Best base in Dolomites Feb half term

A snowHead

We are regular skiers in France - usually Three Valleys and Portes du Soleil. We had our first trip to Italy last year based in Sauze d’Oulx and liked that ski area. We usually drive, including to Sauze last year but really want to experience the Dolomites as I’ve heard so many reports of how great the scenery is. We need to go in half term
because of secondary school age children but would like a good variety of slopes as we are all a decent level. I realise we need to fly so want to book soon. Looking at Arraba and I’ve found a couple of hotel options but is that the best base or are Corvara or Selva good options? I have to say I’m a bit confused having never been to the area so any recommendations are welcome. Thanks think we will fly with transfer so not planning on having a car in resort.

A snowHead

Depends what you are after?

The “more challenging” pistes on the Sella Ronda loop are in and around the Arraba area and it has the best access to the Marmolada Glacier, which is an experience in itself.

If you looking for more cruiser options then the Corvara area on the SR would be best bet.

If I were to go back...well when I go back because I fell in love with the place last year, I’d base myself in Selva as I enjoyed the pistes around there the most.

All these areas are linked via the Sella Ronda.

Looking away from the Sella Ronda, you have Cortina over the hill, Kronplatz down the road or Madonna to name a few. The Dolomites ski pass covers something like 1200km of pistes across several different resorts so where you base yourself really comes down to what you are looking for.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Arabba is a small village -- Selva has a lot more going for it and is my choice of base. I would like to try Corvara, but my budget will not stretch to it..

The Val di Fassa resorts (Canazei/Campitello) are a cheaper option, as they are not directly on the Sella Ronda (but that is such not a bad thing...).

Campitello, you have to 'download' to the village ; Canzei has only one run back to the village.

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@LadyDi, I think Arabba is a very good base, unless you’re looking for La Folie Douce or Ronnie’s style aprés. If you’re all decent standard skiers, and enjoy, say, most red pistes in 3V, the Dollies’ pistes shouldn’t phase you at all. Plenty interesting skiing (I go 3V & EK a lot) with tremendous scenery and atmosphere.

Selva is the liveliest of the towns on the circuit. It’s fine, certainly compared to 3V purpose built villages. Well linked into other sections of the Dolomiti pass area. The busy main road through the centre I find a bit off putting.

Corvara is another good option. Lovely setting and fairly quiet. Accommodation tends to be more expensive than other villages. Also I find the slopes generally busier there and consequently snow can tend to hard pack sooner.

One advantage of Arabba is that it’s easy to put your own trip together, rather than necessarily booking a package. Flights into either of the Venice airports link into a subsidised coach transfer service, direct to a range of hotels in Arabba, on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you want to ask about hotels there’s plenty of personal experience and help on snowHeads.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@LadyDi I agree with @PeakyB that for your skiing standard Arabba sounds like a good option. It might also be worth finding flight prices first and then picking a resort......Venice is better for resorts on the southern arc of the Sella Ronda, Innsbruck for the northern side and Verona for the south, SW and NW. I say that because I have recently booked for half term and Innsbruck prices were hugely prohibitive compared to VCE.
If it isn't too quiet for you I was looking at Penia because it has the Ciampac runs in one direction and the option to access Belvedere and the Sella Ronda in the other direction (via a lift which for some reason isn't on google maps). My thinking being that the sella ronda may be very busy and an option to branch off onto a side area for quieter slopes welcomed.
We opted for Alleghe as our base, but my group was looking for a wider, gentler and quieter ski area than i suspect you are. It is part of the Civetta ski area but has easy to access Falcade (for San Pellegrino) and Marmolada for days out. Oh, and the hotels were very reasonably priced.
Whichever resort you opt for (especially if you choose Arabba) I would also recommend keeping an eye on the Birthday and Pre Birthday Bash threads on here for tips on Rifugios, runs, places to visit and the videos people post to whet your appetite. You never know you may return for a Bash in time, lots do.

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@LadyDi, as highlighted by @albob, and@toyah807, the Val di Fassa villages might offer slightly quieter slopes at half term, although you're certainly going to want to get around the whole circuit and some offshoots, I imagine.

As mentioned by them, Val di Fassa is close to lift bus rides and a range of interesting lift connections to quieter slightly detached areas. Those can also be explored on adventurous days of 'no hanging around' skiing from Arabba, Corvara and Selva too.

Arabba best placed for the stunning Marmolada experience and the Hidden Valley/Cinque Torre excursion is doable from there too. Selva/Corvara closer to Hidden Valley and Cinque Torre than others.

Worth noting that the layout of the lift connected mountains is quite different to, say, 3V and EK. Those are basically a linked series of Mountain/Valley/Mountain/Valleyand so on lift linked.
The Sella Ronda layout is like a ring doughnut, where you mostly follow the circular doughnut routes but can't really ski in the 'hole' in the middle, because it's full of massive pink beautiful chunks of rock. snowHead

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Thanks everyone. All this info does really help. I had read about the subsidised transfer into Arabba on here so that will help as we won’t be doing a package if we opt to go there but I’ll look at the other villages @toyah807, I did search flights last night and can’t find anything reasonable from Gatwick or Heathrow to Venice which would be our preference, or to Innsbruck, as you found. Think we will need to do Ryanair from Stansted but prob need to get on and book. Yes I’ll look at the info on the birthday bash as well. Can anyone recommend the Alpen Rose in Arabba? Thanks

After all it is free

@LadyDi, do you have your own skis, if so then Ryanair could work out quite expensive with their ski bag charges. You said you have to go at half term so I guess airfares will inevitably be more expensive. Although direct flights to Venice are preferable you may find that using Lufthansa via Munich to Venice might be a good option as they offer free ski carriage (provided you don't book the cheapest Economy Light fare which only includes carry on bags).

@Alastair Pink, Thanks Alastair. I’ll look into that. I’m the only one with my own skis though.

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@LadyDi, I don't know where you are located, but as well as from Heathrow Lufthansa also do the Venice route via Munich (or Brussels) from Birmingham.

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Hi,
just my two pence worth... have stayed in both Cervinia and Corvara and going back to Corvara for 2 weeks in 2022. The key resorts all give you access to beautiful places and skiing but some have a wider variety on their doorstep

Order of preference for us
Corvara - nice small town, a few bars and restaurants. On SR, easy access to Hidden valley, Cinque Torri etc Also you can very easily easily drive to Kronplatz, Cortina, Alleghe etc

Selva - bit more to it than Corvara, access to SR but also the really nice area around Ortisei (not tried Alpe di Siusi but that's on your doorstep), seems slightly cheaper and much livelier than Corvara, lots of self catering options. The only reason we choose Corvara above Selva is that the former is more Italian and I like to practice my language skills, default language in Selva seems to be German but most people are tri/quad lingual...

Canazei - nice little town but a little slow to get to the north side of the SR for Ortisei, HV etc. Easy access to Arraba (only need two lifts and one long piste? maybe one short scoot between lifts as well) and therefore Marmolada, access to a few areas of Val di Fassa, handy ski bus along the valley so have choice of three lifts to SR side and a couple to south side. Cheaper still than those above.

Arraba - seems to have the most challenging pistes but not a lot of them, village rather than town and you can get there is no time from either Corvara or Canazei so personally don't really think that is a driver to stay there. Flip side you can get to Marmolada, SR, Corvara area, HV, Canazei and Val di Fassa quite easily.

Re Transfers, Last year we got a hire car in Venice rather than transfers and it was invaluable, for a couple of days we threw the skis in the car and drove to Cortina, cinque torri / hidden valley. You can get good deals from Italian airports but default is chains rather than snow tyres, believe that if you hire in Austria you'll get default snow tyres but someone else may be able to confirm.

Yesterday we booked BA flights LGW to Venice. They seem expensive after 10th Feb but if you have any avios by far the least expensive way was to use a small number to get you access to the airmiles prices but still wasn't cheap (2,500 miles + £57 each way).

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Have stayed in Corvara twice and Selva once, going back next year to Selva as just didn't explore the whole area.
Loved Corvara, lovely village feel, whereas Selva bit more of a town.
My O/H is a nervous skier and found Corvara and Colfosco area fantastic for her, she loved the gentle blues in the area.
She has now progressed so feel that we can have a go at a few more areas in Selva.

Wherever you go, I think you will not be disappointed, the whole area is just so beautiful. My son and I did the Sella Ronda on the clockwise (I think Orange) and got it done in over 4 hours, so worthwhile doing. Along with the Secret valley which is an experience.

As others have stated on here, Corvara is a bit pricey compared to other places. Have also been there once in half term and although it was busier than normal, it was still ok compared to say the 3V's at the same time.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks everyone for all your help. We might now be joined by another family, 3 of whom will be beginners so I'm now thinking the Alta Badia area will be best. I have a good hotel option in Badia itself, recommended on here. Is it a bit of a pain to stay in Badia or La Villa rather than Corvara and the other villages. It looks like you have to do quite a few lifts to get to Corvara and on to any of the other areas. Is there a bus link to Kronplatz or would you have to get to Corvara to get anywhere?

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

"...Is it a bit of a pain to stay in Badia..." It would be for me (I like to be Central..), especially with beginners in the group.

Regarding Busses -- Badia to Kronplatz, there is a bus every 20 minutes.

San Cassiano is another (small) village with direct access to the Alta Badia area, better placed than Badia..

A snowHead

San Cassiano would suit best. If you use a hire car for transfers then it will come in handy even if not essential (trips to Hidden Valley / Allegheny / Kronplatz / Seiser Alm)

A snowHead

@LadyDi, that changes your best base options significantly.
San Cassiano already mentioned and could be good.
Possibly even better for complete beginners is Colfosco. I’d have loved to have had my first week on snow there.
It’s still a good base for you more advanced skiers.
Rather quiet after skiing but close to Corvara, where there’s a bit more going on.

Another possibility is Santa Christina. Worth considering as possibly slightly less frantic half term than Corvara/Colfosco.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We stayed in Badia a couple of years ago, like you I was concerned it was a bit out on a limb but it actually worked really well, didn’t take long to get to the circuit if we wanted, easy to get to the hidden valley from there. I think the beginners in the group would prefer it as well as the slopes are quieter on that side.

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Getting to the main slopes from Badia isn't too bad but is a bit of an extra slog each way.

Here's the route from our favourite local (although he is taking you all the way to Corvara, it's really only the first few legs you need to make to get to the main slopes of the pralongia plateau but it is the whole way if you to join the sella ronda, get to Arraba, Colfosco etc).

Corvara, San Cassiano or Colfosco would be my top picks for groups with beginners and advanced skiers.

http://youtube.com/v/_wfrCP4wmPM

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

La Villa would be perfect. Badia would be a bit out on a limb - I think doing the Praduc chair twice a day would be annoying.

Some very good value hotels .

Easy access straight into Alta Badia (and then onto Sella Ronda or Hidden Valley).

Local slopes are nice and quiet for your beginners as well off the Sella Ronda (a couple of chairs on La Villa slopes , then over Praduc lift gets you access to Badia slopes - a chair and a gondola)

Kronplatz is a short distance via a regular (free) ski bus for a day out (and has the steepest and very long black in the Dolomiti - Piculin).

Its not as glamourous as Corvara (or indeed San Cass).

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re San Cassiano. I've been tempted but was put off as there is only one lift and I've seen big queues when driving by. Can someone who has stayed there comment on whether that is a genuine concern pls

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Not really a concern. It's a very deceptive queue at San Cassiano. You get there and it looks huge, but it's maybe 5 minutes to be on the lift, typically.
And if you're based there it's probably just the once in the morning that you'll use it? Although IME if you lap that red run down the 2nd time up can be empty.

After all it is free

" It also then picks up the crowds coming back from Armentarola (after hidden valley trip)"

This is the main reason for the queues, but, as Andy has said, it moves quickly. Outside the 'Hidden Valley' return times there is not much of a queue.

If you want to sit outside your B&B and watch the queue --- https://www.frohsinn.it/it/ -- +Ski in/Ski out !!

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@LadyDi, 50 minutes is a bit tight in my opinion, I think you'd make the connecting flight, but your bags may not! If there's an Air France option which is better value and gives you more time for your connection that might be better. Also maybe worthwhile looking at KLM flights via Schiphol.

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Selva fetches a premium over the other SR villages for a reason.

2022 will be my 22nd year of visiting the area. Neat eh? wink

@LadyDi, We used Lufthansa to go to Venice 2 years ago. The transfer at Frankfurt was over an hour, but by the time the plane got to the terminal after the endless taxi we had to run between terminals. Our bags didn't make it and arrived in Alleghe 3 days later. There appears to be very few direct flights to Venice these days so last year we drove to the Dolomites. I hate to say it but CdC is the only other airport in the last 30 years where my bags have failed to make the transfer.

You know it makes sense.

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

Thank you to everyone who helped me on this thread last year. We had our first Dolomites trip last week and absolutely loved it. The scenery is spectacular. We stayed in Corvara which was a good compromise for a group with beginners and experienced skiers. Air France moved our flight from Heathrow to CDG forward a few months ago so we only had 60 mins to transfer. Very tight as we had to go through security again and passport control (luckily both were quiet) so we just made the next flight and the luggage did too thankfully.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@Rav, At height, the conditions are fine - but lower down tends towards 'mush' : last time I went in March it was very warm ; skied in the AM, sunbathed in the PM.... Wink

Which resort are you staying in ?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Not decided yet usually go to Tignes or la Plange in March but looking for something different.
Done the birthday bash recently and did enjoy Dolomites

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Best base in Dolomites Feb half term

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