Après-Ski / Nightlife

If your vacation resolutions include paying as much respect to the nightlife as the skiing, stay at Val Claret (or be sure to at least visit). The hottest spots are right in the center of town, around the corner from the Office de Tourisme. Val Claret is much more compact that Tignes Le Lac, so finding each hub shouldn’t be very hard. Get jiggy at the Crowded House with a variety of good dance music, a social atmosphere, and occasional theme nights. L’@robaze Café (0479 06 49 94) kicks it off at 4 p.m. with hot chocolate and warm wine and keeps its bar open until 1:30 a.m. You can use the Internet here at €8 per hour, shoot pool, or dress up for theme night (two nights a week). Daffy’s Café/Tex Mex (0479 06 38 75), decked out with Mexican/Western decorations, is great for the boisterous (or hungry!). It serves snacks and drinks from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. You should at least swing through Grizzly’s Bar (0479 06 34 17). If the light, warm atmosphere, comfy seats, or vast fireplace entice you, stay for a while. The Mover Café (0479 06 32 64), where the young and British seem to gather, sports a layout just right for groups of party people.

At the foot of the Tufs chair lift, you can choose from three beers on tap at the Fish Tank (0479 06 46 60), which tends to be mostly an après-ski destination (don’t miss happy hour everyday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). It boasts a couple of large-screen TVs that show sporting events from 8:30 am to 1 a.m., and offers mixed drinks and snacks too. Drop into the Roadhouse Café (0479 06 35 91) for some pool, some drinks and occasionally some live music.

If you are staying at Tignes le Lac, you’ll find almost all the action at Le Bec Rouge, on rue de la Poste. Le Café de la Poste (0479 06 36 10) is a spacious bar/nightclub with fun employees and a billiard table. You may find live music entertaining and a dance floor that should be hoppin’ until the early morning. This is one of the places the seasonals like to party. Stacked right on top, La Grotte du Yeti (0479 40 07 36) invites those 18 and older to hang out in a wide open, rustic, wooden après-ski/bar. The atmosphere attracts young people from across Europe. Across the street you’ll find the Powder Café (0479 40 07 36), a small internet café/snack-bar. Alongside Le Bar American (0479 06 37 80) is a quiet, well-lit, pizzeria/café/bar that serves crepes and pizzas.

Nestled within the Bec Rouge, the Embuscade Café (0479 06 59 51) usually hosts an older crowd. Best suited for conversation or billiards, it is a dim bar with a high ceiling for conversation or billiards. On the east side of the apartment grouping (within which there is a fairly extensive gallery of shops and restaurants), there is another hub of nightlife. Le Bowling (04 79 06 39 95) consists of a simple little bar alongside 10 bowling lanes, which are open from noon to 2 a.m., seven days a week. A few steps away, beside the video arcade (also open from noon to 2 a.m.) is Jack’s Club (0479 06 54 84), a typical pub/bar and disco open from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Yorin Café (0479 06 55 20) shows freeride videos all day long for hearty après-skiers, and then through the night the in-house DJ lays down the tunes.

If you're still energized when the bars close, head to the discos that don’t even begin to crank until around midnight. Melting Pot pumps euro-dance music and regularly hosts celebrity DJs. It’s a big place with plenty of space to either sit or dance. Le Blue Girl (0479 06 51 53) plays music just as loud as the Pot and hosts excellent DJs.

Censored in Le Lavachet is a stop in from the cold. With a warm fireplace and warm people, this joint is always a good stop after a long day of skiing. Live bands entertain the international crowd three nights a week. People in Le Lavachet not looking to bus to the other towns tend to gravitate toward Censored.

Also in La Lavachet is Le Petit Pub, a small apres-ski sports bar where a good game is always showing. Head to TC’s Bar (0479 06 46 46) for their 4 to 6 p.m. happy hour, or for snacks anytime. Check out www.TCSBAR.com for more info on special events and on theme nights.

The bus system runs into the night, but the stops change to pick people up in front of the discos.