A ski vacation can be a not cheap business, but if in the past it was reserved only for the rich, today you can find quite a few places that offer ski packages at affordable prices for every pocket (relatively at least). Among the most recommended places you will find plenty of recommendations for a ski vacation in Italy, which is considered one of the most popular ski destinations, where there is a great abundance of great surfing sites, including a variety of routes that are suitable for advanced skiers and those who are their first time.
Is it worth surfing alone or accompanied by a guide, what routes are there and how much does the pleasure cost? – All the answers are in front of you.
A ski holiday in Italy – alone or organized?
The question of the questions. Unlike a “normal” vacation abroad where many Israelis already know that they can book and put together their vacation on their own, through websites such as Simply Italy and accessible search engines (instead of a travel agent clipping a few coupons for them), there is a different feeling towards a ski vacation.
Maybe it’s because it’s an activity that, until now, was the property of only the top decile and therefore the average traveler hasn’t had time to indulge in it yet, or because winter tourism is not as developed as summer tourism (nevertheless – we like to complain that it’s too hot here but in winter we tend to shut ourselves in the houses) , but the result is that many Israelis are afraid to do their own homework and market research and put together the ski package that suits them. Many of them don’t even know what is “appropriate” – so what do we do?
There are those who are afraid and decide to use agencies that offer ski packages to Italy according to your skiing level, the rating of the hotel where you want to stay and other services such as close training, ski pass and more, but this option will always be significantly more expensive than going to the website, getting relevant and reliable information and then booking a hotel with a few clicks , flight and ski pass.
If you list the packages offered to you by the travel agents and try to put together exactly the same packages yourself – at the same ski resort, with the same hotel, with or without instruction, with or without equipment, a ski pass for the same duration, etc. – you will find that the prices are tens of percent lower and that You can imitate the “ski recipe” offered by the various companies and enjoy cheap prices by hundreds of euros. It’s easy, it’s accessible and it’s mostly simple.
So let’s get going. Don’t forget skis 🏂🏻
So alone IT IS. What should you pay attention to before a ski vacation in Italy?
The truth is that it’s much, much simpler than you thought and as mentioned – if you don’t want to break your head, you can examine a package that looks good to you that the travel agency offers and examine how much it will cost you without going through an agent.
In general, and without complicating things too much, you need to take care of the following things:
- Choosing a ski resort according to your level of skiing. For a list of recommended ski resorts in Italy, click here.
- Buying a plane ticket to Italy (the specific destination depends on which ski resort you want to spend time at) – low cost flights will reduce the costs and the same for flights with an intermediate stop.
- Book a place in a hotel near the ski resort
- check how to get to the site (we at Simply Italy think this is the type of vacation that is suitable for renting a car)
- to pack a suitcase
And what about ski equipment and a guide? You can rent them at any of the ski resorts. Remove worry from your heart.
Where do you sleep?
In order to make the most of your time, it is recommended to spend the night as close as possible to the ski resort and if necessary – to the ski lifts that will take you to the ski slopes. There are places that offer accommodation right next to the ski slopes, which is considered the most convenient option, and if it’s possible – go for it.
Another option is to save money and spend the night in a slightly more distant location and rent a car to take you to the ski lift. This is only recommended if there is a nearby parking lot and if the hotel itself is near night attractions that will allow you to enjoy life after skiing.
Alone or with a guide?
Well, that’s a personal question. It depends – are you a beginner or an experienced surfer? Even if you are experienced – do you want to improve your technique? Try more advanced routes? Or maybe you want to take on the challenge and learn on your own…?
If you ask us – since it is a sport where the potential for falls is high and there is a certain probability of unpleasant injuries, for beginners it is mandatory to take some kind of training. In simple words: a local guide who will accompany you alone or as part of a group in the first days of your vacation, will teach you the ropes of surfing and will be close to you the first few times.
If you are experienced surfers your choice of course. From our experience at a new ski site, it is recommended to take a guide (personal if possible) for at least one day of skiing where you will get to know the more difficult routes together and get good tips on what to watch out for and where to stay safe and then? Go wild.
How much does it cost?
As mentioned, the ski resorts in Italy are many and varied and there are other components that affect the total price of the vacation such as the flight, accommodation, training, ski pass, car rental or use of various transfers and more. Accordingly, you can enjoy a vacation at a pocket-friendly price or a luxurious vacation in an “all-inclusive” format. For a vacation of 5 plus or minus surfing days, the average prices range from 700-1,500 Euros, with the higher ones often including transfers and meals – so that some of the associated expenses are offset.
All the colors of the rainbow – types of routes and degrees of difficulty
It is known that it is customary to divide the different ski routes according to their degree of difficulty and by means of colors, with green being the color of the easiest routes, while the hardest ones are blacker than black. Among them you will find the blue routes that are considered relatively easy with more challenging sections here and there and red routes that are mostly relatively difficult and suitable for non-beginner surfers.
It is important to remember these colors when you choose which slope to ski – in addition to the starting route, there are often splits into additional routes, on which appropriate signage will indicate the color of the route. If you are not sure, choose the easier route – making sure that the route is adapted to your surfing abilities and the experience will help you make it through the vacation when you are healthy and safe.
Table of route types and difficulty levels:
| Color | Route difficulty level |
| green | Easy – a wide track, with a very moderate slope. Suitable for beginners |
| blue | Medium minus – moderate slope. Suitable for beginners with a week of surfing experience |
| red | Medium-high – steep tracks with sharp slopes. Suitable for experienced |
| black | Difficult – complex routes for very experienced and professional surfers |
| yellow / orange | Unmarked and/or unmaintained route (Off Piste) – It is recommended not to browse them |
Which ski resort to choose?
Italy’s ski resorts are concentrated in the northern region of the land of the boot and the main division between them is according to their location – in the east or in the west (of northern Italy as mentioned…).
The eastern ski resorts are characterized by dramatic landscapes thanks to the formidable Dolomites that rise to a great height, covering themselves with a blanket of white interspersed with traditional villages and colorful towns. These are high-level sites in all respects – the quality of the training, the excellent routes and the meticulous accommodations.
How to get there? Get on a flight to Milan, Verona or Munich (we were not wrong), where it is recommended to rent a car (unless you purchased a package that includes transfers).
The ski resorts of Western Italy border France and Switzerland and most of them lie at the foot of the eastern slopes of the white mountain (in free translation) known as “Mont Blanc”. These sites have quite a few routes that are also suitable for veteran skiers, thanks to the great height to which the snowy mountains rise.
How to get there? Get on a flight to Milan, Geneva (yes, we were not wrong again) or Turin.
For complete information on the recommended ski resorts in Italy, click here >>
We got it, so skiing. But what else?
Die-hard ski enthusiasts will tell you that this is completely enough, but who knows – maybe you won’t catch a bug (even though it’s really, really contagious) and maybe you just want something else to enjoy. In this case, you will be happy to hear that the major ski resorts have quite a few attractions and activities that will enjoy your time.
Among other things, you can enjoy, for example, adventure sports such as snow climbing, snowmobiling, sled dogs, watching competitions or even diving in frozen lakes. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.
If you really want to warm up, you can visit one of the spas, enjoy a hot sauna or a pampering jacuzzi, and of course there’s nothing like a good massage to relieve sore muscles.
In addition to these, many ski resorts are known for an extensive nightlife scene that includes cool pubs, lively dance clubs, restaurants (which offer good deals during the lunch hours – worth checking out!), cafes (hot chocolate is the thing!) and sometimes also festivals and live performances.
when is it happening?
Well, this is an easy question – in winter. But winter is quite a general term. So maybe it’s better to talk about when not?
According to Rav, the ski slopes begin to fill up during the month of December and allow good skiing conditions until the end of March and sometimes even in April. However, it is also important to keep up to date with the local holidays and dates and in this context during the winter vacation of the local residents and residents of the neighboring countries – during this period they also flock in droves to the various sites, which causes a sharp increase in prices, congestion on the roads and, above all, a rough experience on the skiing slopes.
So as you have seen – a ski vacation is no longer the property of the top decile and in fact today it is accessible to anyone who wants it, it’s all a matter of planning. So what do you say – alone or with an agent? We at Simply Italy hope you understand that it is completely possible!
