 Poster: A snowHead
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Still not made it skiing in Italy, so it’s the plan for 2020!
Looking for recommendations...
We’ve really enjoyed resorts like Mayrhofen and Morzine over the years. We are blue / red run cruisy skiers. Like good food on the mountain and a bit of entertainment off it. Am also personally not a big fan of getting buses to go skiing (we’ve taken our car to Mayrhofen before...), although happy to walk through town as well as ski in ski out. Wasn’t a fan of Les Deux Alpes and neutral on la Plagne / Les Arcs.
Many thanks!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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base yourselves in San Casino or La Villa in Alta Badia, there you can ski for miles, and miles and miles. It is easy to get onto the Sella Ronda circuit from there, also war tour, Santa Croce tour etc etc. There are very many Michellin Stars in a 15km radius of there. Will that do you?
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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 love Sauze d'Oulx. Lots of very accessible skiing across the Via Lattea, lovely mountain restaurants, slopes never seem that busy, picturesque town, short transfer from Turin, very reasonably priced.
Downsides...
Lifts are a bit old (and therefore slow) - but trade that off vs the lack of people/queues and I reckon you still get around the mountain at a decent rate
Need to stay at the top end of town if you want to avoid using a ski bus (or leave your skis in the lockers at the Clotes lift and walk) - but that's not really a downside - just something you need to plan for
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The Dolomites! Selva Val Gardena is a great base for heading off for day trips in different directions. Only downside is that after I went for the first time I then found everywhere else in Europe wasn't as good!
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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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My favourites - no particular order. None of them are like LDA or LP/LA.
Arabba, Gressoney le Trinite, Madonna di Campiglio.
But, really, it's Italy. What's not to like 
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Why not book yourself on the Birthday Bash. Feb 1st 2020 in Arabba and join 110+ Snowheads.
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We just came back from Neilson Chalet Eidelweiss in Sauze. It was fab. The week were were there it was ski in and out, it's about 100 metres down to the Jouvenceaux lift, and at the end of the day you can ski back in via a short cut from the red run back to the lift. If there's not enough snow it's very close to the lift, but would be a walk up-hill back to the hotel. It's below the main town, but there is a mini bus up the steep hill in the evenings (we didn't use it).
This season there is only 2 black runs back to Sauze if you venture over to sestriere or San sicario, but if you're confident on reds, the 2 blacks really aren't as bad as many others I've skied on. They are wide and pisted. We had an excellent week skiing.
We had so many mountain restaurants to choose from, and a fab away day to Montgenevre in France too.
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If you want miles and miles of skiing then the Sella Ronda ticks all the boxes. Arabba would be my choice.
If you want a really nice classy town with a few good bars and a great ( but not huge) ski area then it has to be Madonna.
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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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Like to join this thread with interest as we are looking for another Italian resort for next year too. We have done last 3 years in Pila which we got via recommendations from Snowheads (thanks guys). But having skied 3 years where now we feel ready for the next resort. Similar size, high, and far from the madding half term crowd!! We have actually found Pila to be fairly quiet during half term and manic busy at weekends with locals !! We like cruise blues and easy reds and a few trees for kids to ski through with little jumps !!!
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@Hils68, Try La Thuile, it's a good ski area on its own, with lots of long red and blue pistes in open bowl that lead to runs through trees, good variety of restaurants bot on the mountain and in ton. The link to La Rosiere adds another dimension to the area which is covered on the same lift pass.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you. I have been to La Thuile before many years ago and really enjoyed it. So yes I think it’s certainly a high contender - I wondered about Cervinia or the Dolomites too ??? Half term ???
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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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@Hils68, La Thuile has very nice piste skiing but it is a dead hole of an evening and bitterly cold, much better to visit for the day.
Places for a weeks holiday in Italy IMHO would be Madonna, Cortina or anywhere on or just off the Sella Ronda. I have visited lots of other Italian resorts and in the main they are generally less boisterous than Austria at apres time but happier than France.
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I've got flights to Milan for next Thursday 7th march till Tuesday 12th - we're planning on Sestrière - should we change our minds? Haven't booked accommodation yet but airbnb has availability and its only £250 for the whole stay. Ski pass is £130 I believe.
Many thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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Champoluc...
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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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Cervinia, and if you want a cheap and friendly b and b about 50yards from a lift... Hotel Perruquet. Agree Sauze is good and Arabba too for skiing reds, San Cassiano/Alta Badia more for blues and anywhere in the Dolomites for your food needs. Arabba not exactly lively though, unless you take up the suggestion of the birthday bash when I guess there may be more happening.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Shawsy, every where is relatively inexpensive generally and most of the resorts that I've visited have spectacular views, but that's usually a given in the mountains?
I have not found lively apres anywhere in Italy, it's a completely different vibe to Austria, more Aperol spritz and nibbles outside in the sun people gazing.
I would suggest you have a look at the following, Cortina https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Cortina-d-Ampezzo my particular fave, proper valley town, really outdated lift system, inconvenient lift stations but really great skiing locally and nearby, oh and truly spectacular vistas.
Following on from here anywhere on or around the Sella Ronda, these resorts are quieter in the evenings but still great places to be, again beautiful scenery.
Another I would recommend is Madonna de Campiglio https://www.campigliodolomiti.it/en/pagine/dettaglio/skiarea,134/skiarea_campiglio_dolomiti,12.html another lovely area and nice skiing.
Cervinia is nice too and here you can ski over to Zermatt around the Matterhorn. http://www.cervinia.it/en/inverno/home
Also had a great time in Bormio, https://www.bormioski.eu/en/ Great hill and other villages nearby.
The choices are endless and some are a bit of drive to reach but well worth the effort.
We've recently had week in the Via Lattea which was OK but nothing to compare with these other resorts that I've listed, IMHO.
Hope this helps.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you... some great ideas there and look forward to looking at them all. We are stuck with February half term so the quieter the resort the better.
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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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Thank you... some great ideas there and look forward to looking at them all. We are stuck with February half term so the quieter the resort the better.
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Personally, I find Cervinia a bit boring and flat. And the village has little to recommend it, as far as I can see.
Madonna is OK, but a bit of a long transfer.
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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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Another vote for the Dolomites, having stayed in Selva a number of times I was pleasantly surprised by Val di Fassa this year, so much that I went back. Easy access to the Sella Ronda plus the skiing between Alba and Pozza. If quiet-ish village suits Campitello is nice. For slightly more lively, Canazei.
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I've stayed in Corvara and Val Gardena on the Sella Ronda and whilst both were nice, they were nothing to write home about. Also the lift system isn't all that as you do the whole loop. Italy does struggle in the 'entertainment off it' IMO. Sauze D'Oulx is decent for skiing but the apres ski was super quiet last time I went. Also it's a pain to get to the lift(s) from your hotel. Just back from Cervinia which I was very pleasantly surprised with. I had low expectations as I thought it was a dull village. A few good apres bars (both in the English noisy pub style and Italian more cosy style) and some great restaurants. Cervinia also benefits from the link to Zermatt of course. It would be my pick of all those mentioned above.
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I can't say I've ever thought the lift system serving the Sella Ronda was anything but modern. There's a couple of 4 man non-detachables with retro fitted magic carpets, but otherwise I can't think of a non modern lift. If you seek them out of course there are a few old lifts, there's a 2 man from Alta Badia taking you back into circuit, but you don't have to go that way and there's never a queue anyway. It's also hard to get a bad meal on the slopes (but not impossible).
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We've gone for Sestriere - £230 airbnb, £30 flights, ski pass £130.
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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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Re-opening this thread as I'm already thinking about next year, and wondering if I can't get the family to Italy in the Feb half term.
Assuming that driving would be too much of a schlep - but is Aosta valley so much further from Calais than (say) the 3V?
Looking to make a marked contrast with our usual haunt of Val Thorens, so I want somewhere with:
- trees!
- lots of distance to cover
- trees!
- blue and red cruisy pistes
- trees!
We aren't worried about lively apres, we usually stay in and self-cater but like the occasional meal out.
Suggestions?
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Sauze d'oulx is close to the same, mileage wise. Just through the Frejus tunnel to get there from France.
Autoroute from between Chambery and Albertville takes you straight there. It's mostly an easier drive for the last part than the Tarentaise ski areas, especially at peak weekend travel times.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd vote for Sauze to meet your above criteria. No idea about driving though, but we've flown very cheaply from gatwick before (also flown from B'ham and M'chr too!)
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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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@WoottonBecs, flying to Turin, I guess? Or are there more/cheaper flights to Milan?
With a family of 6 it's usually cheaper to drive but at this stage I'm just seeing what I can do.
We usually stop in Chambery or Albertville on the way to 3V, so Sauze looks do-able in pure mileage terms.
Is Cervinia also an option, via the Mont Blanc tunnel?
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Cervinia for the easy access, long cruisy pistes, fabulous mountain restaurants and height guaranteeing snow in a warm year... with the bonus of Zermatt for the Matterhorn, Chez Vrony and The variety of skiing
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You know it makes sense.
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If going through the Frejus tunnel I'd personally got to Montgenevre rather than Sauze.
Cervinia doesn't have the trees and if at all windy you will lose some days due to shutdown.
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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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I've only been to Sauze from Turin airport, so no comparison with Milan. They're not a million milestone apart though.
G oog le search has calais to Cervinia about 1 km further than calais to Sauze, so nothing in it distance wise. Tail end of journey I'd say is much easier and faster to Sauze though just because of simpler road and traffic potential.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| kabooooooom wrote: |
if at all windy you will lose some days due to shutdown. |
Oh really? Did they replace the lifts with a new design made out of paper?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I much prefer Sauze to Montgenevre... (and Montgenevre is France, rather than Italy) - the slopes are quieter and the mountain restaurants are FAR nicer. I think (but I'd stand corrected on this one) that it's easier to access Sestriere from Sauze, and it's certainly easier to access San Sicario. What Montgenevre has is a reputation for being snow sure. But at half term, that wouldn't be an issue.
And to answer your question - yes, I've always flown to Turin. And although I've never driven (apart from the journey from the airport), the road to Sauze is easy peasy! Motorway almost to the end, and then only a few km of climb from Oulx up to Sauze.
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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'd second (or fifth) Sauze D'oulx for great skiing, great apres ski and decent on mountain food.
There are a few outdated lifts (sportinia chair) but other than that I love the place.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yes, I'm expecting the drive to be fairly easy; we drove around from Serre Chevalier to Albertville last year, as part of a convoluted trip to the SFaB the bit running down into the Frejus tunnel and then down the Maurienne valley was nice.
I'll definitely look into Sauze D'Oulx, (and how to pronounce it!)
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 26-03-19 18:23; edited 1 time in total
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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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Sow (as in female pig)- zee - doo
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| kabooooooom wrote: |
if at all windy you will lose some days due to shutdown. |
Oh really? Did they replace the lifts with a new design made out of paper? |
Sorry to express an opinion at odds with yours, but no need for sarcasm whatsoever!
FWIW I really liked the skiing in Cervinia as I'm not particularly proficient and the wide open cruisey runs suited me. But I lost a couple of days due to windy conditions so wouldn't risk going back and losing a third of my time again.
This year went somewhere different also flying into Turin and on the flight back overheard another chap bemoaning the wind.
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@kabooooooom, I agree with you re the wind
some extracts from other threads on here- just since December:
"Presumably this is a cable car, so will be slightly less wind-affected than the current lift (he says, optimistically...)"
"Despite the sunshine today the wind at the top was quite strong and we couldn't get over to Cervinia"
"Was in cervinia one time and the lifts were closed due to wind 2 days out of four.... Managed to get up before they closed it again after half an hour and the winds up there were absolutely unreal. Never seen the like of it. Stripping the piste of any snow dust such that you couldn't see your skis at times."
"I've skied cervinia during the Easter holidays, it's a great resort but badly affected by wind."
"after six days here, two days (including today) Zermatt link was open, the other four not, on two most of Cervinia was closed as well. "
"My only trip to Cervinia, the wind was strong enough to shake the building, it blew out a 2m x 2.5m window in the bar we were in and full face mask & goggles were needed just to get from hotel to the bar."
"I've had a number of days in Cervinia with the lifts shut due to wind or too much snow"
"So today was our first day of a week in Cervinia and no skiing was done whatsoever. The wind was so strong that only the lifts on the baby slopes were open"
"notice today that cervinia side is closed. I assume this to be due to wind."
"We could only buy day passes because of the threat of closure due to the high winds but disruption was pretty minimal although higher lifts were closed"
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@Hils68, try San pelligrino part of the super Dolomiti
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
@kabooooooom, I agree with you re the wind
some extracts from other threads on here- just since December:
"Presumably this is a cable car, so will be slightly less wind-affected than the current lift (he says, optimistically...)"
"Despite the sunshine today the wind at the top was quite strong and we couldn't get over to Cervinia"
"Was in cervinia one time and the lifts were closed due to wind 2 days out of four.... Managed to get up before they closed it again after half an hour and the winds up there were absolutely unreal. Never seen the like of it. Stripping the piste of any snow dust such that you couldn't see your skis at times."
"I've skied cervinia during the Easter holidays, it's a great resort but badly affected by wind."
"after six days here, two days (including today) Zermatt link was open, the other four not, on two most of Cervinia was closed as well. "
"My only trip to Cervinia, the wind was strong enough to shake the building, it blew out a 2m x 2.5m window in the bar we were in and full face mask & goggles were needed just to get from hotel to the bar."
"I've had a number of days in Cervinia with the lifts shut due to wind or too much snow"
"So today was our first day of a week in Cervinia and no skiing was done whatsoever. The wind was so strong that only the lifts on the baby slopes were open"
"notice today that cervinia side is closed. I assume this to be due to wind."
"We could only buy day passes because of the threat of closure due to the high winds but disruption was pretty minimal although higher lifts were closed" |
While I can't speak for Cervinia, I can speak for Saas-Fee which, as you know, is the next valley over from Zermatt... same high glacial environment albeit facing north. Wind was a big factor in overly frequent closures. Imagine Cervinia suffers the same fate often.
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1. Cortina.
2. Arabba-Marmolada.
3. Madonna.
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