Villaroger, France + Add a trip

Automobiles

From Geneva take the A41 to Annecy, the N508 to Ugine and Albertville and then the N90 to Moutiers - a drive of about two hours. From here follow the signs to Bourg St Maurice then Tignes Les Brévières which will take an additional hour. If you pass the dam you've gone too far.

Planes

Chambéry airport is nearest and just under two hours away. Flybe has winter services from Southampton, Norwich, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle (www.flybe.com). It's a bit over three hours by car from Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva airports depending on weather conditions.

Trains

Eurostar operates a daytime and very convenient overnight Ski Train service during the winter. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays, stopping at Bourg St Maurice, 20 minutes from Tignes Les Brévières (www.eurostar.com).

Dialing

Country code for France: +33. Tignes: (0)4.

Reads

Do go / Don't Go

Tignes is the most snow-sure resort in the Alps and its ski season is one of the longest. Thanks to the glacier at Grande Motte there's skiing almost year-round except for a short period in September. The area is popular for canyoning and white-water rafting in summer, too.

Cuisine

Raclette, tartiflette and fondue are delicious and will replace all the energy you've expended on the slopes. Wild mushrooms are particularly good in fondues and the local smoked pork and cured ham is full of flavour, too. Epogne is baked dough filled with cheese and vegetables and makes a great snack. Forest berries and orchard fruits are often made into irresistible desserts.

Taxis

Pre-book a taxi via your chalet manager; there's no permanent taxi office in the village but a ride can always be arranged. If you're in Val d'Isere call Bozzetto Taxis on +33 (0)4 79 06 02 50.

Tipping

A service charge is normally added to your bill (service compris) in restaurants and cafés but it's still customary to leave a small tip. For taxi drivers, add 10 percent to the metered charge.

Currency

Euro.

Packing

Arts

Tignes Les Brévières has a fine church of its own but Val d'Isère's village church dates from the 17th Century and has a fine baroque interior. Appropriately the church is dedicated to St Bernard the patron saint of skiers and mountain dwellers.

And...

It's possible to take a scenic flight over Tignes and the surrounding mountains for a truly unforgettable view of the Alps. The flights are available via the Aéroclub du Palet (+33 (0)4 79 06 57 60).

Shopping

There are only a limited number of shops in Tignes Les Brévières. For retail therapy and ski gear Val d'Isère is a much better option. Killy Sport at the Tourist Office and the Billabong and Quiksilver stores at the Kandahar Hotel are worth a browse.

Viewpoint

From Tignes Les Brévières at 1550 metres you can ride the ski lifts to the highest point of the Espace Killy ski area where the Grande Motte cable car reaches almost 3500 metres.

Something

There's a nursery slope with a free drag lift in the village so it's a perfect place for little ones to learn how to ski.

Mid December Men's Alpine Skiing World Cup events is held in Val d'Isère. 1 and 20 January The Snow Show in Val d'Isère features Freestyle skiing, torchlight descents and fireworks. Early March The Black Shoes Telemarking competition in Tignes showcases this graceful form of skiing and combines it a lot of partying. Mid March The Classicaval Festival brings a programme of classical concerts to Val d'Isère. Mid April TignesFest is a free music festival featuring new acts.