Why Ski in Italy?
4th January 2023
Last modified on January 8th, 2023
What have the Romans ever given us? If you’ve seen the satirical sketch from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you’ll know the answer is quite a lot. The same can be said for the Italians and their ski resorts.
The Italians have given us skiers and snowboarders a lot to be grateful for.
There are so many reasons to travel to Italy for your snowsports fix.
- Fabulous scenery
- Short lift queues
- Cheaper than the other major alpine nations
- Amazing food and drink
And right now, with many of the lower altitude resorts in the northern Alps struggling with lack of snow, Italy is reporting some of the best conditions in Europe.
We at PlanetSKI are great fans of Italy.
Last season the PlanetSKI Editor, James Cove, spent six weeks based in Aosta.
James Cove in La Thuile, Aosta Valley in 2022. Image © PlanetSKI
He skied the region’s resorts and made the easy road journey from his base in the city of the same name to nearby ski areas, including some in France and Switzerland.
Our Chief Reporter, Jane Peel, visited too and was bowled over not just by the skiing on offer but by the food and drink at reasonable prices, not to mention the great coffee.
Breakfast in the Aosta Valley – photo © PlanetSKI
And then there’s the Dolomites.
Quite possibly the most scenic mountain range in the world.
The Dolomites, Italy. Image c/o Vanessa Fisher.
We were there in the 2021-22 season too.
It also has world-beating snowmaking facilities for those times when the real stuff is in short supply.
Artificial snowmaking in the Dolomites. Library Image © PlanetSKI
But perhaps in these difficult times the biggest draw is the relatively low prices in Italy when compared with Switzerland, France and even Austria.
The 16th annual Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, published in December 2022, said Italy continued to be the cheapest country in the Eurozone for ski trips, with its resorts dominating the Top 10.
Absolutely Snow, which specialises in tailor-made trips, says the “gourmet food and drink, outstanding hospitality and spectacular skiing make Italy a great destination this winter”.
It has partners in 10 Italian resorts.
One of its ‘hidden gems’ is Madonna di Campiglio, which is on the western edge of the Dolomites.
Madonna di Campiglio, January 2019. Image © PlanetSKI
The ski area is large and spread out with 60 lifts and more than 150kms of marked piste linking Pinzolo in the south through Madonna di Campiglio to Folgarida and Marilleva in the north.
Madonna di Campiglio. Image c/o Absolutely Snow
Absolutely Snow also offers holidays in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Val di Sole, and Mezzana, among other Italian ski areas.
Find out more on its website.
And if you want to discover a genuine authentic Italian ski area then you could do worse than here: Abruzzo.
Roccaraso, Italy. Image © Ski Abruzzo
Roccaraso, Italy. Image © Ski Abruzzo
It seems that some PlanetSKI readers rather like skiing in Italy too, judging by the reaction to this article on the PlanetSKI Facebook page:
Aileen Eglington – Love Madonna di Campiglio, Cortina and also the Sella Ronda Challenge!
Harriet Green – Because it’s fabulous – slopes, food and coffee – all excellent.
Matthew Green – The Sellaronda is hands-down the best linked ski area in Europe if not the World. Immaculate slopes, fast lifts and jaw-dropping scenery.
Melanie Taylor – Because it’s currently one of the few places that has snow! And it’s lovely.
Nick Davis – Food, Great Runs, Great People and Great Scenery plus so much to do.
Alison Hodge – Love the Dolomiti Superski area.
And before you leave this page…. if you’ve never seen the Romans sketch from ‘Life of Brian’, here’s what you’ve missed:
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