 Poster: A snowHead
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Making a return trip to La Thuile this year and wondering about the practicalities of moving about the valley without a car.
Our 6 day Espace San Bernardo pass gives us 2 days elsewhere in the Aosta valley including: Courmayeur, Pila, Champoluc, Gressoney and Cervinia.
Courmayeur seems relatively close, and there appears to be a bus, but how realistic is this option if you’re relying on public transport, and are the other resorts practical for a public transport day trip?
I’m assuming the Cervinia option doesn’t include Zermatt…
Thanks
CW
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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 wrote: |
Making a return trip to La Thuile this year and wondering about the practicalities of moving about the valley without a car.
Our 6 day Espace San Bernardo pass gives us 2 days elsewhere in the Aosta valley including: Courmayeur, Pila, Champoluc, Gressoney and Cervinia.
Courmayeur seems relatively close, and there appears to be a bus, but how realistic is this option if you’re relying on public transport, and are the other resorts practical for a public transport day trip?
I’m assuming the Cervinia option doesn’t include Zermatt…
Thanks
CW |
Hello There! I'm a ski instructor from Cervinia, is you're staying in La Thuile, the closest ski resort is Courmayeur whereas I definitely wouldn't suggest Gressoney as you might end up staying more then 1h30 driving... unfortunately also Cervinia is pretty far.. for Pila you will just have to get to Aosta, which is not too far from LaThuile, where there's a big parking at the start of the cablecar. I'm pretty sure Zermatt is not included in the pass given.. Hope this can help!
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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 notice the Courmayeur bus is free and regular, so should be easy and worth it for a change of scenery.
https://www.lathuile.it/en/around_la_thuile.html
Getting to Aosta/Pila on public transport is a bit trickier, involves changing buses in Pre St Didier, so probably not worth it, considering the journey time.
As Catherine says, it's a long, long way to Cervinia or Monte Rosa resorts, even if you had a car.
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I can confirm that a day in Courmayeur by bus works when staying in La Thuile. There is a bit of a walk at the Courmayeur end to reach the nearest ski lift, in La Thuile you can use the resort shuttle bus.
I knew some of the Courmayeur tourist buses were made free last year, good that it includes this one. When we did it we had to buy tickets from a kiosk which made things that little more stressful.
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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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Thanks guys,
Pretty much as I expected, Courmayeur seems the only realistically accessible resort for a day trip on the bus from La Thuile.
Is there a preferred stop in Courmayeur that gets you up to the best skiing?
Thanks
CW
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| cardweg wrote: |
Thanks guys,
Pretty much as I expected, Courmayeur seems the only realistically accessible resort for a day trip on the bus from La Thuile.
Is there a preferred stop in Courmayeur that gets you up to the best skiing?
Thanks
CW |
I was driving so parked at Dolonne and caught the gondola there.
I should imagine the cable car just before the village would be the best way up and down, the stop is Funivie Plan Checrouit on the timetable. The bus stops on the main drag into Courmayeur. You have to walk round and down to the cablecar station.
There is another cablecar at Entreves called Val Veny, but it leads up into the same smallish (but very scenic) ski area that you will be able to explore in a day. You could go up one and come back down the other, just for variety. Maybe stop in the village on the way back and catch the next bus 30mins later?
There's also the Skyway near the Mt Blanc tunnel entrance, but it's either sightseeing or steep off-piste there.
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A few years since I did it, but the public bus to Courmayeur is easy to use and drivers can help ensure you get off at the best place. The setting of Courmayeur is memorable, but I didn't find the piste skiing particularly captivating. Some good off piste routes from memory but we were late season and conditions more conducive to cruising than making the most of them. Would revisit again in good conditions though.
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We were in La Thuile last year.
Unfortunately the day we planned on going to Courmayeur so did half of La Thuile, we ended up not bothering.
If you really want to go get to the bus stop early and stake your place.
We were staying at Pleinbel which I think is the first/last stop for the bus.
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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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Have done courmayeur from la Thuile. Worth it for a day out I’d say. Avoid weekends as it’s full of pinched Italians in Armani ski suits that can’t ski and are dangerous 
Also - I’m sure you had to pay for the bus too. It drops you at the big funivie lift and you head up to mountain that way.
I enjoyed it for a day out. It’s a bit steeper than la thuile generally if I recall. Wouldn’t go there for a week though. It was quite busy too as was a Saturday so consider what day you choose!
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@cardweg, Courmayuer is the only really viable option time wise, it’s approx 30 mins from La Thuile, and you would have to take another bus from Courmayuer to get to any of the other resorts, Aosta is an hour on the local bus which I think is the only option, by car is doable in about 40 mins each way.
I really like both areas, La Thuile tends to have the better conditions, the main bowl in Courmayuer, Plan Checruit gets soft later in the day due to its aspect, if you go, stay high in the afternoon and download on the gondola if conditions are warm.
Chez Ollier, the fast 6 man chair passes over it, does great pizzas and local dishes, or if you go over towards Val Veny area Pre Pascal does very good home cooked self serve food.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Derek Branflake wrote: |
| A few years since I did it, but the public bus to Courmayeur is easy to use and drivers can help ensure you get off at the best place. The setting of Courmayeur is memorable, but I didn't find the piste skiing particularly captivating. Some good off piste routes from memory but we were late season and conditions more conducive to cruising than making the most of them. Would revisit again in good conditions though. |
Yes, the pisted ski area is quite compact, just two sides of a forested ridge. But it is pretty and the setting of the towering Mt Blanc massif and its glaciers is very impressive. The off piste itineraries open up more terrain for those that can use it. The village is very charming and a nice place to do the passeggiata, that's what attracts the wealthy Milanese in their fur trimmed coats!
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