 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, just booked to go to Livigno for the second week of March and would love to hear from anyone who's been before and can recommend must dos, mountain restaurants, and anything else really! We are staying at the Hotel Livigno HB which I believe is fairly central close to the Cassana lift. Very excited as Livigno has been on my radar for a while so looking forward to finally going there.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My tip is to use tripadvisor and
-watch out for restaurants with small number of reviews, unless brand new
-first find out name of local dishes, filter in that
-try to read in reviews where locals go
-select on local food, fish and chips you can eat at home
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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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@surferrosa, We are going to Livigno 16th March, and like you, have been wanting to go for ages! It doesn't seem like many snowheads go there though, as I can't find much info on here about restaurant recommendations and trip reports etc... it would be great to hear about your trip and any advice you have after your week there!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just realised it's the second week of March already so you are probably there right now! Have a great trip!
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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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@katelj8, hi, yes we are here and having a fab time! I’ll reply with more detail later but so far impressions are good! The snow is excellent (we had about 30cm on Sunday!) and it’s cheap! Beer 5 euro, food very reasonable too. It’s busier than expected though and there have been a few lift queue bottlenecks, but maybe because the Czech’s are on their half term. I’ll get back to you later…
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I haven't been for a long time, but as I remember it the Rusticana at the Mottolino end is very good for pizza, and the best restaurant in the middle we thought was Bivio. The brewery is also worth a visit (for the beer, the food is crap).
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@surferrosa, thank you, that would be great! Hope the crowds die down as the week progresses for you!
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@musher, thanks for the tips, the brewery looks fun!
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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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@katelj8, we’re just waiting for our last dinner at our hotel so thought I’d let you know what we made of Livigno.
Our favourite place to eat on the mountain was La Tea da Cip e Ciop which is on the red run down from Carosello 3000, just above town, amazing pasta, lasagne and other stuff. Really good value too (as most places are). We also enjoyed Alpino Lodge on the Mottolino side, and one called La Tana del Gatto near the Cassana lift.
We didn’t eat out in the evening as staying HB but had a few drinks etc. Bivio was great for Austrian style apres, but mostly went to David’s apres ski bar as it was close to our hotel.
We enjoyed the skiing but in a week you definitely ski it all out! Really liked some of the runs going back to town and there’s a really long blue from the top of lift 4 back to bottom of the Mottolino gondola. Also the runs near the federia lift were enjoyable.
We were super lucky with the snow, had about 30cms on the Sunday and then another 10 on Wednesday morning. It started to warm up later in the week and became more spring like, getting a bit slushy lower down. But there’s plenty of snow there and the whole valley is white which makes photos look pretty!
It was definitely busier than I thought it would be and there are a few lift queue bottlenecks. But they tended only to be mornings (on sunny days!) and got better as the day went on.
Would we go back? Yes definitely, but wouldn’t rush back as the skiing was a little limited. Its main selling points is how good the snow was and that it is much cheaper than most other places we’ve skied, including other Italian resorts. We had a great time though!
Hope that helps and hope you have a wonderful trip 
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@surferrosa, thanks so much! This is really helpful, and I particularly like the mountain restaurant recommendations! We are going half board too but at the other end of town so will explore the apres bars at that end of town and report back here for other people researching a trip to Livigno.
Sorry you had lift queues! It's surprising it's so busy as we always assumed March would be the quietest time by far. Can't be as bad as La Plagne at half term though, and we managed to survive that!
Hope you enjoy your last night and have a good trip home!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@surferrosa, did you use the buses to get round town and to the different ski areas? How frequent are they? I can't seem to find a timetable online and just planning how we will get to the hotel in San Rocco after being dropped off by the coach in the centre of town. Thanks!
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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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We did a few times to get to the Mottolino side. They are very regular (every 10-15 mins) but a bit confusing too! If your hotel is in the main part of San Rocco you should be able to get any of the green, red or blue line busses so you shouldn’t have much of a wait at all.
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The busses are good, just make sure you get on the right colour.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks both!
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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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No worries. Hope you have a great time! And let us know how you get on!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| musher wrote: |
| The busses are good, just make sure you get on the right colour. |
Agreed. Not hard to understand and plenty of info on times and route colours when changing skiing sides etc. it was more than a few years since I went so I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a bus timetable app now.
I enjoyed the skiing there. Not overly difficult but definitely fun. Livigno, the town, also has a nice vibe. I did a trip report following my stay - not sure how helpful it is….and possibly a bit late for you (katelj8) in any event… 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, Livigno as a town is lovely. Quite buzzy and lively, lots of lovely restaurants and is probably a shoppers paradise. Lots of pretty wood buildings too. Also the mountains and scenery are pretty special too.
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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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We made it! The journey was actually very easy and wizzed by due to the beautiful scenery on route. We flew to Zurich and got three trains and a short bus via Zernez, which is much more straightforward than we feared! My partner gets really travel sick in cars and buses so we wanted to keep the bus bit of the journey as short as possible. Arrived too late to pick up skis and lift pass unfortunately, but had a lovely dinner at the hotel and then found a nice pub nearby by called Homelywood which we will definitely go back to! €8 for an espresso martini is amazing compared to London prices!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Jäger, I found your trip report from 2008...the prices for ski holidays back then are unbelievable! I can now see why my partner who has been skiing for 20+ years thinks everything is so expensive now!
I've only been skiing for 4 years so i'm hoping I'll manage some of the easier reds here. We met some nice people in the bar last night who said lots of the red runs are more like blues, which I'm really hoping is correct, but I am a very nervous skier so it's all relative!
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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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@katelj8, San Rocco is the best place to stay IMO. I've been loads of times and can answer any questions you might have. Strapizzami does great takeaway pizzas and slices for lunch if you want a cheap option. Likewise Bar St Agata does great bruschetta and is a bit of a hidden gem. Marcos food is excellent and they also run 'Il Cenacolo' which is a little more upmarket, but really really good. Bellavista is good, as is Hotel Valtellina. Also discovered the Hotel Astoria this year and their food was amazing. There are so many options and we've literally never gone wrong. Make sure to get the Pizzocheri! Stalet Apres at the bottom of the Carosello gondola is good straight after skiing if you want classic ski boots on banging apres. Take the Carosello gondola first thing and you'll find some lovely reds off the federia lift which usually has the best snow. Nothing too serious off this lift, just wide cruisey reds and one snakey, rolly sort of one called the Gessi. Dont go too far left or theres a short steepish black down to the lift. You'll have a blast!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@element, thank you for the tips! We are actually staying at the hotel Astoria on half board and the food has been great, I agree the pizzocheri is delicious! We are really enjoying Livigno so far. Turns out the reds here are still not within my capabilities, and trying to do them on the first day of skiing was a very silly idea! Although it wasn't actually intentional; we are finding the piste map and markings very vague and a bit confusing compared to other places we have been.
Today I have been practicing lots on the blues at the other end of town to improve my confidence. Stopped early due to snow (I'm a fair weather skier!) but looks like we might get some sunshine tomorrow hopefully!
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@katelj8, have to agree with you about the Livigno piste map, it's one of the worst I've ever seen.
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@katelj8, good going, if youve found your legs on the valley blue slopes and fancy a graded step up, take the yellow Tagliede gondola to its top station and the chairlift accessible from there will take you on the Bellavista run. I can't remember if it's blue or red, but it's a lovely wide, mellow cruise and has amazing views of the lake. Just lap the chairlift and download from the top of the Tagliede gondola as the lower half is a bit trickier. You can get a good look at it from the top of the gondola and if you decide it's too much, just go into the Costaccia restaurant for a proper lunch, then download. Go early though, as it gets busy. Also, the Yepi lift accessible from the Mottolino gondola has a marked out beginners area with a speed limit, fun for a change of scenery from the nursery slopes.
And try and squeeze in a visit to the Latteria for ice cream, you won't regret it.
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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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@element, sounds perfect! I'm on my way there right now!
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take the yellow Tagliede gondola to its top station and the chairlift accessible from there will take you on the Bellavista run.
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I took my brother to Livigno for his first ski trip in years and he loved that run to get back into things. It's perfect for confidence building. If conditions are anything but good I would also recommend downloading at the end of the day. That run down can be a bit hairy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The Bellavista area was great! I stayed there all day practicing on the blue run for the morning then managed to do the wide easy red run next to it a few times in the afternoon. Around mid morning it got busy and there was some queuing at the chair lift, but it didn't take too long. At the end of the day I came back down in the gondola as the lower slopes were super slushy and bumpy by the afternoon. Went to Stalet bar at the bottom of Carosella for apres ski drinks and dancing which was fun! They do 70s/80s/90s music on Tuesdays.
This morning we are going to out early for the first lift up Mottolino to try the long blue run (hoping it will be nice and quiet first thing!), then I'll practice around the Yepi area whilst my partner goes exploring the rest of the mountain.
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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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@katelj8, excellent! Hope the Mottolino was good too. The blue run from the summit is lovely for progressing, but there's a short and slightly tricky bit of red to access the chairlift that you need to reach the very top. Nothing too mad and very wide, but ive had beginner friends who've been a bit spooked by it. You can join halfway at the top of the Mottolino gondola and lap the lower half though.
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@element, yes I know exactly which red run you mean! I totally freaked out on it the first day when I had forgotten how to ski, then yesterday it seemed absolutely fine! I even managed the red down to trepalle and one over to lift 5 as well. Yesterday we had a delicious lunch at Emilio's which is just across the road from the bottom of lift 7. Amazing pizzocheri and giant pizzas!
Livigno has been really great for lovely wide and relatively gentle reds to help me progress and start to get a bit braver. Today I went all the way from the Bellavista side over to the red next to La Tea di Cip I Ciop (very inelegantly and with lots of side slipping) which I definitely didn't think I would be able to do at the start of the week!
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You know it makes sense.
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Brilliant, love the Cip e Ciop. I've never been to Emilio's, must try next time. There are just so many options for good on mountain food. Ristoro Scialket at the side of the Cassana piste is another good one, but you can't really lose wherever you go.
Sounds like you're making the most of it.
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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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Thanks so much to everyone for their Livigno tips! We had a great time and would definitely recommend it as a destination. The cheap food and drink was a definite perk! Cocktails for €6! 2 coffees and two gelatos for €7.80! It's great if you like a bargain. Although I didn't find the clothing shops that much cheaper than you can get online in the UK.
We liked staying in the Hotel Astoria and being in the San Rocco area. We got used to the buses, and mostly they worked well. Although one morning when we tried to get to mottolino for the first lift it was too full and didn't stop so we waited 20mins for the next one which then didn't turn up, so we gave up and called a taxi instead!
We would also recommend the transfer option we took in order to avoid the 5 hour bus from Milan. We flew to Zurich and got a couple of trains to a small town called Zernez then it was just 50 mins on a bus over the border to Livigno. The whole journey was very beautiful and the trains are so civilised in Switzerland! Everything was on time, changing platforms at the stations was straightforward, the online booking system is really easy to use. They have buffet cars with comfy chairs and linen table clothes with a nice looking menu of food although we just had coffee.
The journey does have a few sections, and short changeover times, which almost put us off but with everything being so efficient this wasn't a problem in the end. From the airport you change trains at the main station (hauptbahnhof) in Zurich and then again at a place called Landquart. It took about 2h30 in total plus the 50min for the bus so all in all a quicker way to get there, and much better if you get travel sick in coaches!
I hope this thread helps people planning their trips to Livigno next year. Happy skiing!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Going to Livigno in 5th-9th Dec, staying in Hotel Cristallo, driving from Bergamo airport.
Just wanted start here by thanking everyone that's contributed on this thread!
Lots of great content.
Keeping a close eye on snow fall as it's obviously early in the season.
Going with my wife who's a complete beginner, anyone have any recommendations around that?
We're going to ski 3 days, and looking into ski schools for her. Any recommendations on that front?
How about lines, there aren't green lines are there? Any areas she should try to stay on?
I'm an experienced snowboarder, would love some off piste tree stuff, does livigno have any of that, anywhere safe to go without a guide?
Any general tips for advanced skiers/snowboarders are welcome! black lines etc.
And yea, saved all the recommendations for restaurants and bars from this thread, thank you so much!
Lastly, any spa anyone would recommend she can use to chill in the evening?
Just realised I posted a bunch of questions, anything will be greatly appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@trindadebruno, no greens in Italy, beginners runs are blue
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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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| Quote: |
We're going to ski 3 days, and looking into ski schools for her. Any recommendations on that front?
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There are lots of ski schools in Livigno. We've used a few and they've all been good. Hotel Cristallo is a good spot. You're closest to 'Scuola Sci e Snowboard', about 400m down the road. The next closest is probably 'Ski School Doss 18'. Its a bit easier to get to as the bus goes in that direction and I think there's a stop right outside Cristallo. It'll be only 2 or 3 stops and less than 5 mins to Doss 18. Either have been good in my experience. 18 is good as it's beside the main Carosello gondola and you can lap it while your partner is in lessons. You can probably also ski to your back door in normal snow conditions, though this might be trickier for an absolute beginner.
Livigno has its own Avalanche report every day https://www.livigno.eu/en/avalanche-bulletin worth checking.
There are loads of areas for tree skiing, but all the usual safety caveats apply. Off skiers left of the Cassana gondola theres a large area that's low gradient with nicely spaced trees and no real hazards. Great fun on a powder morning and very safe. That side of the mountain further up, below the Tagliede top station can be fun, but there are some cliffs if you venture too far skiers left (dont ask me how i know). Under the Mottolino Gondola can be fun, though there are a few hazards. There's a marked freeride area between the pistes off the Federia lift at the top of the Carosello gondola. They also usually leave a piste ungroomed in this area on a powder day and will state this in the morning. A lot of the open areas above the treeline are very inviting but prime avalanche territory, so be cautious.
Acquagranda is the biggest spa and it is excellent, but a bit expensive. Lots of hotels have smaller ones but I can't comment.
Let me know if you've any more questions, you'll have a blast.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@trindadebruno, i can only answer about the best runs for beginners really, as I didn't book ski lessons whilst I was there. I'd had lessons on a previous trip last year and wanted to consolidate what I had learnt with practice. My favourite pistes for practicing were down from the Cassana lift (no. 30 on the piste map) and the ones above Costaccia no. 28. All we're lovely gentle blue runs that were more towards the green end compared to blue runs in France, which I find have random steep bits in them that used to freak me out as a complete beginner! Also, as someone mentioned here previously, it's best to download to get back to the village from Costaccia as the runs down from there are not so nice.
I also loved the blues all along the top of the mottolino side. The views are incredible! Hope you have a great trip and lots of snow!
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FAQ
