La Tania - A Shining Winter Jewel in the Alps

If you are toying with the idea of spending your skiing holidays in comfortable Alpine chalets, La Tania may be just the place for you. For charming self-catering chalets, La Tania is definitely up there with the best resorts in Europe.

The resort is a relatively modern ski station, which only opened in 1990. Conveniently situated between Courchevel and Méribel, the development of this tiny hamlet into a well-equipped ski resort was carried out with care and a sympathetic hand. The even better news is that it’s still not nearly as famous (or indeed as pricey) as its two more famous neighbours.

Quaint and Traditional

You’ll find very little concrete here but plenty of charming traditional wooden chalets and residences. Many of the chalets are ideal for large groups sharing, and depending on your preference, they can be available on a catered or self-catering basis. Even if you choose the non-catered option you’ll find the resort is more than well supplied with restaurants, some of which may offer take away facilities if you just fancy a night in but don’t actually want to go to the effort of cooking for yourself.

A Convenient Location

The location of the resort means you can sample the delights of both Courchevel and Méribel without having to pay the premium of actually booking your accommodation there – it is only a few kilometres from both of these famous resorts.

Other Attractions to Enjoy

Surprising as it may seem to died-in-the-wool ski enthusiasts, some people may also welcome the opportunity to do something other than skiing on their holiday in one of the ski chalets - La Tania will not disappoint. Although of course on a winter holiday snow is likely to play a part somewhere along the line! Here are some other activities you can enjoy.

• A stroll through the Alpine forests may take your fancy, although you will need to hire some snowshoes to avoid getting stuck.
• What about taking the opportunity to indulge in a little dog-sledding to see if that magic word ‘mush’ (or whatever the French equivalent is) really works?
• You could take a trip on the ski lift as a passenger and just sit in the sunshine with a glass of something hot enjoying the stunning scenery.
• If you are a bit more adventurous, you could try your hand at paragliding for even more spectacular views.

If all of this doesn’t tire you out, in the evening there are some restaurants, bars and cafes to keep you entertained, as well as opportunities to listen to some live music.

Top Skiing and Snowboarding

In terms of the skiing itself, the resort has runs to suit all abilities - including some black runs known as the ‘Ugly Sisters’ that could challenge even the most accomplished skiers. And, of course, these days no resort of this type is going to prosper without providing excellent facilities for practitioners of that other massively popular sport - snowboarding.

As you can see, you may find that you don’t actually end up spending too much time at all in your ski chalets - La Tania has too many things going on to stay indoors for long!

Danielle Hodges is the Marketing Manager for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service offering bonded holidays in La Tania and other fantastic locations. If you're looking for catered or self catered ski chalets, La Tania is ideal. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday call Ski Amis.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.