 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Everyone
I hope I've posted this in the correct section.
Have never been skiing before and am going at Christmas to La Thuile, Aosta Valley, Italy, with 3 children.
Any advice re places to eat / ski & snowboard lessons / equipment hire / how to entertain a 6 and 10 year old would be hugely appreciated.
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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I've been to La Thuile for a day only while we were staying in Aosta town a few years ago. I can't give too much advice but I can say it's a nice little hill. I'm sure they are set up for families.
One word of warning though. If your crew take to skiing like my family did you are setting yourself up for a long period of financial pain due to the addiction. I've got the cost of travelling from Australia to the northern hemisphere to contend with but I've easily spent over $200000 Aussie pesos on family ski holidays over the past 12 years. Painful but worth it - their memories of skiing in Japan, Canada, USA, France Austria and Italy will remain with them forever.
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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 like La Thuile at Xmas. It's a great village... though sleepy, for me that's part of the charm!
I like for general food La Grotta (also good pizza) good prices too.
The Coppapan just up from the base ski lifts for good pizza and general fare.
Le Coq MAF is pretty good too imo....great steak!
For rental, I have used for different skis on powder days Only ski. They have a town location but also one just off from the Les Suches lift station. (Under the Lo Ratrak restaurant chalet -which does great food and coffee btw). This is a handy location and has ski lockers you can use if you require without the need of going back down into town for adjustments to kit mid week!
The main ski schools have locations at the bottom of the ski lifts opposite the Planibel hotel/apartments and up at the main ski base station at Les Suches (they have a chalet up there. Both have websites iirc and are worth booking in advance.
Hope that helps a bit!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If your kids take to skiing they'll need very little other "entertainment"! You'll presumably all be taking lessons - what a great family adventure. They'll probably learn faster than you will.
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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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@RussNeverBeenSkiing, that's an exciting adventure to look forward to and I am sure you will all have fun.
Assuming you are staying in the complex close to the ski lifts, as mentioned above Coppapan is a reliable source of food. There are good options down in the village with a much more authentic Italian feel though I don't now remember names. From memory it is about a 10 minute walk down the hill, but you will have to judge whether a tired 6-year-old would be better somewhere without a walk.
We rented at a shop more or less opposite the Coppapan, and were happy with what they gave. We didn't use ski school.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've been to La Thuile a few times and love it there. Be warned though, the wind can brutal at times.
For lunch on the mountain, don't be tempted to use the self service place in the gondola station, its awful. It just trades on its proximity to the ski school finishing point. Pretty much all the other mountain restaurants are good quality and affordable, with Lo Ratrak being a cut above.
Drinks wise, La Cage usually has the best atmosphere. Angela's down in the town is also nice, but you're not going to get full on apres anywhere.
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@RussNeverBeenSkiing, Be prepared for serious damage to your waist line. The food in Italy can be disastrous for undisciplined greedy gits!
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I think I'm out on a bit of a limb here but I'm not really taken by Italian food. OK, I like a pizza occaisionally - once every year or so - and spagetti vognoli sometimes, but after a couple weeks in the Dolomites I crave something different. Perhaps some fish or some vegtables. Or perhaps the dishes described in Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano books
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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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@RussNeverBeenSkiing, I’ve skied there a few times and really like it, we travelled up from Courmayeur each day.
At the top of the gondola station there’s a wide and reasonably long area which is great for beginners, as once they have the basics sorted they will feel like they are getting decent runs in.
It can be cold if there’s a strong breeze, take balaclavas and snoods, and layer up, a cold kid is an unhappy one, plan for plenty of hot chocolate stops.
The beginners area will be in sunshine if it’s out, all day which is a bonus at that time of year.
I’ll probably be back there for a few days this season.
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| johnE wrote: |
| I think I'm out on a bit of a limb here but I'm not really taken by Italian food. OK, I like a pizza occaisionally - once every year or so - and spagetti vognoli sometimes, but after a couple weeks in the Dolomites I crave something different. Perhaps some fish or some vegtables. Or perhaps the dishes described in Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano books |
Ha, Dolomites is not real Italy when it comes to food. La Thuile is a completely different region. You can still get a polenta, but also much more.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@johnE, dolomites is a bit more german/austrian, more meaty than pasta.
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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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@swskier, I tend to spend my time in the Italian speaking area. Its full on Italian: anti pasta, primo piatto, secondo piatto, sweet course, espresso.
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| johnE wrote: |
| I think I'm out on a bit of a limb here but I'm not really taken by Italian food. OK, I like a pizza occaisionally - once every year or so - and spagetti vognoli sometimes, but after a couple weeks in the Dolomites I crave something different. Perhaps some fish or some vegtables. Or perhaps the dishes described in Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano books |
You need to get yourself down to the south for some proper Montalbano style pasta and fish John! Not much skiing though the beaches can be spot on!
I agree, the mountains are a bit meat and carb heavy ..It's not my favourite area for food in Italy imo . My own area has a much better mix of food. A lot less of the gooey cheese too which seems to be popular mountain fare that people love!
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You know it makes sense.
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Pretty much the same as above. I went last year for the 3rd time with 2 kids.
The village is great with some great restaurants but not much more.... very italian and a functional village.
If your kids are young and get tired easily, stay in or around the Plannibel, it's the focal point for the ski lifts and kids activities... the walk from the village is a good 10 mins for adults. Double that for kids with skis..... dont do it!
The mountain food is excellent and cater well for kids.
Ski school is great, just outside Plannibel for absolute beginners.
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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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@RussNeverBeenSkiing;
Like others on here, I’ve been to La Thuile a few times. Perhaps if you could advise where exactly you are staying relative to the main gondola, or if down the valley in the main village, and whether in hotel/self-catering, whether with/without car/private hotel shuttle, that would make a significant difference to the advice you would get and its relevance, I would think?
(PS: also as none of you have been skiing before, if I were you, I’d ask some more questions about ‘first time’ skiing, in ‘The Piste’ section and get some advice on that? E.g. as well as being gloriously sunny at times in the ski season, it can also be freezing cold at LT, and extremely windy sometimes, as others have said. It can also rain. And fog/skiing in cloud happens. Weather in the Alps can fail to meet expectations, and weather forecasts. As per @geoffknight, the right clothing/gloves/layers, particularly for younger folk, to allow for the variable conditions may help. Beg, borrow, steal. OK, not steal. If none of you have done any walking in ski boots for example, a beginner session or two at a dry slope or snow dome beforehand would make a big difference to your experience of the first few days IMO. It did for me, anyway.)
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 25-08-22 9:22; edited 2 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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@johnE, ... it's "vongole". Sweedish is right about the meat/carbs in mountain areas. Try La Maison de Filippo in Entreves just outside Courmayeur for a 30 course eating event.
@RussNeverBeenSkiing, Courmayeur is another place to consider, some easy-peasy skiing, pretty good on-mountain eateries, prices are fairly reasonable, plenty of restaurants in town, try the apres ski Bar Roma - help yourself freeby platter, easy drive to La Thuile.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skimastaaah, Spellin's never bean my strong point
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