 Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks to some sound advice from Snowheads I have booked a DIY holiday flying into Geneva and staying 7 nights in La Thuile from 7th April.
It's the first time I have booked a week without a TO and we are only staying B&B (in Hotel Du Glacier).
Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations for the evenings?
I'm also keen to take advantage of the 2 days skiing in other Aosta resorts. I'm planning to go to Courmayeur for one day and was thinking about Pila for the second. Has anyone tried to get from La Thuile to Pila by public transport? How easy is it?
Any other resort/ skiing information would be very gratefully received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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EdYarker, it's definitely worth taking a day to ski in Pila and Courmayeur. I was in Courmayeur for a week in late March, and skied a day in each of La Thuile and Pila. I wasn't that fussed about La Thuile, and I doubt I'll ever bother with the trip across to La Rosiere again. Pila, however, was brilliant. It's a lovely resort, with a good variety of pistes, and fantastic views of the Matterhorn from the top. I'm afraid I can't help over the public transport experience, though, as we were in a big group so hired a coach.
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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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For restaurants, check out Pepita Café - on the main Petit Saint Bernard road, a bit above the town centre (next to the petrol station).
Pizza starts at 6€ if that's all you want, but they do some really top-notch posh food too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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EdYarker, there are busses between La Thuile and Courmayeur and La Thuile and Aosta (for gondola up to Pila). Check out the website for times and details:
http://www.savda.it/it/index.php
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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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I stayed in Courmayeur for week earlier this year. I did day trips to Pila and La Thuile. The bus fares were between €4.50 and 6.00 return. One took about 40 minutes, the other an hour, but both passed quickly, very pleasantly, efficiently and on time. I Liked all three resorts, with the snow conditions in Pila and La thuile being significantly better than courmayeur. Just watch out for the really long looking (number 7 maybe?) red run, the bottom of it is really flat and tedious, especially if you're on a snowboard!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rogg, is that the long red down to resort in La Thuile?
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Thanks for the info so far. The bus to Aosta seems to take about 90 minutes as you've got to make a change, but by the sound of things it's worth it to have a day in Pila. I will definitely check out Pepita Cafe as well. It sounds great.
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+1 recommendation for pepita cafe. Also try la crèche, in the centre of the village, similarly priced food to pepita or la Grotta for really cheap pizzas, pretty good too. Enjoy, we loved la thuile, very jealous as our skiing is over for this year 
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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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sugarmoma666, yes. It's got some nice pitches over the 'back' of the hill, but as it makes its way back around the loop it's really flat, with a long section of cat track which is on the skew, so if you're not clipped in on a snowboard you slither to one edge of the piste the whole time. (I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell me I should take a lesson or have bad technique or something  )
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The restaurant La Rascard used to have a fantastic reputation- no idea if it still has 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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La Rascard is now La Tata - fantastic steaks and venison. La Grotta is great for pizza. Coppa Pan does hearty mountain food (just by the gondola). Best place for a beer is La Cage, and also Angela's in town is very pleasant. Basically, in La Thuile you have to be trying very hard to have a bad meal. The Du Glacier is a great choice of hotel, and Suzanne, the owner, will organise restaurants for you.
On the mountain, the Foyer does a dauntingly hearty minestrone, and the Roxy is great for pasta.
Red 4 is a really lovely home run, and usually fairly quiet, as are most of the pistes off the Argillion or Belvedere lifts.
I chuffin' love La Thuile 
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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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Went to La Thuile 2 years ago and 4 nights out of 7 ate at La Lisse and we were very impressed. Friendly and very reasonably priced with a lovely cozy atmosphere.
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Just thinking of posting a question about La Thuile, Courmayeur and Pila, and then this post comes along.
Been to Pila on an away day having skied in Monterosa. Spent a day bumbling around, found that we had covered half the resort without really knowing where we went, a few really nice reds on the bottom left of the piste map, would have liked to have done the reds in the top right of the piste map and the blacks. Lots of stuff in the middle which seems to mean you end up back on the same runs. Would like to go back though.
Back to La Thuile, and what's it like, Compared to Monterosa?
La Thiule says 150 km of piste, is that accurate? Looks like there are some nice blacks, what's the rest of the resort like?
Courmayeur says 100 km, but then I read that includes un-pisted runs that are not shown, and that it is really just 40 km.
The travel times between the resorts seem to be what I worked out looking at the timetables.
Courmayeur seems to be cheaper, is it worth staying there and bussing to La Thuile??
Sorry for hi-jacking the OP, but similar questions.
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You know it makes sense.
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Bruisedskier - I'd say it'd be best to stay in La Thulie and get the bus down to Courmayeur. The piste skiing at Courmayeur is surprisingly limited, although of course you can access the Vallee Blanche from there. The ski area at La Thuile is much bigger, particularly when you factor in that it is linked to La Rosiere in France.
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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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You'll have seen all of Courmayeur in a day if you ski at any pace.
ajpaul, are you thinking of the cable car access on the Courmmayeur side of Mont Blanc? If so that's been closed this season. I'd tend to agree though, stay in La Thuile day trip to teh others.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Bruisedskier, I went to Courmayeur a few years ago for a long wekend and was actually a bit disappointed. We covered most of the slopes in a day, the off piste wasn't that good (conditions were poor- so not the resort's fault in fairness) and even the town didn't offer a great deal for apres ski IMO. There again it was a lads trip and for couples/ families it maybe more suitable. Seeing as it's free on the La Thuile lift pass and only about 30 minutes away I think it'll be worth a visit for us to show my OH, but I wouldn't stay there again.
Pila looks more interesting, but is further away for us, but I think we'll still give it a go, as all write ups seem positive. On the other hand we may be too stuffed to get anywhere seeing how fantastic all these restaurants sound. Thanks for all the tips everyone.
Has anyone been in the area within the last week or two for a snow report?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Love Pila and very easy to get there. Bus down to Aosta and then use the Gondola (on your pass) up to the resort.
It is not huge and you can do all the runs in a day but that is fine for me as I never ski a run the same each time.
Only 2 bottle necks on weekdays, much busier on a weekend. If you come up and arrive between 8:45 - 9:45 it can be a 5min wait if you ski down to the Chamole lift. This can be missed by skating right off the Gondola to the Village lift and then taking Lesse lift higher. Come back down later in the day to do runs 1,2 & 3 when they are quiet. Also the funnel down to Lesse lift gets busy at lunch and end of the day can be avoided by coming down run 14 or using run 4 with a switch partway down across to 3 (tricky to find but worth it.
Mostly reds and I enjoy 3 the most. Blacks higher up with no grooming off Couis 1 for off-piste but does get skied out quickly. Some off-piste between runs.
For snow like pilaski on Facebook as she posts most days from resort. Good snow this year there so will be a good base not sure what they have had recently as we did not go this year so not been watching.
Best value Prossecco (free nibbles) at either huts off La Nouva lift runs 5 Chatelaine & 6 Societe (this one is tricky to find as it is tucked away off the natural "half-pipe" valley)
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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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We skied Pila and some friends came over from Courmayeur for the day. They thought Pila was much better.
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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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You won't be troubled looking for excellent food. Try the restaurant in the Miramonti hotel - superb food. Bit pricier than most but worth it for a night.
For pizzas, pasta, etc. La Lisse is a fantastic option and very reasonably priced.
Also, Le Chocolat in the village is a wonderful café serving excellent coffee and amazing chocolates and ice cream. Well worth a stop there at some stage.
Pila a lovely resort but you'll only need a day (if that) there. Buses are frequent and cheap but you'll have to change at Pre St Didier to continue to Pila.
Was there two weeks ago - snow was fine although getting a bit thin and patchy on way down to resort. Loads of it from top of main resort lifts and above. Bit slushy in the afternoon especially if you head to French side, which is south facing.
May be more snow before you get there or during your stay. According to our ski guide, winter in La Thuile is far from over. Some snow fell higher up on the last day of our visit there. La Thuile an excellent resort although as previous poster mentioned, the main resort run would not be snowboarder-friendly.
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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 all, I'm looking to go next year.
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FAQ
