 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all. Stupidly enough (so my wife tells me!) I booked some cheapo flights to Milan Malpensa tonight and then thought about the resort afterwards! Yes I know it should be the other way round, but a few beers and I was off.
So........anyone got a decent recommendation for a resort somewhere within a couple of hours drive from Malpensa? We're taking the family (1 beginner and 3 intermediate skiers).
Thanks for any advice chaps/chapesses!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I don't think it is stupid: for 4 people airfare is a big part of your budget. When are you going?? Are you looking for transfer or will rent a car???
You might be able to get to Selva/Sella Ronda in 2-3 (rather 3) hours if you are driving. It is a highway almost all the way to Selva. Beautiful scenery and huge area to ski.
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audi321, Take a look at Aprica - that's in the Sondrio district, not quite as far up the system as Bormio. I went there a few times with groups aeons ago and we had a lot of fun especially with the beginners.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Aosta valley wld be a good bet, nice resorts and a shorter drive. I'd plump for Pila.
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Alagna? Macuganaga?
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I have done the same in the past - cheap flights to Milan, booked them. Waited until two weeks before we left to see where the snow looked good. We have done Aosta Valley from Milan, also Dolomites. Loads of choice
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Livigno is about 2.5 hours - excellent for beginners with a great area just behind the main town and some good, accessible stuff for progressing. Intermediate heaven IMHO. Town is nice with plenty of going out options. Nice and high and pretty reliable coverage.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Remember that Malpensa is quite along way north east of Milan. You are not that far from the Aosta valley. I would regard it as a good choice of airport considering the frequency of flights, prices and choice of resort. Last year we went up to Gressoney in the Monte Rosa ski area from Malpensa for a weekend. The road is mainly motorway and took about 2 hours of relatively easy driving.
I once flew into Malpensa for a climbing trip to the Dolomites. Never again. It is about a 3.5 to 4 hour drive and the drive is not easy. If you want to go to the Dolomites then fly to Venice, or at a stretch Bergarmo, which, even though it is a very long way east Milan, is marketed by one "everything costs extra" airline as Milan.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers everyone. It's boxing day out so should be busy, so a quieter resort with cheap kids slopes which aren't too far from the hotels/etc would be perfect. Also, I am prepared to hire a car, but a resort with easy/cheap transfers would be better. (I don't ask for much do I!!!)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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johnE, Malpensa is North WEST of Milan and quite a long way out. Milan-Linate is on the south east side and closer to the city centre. We always flew to and from Malpensa for Aprica but Aosta is also within easy reach. My father flew in and out of Malpensa a lot (as a pilot for BA) and always observed that in winter you were lucky if you landed where you were supposed to as it is notorious for thick fog. We were often diverted for one leg or the other to Torino!
There's plenty of choice up to a point, but if you are flying on Boxing Day then you are going to straddle two peak weeks (Christmas week and the more popular New Year week). Whilst not many Brits may be travelling that day, you can bet loads of Italians and other mainland groups are. Europeans tend to stay at home for Christmas Eve with the extended family and then start rolling towards the ski resorts on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as they are guaranteed to be truck-free days. The days after Christmas Eve do not have the same significance to europeans as they do to Brits and Americans.
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audi321, just to be different, take a look at Madesimo. Take the autostrada that runs up the eastern edge of Lake Como (it's mainly in tunnels and v fast) and then head towards the Splugen Pass that drops you into Switzerland. Madesimo goes up to about 3000 metres and there's a lot of vertical there. Quicker getting there than disjointed places like Aprica.
Nearest to Malpensa of all though is Macugnaga - huge vertical there too, goes up to 3000m. Just skirt up the western edge of Lake Maggiore and it's up there somewhere. It's about 50-60 miles.
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You know it makes sense.
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Samerberg Sue, Yes I made a mistake and only thought about it after pressing submit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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audi321, be aware that renting from an Italian airport you are unlikely to get a winterised vehicle - snow tyres unlikely, snow chains may be thin on the ground and also that the diesel (if it is a diesel) may well not be cold weather proof. Will need to add a little petrol or get some cold weather additives.
(The diesel situation may have changed recently, there was a discussion on here last winter I think).
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Poster: A snowHead
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http://www.bielmonteneve.it/
...must be the nearest at 86km but it's a twisty journey and Viamichelin reckons 1h52. Might as well go to Aosta in 2h06 for a bigger resort or, for bigger again, Cervinia in 2h32.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bormio is about 2.5 hours drive the motorway route is easy ... we did scenic round Como going and auto route on way back both quite easy
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'm flying to Milan and staying in Gressoney. It's about a 2hr drive
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Cheers again all. I've decided on hiring a car (which is now booked) so I'm now looking at the easiest resort to get to.
I like the look of bielmonteneve as Googlemaps tells me it's only 1 hour drive from Malpensa? Has anyone been there? Is it ski to door type or gondola? Any other info on it?
Cheers again
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| under a new name wrote: |
| audi321...get some cold weather additives. |
Having had been given a diesel hire car a few years ago that did not have this, be very careful. Ours froze up, couldn't be restarted and had to be towed back by to the airport whilst we got a taxi. It took a day to sort all this out instead of skiing and we were very lucky we didn't discover this on the day we were due to return 
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Cheers for this information guys, I hadn't even thought about diesel freezing up! I'll ask for a petrol car then if possible. Still haven't decided on resort yet, but I may go to the only resort I've been to in the area before which is actually into France (Montgenevre). Googlemaps says it's 2.5 hrs, but I know the resort is ski to door and nice gentle wide slopes at the bottom of the town.
Unless I find a nearer resort in the meantime which is similar that is!
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Yy to the freezing diesel issue - we have had this and it was a major, major PITA.
If I were you I would call your car hire people to discuss the availability of chains and winterised tyres. Snow + no suitable equipment+ car full of passengers = disaster waiting to happen.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you're happy with a very very small resort you could look at macugnaga. Not been but considered it many a time.
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I've done Milan and then the Monterosa area (Champoluc, Alagna, Gressoney) a couple of time. Under two hours drive I think, and quite easy - motorway and then one road up into the hills. Great area, especially for off-piste, but pretty quiet. I stayed once at a refuge up around 2400m - magic when the lifts closed and everyone had gone.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have skied a lot from Milan, often on long-weekends, so here's a few thoughts: Foppollo is a small and quirky old-school place. Alagna is close, but really a specialist off-piste resort. Gressoney and Champouluc are both long drives, as a hairpin route. Simplest is to drive to Aosta (lovely valley town) and get the Gondola up to Pila for a couple of days, short drive on to La Thuille, which can be very cold early mornings. Not too much further up to Courmayeur, good car park and Gondola up to the ski area. Also, drive to Valtounenche and get the lift to Cervinia, saves a lot of winding driving. Good Auotostrada at the whole way, but it's expensive after Aosta.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi
Take a look at Madesimo - perfect for your requirements and group.
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