cross-country ski resorts

A snowHead

Hi

Just long-term planning while in lockdown! Has anyone any recommendations for cross-country skiing in Europe. We're intermediates and have been to Yllas, Seefeld and Les Rousses, all of which were fantastic. We prefer to travel by train and so Scandinavia is difficult. Also, we're looking for an early season resort as one trip is planned for January (possibly early January).

Dan

A snowHead

Livigno is pretty good

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Les Saisies

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I’ve no idea how reliable snow cover is (it’s over 20 years since I’ve been), but I liked Villard de Lans/Correncon and nearby areas. Train to Grenoble and bus from there, so quite easy to reach.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you like trains then have a look at Obergoms valley in Switzerland at the end of the Valais. You can get there by train from geneva airport or the general train network. The train joins all the small resorts and indeed the cross country ski pass includes rail travel so you can jump on and off which can be very useful. Just remember to push the button on the train or at the station otherwise it may not stop. You can also go through the tunnel at the end of the valley and ski towards Andermatt but this is not included on the local ski / train ticket. One drawback is that if you like new tracks every day then maybe not enough for a week.

We have spent a number of weeks at Les Rousses but always had a car so gave us great access to a huge area of the Jura though you will know about the local buses aswell. If you really want to dream have a look at the trans Jura long distance path. You can get close to the start and finish by train. If you want there are companies that guide and carry luggage for this. I must say that if you google such companies their itineraries for certain trips may also inspire you.

We are looking at Cogne in Italy at some stage but northern italy not my first choice at the moment. Also not sure of train connections.

We are lucky to spend most of the season in our chalet in the pds. If you have a mixed group with downhillers, worth a look as surprisingly good for x country though Praz de Lys close by seems to be going downhill as used to be predominantly x country.

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Another endorsement for Goms valley. Very extensive, super scenery, quiet and reliable Swiss trains to scoot along the valley to mix up your particular section each day.

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Hi @dan_obi, you know, I have been mulling over this a bit too, being unsure how lift-accessed skiing will pan out. My fallback thoughts are to focus on cross country and touring if need be. My better knowledge of resorts for the former is for French Alps, so here goes. In bobski order of breadth of skiing available:

Bessans / Maurienne valley

Wide flat valley on the way up to Boneville. Altitude of 1800m and with some parts quite shaded so unlikely to be a problem with snow cover in Jan. To reach by train: direct TGV service from Paris to Modane then jump on a bus, taxi or rental car for the last 35km to resort. You may be able to take Eurostar / snowtrain to Chambery and change. Easier than doing it in Paris which would involve a Metro or taxi ride.

Col de Saisies

Sits at around 1600m astride the pass from Arly valley and Albertville. Used for the cross country competitions of the 1992 Olympics and highly rated. Very extensive wooded trails. Train to Chambery either from Paris or London, change to Albertville. Then taxi, bus, rental car to complete the last 30km.

Champagny-le-Haut

Very shaded valley at 1800m surrounded by high glaciated mountains (promoting cold-air inversions) so very snow-sure but can be perishingly cold. Eurostar to Moutiers then taxi / rental car / transfer bus for last 20km.

Peisey-Nancroix

Around 1500m and plenty of snow most seasons but slightly more marginal then the others above. Eurostar to Bourg St Maurice then either back one stop to Landry and a free shuttle bus (only one or two of these per day!) or taxi. 15km.

All of the above are properly-managed areas, with the purchase of a pass being obligatory (these are pretty cheap). Walkers are kept separate from skiers so little problem with trampled tracks or people in the way (unlike many of the tracks in France which are within Alpine ski areas, where walkers are a real problem). They all have a 'forum' building where you can get changed, buy your pass, rent skis, get cosy by the fire...

Hope all that helps. Do update us on what you decide. Personally, I am gravitating towards Seez in the hope that Tignes will be open for resort skiing but still with Bourg St Maurice and Nancroix cross country close by, along with a lot of the smaller local ski de fond areas.

After all it is free

+1 for Livigno too, btw. You generally have to fly to Milan and then endure a 6-hour bus ride. Though now I think about it, the train I mention above that goes to Modane does continue on through the Frejus tunnel to Milan. Still a long ride / drive from there to resort though. Funnily enough I took that train just a coupe of months ago to get from Chambery to Venice (changing in Milan). Had to exit stage left rather rapidly two days later when Italian lock-down was announced!

Cogne and the Aosta Valley is fantastic for cross country skiing. There is a great assortment of places to ski. A train to Aosta is easy, however once you are there a car is very handy unless you want to stay in one place all the time which would sort of spoil it. Cogne this year was short of snow early on but is very well served by a bus from Aosta but also a very nice town to stay in.
The Swiss Jura is also very nice and much of it serviced by a train.

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Head high.

Global boiling is making cross-country less reliable.

1. St Moritz
2. Davos
3. La Plagne

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I would have thought that Livigno from Innsbruck wouldn't be too painful by train.

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Les Mosses is a very quiet col, in between Livigno and Les Saisies in terms of kms of tracks.
A 20 min bus from Leysin via Geneva & Aigle.

One advantage of Les Saisies (which has 120km of nordic pistes) is altitude - the nordic pistes are around 1600m and the snow cover is therefore usually very good.

You know it makes sense.

If the snow is alright, then how about Garmisch? Loads of cross-country tracks between there and the Austrian border, or you could get a direct train to Mittenwald, Scharnitz or back to Seefeld. Or indeed ski between those three (and Leutasch if you didn't go there when you went to Seefeld).

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Yes, forgot to mention Seefeld. From Seefeld Mrs M used to ski through Scharnitz to Mittenwald to do a bit of retail therapy, and the skiing around Seefeld if good. 20ish minutes from Innsbruck on the train so very easy to reach, and you can go via Garmisch/Mittenwald or the longer express route via Kufstein (I think). So plenty of opportunity for several stops on route.

A snowHead

As a Nordic instructor and group leader, I would recommend Dobbiaco in the Dolomites, even in poor snow years they have a superb network of tracks open. There is great public transport included free with most accomodtion, you do pay for the use of the tracks.
REIT in Winkel in southern Germany also has lots of good tracks, but it may not be so snow sure.

Norway is superb but as you say harder to get to.

A snowHead

Dobbiaco is our first choice too. Miles of well kept tracks, lovely coffee stops and accessible by train from Munich.

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Are the Dobbiaco tracks open early in the season?

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Never been there, but how about Ruhpolding? It's a major biathlon centre so it has loads of tracks. It's not far from Salzburg if you're flying, even if it is in Bavaria.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Teletart, I’d be very interested in a recommendation for Nordic skiing in Norway, or Sweden and Finland for that matter.

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Just looked at Dobbiaco on google images - looks fantastic! You can't beat the Dolomites.

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Toblach/Dobbiaco is definitely way to go. I love that place since I was still racing and I'm back several times a year every year since I quit xc ski racing. They have whole bunch of tracks ready on beginning of December, regardless how snow is. If needed, they make them with man made snow, and not kilometer or two loop, but more like 50+km of tracks. Whole Hoch Pustertal area has something like 250km of tracks, and with few euro extra for week ticket, you get Dolomiti nordic ski ticket which brings another few 100km of tracks in nearby valleys.
So as far as I'm concerned, Toblach is definitely one of best places. Everything else, except for Scandinavia, has way less tracks. But otherwise, Seefeld is ok, but for Austria, I would rather suggest Ramsau.

After all it is free

@Teletart, thanks. I was thinking of going late in the season when the light should be better. I’ve been canoeing in Finland and loved the place.

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@Teletart, thanks for the many suggestions.

I've only xc in St Moritz. I thought that was quite brilliant. Another benefit is I can switch it up with downhill skiing right from town. How does Dobbiaco compare? Is it easy to mix it up with some downhill skiing?

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@abc, I admit I'm not much of a fan of Dolomiti for alpine skiing, but out of Toblach you have 3 Zinnen ski place just 3km out of Toblach (near Innichen), then small resort in Innchen, some 10km down Pustertal is Kronplatz, and some 30km further you have Alta Badia and whole Sella Ronda. Cortina is also 30km away, and so are few other smaller places. Not straight out of hotel, but pretty close. But still, if alpine would be primary thing, Toblach is in my opinion not best base for that.

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Hochfilzen, Austria. Railway line goes right through the area. Don't know anything about the area regarding accommodation though.

Hochfilzen has relatively small amount of tracks. I mean it's ok, but certainly not something where I would go for 4 or 5 days. I normally make somewhere between 40 and 50km/day, and spinning around same short loops for several days is not something that makes much of fun for me. But for alpine Leogang-Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Fieberbrunn is just around the corner (some 4 or 5km to either Leogang or Fieberbrunn bottom stations).

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've heard good things about Kandersteg which is on the Swiss rail network.
Leukerbad looks well worth a visit too (a short bus ride from the station).
They appear to have a separate cable-car/mountain (Gemmi) dedicated to the sport!

A snowHead

The Gemmi cable car, out of Leukerbad, is a spectacular trip. It leads to a plateau with xc trails which go as far as the lift up from Kandersteg. There is a remote hotel in the middle of the plateau. Leukerbad is an old spa town and has a variety of accom including fancy spa hotels. Have mountain biked alot in the area. It is set at the end of a rugged valley with an impressive via ferrata on the cliff face. Kandersteg is more of a valley town dominated by the train track. Cars need to be put on the train to go through the tunnel. Again if volume of runs is your thing then maybe not the area for you. Kandersteg ticks the railway box. There used to be a train going all the way up to Leukerbad from Leuk ( has train station ) but ripped out years ago. Excellent bus service instead.

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cross-country ski resorts

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