Tignes Le Lavachet
Tignes Le Lavachet (2000m) is the lowest of the three main villages, within walking distance (7mins). It could be seen as a subsection of Le Lac and is connected with the rest of the resort by three bus stops. During the day the buses run every 15 minutes and once an hour throughout the night, which is handy as nightlife in le Lavachet is relatively quiet, with TC's and Brasero being the busiest and best bars in the village. There are also a number of restaurants and Scotty's Bar as well.
Le Lavachet does however have its own sense of community, with many seasonaires choosing to live here. Already mentioned, one of our favourite bars in Tignes is TC's Bar, next to Le Lavachet Lounge. Run all year round by TC and his friendly staff, it has a friendly and lively atmosphere. Brasero was also opened in 2007 and is well worth a look both as a bar and restaurant. For a typical French meal and ambience go to the Le Bouchon restaurant; although not as lively since it's previous owner Alan left, it's still worth a look. Lavachet is completely self sufficient with numerous shops and restaurants. There is a lift pass office, Sherpa supermarket and a number of ski rental shops to choose from as well as a few locally run bakers and pizza places. Our nightlife guide will give you an idea of the best places to head in Tignes for a drink or a bite to eat.
To get on the slopes you can either catch a bus to the Le Lac stations, continue up to Val Claret, or as we do when staying in the area use the chair lifts. Two chairlifts operate out of Le Lavachet; Paquis which takes you to the Espace Killy side and Le Chardonnet which provides access to Les Boisses and Les Brévières. The nursery slope has a button lift which takes you to the top of the Le Lac slope. Here are some maps to get a picture of the complete ski area.
