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Best Italian resort?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Before my son came along we always skied in Italy but we've only been back once since as resorts in other countries seemed more convenient with a small child in tow. Now he's 8 I would like to go back to Italy. So the criteria is:

Good for kids
Plenty to keep intermediate parents happy
Short/medium transfer (no more than 2.5 hours)
Served by well known TOs

Oh and goes without saying - cheap!

Any suggestions?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
dbaskls, Passo Tonale meets most of those, had fun there at Xmas and very reasonable
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dbaskls, Maybe check out ski2 in Champoluc? Meets all your ski criteria, ...
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Masque wrote:
dbaskls, Passo Tonale meets most of those, had fun there at Xmas and very reasonable


I only spent one day skiing there late season, but it just seemed so... bland.

Only other place I've skied in Italy was Santa Caterina, which I have great memories of (just about), but it was so long ago and I was so young I don't know enough about it anymore to really recommend it. FWIW though, I was there with my family, when I was 5 and my Sister 4, stayed at the San Matteo, and had a great time, so it might be worth looking into.

Someone who actually knows somehting about italian skiing will hopefully be along soon...


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 20-05-12 21:41; edited 1 time in total
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Pila/la thuile/cervinia?
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Cervinia & Santa Caterina are good - as is Livigno, but the transfer would be too long at about 3.5 hours Very cheap though..
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Regardless of what anyone tells you, you simply will not get “best” “cheaply”.

If you want cheap, go to Campo Carlo but when you arrive don’t complain about there being only 2 lifts (button tows) as you were looking for cheap.

If you want “best” then look around for a resort that’s ticks the boxes you feel would make it the “best”; that is it ticks more boxes than other resorts. It may be that one of the boxes is cost Shocked .

I would say (having been to lots of Italian resorts) that the resorts that tick all the box (for most people) is Madonna Di Campiglio. It is served by a (to me anyway) a well known TO (me Little Angel ), oh and a few other smaller companies like Crystal, Thompsons, etc.

About 90min to 2 hours (depending on traffic) transfer from Verona, shed loads of long blues, English speaking instructors Madeye-Smiley , specialist kids classes, high class hotels, really pretty town, etc,etc.
But it’s not “cheap” when compared to some other resorts. Plain and simple that. Just the lift pass will next year be over €200, but then again you get what you pay for – in Campo Carlo (last year) a week’s lift pass was €45, I “think” that’s the cheapest in Europe, but may wrong about that.

Other:
For me Cervinia ticks all the boxes
Passo Tonale is sort of OK, except there are hardly any pistes
Livigno is really good for off piste and its duty free
I also liked Cortina (as it looks nice)
Sestriere is good as it links in with the resort of the resorts in the Milky Way.
Arabba is brill for everything except SH's all over the place whinging its not the same as France
Maddona di Campiglio is the best coz I live there wink
Champoluc is good for being snow sure (pistes over 3,500m tend to be)
etc
etc

In each resort you can choose a hotel that ticks the boxes, if you want “cheap” then you can find it but remember that lots of the whinging done on SH’s is from people who wanted to get something they were not prepared to pay for. You really don’t need to pay too much but you should remember that you get what you pay for (in most things in life).

e.g. If you want “cheaper” then stay in a hotel slightly further away from the centre and the lifts – you can’t with us as all our hotels our central and by the lifts. But you see what I mean. You can go the any resort keep the costs down and still have a good holiday (if you don’t mind a walk each morning).

If you don't mind a gazillion English school groups everywhere then go to one of the resorts in the Aosta valley. Mind you I really do like the post hotel in Courmayeur, OK the ski area is a real pain to get to, but the rest is good (and the Post doesn't take school groups).

The best hotel I regularly use in a 4* in Zermatt but only as someone (a company) pays for it. 50m from lift, “really” nice food, etc, etc but there is another hotel (next door) that is much cheaper. Would the extra 50m walk each day mean that one of the boxes weren’t’ ticked, the meals ain’t as nice, another lost tick?

Have a look around, find somewhere you like, then book it and don’t worry about ticking every box – just most will do.


Here endith the lesson Toofy Grin
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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!
Quote:

Regardless of what anyone tells you, you simply will not get “best” “cheaply”.

Hit the nail on the head.
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you could add Bormio to the list, medieval town with 2,000 metres vertical, and very cheap. Santa Caterina 20 mins away.

Madesimo is another one that is fun?


However imho and limited experience of Italian resorts(6 visited) I have to agree with Wayne, despite his rose tinted spectacles MdC is truly fantastic!
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La Thuile and you can ski in La Rossiere on the same lift pass, mind you as we found it packed with French people Laughing we turned round back and skied La Thuile. Went for xmas, slopes deserted, and was very cheap (crystal), would recommend it. Preferred it to Sauxe, though to be fair theres a lot more slopes in Sauxe (linked to Sestriere etc).
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northantsred wrote:
I have to agree with Wayne, despite his rose tinted spectacles MdC is truly fantastic!


Rose tinted spectacles? A shocking insinuation.

I would add that, for a summer holiday, Wigan should be counted as a premier resort. As I am here at the moment I can confirm that the sun is glinting off the Heinz Beans factory and happy workers have formed a conga line and are shimmying towards the factory gates.


iskar wrote:
as we found it packed with French people we turned round back and skied La Thuile.

Laughing Laughing Laughing
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And another vote for Madonna, although cheaper to stay in Folgarida and get the whole area ski-pass. Intermediate heaven....or hell, depending on your view-point Laughing
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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
we've stayed in folgarida before and loved it, mixed group, most slopes pretty easy and a fair sized area, still possibly one of my faves.........
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
clarky999, Santa Caterina is where we always went Very Happy but the transfer with a child puts me off Sad

Wayne yeah yeah I know cheap isn't best but I can but hope Very Happy
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
dbaskls wrote:
clarky999, Santa Caterina is where we always went Very Happy but the transfer with a child puts me off Sad



I always used to quite enjoy it - I seem to remember the restaurant the coach always stopped at (we went three times) had the best lemonade I'd ever tasted Laughing

Would love to go back there actually, and see how much it's changed.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
dbaskls wrote:

Good for kids
Plenty to keep intermediate parents happy
Short/medium transfer (no more than 2.5 hours)
Served by well known TOs

Oh and goes without saying - cheap!

Any suggestions?


Claviere, cheap.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
clarky999, I was looking at it from the OP POV and Passo Tonale fits well enough + down the valley is good and steep tree skiing in Ponte di Legno. Conditions were thin when we were there and I'd like to go back with better snow. I'd suggest Livigno but the transfer's a booger. All in all it was very good value.
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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'd second Passo Tonale, for everything apart from the transfer. I think it was about 3.5 hours.
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I would vote for Gressony/Champoluc (have been with ski2 twice and they were very good). Much more "Italian" than Passo Tonale (although Ponte di Legno is very nice if there is enough snow to ski down to it)
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Dolomiti Superski ... somewhere around there. Alta Badia is particularly good for kids, as is Selva.
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Covara/La Villa/Pedraces - ticks most of your boxes and those lovely Colletts people have very good value bases there. Also can access the sella ronda which muct be on every skiers bucket list.
Toofy Grin
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Joanne Mountainsun, True, but you are a little biased....
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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!
clarky999, When was the last time you went? We were last there in 2005 (I went 9 times to ski and once in the late summer to walk!) No TOs go there now and I've never managed to find flights that sync with the buses the tourist office run. Although still my favourite place ever I worry that I've been spoilt by bigger more varied resorts and that I would get bored with Santa Cat. It will always have a special place in my heart though Very Happy
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RobW, It is genuinely my favourate place in the entire world! summer and winter. And I can't think of anywhere better to ski in Italy (and I have explored quite a lot), given the requirements of OP. And there is a massive amount of choice of places within Dolomiti to go. In my very humble opinion, as Ian Kenvyn, says, Alta Badia ticks all the boxes.
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dbaskls wrote:
clarky999, When was the last time you went? We were last there in 2005 (I went 9 times to ski and once in the late summer to walk!) No TOs go there now and I've never managed to find flights that sync with the buses the tourist office run. Although still my favourite place ever I worry that I've been spoilt by bigger more varied resorts and that I would get bored with Santa Cat. It will always have a special place in my heart though Very Happy


'96ish I think - a fair while ago!
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