Cheap Ski Holidays in Italy

There is nowhere else in Europe that offers outstanding snow conditions, spectacular scenery and vibrant, passionate people, outstanding food and drink and traditional ski resorts, skiing in Italy has it all. Italy is renound for long snow seasons, and a great snow record, with over 100cms falling on a regular basis.

The winter Olympics were held in Italy in 2006 increasing the popularity of this fabulous country, many Italian ski resorts have since received a huge makeover, improving lift systems and building bigger and better hotels and also increasing the snow making cannons to ensure even coverage in the early and late parts of the season.

Italy’s choice of ski resorts are so vast that the areas are split into more areas, The most famous being the Dolomites which include areas like Arabba, Selva and St Christina and also Canazei and Campitello, all offering outstanding snow, hundreds of kilometres of piste. Its so large that you will struggle to ski the whol area in a season, let alone in a week. The Sella Ronda circuit is a 26 kilometres loop that links all these resorts and is covered on an all area lift pass, although you can stick to your resort lift pass if you don’t wish to go further afield.

Another famous ski region in Italy is The Milky Way, including resorts such as Claviere, Sauze D'Oulx, and Sestriere, again offering fantastic conditions, especially for boarders, with the uncrowded slopes and long, cruisy runs and huge choice of snow parks and huge lift systems. Sestriere is of course where the Winter Olympics of 2006 were held and offers some amazing downhill skiing and also these resorts are mostly linked together on an all area lift pass too.

Other resorts which are excellent regardless of your level of ability or your budget are resorts such as Cervinia, Cormayeur, La Thuille and Bardonecchia, being excellent for beginners, families, intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders.

And last but by no means least in Livigno, which is an excellent beginner resort, and has the added bonus of being a tax free destination, offering some excellent duty free shopping and of course cheap food and drink whilst in resort too. One of the liveliest resort too, it makes it suitable for groups of young people or for those wishing to experience a great apres ski.

Night-life in Italian ski resorts is vast and varied, look out for hotels offering “Apertivos”, a free pre dinner drink exclusive to Italy. Apres ski is sophisticated, with some of Europe’s best restaurants and classy bars and wine bars, all offering great hospitality and service.

Many of the villages are traditional and offer a good selection of places to wine and dine, but all hold the charm and beauty expected when travelling here. The accommodation again is varied, from basic 2* pensions all the way up to exquisite 5* luxury, everything from self-catering to catered chalet, there is nothing you cant find in Italy, it truly has it all.

Money

The Euro (EUR) is the official currency, which is divided into100 cents. Those arriving in Italy with foreign currency can obtainEuros through any bank, ATM or bureaux de change. ATMs arewidespread. Travellers cheques can be exchanged with ease in thelarge cities, not so in the smaller towns. Credit cards areaccepted in upmarket establishments and shops around the cities.Banks are closed on weekends, but tend to have better rates thancasas de cambios.

Time

Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in September).

Language

Italian. English is understood in the larger cities but not in the more remote parts of the country.

Climate

Italy has a largely temperate climate with regional variations.In summer the Northern parts of Italy are warm with occasionalrainfall, the central region is somewhat stifled by humidity andthe south scorches under the dry heat. In winter, conditions inMilan, Turin and Venice are dominated by cold, damp and fog andTuscany's winter temperatures approach freezing, while temperaturesin the south of the country are more favourable averaging50-60ºF (10-20ºC). Most people visit Italy between Juneand August, however the best time to visit is in Spring (April-May) and Autumn (September-October) when the weather is good and thetourists are few. The sea is warm enough for swimming between Juneand September. Most Italians take their vacation in August and manyshops and restaurants are closed during this period. The ski seasonruns between December and April and the best time to walk in theAlps is between June and September.