Skiing in Italy in January 2011

slavedave

A small group of us have been skiing/ boarding together for the last four years - getting progressively better (but older!). All in our forties, we are up for a good time but definitely don't consider ourselves the kind that "large it". This is a primarily a break for a bunch of businessmen with a fair bit of skiing attached.
We have skied Meribel, Morzine/ Avoriaz and then St. Anton twice in the last four years so I guess we have been spoilt but now we are looking to try Italy in 2011. Our view on resorts is to try a new one each year using the last as a bench mark (hence the two years in St. Anton - it was that good we wanted to go back!).

Our requirements are as such (in a rough order of priorities):
Good hotel - minimum 3 star
Wellness Centre with Pool/ sauna/ steam etc
Short transfer time (less than 3 hours)
Walk ( or short hop) from hotel to slopes and back.
Intermediates and up (one of our guys is an instructor)
Looking for some opportunity to try off-piste this year.
Cost is probably less important than finding the ideal resort ( but we are not talking about slumming it with the Italian glitterati either).
Must be reachable via Dublin and either Exeter/ Bristol since a couple of guys join us from the South West of England.

Has anyone some experience of Italian resorts that could offer some advice. I am blowing in the wind on this one.
Thanks for any pointers you can give me. Especially places to avoid

Fattes

Couple of suggestions for you, be warned the Italians are cracking down on people skiing off piste with hefty fines and punishments for those who are caught. A couple of patrollers where killed last year trying to rescue some idiots hit the back country without the holy trinity to protect them.

Slopes are always quiet in Italy outside of school holidays as the Italians go for the social rather than the skiing.

Courmayeur; Cracking high altitude resort with some top quality places to eat and almost guaranteed snow. With Mount Blanc and Chamonix on your door step you can pop across to one of the finest ski areas in the world for a day if you desire. On its own as a resort it is super resort with plenty of terrain for everyone

Bormio; was out here for a ski test recently and it is great held a major comp in the middle of the decade and has all modern lifts and facilities. Has everything for everyone. Nice little town to.

Sansicario; Sits half way between Sauze d'oulx and Sestriere and linked into the Milky way ski circuit. There is a cracking bowl here for the more advanced to play in and a good mix of everything else. Think it was used for some of the Turin Olympics

Madonna Del Campino; Seriously spectacular resort lots of great on piste runs and some great off piste in the areas around it. Nice little town and the slopes are always quite because the Italians are having coffee. The dolomites glow orange and red in the sun here and the food is top drawer Italian fair. Town is a little quite at times but super spot.

Cortina; The old classic, this is seriously old world skiing with something for everyone not allot of options off the slopes but still great.

slavedave

Thanks Fattes - some great pointers there. Google is going to get some heavy traffic with some of those sounding perfect. Any experience of decent hotels in any of them?

bcirl03

Fattes wrote: »

Sansicario; Sits half way between Sauze d'oulx and Sestriere and linked into the Milky way ski circuit. There is a cracking bowl here for the more advanced to play in and a good mix of everything else. Think it was used for some of the Turin Olympics

+1 on the Milky Way region - it's massive and never a dull day had given the amount of slopes. I have only ever stayed in Sauze d'oulx but its spot on. Transfer is about an hour and whilst the town is hilly once you’re on the slopes you soon forget about that. The best part is skiing down the Olympic runs dotted across the region

Fattes

I dont stay in to many nice hotels to be honest but the following are good from short stays or from popping the head int

Courmayeur - Hotel Cresta is pretty good decent food and quite nice.

Sansicario- Stayed in the Majestic 3 star decent accomidation but the food was not up to much

Madonna Del Campino Sacoia Palace - Cracking hotel with super food and really nice facilities

The Down hill run in Sestriare is epic and the last time I was there you could start in the race hut! Just watch out for the sharp right turn Ski Patrol spen hours picking people out of the fencee there.

navigator

I would suggest Val Badia (Corvara, Colfosco, San Cassiano...): it's into the probably largest skiing area in the Alps, hundreds of slopes and connected with different valleys (val Gardena, val di Fassa...), in the most gorgeous mountains in the world... Dolomites.
Great scenery, superb ski, you can ski for weeks changing slopes every day. Beautiful villages, good accomodation and facilities.
You won't be disappointed.

slavedave

Thank you all for the above information. Some of those resorts look fabulous.

Fattes

Its amazing this thread reminds me of how wonderfull Italy is and how few of us actually go there.

ulinbac

Was in Livigno 2 years ago, we kinda slummed it but loads of really nice hotels, decent places to eat and people were nice. Not much of a nightlife so if your looking to relax it may be the place!

slavedave

Well my frost-loving friends,
We booked last week and we are now going to Livigno! Not keen on the prospect of the long transfer and the smaller skiing area than others mentioned, but the snow-sure slopes, great hotel and the fact that we have a beginner joining us this year at late notice means that Livigno won out. It will be great.

Fattes, I will try to make the excursion to Bormio as you hinted at it's good prospects for some fun for intermediates.
Any other insider secrets for Livigno at this stage gladly received. We are staying at the Intermonti near the Mottelino slopes.
Thanks again for all the pointers - I did look at them all exhausively!

k123456

Any other insider secrets for Livigno at this stage gladly received :

great place to buy ski equipment electronics etc duty free.

Buy a neck pillow for the coach journey 4.5 hrs

Not sure if still the case, but I think you ski pass covers you for one days skiing in St Moritz if you fancied a days skiing there,

low intermediates , there a blue run from top of Mottolino to village, must be approx10k long ! Amazing views from top

gets seriously cold in Livigno -25 not unusaual in Jan

Place a bit spread out, but efficient bus system

Costaccia area less busy

slavedave

thanks k123456,
I am flying to Innsbrook - should I expect that kind ot transfer from there since the reps say it is 2.5 hours. Should I smell a rat?

k123456

Think Innsbruck is 2.5 hours to Liv.

COUCH WARRIOR

yea 2h 34m according to google maps, so happy days:D I seem to remember a much longer transfer to some airport in Northern Italy. Dam tour operators

lynamshotel

We are also situated within walking distance from all shopping districts such as Henry street, Grafton Street and main tourist attractions such as Temple bar, Trinity College and Guinness Storehouse.

thanks
Dublin Hotel