 Poster: A snowHead
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 Just back from La Thuile, but how does Cervinia compare please? We’re intermediate skiers with a 10 year old who’ll be using ski school. Considering Cervinia for next year & any advice/tips/comparisons welcome
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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've not stayed in La Thuile but have skied the area from La Rosiére side and fully down to LT village. With that proviso and really thought it's a very good ski area, but have stayed Cervinia.
Very different aspect with Cervinia on a high altitude plateau compared to deep with the tree line location of LT, they are substantially in contrast to each other.
I really like Cervinia, very easy access to snow effectively built "in" the snow, then upward from there. Many different grade of piste to move around on for skill level challenges, great and friendly village atmosphere, stunning scenery outlook and very good food too. As a skier I went there for a week of snowboarding lessons effectively as beginner and it couldn't have been better. Just the normal Italian ski school and absolutely excellent teaching with extremely knowledgeable instructors that made it both fun and very progressive.
Very nice feel apre ski with good restaurants café bar etc, it just feels a nice mix of things you'd need on a holiday.
Reasonably close transfer from Turin airport, nice journey of expectation as you climb up to arrive at village altitude, very worthwhile to consider for your requirements.
Highly recommended from my experience.
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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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Cervinia is great unless the weather is bad and the the whole mountain can shut down , no trees and shelter from the wind it’s a very high mountain resort whilst in La Thuille you have sheltered options in the woods and lower runs .I’m not anti Cervinia but I have spent two holidays when the weather closed the mountain down for over half the week , possibly unlucky ? But I will never forget having to wear Goggles walking down the main st going for lunch .this season hasn’t happened too much as that side of the main ridge hasn’t had that much snow .
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I would however go to Cervina at Easter school holidays but not NY or Feb HT
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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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Zermatt (from Cervinia) is just the most beautiful resort and a fantastic day out for intermediates+ You just need to plan route back and allow plenty of time, don't want to get stuck in Zermatt (6+ hour taxi back). Nothing compares to the Materhorn view from that side - we did it last week as a day trip from the Gnarlii bash in Gresonney. For this reason Cervinia would be my choice - La Rosiere (connected to La Thuile) is not in the same league.
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I've skied both a few times, you can have a great holiday in both.
La Thuile is a more intimate resort with steep wooded lower slopes and open terrain on the plateau and over the ridge above, plus the slightly awkward link over to La Rosiere which opens up more terrain.
Cervinia is a great high mileage intermediate cruiser resort of wide open slopes amidst spectacular scenery of 4000m+ peaks with access across the border to the challenges of Zermatt. The downsides are the lack of charm in the village and the exposed slopes which can be an issue in bad weather.
Cervinia would be a great option, though not sure how easy it would be to exploit the links to Zermatt if you're tied to ski school timings.
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I've done a week in each, and enjoyed both. Cervinia has a lot of long cruisey blues, and a few reds; fun but not a lot to challenge a decent intermediate skier.
The link to Zermatt opens up some much more challenging terrain. I agree that the ski school timings will limit how far into Zermatt you have time to go, but you can certainly get up onto the glacier. The black run off the glacier towards the village is easy for a black run and is one of the prettiest runs I can remember anywhere.
I don't entirely agree about the lack of charm in the village; although mostly new build the way it's laid out with a long pedestrianised street makes it rather more attractive than most. We never did find a bar we loved though; the Green Dragon would have been OK if they'd only opened up their basement so we could get a seat.
As for La Thuile I really enjoyed the ski area. The beginner areas, with some easy-ish blues, are up on the plateau. There are red runs coming off either side and back into town, and also black runs which are well pisted but steep - some of them very steep. Personally I found it exactly the right level of challenge for me, and the better skiers in our group also enjoyed it, though a real expert perhaps wouldn't.
The link to La Rosiere isn't great, with a cranky old chairlift in one direction and drags in the other, and when you get there La Rosiere is - or was the week we were there - much busier and with worse weather and snow conditions. Still, it opens up a few more places to explore.
The old village of La Thuile is genuinely charming, but a bit of a walk from the pistes (I think there's a bus?). We stayed at the Planibel, a large hotel and apartment complex which is entirely lacking in charm but right opposite the main lift.
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