Italy ski vacation

well worth considering for your family ski holidays

Add flattering runs, good food and a friendly atmosphere and it's easy to see the attraction

Where are the best places to go in Italy?
Ski vacation resorts are mainly spread along the Alps and you can drive or fly from the UK. The main two clusters are in the north-west and the north-east, although there are several small resorts in the central north such as Bormio and Livigno.

Some Italy ski vacation locations.

In the north-west of the country, the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area includes Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere - two of the resorts that hosted events during the 2006 Torino (Turin) Winter Olympics. The whole area is well suited to intermediate skiers, and children love the sense of adventure of skiing into Mongenevre in France – though to be honest, they need to be confident intermediate skiers to fully enjoy these runs.

The resorts of the Aosta Valley are nearest to the cities of Milano (Milan) and Turino and can be reached from France via the Mont Blanc tunnel and Switzerland via the Grand St Bernard tunnel. At the far end of the valley, La Thuile links with La Rosiere in France. There are plenty of wide gentle runs, and don’t be put off by the red runs leading back to the resort – they’re easily manageable by early intermediate skiers.

Other resorts along the Aosta valley include Pila, Courmayer, Champoluc, Gressoney and Cervinia. These resorts are easily reached from Turin and Milan do attract more visitors at weekends.

If you’re skiing with beginners, high altitude Cervinia with its wide, open runs may suit for family ski vacations to Italy. A ski vacation in the country’s highest resort offers confidence-building runs for even the youngest beginners. The scenery is dominated by the magnificent Matterhorn, and more adventurous family skiers can ski into Zermatt in Switzerland.

Over in the north east of the country lying south of Austria, the Sella Ronda / Dolomiti Superski area links twelve ski resorts including Cortina d'Ampezzo and Selva Val Gardena. A major attraction of the area is the dramatic scenery and unique character of the region. Known as the South Tyrol, this part of the country was once part of Austria, and you may still hear German spoken here. Although not as high as some resorts - most runs are between 1500m and 2000m altitude - the area has efficient artificial snow-making.

Accommodation
If you want to travel with one of the main UK tour operators, then there's a choice from hotels, self-catered apartments and catered chalets.

Did you know?It’s compulsory for children aged 14 and under to wear a ski helmet. You'll be able to hire as part of an equipment package from a ski shop.

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