 Poster: A snowHead
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Even though it’s only two weeks since I got back clearly my thoughts are turning to next years holiday! It looks like it might be just me - or possibly a mate - as MrsJ and offspring are going on the school ski trip.
I can book a week off outside of school holidays and fancy somewhere different and hearing people rave about the Dolomites. So could do with a bit of advice….
Best base? I hear good things about Arabba. Having skied in Canada I like the idea of doing something different so longer days out like Sella Ronda or Hidden valley or even heading over to Cortina appeal. If I stayed in the other Sella Ronda villages could I still make Hidden Valley or Marmolada in a day?
Really not fussed about apres as long as I can get a couple of beers after skiing and dinner
Is it best to book through a tour op or independently? Esp if coming by myself. And if so where’s best to look for hotels etc? If travelling independently any advice on airports or transfers - innsbruck or Venice? Car hire seems v cheap - are the roads and passes usually drivable in winter?
Sorry for all the questions. Having been mostly to the same place in Canada for several years this is all slightly new so not sure where to start.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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’m sure you’re all a wonderful bunch but I’m not sure if I’m too grumpy an old man to join a big group of strangers.
And it looks like it’s pretty full anyway
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Actually ignore me - that’s this years I’m looking at!
What’s the bash like? It’s a possibility…
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@TommyJ, one of the best things is that there are some people (@Alastair Pink being a prime example) who know the area really well and are happy to act as expert guides. Finding your way to the best places is not straightforward - or maybe it's just me! You can be as sociable, or unsociable, as you like. And there are plenty of grumpy old men (and women). You wouldn't be the only one.
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| TommyJ wrote: |
Even though it’s only two weeks since I got back clearly my thoughts are turning to next years holiday! It looks like it might be just me - or possibly a mate - as MrsJ and offspring are going on the school ski trip.
I can book a week off outside of school holidays and fancy somewhere different and hearing people rave about the Dolomites. So could do with a bit of advice….
Best base? I hear good things about Arabba. Having skied in Canada I like the idea of doing something different so longer days out like Sella Ronda or Hidden valley or even heading over to Cortina appeal. If I stayed in the other Sella Ronda villages could I still make Hidden Valley or Marmolada in a day?
Really not fussed about apres as long as I can get a couple of beers after skiing and dinner
Is it best to book through a tour op or independently? Esp if coming by myself. And if so where’s best to look for hotels etc? If travelling independently any advice on airports or transfers - innsbruck or Venice? Car hire seems v cheap - are the roads and passes usually drivable in winter?
Sorry for all the questions. Having been mostly to the same place in Canada for several years this is all slightly new so not sure where to start. |
1. Base? Arabba is a good base. Usually the best snow and most testing terrain in the area on the N facing side. Pretty quiet (unless the  Bash is in town!?), but also means you are not so caught in traffic flows around the Sella Ronda at busier times. Other resorts on the 4 corners of the Ronda have their merits and disadvantages, none are a bad choice. Selva and Corvara/Colfosco tend to be the priciest, with discounts as you move down the valleys further away from the main circuit. Commuting each day to a lift base can save a fair bit if you don't mind the faff. It's obviously further to the Hidden Valley from Campitello & Canazei in Val di Fassa, say.
2. Tour Op or Indie? You would just have to compare prices. It's certainly a lot more convenient having the TO work out everything for you. There seems to be less choice from UK TOs than previously when there were quite a few chalets in the various resorts. I guess there would be big single supplements with a TO, but then if you're booking a room/apartment and hiring a car for one, that's also more expensive pp than splitting it 4 ways on a family trip. Booking.com or Airbnb are good places to look for places to stay. Local tourist offices often have inventory that is not advertised elsewhere, so worth sending a request. A lot of stuff doesn't get released till Sept for winter season.
3. Airports? Innsbruck is closest for Val Gardena & Alta Badia areas. Venice or Treviso makes sense for Arabba. Verona is good for Canazei/Campitello. Remember there is an obvious low altitude valley approach to each resort and others that involve traversing high altitude passes. Other airport options might be Bergamo, Milan/Linate, Trieste, etc, but distances are longer.
4. Transfers? There are some bus transfers from Venice airports to Arabba with DolomitiStars and there's the Cortina Express up to Cortina which can link with a bus over to Corvara & the Alta Badia resorts. You can get trains to Bolzano then local bus up to Val Gardena. Other than that it's private taxis which would likely be prohibitive for a solo traveller.
5. Car Hire? Innsbruck/Austria is usually very pricey for car hire in Winter, but the cars do come with winter tyres. Car hire in N Italy is cheap as chips in winter as there's a surplus of cars left over from the summer. Very difficult to book a car in Italy with winter tyres, but they usually come with chains. In my experience, I've never had to use them, even with moderate snowfalls during my stay. The passes are usually kept open in winter, but can be closed for a while after a heavy snowfall. Main roads are gritted and cleared pretty quickly, but obviously snow could hamper things if heavy. Getting in or out of your accommodation parking spot may well be the greatest challenge if there's been snow.
Hope that helps!! 
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Thanks so much. That’s more than helpful
Will ponder the bash!
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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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I found this year that "single supplements" with tour operators just meant paying double the brochure price whhich made hotels extremely expensive. The advantage of renting a little studio or apartment is that you pay the same for one as for two and only pay for your own food and drinks.
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| luigi wrote: |
4. Transfers? There are some bus transfers from Venice airports to Arabba with DolomitiStars and there's the Cortina Express up to Cortina which can link with a bus over to Corvara & the Alta Badia resorts. |
Just to point out that the bus transfer from Venice airports to Arabba is with Arabba Fodom (the Arabba tourist office)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@TommyJ, I’ve done two solo trips to Canazei, last year via Milan, it was a long old drive 5 hours, this year via Venice, just on 2 hours and much better, I held out for car hire prices to drop and got a great deal £46 for 8 days.
There are a good selection of BB hotels that have single rooms in the €50-60 pn price range, and it’s easy to eat out at night for €10-15 for a pizza or pasta dish, drinks on top of that of course, as they would be on a HB deal.
It has worked well for me, I’ve already booked flights and hotel for next season, I’ve found that I really like skiing solo, at the pace I want and where I want.
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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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@TommyJ, Grumpy old man???? You'll fit right in 
I cant speak from a tour operator perspective because I always roll my own holidays but the bash is a great option. Sat to Sat hotel 1/2 board is sorted by Admin. Transfers are sorted by the Arabba Fodom. You just stick yourself down and the forum can assist. But loads on here can advise and you can book this until about 3 days before. Also, there is always a big bunch (25 last year) who shared a taxi to get early Sat skiing and skiing on the final day until about 2pm if you want to max out one week.
Most just arrive on the Sat in venice airport and meet a bus load of folk (all snowheads). So as far as I can see the only difference in an organised tour is someone holding a sign. Heck I even did this one time to collect newbies for a transfer.
As others have said, there is always a new place to go or a new bunch of people to ski/board with. Or ski with the same crew all week. It is quite flexible.
An example of how flexible it can be.
Last year I arrived on the Thurs, went into Venice sightseeing, Dinner in Al Quadrante near the airport (AKA snowheads central), bumped into a Snowhead and had a glass of wine.
Next afternoon, met a bunch of Snowheads and went by taxi (about 40 euros) to near Arabba on Friday evening then hit Arabba first thing on Sat morning .
Lift pass was ordered via Admin so was waiting for me when I got to the hotel.
I have my own skis but others got from next door to the Hotel at a discount organised by Admin.
Skied about for a week.
Instead of private transfer back from Arabba later on Sat after the week I simply got the bus with others.
Met in restaurant with about 6 other snowheads
Flew home on Sunday.
Or you could simply arrive on Sat having met Snowheads at the airport before flying to Venice, get on the bus with them ski for a week and come back with everyone.
If you go at a different time from the bash then we can help you.
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@TommyJ, Grumpy old man???? You'll fit right in 
+1
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You know it makes sense.
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we've DIY'd to Alta Badia several times as we find it cheaper and gives you more options but there are always at least 2 of us. We've done via Venice a couple of times as flights and car hire were much cheaper than Innsbruck (Coincidentally I just did some cost for our group re flights and transfers earlier, Venice was ca £120 return va Innsbruck £300 and there were about 10 times as many flights to Venice).
Pre-covid car hire was the cheapest way to do it, who knows for next year. Driving is easy, passes are not a problem, if there is snow they are cleared very quickly and the stereotypical Italian driver is found in Rome or Milan not the Dolomites.
The bus to Arabba looks like a good option but there is also the bus to Cortina, I'd prefer Arabba over Cortina as the latter is a bit out of the way. Also, buses from Cortina to Alta Badia are infrequent during winter.
re skiing, A competent intermediate can ski from any resort on the SR to Hidden valley and back in a day, also same for the SR with time for a side trip or two. If you want to ski to Cortina and spend half day there then I'd say it's difficult from Canazei, but some TOs do coach trip with half a day in Cortina and then the hidden valley. We did one from Canazei.
There are pro's and con's to each resort but from what you've written I'd say that for your first week is doesn't matter just stay on/near the SR and enjoy the scenery and skiing.
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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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Looking at a first trip to the Dolomites after 40 odd years of sliding down mostly French mountains & have seen an offer to Campitello.
Any experiences thereof that are positive or negative that you'd like to share?
One minor concern is there only seems to be one way up, the cablecar. Is that likely to be a bottleneck in late January?
Also, might it be considered the "wrong end" of the area from a skiing perspective. We love to get the miles in, but if you're at the wrong end of a ski area you can spend a lot of your day just traipsing to and from the "good bits" or just making do with what's local to your hotel.
Look forward to your thoughts...
Grazie!
CW
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Poster: A snowHead
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| cardweg wrote: |
Looking at a first trip to the Dolomites after 40 odd years of sliding down mostly French mountains & have seen an offer to Campitello.
Any experiences thereof that are positive or negative that you'd like to share?
One minor concern is there only seems to be one way up, the cablecar. Is that likely to be a bottleneck in late January?
Also, might it be considered the "wrong end" of the area from a skiing perspective. We love to get the miles in, but if you're at the wrong end of a ski area you can spend a lot of your day just traipsing to and from the "good bits" or just making do with what's local to your hotel.
Look forward to your thoughts...
Grazie!
CW |
I stayed in Campitello in late January this year. Always took the first cable car, so didn't experience any bottlenecks. Also I skied from Campitello to Arabba in around 30 minutes and to Corvara in one hour. I wouldn't call Campitello the wrong end of the area.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@cardweg, If you consider the Sella Ronda as a Circle, Campitello isn't really at the wrong end (there is no end !!  ) ; but, unlike Selva or Corvara it doesn't have an alternative area. There is the Valley bus to take you to other areas though.
I chose Canaezi over Campitello because you can ski back to the village.
Not sure about the Cable Car being a 'bottleneck' - But the Bar at the top is heaving at the end of the day (+ go-go dancers !)
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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've never used that particular cable car, but wouldn't expect the wait to be too long.
Unless you specifically want a certain type of run, (If you prefer easy blues, then you might be better nearer Alta Badia), there is no "wrong end" to the Sella Ronda.
If you are happy on Reds/blacks, and and just want a base for daily excursions, then anywhere that is only one or two lifts/runs to get onto the main circuit will be fine.
Even Cinque Tori would be easily achievable from Campitello for any reasonable skiers
for example, we had a trip out from Alleghe to Poza di fassa, via Malga Ciapella last year with plenty of time for a long lunch.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have been stopping in Campitello for the last 10 years ...nice little place ..the bus service is great and I generally go up to Alba where there is a choice of cable cars and generally no waiting rather than go up the Col Rodella ..if you dont want to go up to Belvedere you can take the other side over to Possa...The bus can take you over to Moena and the Passa San Pelegrino which is a nice area down to Falcade
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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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Arabba definately the best base.
The SR is a bit of a pain and a way of getting somewhere else to branch off.
The Great War Ring and Panoroma tours are amazing.
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