 Poster: A snowHead
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After three fantastic years skiing in Saalbach one of my mates has dropped a bombshell and said he fancies a change. I like the look of Italy and I'm wondering what resort is the closest in terms of the bits of Saalbach that we like...
Gentle pistes
Enough to keep a lazy skier interested for a week
Few or no drag lifts
Good / cheap mountainside restaurants
Under 2 hour transfer
Decent bars
We'll probably go end of Jan so the resort doesn't need to be snow sure. Happy with DIY or TO. Budget <£900pp (H/B but excluding life passes).
Of course, we might just "bin him off" and return to Saalbach without him!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never been, but from what I've heard Sauze d'Oulx might tick the box from an apres/nightlife point of view.
From a gentle piste, good food, short-ish transfer and decent bars (but not Saalbach-lively) point of view Cervinia is worth a look. I loved skiing in the Dolomites, but it is fairly quiet nightlife wise, I think Selva is probably the liveliest.
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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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The simple answer is that there isn't a Saalbach equivalent in Italy, but there are a few resorts which tick a number of the boxes. I think @hammerite, has picked the two which tick the most. Sauze is best for nightlife, has plenty of kms. There were a few drags when I went, but that was some time ago now and they've had an Olympics there since then!
Selva was the one I would say is nearest in most ways: loads of kms, traditional feel, great restaurants, good lift system, under 2 hours from Innsbruck (but beware, not all TOs fly there). Unfortunately nothing like as lively as Saalbach, but a few decent bars nonetheless. I would recommend it for a change of scene.
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Sauze does have a few drags, or Sestriere more, but I have been late Jan twice in last few years and cannot praise the place enough. Great food on slopes and reasonable prices, snow has been excellent, but most of all slopes quiet and Phenomenal! The Olympic run into Sansicario and Gran Pista in Sauze are just the most amazing runs and the Ghost bar is excellent. Everything I read about the Dolomites is positive but I would happily revisit Via Lattea over and over again. If DIY to Sauze I recommend Roberto Vitton at Sauze taxi for transfers and Eydallin Sports for ski hire
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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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Champoluc/Monterosa might fit the bill?
Gentle pistes - mostly red markers but really mostly blue motorways
Enough to keep a lazy skier interested for a week - only you can decide
Few or no drag lifts - not one that I can think of
Good / cheap mountainside restaurants - yep
Under 2 hour transfer - depends on which airport you fly in to
Decent bars - only you can decide but there are a number of them, never impeded us.
We have availability in our apartment w/c 13 Jan if of any interest, details here http://bit.ly/2reOplO
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| under a new name wrote: |
Champoluc/Monterosa might fit the bill?
Gentle pistes - mostly red markers but really mostly blue motorways
Enough to keep a lazy skier interested for a week - only you can decide
Few or no drag lifts - not one that I can think of
Good / cheap mountainside restaurants - yep
Under 2 hour transfer - depends on which airport you fly in to
Decent bars - only you can decide but there are a number of them, never impeded us.
We have availability in our apartment w/c 13 Jan if of any interest, details here http://bit.ly/2reOplO |
You are doing a good job of selling resort.
After many years skiing in Austria 🇦🇹 I would love to try Italy 🇮🇹 and this ticks a lot of the boxes.
Just wondering what are the nearest airports.
Also are the snow making facilities good.
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@2waterford, Turin & Milan closest airports
You shouldn't need artificial around there in late Jan. Only thing it doesn't tick in your criteria is decent bars - the place is dead at night
I would say it's a better option than Sauze though if you're more concerned with snow reliability than apres or bars
You could loOk at Cervinia too? Has everything on the list but cheap, it's not exactly cheap. Or Livigno, if you can extend the transfer time
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@moseyp, you haven't visited the Golosone then have you, nor Pachamama...
It's not at all dead, but in fairness it is not throbbing like e.g. Val d'espair.
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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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Tbh we dont actually ski in saalbach but in a place called lofer about 30km away amd night life is pretty dead so night life is bottom of the list
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@2waterford, then you'll like Champoluc
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| moseyp wrote: |
| @2waterford, then you'll like Champoluc |
Thank you and just checked Ryanair fly Dublin Turin
Actually flight gets in around 8pm, how is the drive from Turin airport at that time of night
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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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@2waterford, it's grand, on the autostrada most of the time. tolls are a bit of a pain but not too terrible from turin. you can look them up on the website http://www.autostrade.it/it/home
there's also a bus but not sure if you'd be arriving a bit late
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| moseyp wrote: |
@2waterford, it's grand, on the autostrada most of the time. tolls are a bit of a pain but not too terrible from turin. you can look them up on the website http://www.autostrade.it/it/home
there's also a bus but not sure if you'd be arriving a bit late |
Thank you, will be picking up carhire, my husband doesn't really do public transport  just about does a ski bus
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You know it makes sense.
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actually i don't think the bus goes up that way. driving tolls about 25 each way it seems
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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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| Quote: |
in a place called lofer about 30km away amd night life is pretty dead
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The night life in Lofer was pretty lively in "Where Eagles Dare" - it was used for the village scenes. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1 for Monterosa/ Champoluc.
We stayed in gressoney in January, which is pretty quiet, but central in the resort. Imagine Champoluc is a bit more lively as it more compact and seemed busier when we went there.
Skiing in resort is great, very high, good conditions and food is amazing. Don't miss Frantzer!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@tjgadd18, Champoluc isn't exactly lively, as such, I'm not sure the Pachamama bar (jailbait) runs late anymore and the days of my wife, her siblings and cousin coming in straight from the nightclub, somewhat over-refreshed and heading straight up the slopes are long gone.
But there are a handful of decent bars. And some excellent restaurants.
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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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The Via Lattea would take some beating, as said.
Sauze if nightlife is important, or over the hill in Sestriere, bit quieter but enough going on. Probably be going back sometime in Feb '18
Late Jan you could probably do it for around £600, or less, with a TO.
Or the Dolomites but depending on exact resort may be more than a couple hours transfer.
Not sure how the compare to Saalbach, never been, but I'd guess they fit your other criteria.
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Selva is probably the liveliest resort in the Dolomites with a German/Austrian vibe to the apres, quite a few watering holes, but maybe not as crazy as Saalbach.
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