Tignes Glacier Skiing in June

By Mark Sturgeon
Published June 2025

A typical day's skiing on Tignes glacier in June

The glacier in Tignes is open for summer skiing and snowboarding and what a treat it is to carve down crowd-free pistes in a T-shirt and shades with the whole Tarantaise valley laid out before you.

I think I have begun to despise crowded resorts, skiers jostling for space and lift queues that rob you of precious snow-time when you could be hurtling down ski runs instead. This is possibly why I choose to ski in April each year with the family, rather than pay heftily for the peak dates of February when everyone ‘thinks’ the snow should be better.

Video: Tignes & Val spring & summer conditions 

I appreciate the mountains more these days as a calm haven of tranquility. Best enjoyed without the crowds and when you have the sense that you really are on your own, carving a unique furrow (preferably down a piste). There’s a certain satisfaction that can be derived from doing things outside of the box, away from the fray and glacier skiing in Tignes ticks all those boxes.

June 27th

It was Thursday morning, the 27th of June and I awoke with a beamy smile. A veritable jolt of happiness sprang me out of bed. I mean, when was the last time you actually jumped out of bed? Well, today I did, and it was because I was going skiing! 

After a quick, but hearty breakfast (mostly egg-and-bacon-based) we got into the car and drove the 20 mins up to Val Claret from our hotel Tetras Lodge in Tignes Les Brévières. It’s a lovely drive with a takeaway coffee to hand, (better than walking half a mile in your ski boots with whining kids in tow), and we parked close to the 'Destination Glacier' funicular railway. This is a mountain train that goes up through the rock to the summit at 3000m and to where the ski pistes start. We bought our lift passes through the Alpine Elements rep at the hotel so there was no queuing, just park, walk a hundred metres and straight on the train.

Heading up the Grande Motte to 3456m

At the top of the funicular then instead of skiing straight down we patiently headed up another level using the Grande Motte cable car to reach the heady height of 3456m. There was no queue, no stressy skiing types jostling for space, so we ambled straight onto the cable car for the impressive ascent. We even had space to perform some stretches and fill our INSTA accounts with vistas of the Alps.   

You probably don’t appreciate how high 3456m actually is, until you get there. It may have you [ever so slightly] out of breath, but the sensation, the invigoration and the freshness of it all puts you at risk of an addiction waiting to happen. 

We admired the views, took a few more selfies and then strapped in to our skis and boards, smiling with that excited feeling you always get when you ski for the first time in ages… but it was an excitement on steroids because of the uniqueness of our high altitude environment… oh, and the fact we’re about to ski in summer!

Pit stop at the Panoramique

After a couple of amazing runs down to base level (a chair just below the Grande Motte cable car) we make our way to the Panoramique restaurant for cake and coffee and a ‘high altitude high five’ as we struggled to wipe the smiles from our faces. At 3000m it’s one of the highest restaurants in France and the views are to die for.

Velvety smooth pistes 

Once suitably caffeinated, we made our way back to the cable car for more of the same and spent a glorious morning cruising around soft but ‘track-free’ pistes which is kind of like skiing snow with an inch or two of depth and a lovely velvety texture. It means you can’t catch an edge, you can’t make a bad turn and you end each run feeling like a skiing god!

How to.. & what to expect

First, book a holiday in late June/July, because August is very hot and not a guarantee the glacier will remain open. We stayed in Hotel Tetras Lodge in Tignes Les Brévièresand were spoiled with 3 course meals but you can self-cater for less in Tignes itself. 

We self-drove to the alps and each morning it was a pleasant 20 minute drive up to the free parking in Val Claret which is at the base of the funicular. You can go earlier for the 7.30 train, but we left the hotel each day at 8.30 for the 09.00 train. This gave us 2-3 hours of skiing which was plenty enough.

It is largely t-shirt / hoody skiing but plan for all weathers as believe it or not, it does snow in July  and you can definitely get sunburn if you don’t apply any cream!

Fact box

• The lifts open at 07.30 and run until 1pm
• Lift tickets €48
• 25Kms of piste
• 6 ski runs open (one very long run)
• 3-4 lifts open
• Glacier is open mid-June to end of July (snow dependant)
• Ski lessons and ski/board hire available locally