte road in Val Claret, the Hotel Diva is a good value mid-priced hotel ideal for families....
Mid Range

Inghams


0208 780 4433
They have a number of chalets and apartments plus the odd hotel. Children under 18 have free insurance so long as adults ...

Jacks bowling club

Palafour,Le Lac,Tignes,73320
+33 (0)4 79 06 54 84
Le bowling is next door to the spar supermarket in Le Lac, there are ten lanes for bowling.  This and their games ...

L'Escale Blanche

Le Lac,Tignes,73320
+33 (0)4 79 06 45 50
Situated in Le Lac centre, next to Maison de Tignes. The restaurant is reasonably priced, comfortable with very friendly ...

Marmottons kindergarten

Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 06 51 67 / +33 (0)6 81 52 31 69
Les marmottons is a private company who offer week-long skiing lessons and kindergarten for children aged three to eight ...

Ski esprit


01252 618 300
Holidays geared towards families or single parents with children. Complete childcare provided.  Sunday flights ...

Sledging

Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 40 04 40
Sledges are available to buy from hire shops and some supermarkets in the resort.  Many children enjoy sledging on the ...

Snow video

Val Claret,Tignes,
+33 (0)4 79 06 27 87
Located opposite the Tufs chairlift in Val Claret.  Rent their DVDs, VHSs and video equipment....

Tignes.co.uk

Tignes,
A Tignes-based independent travel website offering a range of accommodation from small studios to large penthouse apartments. ...

Tignesie Tots


+33 (0)619 304945
Recommended Tignes' based nanny service. Book quickly though as places fill up fast!...

Trampolines le lavachet

Le Lavachet,Tignes,
+33 (0)6 71 46 05 34
Trampolines, great for amusing the kids during the day or early evening. The trampolines have harnesses to ensure safety, ...

Trampolines, Le Lac

Le Lac,Tignes,
+33 (0)6 09 47 63 95
Trampolines, great for amusing the kids during the day or early evening. The trampolines have harnesses to ensure safety, ...

Village Montana

Le Lac,Tignes,73320
+33 (0)4 79 40 01 44
3-star Situated in Le Lac, this is a large but elegant complex of self-catering apartments and hotel buildings. Built and ...

Where to stay

If you're travelling with your children, you'll want to make sure you're booking into suitable accommodation, which isn't always that easy to be sure of. Self-catering is more flexible, especially in terms of meal-times, but can be hard work. Children love the social interaction of chalets and hotels and childcare costs can generally be shared but check who you're sharing with. Alternatively, book through a tour operator to have all the arrangements taken care of for you.

Top ski school tips 

  • Children generally can start skiing from around four years old (older for snowboarding)
  • Young children, or those new to skiing, may only manage half a day - it can be very tiring when they're not used to it
  • Plenty of high factor suncream is essential - factor 30+ and water resistant
  • Younger eyes are more sensitive so it is important to make kids wear good quality sunglasses or goggles all the time. If you only plan to buy one or the other, buy goggles.
  • If possible, book with an instructor who speaks good English so your child can understand the instructions and if there's a problem, they can understand it