Where exactly should you go for great snowboarding or skiing in the Alps? If you’re a snowboarder, here are two resorts you’ll definitely want to try.
If you’re into winter sports, you know that while there may be snow in many places, there’s nothing like snowboarding or skiing in the Alps. Whether you’re new at the game or already an expert at speeding down the slopes, the Alps represent the very best of the best when it comes to this kind of winter activity.
But where exactly should you go in the Alps for great snowboarding or skiing? This amazing European mountain range is so extensive that in many areas it’s hard to pick just one or two resorts. But if you’re a snowboarder, here are two you’ll definitely want to consider.
Tignes: Altitude, Altitude, Altitude
Tignes is one of the highest resorts in Europe, sitting at a height of 2100m - and you can ski or snowboard on slopes as high as 3550m. As one of the resorts in Espace Killy, it has access to 330 kilometres of pistes, varied terrain, and some of the best snowboarding (at various levels) you’ll find anywhere in the Alps. It's no wonder you find more snowboarders here than anywhere else at any given time.
For beginners to snowboarding or skiing in the Alps, the blue motorway blue runs are just perfect in Tignes. The huge expanse of off-piste terrain, on the other hand, offers amazing expert snowboarding - making it the choice of the Freeride World Tour every year.
The resort is surrounded by peaks in all different directions, and all are accessible by an excellent high-capacity lift network. Great bus services also ensure movement around Tignes and to Val d’Isere, which also has great skiing and snowboarding - including a valley of tunnels and little jumps that are great for children.
As the resort is above the tree line, it isn't considered quite as pretty as some others, and the apartments are more modern than quaint, but if you’re looking for serious snowboarding and skiing in the Alps, this is the place to go!
Les Arcs: 1600, 1800, 1950 or 2000
This is another resort that really has it all for anyone looking for great snowboarding and skiing in the Alps. Linked to La Plagne, to create the Paradiski ski area, Les Arcs offers some 400km of pistes of varying degrees of difficulty. Both easy and challenging pistes are available, making it suitable for snowboarders and skiers of all levels - which is why it is so popular with families and groups. For the more adventurous, there are also challenging off-piste areas as well as black runs from the Aiguille Rouge that make for some of the most exciting snowboarding and skiing in the Alps.
There are three main villages, Arcs 1600, Arcs, 1800, Arcs 2000, plus the new Arcs 1950 - but among them, Arcs 1800 is the most popular. All the villages are linked by road, while Arcs 1600 connects to the valley town of Bourg St. Maurice by railway.
So if you're looking for some snowboarding adventure, these two great resorts should be high on your list of possibilities.
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