Which Italian resort?

A snowHead

Hi all i've just found this site and am so pleased as i used to use the ski club of GB forum for help but thar's no longer possible! We have been skiing 3 times twice to america and obergurgl in austria last year. I just fancy an Italian resort if we go this year [money permitting] I want somewhere that's not too difficult to get to, where the slopes are just nice cruisers as my wife gets a bit scared on steeps, although she can do them, and we want some great scenery and a pretty village. Any suggestions or should we be looking elsewhere like Switzerland, but as we are buying a new flat we don't want to spend too much, i do like the sound of Wengen, Murren, and Saas fee as well. When you decide you won't go skiing this year it all changes when the season starts and i really don't want to miss out this year so any advice will be appreciated. Many thanks

A snowHead

andyarmitage, welcome aboard the good ship snowHeads!

Courmayeur might appeal to you, on the points you've specified. It's an old village on the other (Italian) side of the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix (which makes it quick to reach from Geneva), with lots of good places to eat and drink. The ski area is largely intermediate or easier.

There are other resorts a bit further down the Val d'Aosta which might appeal too. Pila, above the Roman town of Aosta, is one. It might be worth getting the Interski brochure, as they specialise in that area and have a large British ski school if you want lessons.

Here's their website.

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andyarmitage,

Hi

Cervinia sounds made for you....high enough to have good snow but lots of cruisers and the added attraction of a link to Zermatt in Switzerland which is stunning. A day out achievement for a nervous skier.
Easy to get to from Turin or drive via the mont blanc tunnel

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Thanks David I had looked at Courmayer although i was a bit put off as i read the lifts are quite a hike to get to!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

andyarmitage, in that case JT's spot on.

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Except that its not a pretty old village but was (if I remember rightly) built by Mussolini in the 30s with lots of big blocks. Also watch out that your hotel isn't a long way downhill from the lifts (see earlier thread)
Mind you, I haven't been there for many years. And it is the No 1 Italian ski destination for the British.

GRESSONEY la Trinité in a nearby (but not linked) valley would be my choice. A lovely old village -plus some traditional modern bits , with good intermediate skiing (lots of reds and blues), linked to CHAMPOLUC (another possibility: also very pretty - arranged around old church & river) and, if someday you want an adventure, also linked to Alagna (famous for off-piste and beautiful old timber houses).

Cheap, no crowds or lift queues (though some of the lifts are rather old). Rather limited night-life though.
website www.monterosa-ski.com I think Crystal, among others, go to both.

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We have been to Arabba in the Dolomites 2x - the 2nd time as a DIY job where we flew into Venice and drove - no more than 2 hours max (Make sure you go up the valley and not the long way!). This gives you the options of varied slopes with the options of some excitement, but lots of cruisers. Go into the Alta Badia sector and you have loads of crusiers (Blue Land) for a nervous skier. Arabba's own mountains have some fun Reds and Blacks (not too hard). Carry on round the Sella Ronda for varied skiing around Selva. Selva is another option - larger local area with more variety and probably more to do in the evening. I believe it may be shorter into Selva from Austria(?) There is tons to do, the lifts are constantly being updated, the grooming is good and the mountain restaurants are pretty good too (a few dissapointments but you can usuallt spot those in advance). I suspect that a nervous skier could ski the Sella Ronda in both directions without too many problems, with distractions in each of the areas to give them some more easy skiing and youself something more challenging if that is what you want. Biggest bonus is the good value ski pass.

After all it is free

andyarmitage, it sounds likeCervinia would fit the bill. Its snow record is first class, is stuffed with easy blues and reds, you can ski over to Zermatt, has wonderful views and is about a 90 minute drive from Turin. The lifts go up from both ends of the village also so you're never far away from them.

snowball,

Cervinia, Not stunningly pretty but very convenient and good skiing as I said above.

The Dolomites are very attractive as befits a region that was part of Austria before 1918 and the germanic feel is very strong...and the language, variations of, is widely spoken. Not the best of snow records and the top and bottom stations range between 1000m-2000m except Arraba which has a glacier nearby.
If I was going 'independent' I would chose Cervinia but if I used an Tour Op I would consider a late booking in the Dolomites. Lots of lovely cruises, italian food and Tyrolean pretty villages.

The monterosa has good cruising but don't anywhere near Alagna village unless you go down by lift. The Balma is a toughie tn the best of times and not the place for nervous skiers at all. If they have pisted Olen then that will be tough enough for a red run. As the lift up is brand new for this season then it makes the geting back to Gressoney easier because you don't have to take the old cable out of the Alagna valley anymore and can connect up with the pistes down to La Trinite. From Champoluc you will need to sart early or race it.

No nightlife in Alagna and Trinity at all. Both are full of hardcore Swedes, pleasant enough but serious skiers..!!

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JT thanks for that, i did hear that the mountain toilets in cervinia are holes in the ground! this does bother us somewhat! Monterosa sounds good but we would want a little bit of nightlife, we don't like discos etc but a few nice relaxing bars would be good, the dolomites do sound good i thought of madonna di campliago but i don't know how long the transfers are. you say book the dolomites last minute due to snow? when are the half term holiday dates to avoid as we don't want to go when everyone else does, also when is the best time to go is it feb or march? Thanks again for all your help it always seems better asking people who have actually been there for advice.

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You know it makes sense.

andyarmitage, there's a very simle solution; drop over for a cruise to Trockner Steg for luxurious, pants-down bliss.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

andyarmitage, Went to Madonna in Feb half term and it was really quiet and had loads of snow! It's really good skiing for a nervous intermediate- I had great fun!
It can be a bit pricey in terms of accommodation so it's probably better to book direct. We got cheap flights to Milan with Alitalia (£80) and hired a car. The journey took around 3 1/2 hours but this was because we got lost. You might like to check out Folgarida which is linked to Madonna- The accommodation seems much cheaper (Try Rocket Ski- They have some good offers at present) This time we are going to Passo Tonale- We've got a really good deal booking direct again with the hotel, but I can't tell you what the skiing is like!

This was my first trip to Italy and I loved it - Great snow, fun skiing, no queues, quiet slopes, good food, fanatstic scenery.. What more could you want??!!

ps. All the toilets were fine- and believe me i tried them all!

A snowHead

Thanks Helena that sounds great, i really fancy going to madonna what did you think scenery there? Do you think it's better to do a DIY job on the flights and hotels, or book a package? which hotel did you stay in and what was it like, also madonna itself was that good and is there a little bit of apres ski atmosphere? Thanks for your advice.

A snowHead

andyarmitage, I learnt to ski in Obergurgl. Lovely place. I presume you want an Italian version, quote:
"not too difficult to get to, where the slopes are just nice cruiser, great scenery and a pretty village".
And you have been offered:
1. Coumayeur. Definitely pretty village, but as you say a trek to the lifts.
2. Cervinia. Definitely lots of lovely cruiser slopes, but not a pretty village, and then there are the mountain loos . . . .
But why Italy? Why not Switzerland? Some here have already suggested you trot over to the Swiss side from Zermatt to solve the loo problem. Why not stay in Zermatt. It fits your criteria completely!
Not difficult to get to √(especially if you go by train)
Lots of cruiser slopes √ (and more difficult ones if you want to try them)
Great scenery √ (in fact, fantastic scenery)
Pretty village √ (definitely)
So, why not give Switzerland a try?

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Generally, I would say the Italian resorts don't suffer from half-term type queues. The Italians like to ski at the weekend and most good weather weekends will be busy.

Don't know about Madonna, but Gressoney La Trinite...the villge where the main lifts are, is very quiet and the bars are certainly relaxing. Everyone is too tired from the skiing so a quiet bar is about it. Gressoney St Jean is supposed to be livelier down the valley but you will need a bus up to the La Trinite slopes which connects you to both valleys each side of the Gressoney one.

Champoluc might be a better compromise as the journey over to Gressoney valley will be enough for someone who is a bit nervous. As Champoluc has more tour ops then it may have more apre-ski. Apart from the weekends and one or two bottlenecks in the valley you will not find many queues in monterosa at all.

Selva in the Dolomites is attractive and the mountains are spectacular...very pretty scenery. I haven't been back there in the winter for years so do not know how it has improved. Easy to get to via the Brenner pass but even then the journey by car will be long. Nearest airport, I believe is Bergamo, public transport in the mountains in Italy runs when it says it will but at odd times. Expect the buses to stopping running about midday, in my experience.

Cervinia is the worst looking of these 3 resorts in my opinion but it is not too unattractive. A lot of work has been carried out giving it a facelift. It just suffers by comparison with the other two.

All three resorts suit an intermediate

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Hi Jonpim Switzerland really is somewhere we really want to go to with Zermatt, Saas fee, Wengen and Murren being the ones i think would be good, i don't know how long the transfer times are for these, i don't mind the transfer times if the resort is worth it. The only worry with Wengen and Murren is the lack of snow compared to the other places, but bear in mind we weren't going to go this year as we have just bought a flat we didn't want it to be too expensive although what skiing holiday isn't! With Wengen and Murren i have read that it's quite a trek to get to the skiing areas but i know it's better asking people on this site as they will have been and that's better than any book for me. Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Madonna is a nice village & easy skiing. Good shopping but not too much nightlife. I think they also have a shuttle bus from the brescia airport to the resort. Email/ask the hotel/tourist info for details. I think it is an every day service?

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andyarmitage,

Zermatt is not cheap. The lift pass is expensive by Austrian and Italian standards but you do get 3 hills all over 3000m. Then, of course it has the Matterhorn which dominates the area. The skiing is not so easy and is not suited to a beginner but it is ok for reds and blues and there is a lot of it. The link over to Italy ( Cervinia ) is a day-out but try and avoid the Klein Matterhorn cable car as it is mostly busy. But the alternative is a very long drag..!!
When I was last in that valley I had to get back to Champoluc and there appeared to be one or two new lifts upto the italian link, but I didn't have time to find and use them.

The transfer time from Geneva is about 4 hours and probably the same from Zurich although I haven't done it. But I think any train journey in Switzerland is ok even if you have a change 3-4 times. The trains are very good but you need to change at Visp and get the mountain railway which is a very good indicaction of the scenery that Zermatt offers. A car will have to be left in Tasch, a village down the valley as cars are banned in the resort. Eveerybody should go to Zermatt once in their life.
It has virtually everything you could wish for in a ski destination but it comes at a price....!!

Note: I was told that the Italians once owned the valley but it was very difficult to get over the Monterrosa headwall so they never got to see the Matterhorn in all its glory. It is such an anticlimax, even ugly moutain fron the Cervinian side.
Anyway the Swiss bought the land without the Italians knowing about the image of the majestic Matterhorn. Nice story and typical Swiss if true.....!!!!

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After all it is free

andyarmitage, In answer to your questions- Madonna is very scenic, and has a pretty car free centre. It's quite a 'classy' resort with the italians and there are lots of ladies in fur coats. There are quite a few restaurants and cafe bars in town but we didn't go to any as it was a family holiday so we tended to 'apres' in our hotel. We stayed at the Chalet Hermitage - the nicest hotel I have EVER stayed in. The food and facilities were first class and it is family run and very friendly. The view from our bedroom was so awesome that I insisted we slept with the curtains open so it was the first thing I saw when I woke up! However- it was very pricey even booking direct- (possibly around the £1200-£1400 for 2 mark during February half term) Worth every penny though!! The hotel was a long way out from the slopes but ran a very impressive shuttle service so it was no bother.

Having DIY'd I'd definitly do it again, especially as we are stuck with school holiday times when the brochures crank up the prices to silly money. I think we saved about £800 going direct.

The flights to Milan were great and there is a bus to the resort from both Linate and Malpensa airport. You can get details from the Madonna website. If you have problems let me know and I'll find the address. We hired a car as there was five of us so it worked out cheaper- Driving was OK but we did get a bit lost- Little motor way driving and no hairpin bends until the very end. We ended up driving up alongside Lake Garda which is also very beautiful.

i'm sure there is cheaper, more conveniently located accommodation in the town but we were after a 'Luxury' week (feeling flush at the time!!)

A cheaper option may be to go to Folgarida- It's linked with Madonna but is a cheaper base to stay- I havn't stayed there myself but I think there are a few bars and stuff. I can't imagine that the scenery would be any less beautiful. If you do go to Madonna make sure your hotel is near one of the three cable cars as otherwise it's quite a hike!

I'd go back to the resort again as I loved the skiing- real confidence boosting stuff on uncrowded slopes!

Passos Tonale? Very easy access to slopes, slopes are mainly crusiers, food is excellent, prices are quite cheap, and the views are OK. However my favourite resort is Courmayeur, as a once a year wanabee skier Cour has everything I look for and whilst it is a bit dearer than Passo it is by no means a rip off like some big name resorts.

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Am going to Courmayeur end Feb. Stopping in Dolonne, does anyone know if there's a lift up to Plan Checrouit directly from Dolonne?

Also, has anyone used a pre-bookable ski hire website? If so any good? Would we just be better hiring when we get there? Only going for 3 days so want to get on with it and get all that stuff out of the way asap after we get there.

Have been reading about the 'Baby Bowl', any ideas where and what it is?

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amandasimmons, no. No direct lift up from Dolonne, though if the snow's good enough you can ski back down to it. There used to be a small, old gondola from the hotel Telecabine (Mark Warner used to use it), which was great if you stayed there, no queues and accessible from right outside the door. It closed down when it was time to renew it (it didn't generate enough revenue to warrent the cost of replacing it). You'll need to get the bus into town (it's walkable but probably not with skis and boots). There may be a bus along the back route to the Val Veny lift, if so go to this one as the queues are smaller and you're getting the bus anyway. There's a good (and last time I used it, cheap) ski hire place at the Val Veny lift (down the stairs by the ticket office, it's under the station). As that lift is generally quieter you can often walk straight and get sorted in minutes.

The Baby Bowl I'm not sure about. There's a kids area (kindergarden type area) at the top of the main lift, at Chercrouit, which could be it. There is also a nursery slope (with little café) in Dolonne, where the run back from the top comes out. There's a nursery slope at the top of Val Veny and ski shop that also (I think) does ski hire. There are ski hire placs at the top of Cercrouit, with storage lockers etc. However it's only worth using these ones if you can't ski back down.

Recommended restaurants top of Zerotta chair (can get busy esp. if the weather's bad, but great desserts and view of MB), bottom of Zerotta chair (great sun trap, which can mean the snow at the bottom can get iffy), and one at the top of the left hand chair from Chercrouit (there's a nursery slope there, too) from which, on a good day, you can see the Matterhorn. There are some other decent ones around (and it's all personal taste), but those are the ones we keep finding ourselves returning to.

Help!!

Which Italian resort?

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