Skiing in La Tania Ski Resort
La Tania is an ideal destination if you are looking for a traditional, quieter and family friendly resort. It is a little charming village nestled in between the Courchevel and Meribel resorts which all together form the Three Valleys.It's commonly whispered to be the best kept secret of the Three Valleys.
La Tania was actually built for the Albertville Winter Olympics in 1992, however, despite its modern origins, the buildings and the overall layout were beautifully designed to reflect its traditional wooden Savoyard heritage. There is a calm yet whimsical vibe you get at La Tania especially with the alpine styled chalets looking very snug, dotted amongst spruce trees in the resort. La Tania is also the least expensive of all the 3 resorts and its location in the middle makes it very convenient to experience all 3 of the resorts of the Trois Vallees.
La Tania sits at a respectable 1400 meters and has a total of 150km of ski runs; however, as part of the worlds largest ski terrain, access to 600km of pistes across the Three Valleys is just a gondola trip away! There is also a free bus that runs between all Three Valley resorts which means pedestrians and non-skiers still get to visit all Three resorts quite easily. The slopes at La Tania run right down to the village so it's possible to ski all the way to your accommodation. Interestingly, there are no cars allowed on the resort as its a pedestrian only resort. It is possible to ski anywhere on the resort and lifts are never more than 10 minutes away.
Recognised more as a family friendly resort, La Tania does not have a frenzied party atmosphere, however, what it lacks in boozy club nights and DJ sets, it makes up for in good quality restaurants, bars and amenities for children. There are also non-ski activities available such as husky sledding, paragliding and hot air balloon rides for a stunning view. La Tania is approximately a 2 hour drive from Geneva Airport as well as the Lyon Airport, but only 1 hour and 20 minutes drive from Chambery Airport.
La Tania is the quieter resort out of the Three Valleys with Courchevel and Meribel the bigger and busier resorts thus making it an ideal location for beginners and intermediates aiming to hone in and improve their skills on less crowded slopes with relatively low distractions. It is a much smaller resort and thus has fewer runs but there is an excellent lift and gondola connection with Courchevel or Meribel should skiers wish to access the rest of the three valleys on the Les Trois Valley pass.
Beginners There are easy nursery slopes and free drag lifts at La Tania for young children and fresh beginners. For beginners feeling a bit more confident and are looking for a challenge, catch a lift to the Courchevel valley for more blue and greens. The Plain Fontaine is the perfect run for this; windy, quick and an easy confidence builder that takes you right back to the village. The Folyeres is a wide open speedy blue flanked by lovely woodland and also takes you right back to the resort. More open greens can be found on Courchevel 1850; catch the Verdons or Jardin Alpine up the slopes for a gentle descent back down to Courchevel 1850.
Intermediates La Tania perhaps is best suited to intermediates with its selection of blues and reds most notably Moretta Blanche and Folyeres, however, a lift to Courchevel presents a wide range of more challenging runs. If you find yourself up the Courchevel Valley, it is possible to ski all the way back into the heart of La Tania; the Lanches (red piste) just above Courchevel 1850 is a red run that feeds into the Folyeres (blue) which leads you straight into the village; a great ton of fun and one to definitely chalk on your list.
Advanced Advanced skiers are certainly not left out on La Tania; the Dou des Lanches is a steep and quick run that also feeds into both the blue Folyeres and the red Lanches. You can also head up the Foret lift for the Jockeys tree-lined steep black through the woods above Courchevel 1300. If you’re a holder of the Les Troi Vallee ski pass, you can access the 3 valleys and its entirety and its plethora of black runs. There are also off piste opportunities under the Dou Des Lanches chair lift at La Tania; it is a well known off piste however, ensure you have a guide when skiing off piste for the first time in the area.
There are a few off pistes opportunities in La Tania for snowboarders however, the majority of snowboarders jump on the lifts and head to Méribel and Courchevel on the Les Trois Vallées ski pass. There are also a good number of snowboard instructors across the Les Trois Vallées who are available to teach new starters and intermediates.
There is great off-piste action in Meribel, as well as two snow terrain parks popular with visiting snowboarders, so if you are fancy sharpening your skills and having a bit of fun with fellow snowboarders, that is one of the places to be.
The Maudit, Chamois and Renard red runs are popular red runs favored by snowboarders on the Saulire side of the Meribel Valley.
Snowboarders can find half pipe, baby pipe, table tops, rail slides and other obstacles at The Plantrey Snowpark in Courchevel 1850. The Plantery is also a boarders only snowpark.
Snow Conditions in La Tania
Sitting at a respectable 1400m altitude, La Tania still gets a decent amount of snow however this is also supplemented by a highly efficient snow making system which comprises multiple snow cannons to ensure the slopes stay pristine.
La Tania does have some of the best snow conditions in the region. It has north facing slopes and is recorded to hold its snow up until April.
La Tania is a family friendly resort and very much the smaller and quieter of the Three Valley villages. The Apres-Ski has more of a mellow rustic vibe and the night spots are bars and pubs rather than clubs. There are the occasional parties and late nights but none with the fervor of the other resorts. For families or couples seeking about a bit of calm for their ski trip, La Tania fits the bill.
La Taiga Bar
It's a modern bar with a rustic atmosphere owing to the crackling fire inside. It's small and cosy but could feel smaller when there is a crowd. Serves really great cocktails and has merry live music twice a week. There's also very good food and families and young children are welcome. Live sports as well for the enthusiasts.
Pub Le Ski Lodge
A very popular spot with locals and visitors alike and located just at the bottom of the slopes. Pub Le Ski Lodge has the unofficial reputation of being the central social hub in La Tania. Serves good food in the afternoons before the hour starts from 4pm to 6pm. The pub is open everyday from 10am until 2 am and features live music every weekday. There are also occasional parties and drunken evenings but nothing too raucous and out of the ordinary. Great prices too!
Chrome Bar The Chrome bar is another lively bar located close to the slopes. Equally popular amongst locals and visitors, the Chrome Bar offers a good range of drinks for beers to cocktails and other beverages. There are live bands and live music featured on the odd occasion.
An interesting feature of La Tania is its proximity to the Meribel and Courchevel. If you fancy a livelier apres ski, you can head over to any of the other resorts and party away. At La Tania you can have the best of both!
For its size, La Tania has adequate facilities to cater to all visitors, families and couples and solo travelers alike. The facilities are on par with most other resorts in the region and matched with very reasonable prices. La Tania does also have facilities offering a lot of fun non-ski activities such as indoor climbing, indoor ice skating, bowling, ice karting and dog sledding.
There are multiple ski hire operators in La Tania so if you happen to be short of some essential ski gear or suffered a loss of ski equipment during your trip, be rest assured that you will be able to hire ski equipment on arrival. Some visitors would rather not invest in ski equipment and prefer to hire for the duration of their stay. For information on ski hires, check the local tourist offices, ski schools and hotels. There are also ski hire operators in nearby Courchevel such as Inter Sport and Examples of ski hire operators are Inter Sport.
Check out La Tania ski passes page for more information.
La Tania does not have any spa facilities as most are in the nearby Courchevel valley which also has an Aquamotion centre complete with spa and pool. There is a free shuttle to and from Courchevel. The Aquamotion features a 32ºC indoor and outdoor lagoon, a 25m long swimming pool as well as a 110m rapid river canyon slide which can be found in the children's and toddlers section. The good news for the future is that there are new additions being planned and are under construction for 2021 including a new swimming pool. In the meantime, the Le Montana hotel in La Tania does have a sauna, pool and fitness centre. There is also a massage service which can be booked, however, for bigger choice and variety, you are better off heading to Courchevel or Meribel.
There are a good number of shops in La Tania ski resort. Whether you are after groceries, gifts or tourists ornaments and souvenirs, you can find all these in La Tania. Sherpa Supermarket is the grocery shop with all your essentials and more ( they even have a wine cellar!) There's everything from basic groceries, pharmaceuticals, local delicacies and souvenirs. They work closely with local producers as well. Great location and easy to get to. If you are after local pastries, the local bakery Au Pan D’Antan offers traditional delicacies of excellent standard. In operation since 1963 and local to Courchevel, they also have a shop in La Tania ski resort.
Children are very well taken care of in La Tania. Children's facilities are amongst the attributes which list La Tania as a family friendly resort.
There is a good selection of established as well as independent ski schools on La Tania ski resort that specialise in childrens lessons. New Generation is one of the most well known and reputable ski schools. They have English instructors and teach both ski and snowboard for children at different skill ability levels. have very good reviews. Other well known and reputable ski instructors in English at La Tania are SkiBro and Oxygene.
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You can easily find creches and independent childminders and nannies at La Tania. Most notably is the La Tania Creche which looks after children from 4 months old. There is also the Piou-Piou club which looks after children aged from 3 years and above. MeriNannies also operates in the Three Valleys and are experienced certified and CRB checked and approved professionals in childcare. T4 Nannies also offer private nanny care across The Three Valleys resorts. Another private nanny service local to La Tania is SnowBugs Child Care and Private Nanny Service who offer quality child care and entertainment for young children within your accommodation. Contact either of the services directly or ask at the tourist office for additional choices and suggestions.
Child Entertainment at La Tania Ski Resort
Dog sledding is a popular hit with children visiting La Tania ski resort especially if they like animals. There is a free bus service to Courchevel 1850 from La Tania where kids can have fun in a Native American themed camp complete with intergames and exciting activities and obstacles.
La Tania sits at 1400m altitude and is the lowest of the Three Valley resorts. Despite its moderate altitude it still gets up to 85cm of snow and its north facing slopes ensure the snow is preserved for longer periods. For the size of the mountain, there are still 150 km of runs which is impressive, however, the extended ski area has 600km of piste combined which are connected via 183 lifts. The Three Valleys Mountain range is considered one of the largest ski terrain in the world.