Poster: A snowHead
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Am a long time lurker now seeking some advice on where to ski in Italy over Christmas. By way of background, we're a family of four - both 'kids' aged 17 & 20 are fantastic skiers having skied every year since the age of 3/4. Husband also very good and I am ok, but I don't like bumps or particularly enjoy off piste but will happily ski reds and pisted blacks. Since having the kids, we have always skied in France (mainly 3V) and owing to school holiday restrictions, usually go over Christmas/New Year. We like to drive but this isn't a deal breaker & having tried all variations of accommodation, prefer to self cater. Suggestions would be very much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Christmas?
Are you happy with man made snow or do you have to have natural? Kids sound like they'd be a bit restricted if you go anywhere that is all cannons?
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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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Maybe forget Dolomites that early in the season and stick to resorts further west which are higher so a bit less risky for snow cover - Cervinia, Sauze d'Oulx, Courmayeur, Monte Rosa etc. All easily got to from Turin.
Skied Italy last season for the first time. Queues were small, prices were very good on the mountain. Great week. Would happily return.
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I think Courmayeur would be too limited for good skiers, you can ski every run in a day.
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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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Contrary to @Klammertime's suggestion, I think the Dolomites are an excellent early season choice thanks to their snowmaking capabilities.
Agree that Cervinia is also a good bet though.
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@Katherine66, another major +1 for the Dollies from me. I go early/mid December most years and never worry about snow. Even during the drought of December '15, the Sella Ronda was open both ways and such is their snowmaking prowess, you'd be pressed to tell the difference. The other end of Italy, Lousy Sauze was mentioned, is much more prone to foehn winds in my experience and less reliable (Cervinia aside)
If you like loooong cruisy runs and among the best on mountain restaurants anywhere, then it works. Quite a special place too being a Unesco World Heritage Site.
You'll notice you have a lot more Euros left over at the end of the week compared to the 3V too. And I mean a lot.
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stick to resorts further west which are higher so a bit less risky for snow cover |
@Klammertime, resorts in the West need more height. Further east they are more into the continent and further away from the influence of the Atlantic. GCE geography 1972. But this year everywhere is going to be chock full of the white stuff right? El Nino and all that.
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[quote="Klammertime"]Maybe forget Dolomites that early in the season and stick to resorts further west which are higher so a bit less risky for snow cover - Cervinia, Sauze d'Oulx, Courmayeur, Monte Rosa etc. All easily got to from Turin.
thats not quite right,
west but north of the main alpine ridge, usually has more snow than most,
sauze has a very poor snow record
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@Katherine66, last season was excellent in the Dolomites, week before Christmas.
As others have said, as long as temperatures are low enough, snow making is so extensive and fine quality.
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Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'll take a look at the Dolomites. Can I just ask another question:- whilst I understand that food & drink are considerably less expensive on the mountain, are the costs of accommodation/lift passes, ski hire comparable to France?
I can feel a spreadsheet coming on....
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I would suggest that e.g. Champoluc is more convenient, typically, from the UK than the Dolomites, although Mrs UANN and I had our first weekend skiing together on “neutral” territory in Cortina, which was lovely.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You can get a nice small hotel in the dolomites for €50 -60 half board .. the lift passes are not the cheapest but here are a lot of runs ..I am stopping in Campitello and Madonna this season and that is my experience so far this year and I have been to the area over the last 5 years...and even in the 2016/7 season where there was very little snow the dolomitisuperski was great..you had better rush tough the hotel we booked in Madonna is nearly full in Jan ...I was in La Tania in 2017 as well and found the prices ..and service poor ..
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 16-10-18 8:30; edited 1 time in total
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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.
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Madesimo, Lombardy
Lovely pedestrianised village, excellent value for money, extensive groomed and off-piste skiing.
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I've skied mainly in Italy and covered all the areas - Dolomites, Monte Rosa, Cervinia - in that order for me and given your context. Dollies are larger than the 3V, Champoluc / Gressoney great for Mum, the Italians are not obsessed with bumps either, and the offpiste is up there with the best. Cervina, very cruisey and you can go to Zermatt
Mountain food is way better in Italy, the apres is much better, less crowded slopes and cheaper - why do people go France!!!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Gaz_H wrote: |
I've skied mainly in Italy and covered all the areas - Dolomites, Monte Rosa, Cervinia - in that order for me and given your context. Dollies are larger than the 3V, Champoluc / Gressoney great for Mum, the Italians are not obsessed with bumps either, and the offpiste is up there with the best. Cervina, very cruisey and you can go to Zermatt
Mountain food is way better in Italy, the apres is much better, less crowded slopes and cheaper - why do people go France!!!!! |
Having said that I'm off to Les Contamines for a quick weekend in Jan - the one thing that France does have over Italy is easy access - esp from Manchester
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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One of the best weeks skiing I ever had was Monte Rosa staying in Gressoney. As someone who generally doesnt leave the 3 valleys I thought Gressoney would be too limited, I was amazed and have been meaning to go back ever since.
Italians were super friendly. The pistes were sublime, better than 3V (in terms of grooming) which I was not expecting, and quieter. Spectacular off piste and long sweeping runs up high. Lower runs and so much off piste in the trees to keep busy when the cloud comes down.
We had perfect weather, bluebird when we arrived and excellent snow and then it dumped the second half of the week. We had 4' of fresh one night. We also did one day of guided off piste which was sublime.
So bit of a perfect storm to make it a good holiday but I deffiently want to go back!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For anyone looking at that Post Office site before they have a heart attack looking at the price of beer quoted e.g 25cl beer in Bardonecchia £16.26 I presume they are referring to the cost for 1 beer every day for 6 days...
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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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@Katherine66, I’d say, broadly speaking, accommodation prices in the Dolomites are comparable to bigger areas in the French Alps, eg 3V, EK, Paradiski.
As in France, a wide choice and variation in location, standard, facilities etc influences costs.
Lift pass costs are similar. Equipment rental too. I don’t know details but understand tuition in Italy can sometimes be relatively expensive, if that’s an issue for you.
Overall, I wouldn’t describe Italy as a cheap destination for skiing but, for the quality of experience, excellent value.
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These days the Dolomites are a reliable place to ski in December.
The last two winters have seen extremes in terms of natural snow cover, yet both years saw the Dolomites open for skiing at the beginning of December with many more open runs and lifts than the high altitude interconnects. It was a lead that they maintained well into January.
Shelter from the prevailing weather last year also meant that the Dolomites had no lost days and very few closed lifts all season, making it a reliable place to go for a 6 day ski holiday.
The downside is a high chance of there being no snow at resort level, other than on the immaculately groomed pistes
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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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As a longtime fan of the 3V, these posts are making me wonder why!
However, geography isn't my strong point. Which of these Italian resorts might be driveable?
I've only been to Italy on two school skiing trips in the 80s, when we flew (via Bormio IIRC) and stayed in hotels. Now with my own tribe in tow I'm mainly into drive-and-self-cater. The French resorts are easily reached by car, but how would it be to drive to Italy?
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@tomj, ideal would be Sauze D'oulx which is located directly south of the 3V ski area, and just over the border of France into Italy.
You get there more or less the same route as 3V but turn right before you get to Albertville and head for the Frejus tunnel. Check the route for comparison on "via michelin " website which will give all details you require.
It's very good and comparable to 3V with extensive terrain but different feel to it in most senses, not much further to drive either. Probably the easiest re-route you may consider when compared to the Tarentaise area of France.
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@ski3, not so sure about Sauze d'Oulx at Christmas, or as a comparison to 3 Valleys.
It doesn't have a great snow record, snowmaking isn't particularly comprehensive (especially compared to many other Italian resorts), and the ski area is under half the size of the 3 Valleys - and that's if you include the link to France, which is inconveniently designed.
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@denfinella, a numerical match to 3V nobody would claim, but it has more than a similarity to it in having different centres distributed across linked valleys, so think it rates comparison.
But to the question, located in Italy, driveable from UK? etc and referenced against the 3V by the poster, then the answer is not going to be 3V in all honesty.
Conditions at Christmas is a different question that wasn't asked.
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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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Alastair Pink wrote: |
For anyone looking at that Post Office site before they have a heart attack looking at the price of beer quoted e.g 25cl beer in Bardonecchia £16.26 I presume they are referring to the cost for 1 beer every day for 6 days... |
And where are they lunching at Kitzbuhel that's more expensive than Courchevel?
At £20 pp per day is at more than double the actual cost. As is the beer (assuming that's 1 25cl a day).
I think that should be taken with a pinch of salt.
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@ski3, apologies, I didn't realise that the person you were replying to was a different person to the one at the top of the thread!
...in which case Sauze is a good suggestion. Perhaps also La Thuile?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Alastair Pink wrote: |
For anyone looking at that Post Office site before they have a heart attack looking at the price of beer quoted e.g 25cl beer in Bardonecchia £16.26 I presume they are referring to the cost for 1 beer every day for 6 days... |
Well spotted Alastair -- I never actually looked at the prices.....!
This is a link to the 2017 report where prices look more correct
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-money/family-ski-report
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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.
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I would say selva in Val Gardena
It’s a biggest town with plenty of reds blacks close by for some reason the super Dolomiti don’t show the ski area for the resorts round the sella Ronda but you’re probably over 400k so not far off 3v and if your your boys were proper first lifters you could probably add in kronzplatz and a couple of other areas
The food is amazing, if the weather isn’t great the Italians just have long lunches. In snowy conditions I’ve had the slopes almost to myself in feb half term barring the other brits getting there money’s worth
also The food is a amazing and priced at amazing food price vs up a mountain price
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La Thuile.
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You know it makes sense.
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@HugoC, I’m fairly sure the Superdolomiti full area pass has well over 1000k of marked piste.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Another vote here for Champoluc, especially for a family holiday. We were there for Christmas a few years ago and got lucky with the snow, in a year when the 3V were bare (along with most places)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I found beer actually quite expensive in the Dolomites - but on the other hand, the hot chocolate is superb value, as is the coffee.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The Dolomites area is mostly very gentle pistes (though long and great for a cruise) except for some descents at Arabba. Possibly not so good for good skiers. Great for challenging off-piste but you really need a guide for that.
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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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snowball wrote: |
The Dolomites area is mostly very gentle pistes (though long and great for a cruise) except for some descents at Arabba. Possibly not so good for good skiers. Great for challenging off-piste but you really need a guide for that. |
Not everywhere.
Good mix of terrain on and off-piste at San Martino d Castrozza.
Some of the off-piste best skied with a guide, plenty just follow your nose.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mike Pow, +1
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