Aosta: Is it the Best Mountain Base in the Alps?

26th February 2022 | James Cove, Aosta, Italy.

Last modified on March 3rd, 2022

It’s an historic Roman city with a ski lift direct to the resort of Pila and a variety of fabulous resorts on its doorstep. PlanetSKI has been based there for 6-weeks this winter. Check out our full & updated feature article.

PlanetSKI was in Aosta for a 3-month stay back in 2020.

That came to an abrupt halt after 6-weeks in early March as the pandemic took hold.

We packed in a hurry and left as the borders closed, the ski resorts shut and the virus spread through northern Italy and then beyond.

Yours truly, March 2020. Image © PlanetSKI

Now we have been back to finish off what we started.

With a new car too.

Yours truly, February 2022. Image © PlanetSKI

Our current 6-week stay is sadly up.

As we leave we have been looking at each of its 5 main categories of attractions – updating daily.

Here we pull our reports together in one long post, with a few extra pictures too.

1. Skiing in the Aosta Valley
2. Skiing Further Afield
3. The City of Aosta
4. Value for Money
5. The Aosta Valley Itself

Skiing in the Aosta Valley. Courmayeur, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

Skiing in the Aosta Valley. Image © PlanetSKI

Category One:

Skiing in the Aosta Valley

From the city of Aosta there is a gondola that goes straight to the ski resort of Pila – perfect for a day or just to head up for a couple of hours.

The ride takes 18-minutes.

Aosta, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

Pila’s slopes are north facing and varied, with views to Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) and Monte Cervino (The Matterhorn).

There are a total of 28 ski areas in the Aosta Valley with 800km of runs.

There are 300km of cross-country trails, and countless ski touring routes.

Some areas have special snow-shoeing trails, and at the other end of the spectrum is heli-skiing.

The resorts of the Aosta Valley.

Our go-to resort has been La Thuile which is about 40-minutes away from Aosta with its links to the French resort of La Rosiere.

The skiing is mainly north-facing with some steep black runs just above the resort and a plateau of reds and blues at the top, plus some decent tree skiing.

Slightly further up the valley toward the Mont Blanc tunnel is Courmayeur.

The skiing is not as extensive as La Thuile, but there are some superb slopes and fabulous mountain restaurants.

Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

Courmayeur, Aosta Valley. Image © PlanetSKI

It is the perfect place to, er, work too.

That is what PlanetSKI is in the mountains to do after all.

Honest.

Courmayeur, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

There are some other fascinating small resorts to explore in the Aosta Valley including Crevacol, Torgnon and Cogne.

At the start of the valley are the linked resorts of the Monterosa area – Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna.

Further into the valley are the resorts of Valtournenche and Cervinia that are also linked.

Cervinia needs no introduction, but Valtournenche is a real find.

Valtournenche, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

We even had a PlanetSKI team meeting in the resort as I assembled the crew.

Valtournenche, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI

All the resorts mentioned are between 40-minutes and an hour or so from Aosta.

Cervinia has direct links to Zermatt over the border into Switzerland.

That brings us on to Aosta’s proximity to some of the greatest resorts and ski areas in this part of the Alps.

Another reason why the Aosta Valley is perhaps the perfect alpine base.

We will cover that in our update on Tuesday – Skiing Further Afield.

Zermatt, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

Verbier, 4-Vallees. Image © PlanetSKI

Skiing in Chamonix. Image © PlanetSKI

Category Two:

Skiing Further Afield

Zermatt can be accessed from Cervinia.

Verbier is just over an hour’s drive through the St Bernard Tunnel to La Chable.

Then it is a simple gondola ride up to the slopes of Verbier or Bruson.

Verbier, 4-Vallees. Image © PlanetSKI

I was there earlier this month.

Verbier: Just for One day

Verbier, 4 Valleys, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

Chamonix is under an hour away via the Mont Blanc tunnel.

Skiing in Chamonix. Image © PlanetSKI

The tunnel also gives access to a multitude of resorts in France.

On this stay I went to the Portes du Soleil for a day to ski Morzine and Les Gets with friends.

Morzine, France. Image © PlanetSKI

It is fabulously placed to access the resorts in the western Alps.

The southern Italian resorts of Sestriere and Sauze d’Oulx are also within reach, and the other resorts of Milky Way ski area of Claviere, Pragaleto and Sansicario.

The Aosta Valley really is at ‘The Heart of the Alps’.

The perfect alpine base if you want to ski some of the finest ski resorts in the Alps in our view.

Verbier, 4 Valleys, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

Category Three:

Aosta – The City

Aosta was founded by the Emperor Augustus in 25BC.

It is steeped in history, and I took a tour on my last stay back in 2020 ahead of leaving as Covid-19 spread.

Aosta: The Rome of the Alps

Aosta, Aosta Valley, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.

The centre is a huge pedestrian area round the Hotel de Ville (this area used to be part of France).

Aosta, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.

The area is riddled with bars, restaurants, cafes and shops.

One can spend hours just meandering around.

Aosta, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.

Its outskirts are nothing to write home about, but it is a working city with a treasure in the centre.

Aosta, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.

Category Four:

Value for Money

I simply do not know an area in the Alps that is better value for money.

PlanetSKI’s chief reporter, Jane Peel, has been to stay and she was bowled over by the prices.

We prefer to write about experiences on PlanetSKI rather than the cost of everything, but the prices here in Aosta are an experience in themselves – as Jane has reported in detail:

Eat, drink and ski for less in Aosta

In most ski resorts one puts up with high prices, mainly in Aosta one revels in the value and quality.

The best pizza you can possible eat is €8.

This cost me €12 in The Belvedere Restaurant right in the city centre.

Seafood delight, Aosta. Image © PlanetSKI

Who says you shouldn’t eat seafood in the mountains?

Not me.

This was €11 at the Belle Helena.

Seafood in Aosta. Technosport, Aosta. Image © PlanetSKI

Lunch up the mountain is similarly good value.

Here’s the menu at Refugio Gabiet in Gressoney.

Gressoney, Aosta Valley. Image © PlanetSKI

A full ski service is €20 at Technosport on the outskirts of the city – it is our preferred shop for rental.

And repairs.

Part of the base of this ski was damaged after an encounter with a rock and the side wall was ripped off – it took them 3-days to repair and cost me just €50.