We have booked our flights to Venice and are looking to ski in the Dolomites. We have never been before and are looking advice of where might be best for us. We are in our 50's so nothing too strenuous required. Not too worried about nightlife. More important is ease of getting to slopes and preferably not busy ones. Also can any one recommend how to get from Marco Polo airport to resorts?
ruthie, My vote goes with this one http://www.mountainsunltd.com/chalet/albergo-frohsinn a bunch of us have booked again for 2012 which will be my third year here.
You couldnt get much better ski in /out and on the way back you can get a few hours in Venice depending on your flight times
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I still vote for Colletts, Corvara. They can help with transfers too.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Louis, +1 for colletts but also rate Mountainsun as a company (only been to Tignes)
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.
ruthie,
First visited Dolomites last season. Absolutely fantastic.
Stayed at the Hotel San Nicolo in Pozza di Fassa mainly cos it was the cheaper option. This is not one of the big resorts in the area and thought we'd made a mistake as it was quite some distance from the main towns like Canazei. Also it turned out on arrival that the hotel is the ski pub for the village and hearts sank as we thought we'd be kept awake by partying.
Not so. Bar at ground level was delightful (apart from that maddening Austrian oompah music which they changed on request) and serenely quiet by 9pm each night. Very civilised (well, it's Italy, innit?) apres ski drinking crowd on the verandah as the sun set. Didn't hear English spoken there for a whole week. Local mountain workers would drop in for a tipple each night. Upstairs rooms were large, well appointed and clean and had their own proper roomy balconies for late night and early morning contemplations. Sauna etc etc.
Skiwise - The hotel is about three minutes walk from the Bauffaure telecabine. Which gives you access up over the hill to some quiet, uncrowded sunny valleys and restaurants which are on your way to Alba and connection by ski bus with the Sella Ronda circuit proper at Canazei. Pozza is also connected via the valley floor main road to Canazei and other towns by the ski bus service. Not a huge range of restaurant options (5, I recall) in the village but enough.
In summary, it's quiet and a little cheaper than other options and all that we needed. You can access the Sella Ronda circuit from it but not in a quick way. I don't think the Sella Ronda experts would consider it is "connected" to the circuit. A rental car not essential but probably not a bad idea if you can afford it altho it would cancel out the saving on the accomodation. The Dolomites are basically a baffling array of villages, routes and connections that it's pretty much impossible to make sense of unless you're there.
Having said all that, pretty much every town I saw on the circuit seemed absolutely delightful and I reckon you'd be hard put to go wrong in any of them. Skiing as she is supposed to be, if you ask me. You'll have a great time!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
How about hiring car?
You can pocket as many skiing resorts as you wish in the 12-area domain with 1200km piste.
With a car I would go for Arabba as it is convenient for doing the Sella Ronda plus being close to Cortina Ampezzo, Civetta, Kronplatz, Canazei and Alta Badia. 5 or 6 out of the 12 areas is quite manageable.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thanks for all the advice. Am now reading the various previous threads.
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.
I'd go for a car, too. Very easy drive up from Venice and plenty of nice spots within easy driving distance. Do some homework on local holidays - we went for a few days with friends - not really a ski holiday, as they don't ski, but wanted to see the mountains. I had major problems booking a hotel in Cortina - ended up miles away in a little village, in a hotel where we were the first British guests! We only found it because I emailed the local ski school for advice (the proprietor was probably the brother of the ski instructor who answered my email).
We drove around - stunningly beautiful, and very interesting; in one valley you order your drinks in German, in the next they speak Italian, there's also some local lingo - not like anywhere else I've been.
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
We ski'd in Passo Tonale last season. It was fantastic. It took 2.5hrs to get there by coach (so unsure on road conditions etc as was watching a film!)
The runs were great - really quiet (couldnt believe how quiet) - we went 3rd Feb. Hadnt snowed for 5weeks, but snow was in great conditions - groomed every nite. Bit icey first thing, but around 10am, was great conditions. Nice big wide runs where no-one got in front of you. Range of runs from gentl slopes to quite steep runs. The run with the tunnel was our favourite
Quiet night life - mainly based in hotels. Very good value on the restaurants (mountain and resort) - around 7euros for a pizza and very good quality. Burgers etc available on mountains. If you want to see a video of Passo Tonale Skking, click on my video link - http://youtube.com/v/miFOWvKQ9_8
Hope this helps
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
We Googled, using Google map, the Dolomites and decided to stay somewhere between Cortina Ampezzo and Arabba. We typed "hotel" and the hotels show up in the map. We checked one for the price we wished to pay and sent the enquiry and ending staying in Pieve di Livinallongo. It is convenient for skiing Cortina (Area #1), Arabba (#6), Canazei (#5), Alta Badia (#3), Civetta (#12) and Kronplatz (#2). The distance charts are as follow:
From--------------------to-------miles
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Arabba---- ------------------------5
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Cortina Ampezzo------ ----------19
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Canazei---------------------------13
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Corava, Alta Badia---- ----------17
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Lagazuoi(for Hidden Valley)-----9
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Alleghe(for skiing Civetta)------10
Pieve di Livinallongo-- Piccolino(for skiing Kronplatz)--22
Arabba can be the starting point for both the circular loop Sella Ronda and also the World War I tour.
A car can liberate the visitor to a huge amount of possibilities. As an example the famous Cortina Ampezzo resort itself has 5 "unlinked" areas not very easy to cover by public transport.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
We checked one for the price we wished to pay and sent the enquiry and ending staying in Pieve di Livinallongo
saikee, was that the Albergo Alpino : we stayed there in Jan ... cheap & cheerful; good food & comfortable. Not much else in the village, but as you say "very handy for access"
A bit more up-market but very interesting is the http://www.alforte.com/eng/stube.asp between Pieve & Arabba, which is built partly into a 19th century fort: worth stopping there for a beer on the way home, if nothing else
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 26-07-11 22:04; edited 1 time in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
geoffers,
Yes I stayed there. We chose the half board which offered a 4-course dinner every evening. Yes it was a quiet place but ideal to access the 6 areas I mentioned previously. If we go again we would go back to Arabba. We paid 100 Euro for half board per night for a couple which I found quite acceptable for a 4 star hotel. Selva Gardena/Santa Cristina is lot busier but Arabba does offer more variety in skiing. Cortina and Civetta have a lot less visitors than those resorts along the Sella Ronda circuit. We quite enjoy the World War I tour which was like a mysterious skiing tour linking Arabba, Civetta, Cortina and Alta Badia together.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
As long as you are not looking for a hectic nightlife then Arabba is the best location for the dolomites
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?
Hey all, Thread hijack......Which village would be best for a very very timid beginer?
Which village would be best for a very very timid beginer?
My first ever skiing (other than Dendix) was San Cassiano, on the other side of the AltaBadia area from Corvara/Colfosco, and the area is ideal for beginners.
Can you recommend any TO's that go to Colfosco? and also is it generally on mid March?
Any other info you cn give me or point me to would be gratefully recieved!
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.
Jon Ford wrote:
Geoffers - thats 3d view thing is really good - good find
sounds like it would be really good but forgive my ignorance - how do you open that type of file ? ta
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
download viewer for your particular os then your away.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Ok have decided to go with a couple of snowheads who have a catered chalet in Canazei. Really this is mostly because they do an airport transfer included in their price and it makes it so much easier for us. Seems they get good reviews for food etc. So as we are skiers who like to go on holiday rather than skiers who go to just ski I think it will suit us. If we like the Dolomites we will try some of your kind recommendations.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ruthie, The Dolomites are beautiful and Canazei is very nice - hope you have a fab time!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
so nothing too strenuous required. Not too worried about nightlife. More important is ease of getting to slopes and preferably not busy ones. Also can any one recommend how to get from Marco Polo airport to resorts?
