I went to Bardonecchia in the last week of January this year for a week of skiing. I'm an intermediate-level skier, back in the sport after a long absence, and was with three absolute beginners, all learning as adults. Bardo is one of the cheapest places in the Alps to ski that offers a big enough footprint for a proper holiday. My pass, for six days of skiing with insurance, cost just over €200. It is perfect for an intermediate like me, and very good for an absolute beginner since it offers a convenient, low-cost way to get into skiing. If you're at, say, your second or third week of skiing, or you're advanced/expert, it might be better to look elsewhere, however.

First, you have the price, but what does it all buy you? Accommodation is similarly cheap, as is renting your skis. Four of us, two couples, stayed in a one bedroom, two bed self-catered flat with ski-in-ski-out access. The overall cost was €860 for a week, or €215 each. Ski rental for a week, all-in - skis, boots, helmet - was about €100 for a beginner set, and €120 for an intermediate one. A five-day group ski school for adults was €150 a pop if you booked before the season started, but more expensive after. Food was very reasonably-priced too. A panini or large slice of pizza could usually be had on the mountain for €5-8, whilst a lunch dish would be €10-15. A small beer was €4, a medium was usually €6. Basically, you're paying what you'd be paying in Milan, at sea level, for some food and beer halfway up a mountain.

What that all gets you is more than good enough for the price. If you go in late January, you pay a reduced rate because it's considered the winter low season in some Italian resorts, being outside the big Christmas and mid-winter school holidays. At this time, during the week, the resort is close to empty. You will almost never have to queue for a lift, and if you're an early riser it's not uncommon to find you're the only person on the run you're skiing. There are two areas, the main Colomion-Melezet section, and the higher-altitude Jafferau. Unless it's an incredible bluebird day, Jafferau is deserted mid-week. Uncrowded pistes give you plenty of time to soak up the views, which are spectacular. When it's open, the scenery from Fisi 50 on Colomion-Melezet, Bardo's best run, is worth taking a little pause for.

Bardo gets busier on the weekend, when you have a bunch of day-trippers from nearby Turin. But even then, it's not crazy compared to some other places that are close to big cities at peak times. Though we didn't make it to the Via Lattea, I've heard anecdotally that Sauze d'Oulx absorbs more of the Turin crowd on a busy Saturday or Sunday than Bardo does. Proximity to Turin, with good rail links from Bardo to the city, is a strong point for two reasons. It's a really convenient place to get to, not least because trains from Paris to Turin stop at nearby Oulx too. But also, the fact that it's mostly locals and day-trippers lends the place a casual, relaxed vibe.

Bardo's quietness does work against it a bit, however. The resort advertises 100km of skiable piste. But I don't think I ever saw that much open during my time there, though it came close on Saturday. On a weekday, you can realistically expect about two thirds of the runs to be open, and maybe 70-75% of the lifts. The infamous drag lifts that take you to the upper sections of Colomion-Melezet only open sporadically outside of weekends. That's presumably because the resort isn't busy enough to justify opening the entire thing.

Of that, what you're looking at is almost entirely intermediate-level. In Colomion-Melezet, there are a few blue runs. By far the most frequented by beginners is the main Chappelle run that takes you back down to Campo Smith from the top of the main lift. Runs at each level are generally on the slightly difficult end, and there are no blue runs at all at Jafferau. There is a large nursery/baby slope section at Campo Smith base that offers lots of opportunities to practice. But if you're a beginner who's figured out how to make it down a blue run without falling down, you'll be starved for variety.

Similarly, there's little genuine expert-level terrain to be found. After a nice dump of snow, there's some off-piste opportunity to be had in the bowl-like environment of Jafferau. But given the wealth of off-piste available elsewhere in Italy, it's maybe worth looking elsewhere if this is your thing, except if the Susa Valley is having a great year. Off-piste tree skiing is generally pretty limited because, although a lot of skiing is below treeline, the forest is pretty dense.

At times, the separation between the two areas can be a bit of a pain. They aren't interconnected, so you'll have to deal with a bus that is frequent and free, but a little inconvenient. There is a hidden advantage to this, however. Because the two areas are at very different situations and altitudes, you can play the snow game with them. Dumps of snow combined with warm temperatures can produce some nasty moguls on Colomion-Melezet's steep reds. But you can go to Jafferau instead, where it's cooler and the snow makes for some really nice skiing. Similarly, snowmaking at Colomion-Melezet is so comprehensive that even without too much snow beforehand, you get good conditions there, even when it's a bit bare on windswept Jafferau. Just make sure to study the piste map and stick to runs with snowmaking if it's a busy weekend day and there hasn't been a lot of snow lately.

And for Apres-ski? It does exist, but is pretty tame. The best Apres involves going into town for a nice, and very affordable, meal. It's a little more lively on weekends, however, and the on-mountain restaurants open up for evening dining on Saturdays. Going by chairlift or snowcat to them is a cool experience, and the ample food is well worth the price.

Bardo comes with plenty of caveats, and may not be the right place if you're a non-absolute beginner or advanced skier with a bit of cash to spare. But if you're on a budget, and you're an intermediate skier or complete debutant, you can't ask for much better.
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If you can check the snow/weather conditions a few days before booking your ski trip, I would say it is a good place to go. Nice village, good food, low budget, nice runs... But if you need to book all in advance, I will advice you to choose some place else. I booked in Dec/2023 trusting that in the end of Jan/2024 all would go well but it was horrible. It was a very hot week, snow was melting or getting really icy, and almost all blue runs (my level!) were closed because there was no snow at all... It was a nightmare and my so much desired winter vacations were ruined regarding ski... Not Bardonecchia fault of course, the problem was the weather, but I would never recommend or go back again if I have to book all in advance...
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It is unsurprising that a ski resort just off a major autostrade (highway/motorway/interstate et al.) attracts a crowd on a weekend. And so it was at the Campo Smith base at Bardonecchia when we arrived to find a heaving Saturday crowd of mainly family groups on the beginner terrain. The reason for Bardonecchia’s popularity, particularly on weekends, is it ease of access from the large metropolitan city of Turin. Direct trains and the autostrade allows efficient access & so many Turin residents own holiday apartments in Bardonecchia. Loads of British skiers reside here through the winter as well. Despite this, all is not lost to a sea of humanity. Despite the weekend crowd, starting early on a Sunday morning for my first turns, we did not wait for a lift once. And that was the theme for the rest of the stay. What more could one ask for when the price of a lift pass is an utterly, ridiculously low €37? Yep, I’ll say it again. A full adult day lift pass cost €37.

You can pick yourself up off the floor now & keep reading……..

Split into two very separate & different zones, the Bardonecchia ski area covers all bases. Colomion-Melezet sector is a north-facing piste skiers paradise of tree-lined runs streaming into three different base areas. The Jafferau sector has more varied terrain on its sunny slopes, with a higher altitude and broad off-piste.

Colomion Melezet is deep in shade for much of the day in mid-winter. The sun finally pops up after 1130ish to cast some light & warmth across the hill, then disappears at the base areas by 3pm. Campo Smith gets more afternoon sun than Melezet, making for a better outdoor après ski location. The Jafferau sector sees more sun, and earlier.

We enjoyed the tear-inducing fast piste trails of Colomion Melezet. They offer fall line groomer sliding the equal of anywhere in the world. On weekends, as the resort wakens from its mid-week slumber, places like the Sellette Chair near Chalet Chesal gets incredibly busy at 1030ish, with hordes of young ski-racers & their parents descending upon it. We simply skied across to the middle of the resort where there were exactly ZERO people. Go figure! Nice though.

There are three punishing surface lifts in the higher altitudes of the Colomion-Melezet sector. The central Clos J-bar is particularly nasty. Piste 4 Roccette, the area’s only black, is worth of the journey though. Similarly, the lengthy Colomion lift ends blessedly at a delightful mountain hut and accesses the hill’s best piste all the way down to Campo Smith - a full 800m vertical. Snowboarders need to be wary on the all the upper mountain surface lifts and beginners should simply stay away.

Whilst on the subject of beginners, Bardonecchia really does challenge them. Away from the flattish novice learn-to-ski areas, the line between a beginner blue and an intermediate red are blurry indeed at this resort.

Despite having some excellent, sheltered north aspect on-piste trails, we were nonetheless underwhelmed by Bardonecchia, until we caught the bus across to Jafferau. True powder-hounds potential exists there. Significantly higher than Colomion-Melezet, it has above-treeline alpine plus deliciously spaced trees and pitch for a full off-piste top to bottom in the right conditions. Jafferau also has favoloso picnic spots and a ski-in ski-out hotel at the top of the gondola. Space is at a premium at the gondola top though. Would hate to see it on a busy powder day. The term bedlam comes to mind. Wind also appears to play havoc with the upper terrain as well. The pistes are professionally managed but off-piste in the highest zones of the Ban chair and Jafferau J-bar lift carry a few sharks under the snow surface depending on which way the snow has blown. Tread warily. The blue Gran Pista and Primevera (more so) are surprisingly fun and fast returns to the gondola top station.

We were sucked in by the Bardonecchia trail map! Much like Aprica, to look at the Bardonecchia trail map in the Colomion-Melezet sector, one could be mistaken for thinking the forest between the runs would be great for tree-skiing. In fact, aside from the highest parts of the sector, the trees are thick and mostly impenetrable, even in the deepest snowpack. The upper zone above 1950m has some tree skiing potential, but in general the off-piste in Colomion Melezet is seriously limited. Skinners may reap a ready harvest on the sunny backside though, accessed via any of the top three surface tows (terrain from Cresta Seba being the pick of it). There are beautiful open bowls with old larch interspersed. Inbounds, the Seba tow (the highest in the sector at 2263m) has some playful gullies off the cat track skiers right of the lift. A shortish bootpack up the ridge to skiers’ left toward Punta della Mulattiera opens up the best of the freeride terrain with some open bowls, trees & short chutes. This area is destined to become lift accessed in the coming years (don't be sucked in by Google maps - the lifts are not there yet).

Getting around Bardonecchia is a synch with the free local buses. Buses go every 20min between Jafferau and Campo Smith on the Line 2 bus. The bus stop at Campo Smith base is a short walk across the car park on the main road across the river bridge. Same for Melezet.

Car parking in the Colomion Melezet sector is free and plentiful on all but the busiest days. The middle sector at Les Arnauds has no base facilities other than the chairlift, so is almost totally bereft of cars. Would not be surprised to see the odd tumbleweed rolling through! Parking at Jafferau is more limited & can extend a long way down the roadside on weekends. Unless early, take the bus instead.

Après ski is best mid-mountain in Colomion as the sun resides there the longest. A ski or download to Campo Smith can see it continue at the often lively Harald’s Bar. Otherwise in the centre of town at the lower end of the shopping strip, try Medail for a mix of good tunes, brews, cocktails & simple tasty street food. Opens at 6pm.

Not the prettiest town in Italy, Bardonecchia does have some fabulous elements. It is surrounded by mountains with the Via Lattea & French Haute Maurienne Vanoise close by. It has a direct rail to Paris, Lyon, Turin & Milan. It has real shops, real bars & real people living there – not just a manufactured resort crowd. It has some cool history, including castle ruins on a highpoint above town. And it has glorious church bells that ring on the half hour through the day echoing across the valley & almost, but not quite, drowning out the music from the afternoon après ski sessions at Harald’s bar in Campo Smith.

Visit Bardonecchia if after a cost effective, easy access, Italian ski experience in combination with the Via Lattea or French Haute Maurienne resorts like La Norma. You may find yourself quite alone on weekdays, but some of the best ski experiences in the world happen on cold, lonely, midweek January days!

You can see our thoughts on the pros and cons on the Bardonecchia overview page and also see our European ski resort ratings regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.

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