La Tania, France

Essential advice for the perfect trip

La Tania was originally built as a dormitory for the 1992 Albertville Olympics. It’s situated a couple of kilometres from Courchevel Le Praz (1300) and has rapidly evolved into a pleasant little family resort in its own right. It has the doorstep skiing of Courchevel and Meribel, along with its own enjoyable home runs through the woods as our guide to the mountain explains. Incredibly 95% of visitors here are British and, as a direct consequence, prices here are markedly lower than in its higher French neighbours.

If God made Courchevel for skiing, He made La Tania for families

La Tania is the near perfect destination for families and, with an unusually large choice of around a dozen ski schools for such a small resort, is one of our top ten places to learn. It is car-free and just about every property is ski-in, ski-out. Where to stay depends largely on whether you want a chalet holiday with half-board or whether you choose to self-cater in a wide choice of apartments located in the heart of the village.

Low resort, but low prices too

A big plus point of La Tania is that by the early 90s the French had learned from the mistakes of Les Menuires and La Plagne. So although this is purpose-built, the architecture is modest and doesn’t try to compete with the mountains. A collection of attractive Scandinavian-style chalets set in the woods above the village adds to the cosy mountain ambience. The cost of lunch or dinner here is lower than anywhere else in the Trois Vallees.

One problem is where to party, as nightlife is limited to a handful of bars. But then if you come here with children as most visitors do in the peak weeks at least, that shouldn’t put you off.

1. 

   
   Guide to the Mountain
2. 

   
   Where to Stay
3. 

   
   Where to Eat
4. 

   
   Where to Learn
5. 

   
   Where to Party

We Love	We Hate
The easy access to the Trois Vallees ski area, with all the skiing but very little of the hustle and hassle. The family friendliness. The sweet little Scandinavian-style chalets set in the woods above the village. The tree-lined pistes – one of the best places to ski in the area when the light is flat. The low prices in the resort restaurants.	The low altitude (1350m) – not usually a problem, but when a warm spell hits in the second half of the season, the lower runs get slushy. The lack of after-hours buzz. If you want to party till dawn, make Meribel your base instead.