 Poster: A snowHead
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With this season's family trip all booked (Arc 1950 at Easter), I start to look ahead 12mths and draw up options for next season. It's an exam year for our eldest which means we'll look to go at Feb half term and try to avoid France. I've never skied the Dolomites so this seemed like a perfect time to go (and the family all love italy so it's win win!). I've been looking at resorts around the Sella Ronda, with Corvara catching the eye. But I've just noticed that the 2026 winter olympics is down the road in Cortina during February (no idea why I hadn't twigged before!)
Any ideas how this might effect bookings, busy-ness, or prices - will the whole place be a no-go or will everyone flock to Cortina and actually it'll all be fine?
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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 suspect the hotels in that area will be looking to increase their prices in during that period....
Ski wise -- might actually be quieter as people head to Cortina
Not all of the Olympic events will be in the area
Cortina venues
Olimpia delle Tofane -- Alpine skiing
South Tyrol Arena, Antholz -- Biathlon
Olympic Ice Stadium -- Curling
Eugenio Monti olympic track -- Luge Skeleton
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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 thought that a big selling point of the games was that it wouldn't need much construction work, I took that to mean that they would use the existing accommodation in the area for athletes and officials not build an Olympic Village.
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Although it's possible to ski most of the way from Corvara to Cortina, there's no viable return route, so anybody on the Sella Ronda wanting to attend the Olympics would have to drive (likely to be a long and slow trip).
Unlikely therefore that large numbers would book hotels on the Sella Ronda circuit for the event if they wanted to attend on multiple days.
That said, San Cassiano and neighbouring areas (up to La Villa) with easier road access to Cortina might attract quite a few, so probably best avoided during the event.
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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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I'm guessing the roads will be busier but maybe not the pistes. There is a certain accommodation capacity which will act as a natural limit, prices are bound to be higher though as there will be more demand through lots of news organisations, teams, plus spectators and the normal skiers.
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You'd be surprised at the actual impact of the Winter Olympics on accommodation availability: For few past Olympic venues that I know well (Whistler & Park City), actual visitor #s for the season plummeted because regular skiers were scared off by the Olympics & the extent to which rates were jacked up for the duration of the games. My sister's condo was empty during the whole 2010 Olympics: the building signed with one accommodation agency that set prices so high that there were no takers. An analysis of visitor traffic into YVR airport showed there were *fewer* visitors in Feb 2010 than in Feb 2008 (Feb 2009 not used as point of comparison because of the financial crisis). https://vancouversun.com/news/community-blogs/did-the-2010-winter-olympics-hurt-tourism-in-bc
In another thread, I mentioned paying $20.02/person for a mid-range hotel room in Park City after the Olympics there - an indication of how badly visitor numbers were affected.
This might just be North American greed+ corporate incompetence colliding, but lacking any comparable data for Sochi/PyongChang/Beijing, I'd hazard a guess that the OP *might* be able to find some relative bargains over in Val Gardena or Val di Fassa for Feb 2026 if the same dynamics play out, if they're willing to book relatively late (but suggest doing one cancellable booking early to hedge their bets!) Hoteliers may find reduced demand from long haul visitors, as this group seems more likely to be deterred by the potential for rates to be jacked up. At least that's what the data for Whistler & Vancouver showed - it was mostly domestic visitors in the end rather than international.
(But to the extent that Sudtirol's hoteliers seem to eschew booking platforms & manually adjust pricing in response to actual email/phone/website "request for quotes", perhaps they will not fall into the same trap of overpricing so much that they scare off visitors)
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@Handy Turnip, if concerned about getting caught up in all the pzazz, another option is to base yourself on the other side of the Sella Ronda circuit.
Canazei, Val di Fassa, Ortisei, for example. Still easy enough to access all Dolomiti areas if you’re at least decent intermediate skiers.
If value is an issue, accommodation in that area tends to be cheaper than Corvara and Alta Badia generally.
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Thanks all - this is really useful info. @AndreaC, I've heard before about satellite resorts being quieter during the Olympics as people either get scared off by higher prices or just assume that the area will be manic and put it on their avoid list. Be doubly annoying if we can't afford accommodation that then ends up empty!
@PeakyB, good point about aiming for the other side of the sella ronda. Seems like villages like La Villa, San Cassiano, Corvara that have easier access to Cortina might get caught up in the catchment area for the Olympics if prices are high in Cortina and demand is strong.
There's a chance that I might be booking flights if they come out before the accommodation is all released so it might be a bit of a leap of faith.
I better get researching out the different options in priority order!
- shortlist of possible accommodation in Corvana area
- shortlist of possible accommodation in sella ronda villages on the opposite site to Cortina
- alternative resort further away from Cortina but still in transfer distance to airport
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@Handy Turnip, as you’re probably aware, you could be choosing a different airport, depending which bit of the Sella Ronda zone you head for.
What follows is a broad generalisation.
Usually Venice or Treviso for the eastern side (Alta Badia, Arabba, etc). Possibly Verona or Bergamo for the western side. Milan also an option, though a longer transfer.
Innsbruck a further option, especially for villages on the northern or north western part of the circuit, eg in Val Gardena, Ortisei.
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Thanks @PeakyB, that's really useful. It was something that I was aware of but didn't know which airports were better for the different areas, so that's really helpful.
I'll have to map out some transfer times - it might be a case that I'll have to book with a view of staying the east side, and then work out what priority list for the village options starting with Corvana and then working my way out further (in terms of transfer time) until the transfer time gets too long for it to be practical.
Any recommendations for a family of four with two teenage children, all intermediates. Preferably with a short walk to lifts rather than having to get buses.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Handy Turnip, Broadly speaking, the transfer times are similar (2.25- 3 hours) in decent road conditions, if you pick an airport appropriate to the bit you'll be based at.
The exception is Milan, which is longer, over 4 hours.
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Any recommendations for a family of four with two teenage children, all intermediates. Preferably with a short walk to lifts rather than having to get buses.
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Do you mean accommodation? If so, sorry if I missed it, but what sort of accommodation do you prefer? Food arrangements?
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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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Thanks @PeakyB, I'll probably look to avoid Milan completely with the Olympics, can imagine that being crazy busy!
Not accommodation necessarily - more regarding villages generally. It's a completely new area to me so know nothing - not sure if different villages (Arabba, Penia, Passo Gardena) have different suitabilities. Just thinking of where to focus first. We generally book self catering apartments but are probably more open to hotels this time as it's not France.
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| Handy Turnip wrote: |
Thanks @PeakyB, I'll probably look to avoid Milan completely with the Olympics, can imagine that being crazy busy!
Not accommodation necessarily - more regarding villages generally. It's a completely new area to me so know nothing - not sure if different villages (Arabba, Penia, Passo Gardena) have different suitabilities. Just thinking of where to focus first. We generally book self catering apartments but are probably more open to hotels this time as it's not France. |
Hard to say exactly what effect the Olympics will have on holiday costs in the wider area. My guess is that Cortina itself will be prohibitive and anywhere in striking distance will be affected, definitely places south of Cortina (names ending in Cadore) and although they are a mountain pass away, maybe the Alta Badia resorts of San Cassiano, La Villa, Corvara & Colfosco, as well as Arabba could be affected by price hikes.
Val Gardena is probably too far to commute to Cortina, it's a great spot to access loads of skiing in the Valley itself and the wider Sella Ronda area, but it is never really a budget option.
Val di Fassa resorts will likely be unaffected and it is already the cheaper option for the Sella Ronda, though it currently has issues with oversubscribed lifts at peak time (may resolve with new cablecar at Campitello due for 2025-26 season). Currently Alba/Penia has the best uplift in this sector. https://maps.app.goo.gl/3pUXuuQZcuNp7nth8
Verona is the best airport to access Val di Fassa. Verona and Innsbruck are good for Val Gardena. Bergamo, Venice, Milan are doable with longer drives. Venice is the logical airport for accessing Cortina, so flights and car hire out of there might be more tricky over the Olympic period??
Hope that helps with planning!! 
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Fri 22-11-24 11:40; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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@Handy Turnip, personally, at February half term, I'd be asking where the quieter slope areas might be. Realistically, nowhere will really be quiet, but there'll be differing levels of rammedness.
Not so bad as La Plagne, 3V etc though.
From past experience, I'd guess Corvara, Colfosco, Selva / Val Gardena generally, La Villa, San Cassiano would be busiest.
Across the western side a bit less so, eg Canazei, Penia, Alba, Pozza di Fassa. Even then there are lift bottlenecks and pinch points.
Arabba possibly medium busyness? Has a peachy hotel a short walk from main lifts that many snowHeads would recommend. Also a sister hotel about 7 minutes further away and cheaper.
A tactic used by Dolomiti regulars is to ski away from the main Sella Ronda circuit as much as possible. There are several good areas on offshoots from the circuit.
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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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| PeakyB wrote: |
@Handy Turnip, personally, at February half term, I'd be asking where the quieter slope areas might be. Realistically, nowhere will really be quiet, but there'll be differing levels of rammedness.
Not so bad as La Plagne, 3V etc though.
From past experience, I'd guess Corvara, Colfosco, Selva / Val Gardena generally, La Villa, San Cassiano would be busiest.
Across the western side a bit less so, eg Canazei, Penia, Alba, Pozza di Fassa. Even then there are lift bottlenecks and pinch points.
Arabba possibly medium busyness? Has a peachy hotel a short walk from main lifts that many snowHeads would recommend. Also a sister hotel about 7 minutes further away and cheaper.
A tactic used by Dolomiti regulars is to ski away from the main Sella Ronda circuit as much as possible. There are several good areas on offshoots from the circuit. |
Missed the bit about Half Term, yes it will be busy around the Sella Ronda as it's peak season.
The dates to really watch are the Danish school holidays around Canazei which gets rammed with Danish families and usually coincides with UK HT in mid-Feb. Also, the Fasching/Carnevale holidays for Val Gardena, Kronplatz and Alta Badia when Bavarians show up in huge numbers. This is a moveable feast, but will fall 14-21 Feb 2026, so that could also collide with UK HT 
Dolomite resorts away from the Sella Ronda can be super quiet midweek at HT, only seeing a big influx of Italian weekenders/daytrippers at the weekends if the snow is good and the sun is out 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers all - that's really useful. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions @luigi @PeakyB. I think I need to do whole load more research and build out some contingency plans so that if plan A doesn't work out then I've got options B, C D etc ready and waiting.
@albob, i'm hoping that'll be sorted by 2026 but maybe that's a foolish assumption!
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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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@luigi, just wondered, from your experience, which Dolomiti areas away from the SR are super quiet on weekdays?
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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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Flights booked! Went for Innsbruck in the end, as it gives more ski options in case I can't find any appropriate accommodation.
On that note, been starting to look but can't see many options for apartments in the Corvara/Colfosco - part of me thinks it's a bit early but a couple of places that I emailed said that they were already booked up for half term next year.
There are places a few available for £6k+ for the week but that's a bit out of our price range!!!
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| Handy Turnip wrote: |
Flights booked! Went for Innsbruck in the end, as it gives more ski options in case I can't find any appropriate accommodation.
On that note, been starting to look but can't see many options for apartments in the Corvara/Colfosco - part of me thinks it's a bit early but a couple of places that I emailed said that they were already booked up for half term next year.
There are places a few available for £6k+ for the week but that's a bit out of our price range!!! |
Does it have to be self catering? Contact Colfosco hotels directly, take your pick using TripAdvisor ratings, they may be significantly cheaper than that half board. We’ve booked ours already. Subject to … don’t know how many of you are travelling.
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@Snow&skifan, there's 4 of us, with 2 teenage children so it doesn't have to be self catering but need a two bedroom place which seems to fit apartments more.
Maybe I'll take a look on trip advisor - very little on booking.com but I suspect many places haven't released next year yet.
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@Handy Turnip, have you looked at Sunweb? They already have some prices out for next season in the Dolomites and we’ve just a booked an apartment in Santa Cristina Val Gardena for a great price (including lift pass).
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@surferrosa, cheers - I'll take a look
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Actually the apartment we’ve just booked is available for the 21st Feb (assuming that’s your half term date). Apartments Cêsa Ruacia next to the Saslong Gondola is £818pp including full area lift pass. And it has 3 bedrooms. Looks like a fabulous location!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@surferrosa, we're 14th -21st Feb, which seems to be the main week. But I'll take a look, cheers.
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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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@Handy Turnip, ahh, ours is a week later. Good luck with your search though!
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weski.com has lots of availability for Canazei at what look like pretty good rates to this noob.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don’t mean to be negative, but you are planning your holiday on Carnevale week !!! forget about our half term it is irrelevant in the Dolomites, you will have Italian and German children on school holiday , can bet anything the prices will increase and slopes will be very busy. If I were you I would look into Val di Fassa especially lovely Canazei. You can easily access SR but also explore close by resorts if the main area gets too busy.
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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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Don’t mean to be negative, but you are planning your holiday on Carnevale week !!! forget about our half term it is irrelevant in the Dolomites, you will have Italian and German children on school holiday , can bet anything the prices will increase and slopes will be very busy. If I were you I would look into Val di Fassa especially lovely Canazei. You can easily access SR but also explore close by resorts if the main area gets too busy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Don’t mean to be negative, but you are planning your holiday on Carnevale week !!! forget about our half term it is irrelevant in the Dolomites, you will have Italian and German children on school holiday , can bet anything the prices will increase and slopes will be very busy. If I were you I would look into Val di Fassa especially lovely Canazei. You can easily access SR but also explore close by resorts if the main area gets too busy.
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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 I'm aware that it's around Carnevale week, @Harrow lady, so I don't think you're being negative (on the third time maybe  )
But it's Paris half term in France so it's the same situation in a lot of places. My assumption was that Carnevale wasnt quite as busy as french half term (1/2 days off rather than the week).
I will look to other areas if I need to, but with a year to go I was hoping that at this point I wouldn't need 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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| surferrosa wrote: |
| Actually the apartment we’ve just booked is available for the 21st Feb (assuming that’s your half term date). Apartments Cêsa Ruacia next to the Saslong Gondola is £818pp including full area lift pass. And it has 3 bedrooms. Looks like a fabulous location! |
Can I check where you saw that it was available? The other thing that I'm finding painful is having to email each apartment individually to check, wait 24 hours for them to say that it's fully booked. Not as efficient as my normal Airbnb searching!
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@Handy Turnip, it’s on Sunweb. I’m using the app and it was available for the 21st Feb but not the 14th. There were plenty of other options for the 14th with Sunweb in the Dolomites though.
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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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Cheers @surferrosa, much appreciated. Just taking a look through, and there definitely seem to be some options. Thanks for sending through.
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@Handy Turnip, Just regarding the actual Olympics -- my Hotelier (Selva) said he thought the Olympics would have no affect on the Val di Gardena valley
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| Handy Turnip wrote: |
@Snow&skifan, there's 4 of us, with 2 teenage children so it doesn't have to be self catering but need a two bedroom place which seems to fit apartments more.
Maybe I'll take a look on trip advisor - very little on booking.com but I suspect many places haven't released next year yet. |
That was the same as us for many seasons. Use TA just as a guide on reviews, I'd suggest then contacting hotels directly (probably through their websites). They prefer that, no middlemen taking a cut and I find you often save significantly too.
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| albob wrote: |
| @Handy Turnip, Just regarding the actual Olympics -- my Hotelier (Selva) said he thought the Olympics would have no affect on the Val di Gardena valley |
Cheers, that's good to know - following Corvara & Colfosco, Val Gardens is next in line (and a little further from Cortina and the Olympics).
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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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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
| Handy Turnip wrote: |
@Snow&skifan, there's 4 of us, with 2 teenage children so it doesn't have to be self catering but need a two bedroom place which seems to fit apartments more.
Maybe I'll take a look on trip advisor - very little on booking.com but I suspect many places haven't released next year yet. |
That was the same as us for many seasons. Use TA just as a guide on reviews, I'd suggest then contacting hotels directly (probably through their websites). They prefer that, no middlemen taking a cut and I find you often save significantly too. |
Thanks, it's a great tip - the frustrating thing is that most of the hotels/apartments (with the two bedrooms we need) seem to have this request form, which they then take 24 hours to respond to. I sent a load off last night and they've slowly come back in all declined. Usually a hour or so on airbnb and the like, and I can get a good gauge of what's available and what's not, and where they are located.
The sunweb option has given me a back-up, but it's out of town and reliant on shuttle buses - not necessarily a bad thing, but the family is used to ski in, ski out, close to town etc. I know those are available less than other resorts but seeing how I can narrow the gap.
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FAQ
