 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I am looking for a recommendation for a European Alps Ski Resort. We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young teens) and we have skied for the last several seasons in Val Gardena, Italy. My daughters want to try something different, so we are looking for a similar resort, preferably in Italy, France, or Switzerland. We are planning our visit from 15 Feb to 22 Feb 2025.
Our criteria are:
- Charming Town(s) for skiing, dining, and shopping (similar to Ortisei or Selva)
- Large number of diverse slopes (similar to Dolomiti Super Ski)
- Beginner and intermediate slopes
- A Ski Park would be great
- Not crazy expensive (maybe similar to Val Gardena)
- Not too crowded (this one may be difficult)
Of course I may be looking for the Unicorn Ski Resort  , so please don't hesitate to make a suggestion.
I just started researching, but I was thinking maybe about Courmayeur/Mont Blanc.
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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@Mark_NC, your dates clash with school holidays across virtually all of Europe, so that makes your not too crowded more tricky.
Courmayeur is a great place, but not really for your large number of diverse slopes requirements. If you're looking in the Aosta region, then perhaps somewhere like Cervinia might work?
Is there a reason you're ignoring Austria from your list?
Switzerland will be generally more expensive than Val Gardena. Mainly on the food and drink front.
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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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If you truly want the same size as Ski Dolomiti, you are kind of limited on options.
I don't have any Swiss experience due to price, so I'll leave that to others. Then again, since you said not expensive, you might want to skip it too.
For France, I'd say you are basically looking at Val d'Isere/Tignes or 3 Vallees. Not much else will give you the size you want.
I know it's not on your list, but Austria gives you more options:
Ski Arlberg (maybe not so beginner friendly)
Skiwelt Kitz
Ski Circus
And if you are ok with traveling to the skiing some days like I assume you did in the Dolomiti, the Zillertal area is another possibility.
Slightly smaller than the above but still large would be Ischgl.
So you have some options, but yes, you are looking for a bit of a unicorn!
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Nowhere will be exactly the same, it is a very busy week and lots of resorts will be very busy.
My own experience is that this is also true for Val Gardena at this time.
You could look at Serre Chevalier which is a good sized area though not as big as the Sella Ronda /dolomite area has excellent intermediate skiing and an attractive old town in Briancon. It is less expensive than some of the other big French domains, though like all of them will be pretty busy at peak French holiday period.
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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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| swskier wrote: |
| @Mark_NC, your dates clash with school holidays across virtually all of Europe, so that makes your not too crowded more tricky. |
Yes, I saw that, but unfortunately that's the week my daughters are off from school. We faced the same thing a few years ago in Val Gardena. There were crowds, but not too bad. Nothing like the crowds we've faced in some Eastern US resorts.
| swskier wrote: |
@Mark_NC
Is there a reason you're ignoring Austria from your list?
Switzerland will be generally more expensive than Val Gardena. Mainly on the food and drink front. |
I will certainly entertain any Austrian recommendations. I've skied Alpbach without my family and it was very nice, although with a little less dining and shopping (which are very important to my wife and daughters ). I left Austria out because my wife thought it would be too much like Val Gardena, but with less shopping. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
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Courmayeur is a great choice but ... ski area is quite small and if you don't mind driving it would allow you easy access to Pila and La Thuile and La Rosiere on French side.. Either one is about 30mins away with Chamonix 45 mins or so. Worth the drive, especially to Aosta town which is very charming and full of great restaurants. Busses run frequently between Courmayeur and LaThuile/Aosta. Aosta Valley ski pass gives you access to all of these places (no access to Chamonix on Aosta pass).
Plenty to keep you busy for a week and prices are bit lower than Val Gardena. I also found that non-skiing activities in Aosta valley are plentiful (great spa QC Terme, access to Skyway Monte Bianco, Roman ruins in Aosta, much better shopping and people watching in Courmayeur/Aosta and very good sports center in Courmayeur with tennis and ice skating).
Also it is very easy to access this area from both sides, Milan is 2 1/2 hrs. away and Geneva about 1 1/2hrs. From Geneva you will have to pay tunnel toll. Highways either way. Day in Milano will satisfy most shoppers, Lake Como is close to the airport and worth visiting.
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| Mark_NC wrote: |
I will certainly entertain any Austrian recommendations. I've skied Alpbach without my family and it was very nice, although with a little less dining and shopping (which are very important to my wife and daughters ). I left Austria out because my wife thought it would be too much like Val Gardena, but with less shopping. Please correct me if I'm wrong. |
Most Austrian resorts are pretty different to Val Gardena, for starters the scenery of the Dolomites is quite different to what you'd see in a lot of Austria.
Alpbach is nice, but not a particularly big area/town.
Where we live, 1 valley over from Alpbach in the Zillertal, you've got plenty of skiing, including glacier skiing in Hintertux. It does require the use of the local buses and trains (free with the lift pass) to access the various resorts. Mayrhofen is the biggest village and has plenty of shopping and dining options.
Is your wife and daughters intending on shopping instead of skiing at times? If so, it's very easy for them to hop on a train to Innsbruck from the Zillertal where they'll have way more shopping than you'd find in any ski resort!
Depending on finances, Zermatt in Switzerland would tick off everything on your list, but it can be pricey!
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You need to prioritise your wish list, @Mark_NC. I, though a Francophile, would definitely rule out all French resorts on those dates. There is nowhere like the Dolomites but there are loads of places other than Val Gardena! I don't know Austrian resorts well but what about Kitzbuhel?
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Kitzbuhel would certainly give the shopping! And when combined with Skiwelt, would give the size desired, and be suitable for beginners. Only issue might be the price. And the fact it's in Austria...
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The best answer for what the OP is asking is probably Dolomiti Superski itself, but stay on the other side, like Arabba for instance. Would probably provide a different enough experience to count as trying something different. Also gets you much easier access to Cortina and Kronplatz.
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Joint01
Joint01
Guest
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You’ve got to try Zermatt. It’s one of my all-time favorite spots.The skiing is top-notch with a huge variety of runs, so whether you’re in the mood for easy cruising or something more challenging oh yeah and the Gravity Park is a blast, especially for your teens who want to try some jumps and rails buuut it’s not the cheapest place out there, tho I can say it's worth it
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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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| wjrlaw wrote: |
| The best answer for what the OP is asking is probably Dolomiti Superski itself, but stay on the other side, like Arabba for instance. Would probably provide a different enough experience to count as trying something different. Also gets you much easier access to Cortina and Kronplatz. |
Good luch with the shopping aspect in Arraba though. And it was the first criteria listed.
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Kitz in Austria, as previously mentioned here with good access to SkiWelt
in CH: Grindelwald or Zermatt. For the wife, dine and shopping experience.
They are both a truly exquisite place.
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You know it makes sense.
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What about Cortina? No lack of shopping, loads of skiing but expensive.
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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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Would Madonna di Campiglio be suitable ? : Different part of the Dolomites : Note - I have never skied there !!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Mark_NC,
What budget are you looking at?
What type of accommodation, and how are you planning to travel?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Mark_NC wrote: |
- Charming Town(s) for skiing, dining, and shopping (similar to Ortisei or Selva)
- Large number of diverse slopes (similar to Dolomiti Super Ski)
- Beginner and intermediate slopes
- A Ski Park would be great
- Not crazy expensive (maybe similar to Val Gardena)
- Not too crowded (this one may be difficult)
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Given this list I would suggest Kitzbühel, it is a real old town with a certain amount of character, no shortage of shops (especially if you are looking for high end outdoor wear). Not as much "Austrian apres" as other places but guess that is not high on your wish list. The ski area is a good size (and can be extended into the adjoining SkiWelt area) with plenty of variety from easy to reasonably difficult. Although Val Gardena etc have a Hapsburg heritage and the area is called Südtirol it is quite different to the northern part of the Tirol, food is different (thought cakes popular in both!) and the ambience is different. Swiss suggestions good too but the cost is a good deal more.
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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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That's at least the third suggestion of Kitzbuhel (mine being the first, I think...) so I reckon that's a wrap....
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Incidentally if you opt for Kitzbühel then there's a very nice swimming pool complex called the Aquarena. You get a reduced entry price with a guest card, and an even greater reduction with a lift pass.
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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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| Origen wrote: |
| That's at least the third suggestion of Kitzbuhel (mine being the first, I think...) so I reckon that's a wrap.... |
... which makes total snowHead sense, given that the OP asked for recommendations in Italy, France or Switzerland. 
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@Mark_NC, It'll be busy and shopping not a priority (I don't think) but consider the Via Lattea towns for your mileage and on-piste requirements. I've stayed in Sauze d'Oulx a couple of times and whilst on the edge of VL it's a nice base but maybe staying in Sestriere, which is more central, could work for you? Easy transfers from Turin too.
OH and just to add, if considering Austria then maybe Mayrhofen or other areas of Zillertal could work.
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@halfhand, You could get the train into Turin to do some shopping from the Via Lattea.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Mark_NC,
Megeve. Chamonix.
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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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French school hols....and shopping in Megeve can be mind-blowingly expensive even in mid January.
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| Kenzie wrote: |
@Mark_NC,
Megeve. Chamonix. |
Chamonix is great if you love buses and vintage lifts. 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Unless you can change the dates I'd remove France from the list, it'll be rammed.
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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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Of course if you ski off-piste, Courmayeur is directly linked to Chamonix by the Vallee Blanche. But otherwise after the Dolomites the area might seem rather small.
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More Austrian suggestions - Lech is a very pleasant village with a big ski area, lots of good intermediate pistes but for absolute beginners the in-village little baby pistes are a bit limited. It's the same ski area as St Anton. St Anton is a much bigger town with more shops and restaurants, but it's more "lively" than "charming" and the home runs there can get crazy busy in peak times. The other one I'm surprised nobody has mentioned is Saalbach Hinterglemm. Two good villages in a valley with skiing on all sides, good range of pistes and excellent mountain restaurants. Lech can be quite pricy for Austria, Saalbach is pretty comparable to Val Gardena. Saalbach isn't far from Salzburg, which is one of the prettiest cities in Europe with excellent shopping and dining. I'd really recommend adding on a day or two at the end of your ski holiday for a little city break there.
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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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@Mark_NC, as you fear, I think you are indeed looking for a unicorn, which is not surprising since, based on your stated criteria, Val Gardena is that unicorn
Not that there aren't plenty of alternatives but few, if any, that fit that bill so well as Val Gardena.
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@Valkyrie, “Saalbach isn't far from Salzburg, which is one of the prettiest cities in Europe with excellent shopping and dining. I'd really recommend adding on a day or two at the end of your ski holiday for a little city break there.”
As Saalbach is hosting the World Cup until 16th February, accommodation might conceivably be an issue on 15th, in which case that city break might be best taken at the beginning of the week (although it’s beyond me why anyone should want to go shopping to the Alps in the height of the ski season).
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| Quote: |
although it’s beyond me why anyone should want to go shopping to the Alps in the height of the ski season
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me too. Or indeed almost anywhere, anytime. If I want some new boots, a black sweater, or (as right now) some washing up liquid, I'll head off to the shops (or probably look online, in the case of the sweater). But the idea of "shopping" as an end in itself, just sort of mooching around with nothing particular in mind, has never appealed. I feel boredom coming on at the very thought. Though if somebody gave me their credit card and told me to go and have a nice time in Kitzbuhel, or Megeve, I wouldn't grumble.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hard to beat Livigno if dining and shopping are important. Doesn't have the vast ski area of the Dolomites, but ticks all your other boxes 100%.
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I've never been to Livigno but haven't heard it described as "charming" before.
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