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La Thuile versus Cervinia

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Can anyone offer a comparison of

a) the slopes
b) the town for a non-skiing person

For me and a number of friends, Cervinia is perfect for skiing. Beautiful runs, mostly red. So, yes, boring for most people Smile But perfect for what you might call "intermediate". But the town is pretty dead.

It is hard to tell from what I can find online. Loads of stock pics of champion skiers going down some mountainside.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Two different resorts , I know both a little and will leave others who know more to comment on the pros and cons but if it’s a bad weather week you don’t get much worse place to stay in than Cervinia ,the lifts close down and a non skier will find themselves confined to barracks , La Thuile is sheltered and in the trees .
I would go to La Thuile in Jan / Feb but as the weather becomes more spring like I’d choose Cervinia .
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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?
Slopes: Cervinia as you know is more open and exposed and with Zermatt it opens up a huge area. La Thuile has wooded steep slopes above the village for snowy days and more open slopes higher up and over to the St Bernard Pass. The link to La Rosiere opens up a lot more terrain too. I liked the area a lot for the varied skiing, but preferred the Italian side to the French.

Town: there's rarely a lot for non-skiers to do in ski resorts. There is a little huddle of the old mining village set back from the modern lift base, but it's a family oriented resort, so not as cute or happening as Courmayeur.
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OK; any recommendations in the Aosta (town) area, within a 1hr taxi ride, would also be appreciated Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
If you want a genuine feeling town with lots of nice bars and restaurants I’d go courmayeur then go up to la thuile as and when. Or aosta for small city feel with pila as the local slopes and a drive of 45-60 min for la thuile to the north and cervinia for south.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
No brainer, unless you're local, La Thuile has no town to speak of. Cervinia all the way.


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 6-02-22 19:18; edited 1 time in total
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Best option is Aosta if you have non-skiers/want to stay in a real town.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
La Thuile village is pretty quiet, so not great for the non skiers. I think only a couple of bars, a handful of shops and cafes. Not an upgrade from Cervinia. Aosta town is fab though, really pretty cobbled streets in the centre, great vibe in the evening. I'd stay in Aosta,and ski Pila a couple of days, but also visit other resorts in the valley. I enjoyed the skiing in La Thuile, lots of variety, quiet slopes and some great mountain huts.
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Yes done both ( Cervinia lots). Won't dash back to La Thuile.

I think there are more fancy hotels in Cervinia if your non skiers like spa type stuff and more eating out options. La Thuile ski accommodation was a walk away from the town and we only found 2 places to eat out in the ski resort bit. No real apres ski in La Thuile, always enjoyed Coppa Pan bar in Cervinia.

Done poor weather/ low visibility days in both and La Thuile felt more limited doing same runs over and over.

How about staying in Aosta and doing Pila - might be pushing it for a week though- done day trips there from Cervinia and can ski in a day. Possibly you could do some day trips to other resorts though
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I'd second the recommendations for staying in Aosta or Courmayeur and traveling to other resorts. I've stayed in Courmayeur and done Pila, La Thuile & Cervinia for the day, so all are easily doable. There are buses up the valley too, so it's possible to do Aosta to other resorts by public transport. They both have their +/- so which to go for would depend on what compromises you make.

Obviously if you're not going to have a car then that's less of an option and I'd probably go for Cervinia of the two you mention, though staying in Aosta does give a direct bus public transport option to Courmayeur, so you do get at two resorts from there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thank you for the input.

I have had windy days at Cervinia for sure, but IF you can get to the Plan Maison restaurant (just the 1st lift) then there is a button lift which they always run. It was blowing ~F6 the other week. Not many people bothered, obviously. But the slope next to it isn't a baby slope; it is quite a nice run for practicing technique. So the day wasn't wasted.

I would not want a town which has *less* than Cervinia Smile

Also we won't have a car, plus I have a habit of getting up early to be at the lift the instant it opens (get 1-2hrs of absolutely perfect skiing Wink ) which you usually can't do via a ski bus.

We are doing Cervinia this week but may try another place in March, if it is still cold enough. This winter has been somewhat marginal for temperatures.

As a side question: if one does Cervinia to Zermatt, what are the timing constraints? One hears stories like Zermatt closes at 1400 or some such. Obviously you have to watch the wind for the return trip; could get stuck in a £2000/night hotel at Zermatt, right above the Patek Philippe shop Smile
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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.
@Peter Stevens, always done the reverse. I planned early ski down from Klein Matterhorn to Valtouranche, back up to top button, down into Cervinia town, back to to around Chalet Etoile and ski till 1.30 pm lunch. 2.30-45 out and up and over to go home. Suggest Trocknersteg cable car no later than 2.30pm for a relaxed ski home. You could in that timeframe book a 12 noon lichen in Chez Vroney no issue. Then again you might take packed lunches rolling eyes
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 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
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
La Thuile it still a mining town with no mine! No comparison .
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
What about Monte Rosa ski area? Someone recommended that, and a local said the runs are very similar to Cervinia.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
La Thuile gets my vote out of the two. The skiing seemed more varied than cervinia and the mountain restaurants (and those in the main village) were superior. Plus Courmayeur is nice for a day out.
We left skis and boots at the base station and it was a 10 minute walk to the lifts in the morning from the main village.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Valluga, ???
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
....but as @twoodwar appears to be hinting, I could be hopelessly mis-remembering things.
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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?
I loved skiing at La Thuile, but I wouldn't think it's a great place for a non-skier.
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