Aosta Valley, Italy
The Aosta Valley (a.k.a. Valle d'Aosta) is home to many of Italy's best ski resorts and tallest mountains. Think Cervinia, Courmayeur, Monterosa & La Thuile to name a few. Away from the ski resorts, Valle d'Aosta is full of ski adventure, history & a fascinating mountain culture centred on the capital city, Aosta. Located in the far northwest of Italy, the Aosta Valley also borders incredible regions in the Valais of Switzerland, plus Chamonix and the Haute Tarentaise of France, making it a wonderful part of any Alps ski safari.
Pros & Cons for the Aosta Valley Ski Region
Pros
- Incredible range and diversity of ski resorts & backcountry ski experiences.
- Reliable alpine snowpack well into Spring.
- Fantastic freeride terrain for all abilities.
- Excellent tree-skiing in larch glades in several locations.
- Many quiet ski areas to explore during the week.
- Option to ski to Switzerland from Cervinia, and to ski to France from La Thuile.
- Affordable food, accommodation, and lift passes.
- Incredible scenic drives everywhere one goes.
- Accessible by train from Turin or Milan.
- Delectable local cuisine.
- Wonderful built history from Roman times to today, with imposing castles, fortresses, bridges, arches & towers everywhere.
Cons
- Snowfall variation is increasing, and overall snowpack depth is decreasing during winter.
- Some locations have old, slow ski lifts (but the small ski areas can get away with it!).
- Traffic on the secondary roads in the main valley can be heavy at times.
- Travel times to some ski areas in the side valleys can be longer than expected due to road conditions.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Roads in most of the side valleys of Valle d’Aosta tend to be very narrow and challenging for anyone not used to mountain driving in the Alps.
- Accommodation standards vary markedly with some exceptional fine places to spend a night, and some incredibly basic ones too. Self-contained apartments at some ski areas (i.e. Cervinia) can be very basic if paying budget prices.
- The main valley floor only rarely has snow these days.
- Affordable heliskiing available.
- Public transport in the region is just good to be useful, but it is not as good as its neighbour to the north!
Valle d'Aosta Skiing & Snowboarding
The Aosta Valley is blessed with a wealth of skiing riches. From huge, interlinked resorts to quirky local ski hills that no one has ever heard of, skiing in the Valle d’Aosta is never dull. Just two resorts can be accessed directly from the main valley (Pila & Courmayeur), with the remainder all located in a host of fascinating side-valleys to the north or south.
Perhaps the best known of the Aosta Valley ski resorts is down the valley and then north of Chatillon & St Vincent into the Valtournenche, with 3 ski resorts culminating in Cervinia below the Matterhorn. Two smaller resorts are the beautiful Chamois and the gentle Torgnon.
The next best known is Courmayeur. It is the ritziest of the Valle d’Aosta ski resorts, but like all Italian skiing areas, its style is approachable to everyone and by no means exclusive. Only 30min drive from Aosta at the far western end of the valley, Courmayeur includes the amazing Skyway Monte Bianco with its stunning views & freeride terrain.
Near the centre of the valley, Pila is an exceptional north-facing, medium sized ski resort with access direct form the Aosta city centre via gondola. Its recent lift modernisation makes it into a world-class ski area more worthy of international attention.
Between Pila and Courmayeur is the super fun resort of La Thuile. An excellent choice on a powder day, La Thuile has trails & off-piste freeride for all abilities, including tree skiing, plus its lift pass include skiing across the border to the excellent French ski resort of La Rosiere.
In a remote valley between La Thuile & Aosta, the small ski resort of Cogne resides splendidly with the Gran Paradiso looming nearby. With one of the more authentic villages in the Valle d'Aosta (and with several Michelin rated restaurants), the lifted ski area is merely a complement to the 80km of magnificent cross-country ski trails and vast ski touring opportunities.
North of the city of Aosta is the Powderhounds secret stash of Crevacol. Aside from empty pistes & great backside tree skiing in larch, its unique feature is the ability to use the roof of the elevated Grand St Bernard Pass Road as a backcountry return trail. Crevacol's lift pass is so cheap it is practically free!
Further along the Valle d’Aosta at Verres and Pont St Martin, the Ayas & Lys valleys head towards the myriad ski resorts that make up a mecca for Powderhounds, Monterosa Ski. The village & lifts at Champoluc or Frachey are the easiest starting point to ski Monterosa from Aosta. Several quiet, smaller ski areas (but with up to 700m of skiable vertical!) are near the main interconnected sector, including at Antagnod, Brusson, and Gressoney-St-Jean.
Between Verres and Pont St Martin, near the imposing Forte di Bard, the interesting Champorcher ski resort lays west & south of the main valley, secluded from the rest of the world.
Also on the southern side of the valley, with a turn off midway between Morgex & Aosta, a lesser-known ski area is near the charming village of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. At the hamlet of Chanavey, a quad chair with perfect, sheltered pistes devoid of humans on a handy 400m of skiable vertical is a real surprise. Further up the valley is a novice ski & sledding area with surface conveyors, and beyond that superb ski touring destinations and backcountry larch tree skiing terrain set amongst humongous peaks.
For detailed information see the individual ski resort pages via the links in the text above or left column.
Lift Passes
The Aosta valley has an all-resorts season pass option known as the Aosta Valley Skipass. Zermatt can also be included. The reality though is it way cheaper to just buy local lift passes as required at each destination. Ikon Pass is also valid for 5-7 days in the larger Aosta Valley resorts.
Summer Skiing
Cervinia ski resort offers summer glacier skiing from the Plateau Rosa during June to early September. The skiing is limited on the Italian side but more expansive in neighbouring (& lift interlinked) Zermatt. Note that summer skiing in Europe is in serious decline due climate change impacts, so if you are keen on glacier skiing in summer, go sooner rather than later!
Heli Skiing
Several heli-ski options are available from Aosta and are the amongst the most numerous in Europe. Operators utilise Cervinia, La Thuile, Courmayeur, several Monterosa Ski locations (including Gressoney la Trinite, Stafal & Alagna) plus the Valgrisenche. We think the time for heliskiing here is past and ski-touring to earn your turns in more remote areas is the way to go, but each to their own.
Where is the Aosta Valley Italy?
The Aosta Valley is in the far northwest of Italy, extending from Pont-Saint-Martin for over 80km all the way through to Courmayeur & Monte Bianco. The start of the Valle d'Aosta is just 1hr by road north of Turin, and around 1½hr drive from Milan. Main international gateway airports are Milan Malpensa (MXP) & Geneva (GVA) in Switzerland (travelling via Chamonix, France, or Martigny, Switzerland). Turin (TRN) airport serves only European & UK flight origins. Search & book private transfers to the Aosta Valley.
The E25 motorway (autostrade) runs through the Valle d'Aosta past the city of Aosta, heading west to France via the Mont Blanc Tunnel and east to Turin and Milan. The motorways put the region's capital, Aosta, only 2hr away from central Milan.
The lower Aosta valley is well served by train & bus transport. A railway line from Chivasso (on the Milan - Turin line) terminates at Aosta. A central bus station provides links to ski resorts & villages further afield. Beyond Aosta buses link most of the side valleys to the capital. Note that the final 66km of the train line between Ivera & Aosta is undergoing electrification & other improvement works. Expected reopening of the line is December 2026. In the meantime buses are replacing most trains. Search & book train tickets to Aosta.
If planning on skiing several local resorts, we recommend travel by rental car. As well as the major airports on arrival, car rental is also available at several locations in the Aosta city centre and near the small local airport. Ensure that any rental from Italy is an all-wheel drive with snow tyres.
Valle d'Aosta Accommodation
The Aosta Valley is too long & intricate to its north & south to comfortably have a single central location that serves as an accommodation base for a visit. So if planning on visiting multiple locations, it is often best to choose somewhere either at the start of the valley near Bard, centrally near Aosta, or further west toward Morgex & Courmayeur.
The city & environs of Aosta plus its adjacent valley towns make excellent bases to conduct the ultimate ski safari of the entire region. Aosta is a good base for skiing Pila, Crevacol, Cogne, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame and at a stretch Courmayeur & Cervinia. In Aosta itself, some hotels & guesthouses within the Aosta old town are charming and in lively locations but note they can be inconvenient from a ski perspective due to vehicle access restrictions. The outskirts of the old town or up on the sunny south-facing terraces presents the better accommodation options.
Search & book a place to stay via the Aosta Accommodation Listings.
At the entrance to the valley staying anywhere from the towns of Pont St Martin, past Bard and up to Châtillon is good for skiing Cervinia, Monterosa, Champorcher, Chamois, and at a stretch, Pila.
At the western end of the valley as it butts up against the Monte Bianco massif, staying anywhere from Morgex through Courmayeur to Entrèves is good for skiing Courmayeur, La Thuile, and Skyway Monte Bianco.
Search & book a place to stay via the Aosta Valley Ski Accommodation Listings.
Things To Do in Aosta Valley
The history of the Aosta Valley, both natural & human, provides the basis for many non-ski things to do. Visiting medieval villages, castles & fortifications, plus Roman-era bridges and other ruins is fun as well as instructive. Admiring Western Europe's highest peaks, glaciers, forests, waterfalls, and streams adds another layer entirely. Simply driving in Valle d'Aosta is a 'thing to do' in and of itself, jaw-dropping that it is.
Whilst the town of Aosta has numerous historical structures including the old town walls and towers, Porta Praetoria, the Roman theatre and Arch of Augustine; all along the valley are a number of castles, forts and other structures worthy of a visit including Arch of Donnas, Pont d'Aël, Castello di Fenis, Forte di Bard, Saint-Pierre Castle, and the 2,000-year-old Pont St Martin in ....... St Martin!!
The old town centre of Aosta has numerous laneways, nooks & crannies provide cover for intriguing shops crammed with local wares including the traditional wooden 'coppe trattate' communal drinking vessels. Poking around here is a delight. Of course finish off with lunch or aperitifs at one of the many local restaurants & bars.
Away from the capital, Valle d'Aosta has a plethora of villages with narrow cobbled lanes, beautiful stone buildings, wine bars & trattorias clinging to the traditional way of life. Villages like Bard, Etroubles, Chamois, Champorcher, Morgex, and even the old town centre of up-scale Courmayeur. A more splendid setting is nearly impossible to find than at tiny Rhêmes-Notre-Dame.
Whilst the many ski lifts in the region are mostly intended for exactly that, there are several rides worthy of a sightseeing expedition even without skis. The Skyway Monte Bianco is simply stunning. The lengthy combined gondola & cable car ride up to Klein Matterhorn from Cervinia is another classic and example of the capacity of engineering to overcome hurdles. Along the road the Cervinia, a lesser-known journey, but just as worthwhile for completely different reasons, is the cable car up to the car-free village of Chamois from Buisson. And of course for another perspective of Aosta, the gondola up to Pila is certainly worth a ride as well.
Reviews & More Info
The Powderhounds have visited the Aosta Valley often, but have never had a page dedicated to it, until now (not sure why?). So here it is...... Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Aosta Valley ski areas compare to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding in the Valle d'Aosta or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.