If you’re looking for a ski destination where the new ski season is already in full swing, look no further than Italy’s amazing Aosta Valley!
The ski season started here in October, with the snowsure centre of Breuil-Cervinia, one of Europe’s highest, the first to open and with easy access via Turin, Milan or Geneva airports you could be on the slopes tomorrow!
But it’s just the first of no less than 19 ski areas in the Aosta Valley. Altogether they offer 800 kilometres (500 miles) of slopes as well as eight snow parks and everything can be accessed on one easy-to-use international electronic ski pass.
Located in the Northwest of the country, the Aosta Valley may be Italy’s smallest region but it thinks big, boasting spectacular scenery, world-class skiing and snowboarding, food of the highest quality and a history stretching back to Roman times. Located at the heart of the Alps, bordered by France and Switzerland, Aosta Valley is surrounded by some of the highest peaks in Europe including Mt Cervino (a.k.a The Matterhorn), Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the king of them all, Mont Blanc, which at 4.809m (15,781 feet) is the highest mountain in Western Europe.
The Aosta Valley’s ski areas offer something for everyone and come in all shapes and sizes, from major international destinations that are world-famous to skiers, to smaller, intimate and authentic villages where you can really soak up the local culture.
After Cervinia, which offers skiing and snowboarding for an incredible 11 months per year, thanks to its access to Europe’s glaciated highest lift-accessed slopes, come the resorts of Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila later in November and then Monterosa in December.
The Aosta Valley’s winter season will then continue for more than six months, right through until 4 May 2025.
The Aosta Valley
The ski areas of the Aosta Valley offer a vast range of experiences from the international resorts of Breuil-Cervinia which lies on the Swiss border offering ski or foot-passenger access over to Zermatt; or La Thuile, from where you can ski over into France for the day if you’d like; to the challenging resorts of Courmayeur and Monterosa (Champoluc and Gressoney); all the way through to the family-friendly resort of Pila and more than a dozen smaller villages with their very welcoming, personal ski areas all included on the amazing Aosta Valley lift pass too.
Breuil-Cervinia (Opening: 26 October – 6 September 2025)
Breuil-Cervinia is a modern resort on the Matterhorn and one of Europe’s highest. Despite this, the lifts still manage to climb far higher still right up to 3,480m. Whilst many ski areas around the world are now stating how much of their terrain lies above 2,000m for snow certainty, in Breuil-Cervinia’s case it’s all of it! The ski area is linked to nearby Valtournenche (5km below) and seamlessly across the border to Zermatt in Switzerland, offering 360km of pistes overall, one of the world’s largest. There’s terrain for everyone with an abundance of great cruising runs that are particularly good for beginners and intermediates, but there’s plenty to challenge expert skiers including a heli-ski option and a superb snow park for freestylers.
Courmayeur (Opening: 30 November – 6 April 2025)
Courmayeur is one of the world’s most iconic destinations, combining a rich cultural heritage and vibrant atmosphere with phenomenal ski terrain below Mont Blanc (or Monte Bianco as Western Europe’s highest peak is known in Italy!). Located close to the French border, Courmayeur is renowned for its gastronomic scene and boutique shopping. The 100km+ of slopes served by 18 lifts can be accessed via the Courmayeur cable car or the Val Veny cable car (Entrèves). Besides great views of the Mont Blanc massif, the area is also ideal for freeriding with many of the most beautiful trails in the whole of the Aosta located here. Some can be reached via the spectacular Skyway Monte Bianco cable car, a visitor attraction in its own right, and others via the local heliski service.
La Thuile (Opening: 30 November – 21st April 2025)
Located at a snow-sure 1,440m close to Mont Blanc, La Thuile’s ski area is known for being among the quieter of the big-name resorts in the Alps, with a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and plenty of space for you on the slopes. It’s a big ski area with 160km (100 miles) of runs which stretch over the border into France and contains a great selection of terrain from brilliant, gentle beginner runs, to long intermediate cruisers and then the steep expert slopes. The latter include one the most famous and challenging World Cup Alpine skI downhill courses in the Alps as well as some fabulous freeride terrain, with fresh powder usually lasting longer than elsewhere here and the option of some great tree skiing too.
Monterosa (Opening: 6 December – 21st April 2025)
The Monterosa ski area brings together several interconnected resorts on the Monterosa massif, the three valleys of Ayas, Gressoney and Valsesia with 180 km of piste. This creates one of the world’s largest ski circuits in an area of stunning natural beauty and opens up a vast skiable vertical from 3,275m down to 1,212m. The main resorts are Champoluc, the largest resort in Monterosa and Gressoney in the central valley which is actually two villages: Gressoney-La-Trinité and Gressoney-Saint-Jean. Champoluc, a favourite among those who already know it thanks to its prime position for easy access to all parts of Monterosa as well as its uncrowded slopes, is surrounded by pretty wooded terrain and boasts spectacular views of dramatic glaciers. It’s also famed for its fabulous off-piste terrain. Gressoney, perfectly placed at the centre of Monterosa’s ‘three valleys’ offers an unspoilt, authentic alpine ambience. Ideal for intermediates and experts, those staying in Gressoney-Saint-Jean also have their own separate ski area to enjoy.
Pila (Opening: 30 November – 13 April 2025 )
Located above Aosta town, Pila is a remarkable ski centre, located at a snowsure altitude high above the town of Aosta, with its amazing Roman remains, as well as great modern-day dining and shopping to discover. The two are connected by a 20-minute gondola ride and now the big vertical above Pila, climbing up above 2,700m, is getting a stunning new gondola which will reduce the ascent time dramatically and open up magnificent vistas of some of the Alps’ most famous peaks, including Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. Pila itself is a friendly, small resort but with a reputation for lively après-ski too, particularly at weekends.
For current lift pass rates please visit this page.
What’s New?
There’s lots happening in the Aosta Valley this winter with new lifts, new runs, exciting events and increased savings on lift passes.
One of the biggest upgrades is happening at Pila where a brilliant new 10-seater gondola, ‘Couis 1, will be unveiled, along with several new ski runs. The new lift is the second section of the full Pila-Couis route, a transformative project which will whisk visitors up to a stunning new viewing area at 2700m in just 15 minutes. It replaces an old double chairlift that dated back to the late 1980s. At the top users will be stunned by the breathtaking views of the most iconic peaks of the Alps, including Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Grivola and Gran Paradiso, thanks to the ‘Stella del Couis’ panoramic refuge, scheduled to open next year.
This winter there’s also a fabulous new ski slope connecting Couis 1 to Couis 2, equipped with a snowmaking system. This will allow access to all the slopes on the Couis 2 side from the arrival of the new Couis 1 gondola. In addition, several existing slopes have been improved. They include an expanded and improved red slope number 7 – Plan de L’Eyvie; improvements to black piste number 8 – Tsa Creusa and the opening of a new alternative descent on the line of red slope number 9 – Couis 1
There’s another new lift, at Breuil-Cervinia, with a brand new high-speed detachable six-seater chairlift going into service in the Goillet area. It also replaces an older fixed chairlift that has been operating for more than 40 years.
The long-planned upgrade provides a fast link over to Valtournenche, with the new 1500m long lift making the connection, which runs between 2,692 metres and 3,093 metres altitudes in only five minutes (it used to be 11) whilst increasing hourly capacity from 1,600 to 2,400 passengers.
The lift also uses the revolutionary EcoDrive system, making it quieter, more efficient and more sustainable as it automatically adjusts its speed imperceptibly depending on the number of skiers using it. Each of the 69 chairs on the line features heated backrests, individual footrests and pull-down transparent canopies for colder days.
What’s On?
There’s always lots happening all season long in the Aosta Valley.
Wherever you’re staying in the valley it’s worth making a trip to the magical “Marché Vert Noël” Christmas Market in Aosta itself. Located in the central Piazza Chanoux you can enjoy delicious local specialties, wines, handicrafts, find traditional gifts, Nordic inspirations and many more affordable little luxuries as the market conjures up the convivial flavour of the festive season!
© Aosta Valley Tourist Board.
Or if you visit a little later in the season the Sant’Orso fair from 30 – 31 January 2025. This sees artists and artisans from across the Aosta Valley proudly display the fruits of their ingenuity and creativity along the streets of central Aosta. The fair dates right back to the Middle Ages when it was staged in the “Borgo di Aosta”, the area surrounding the Collegiate Church which bears the name of Sant’Orso. According to legend, it all began right in front of the church where the Saint, who lived before the 9th century, helped the poor by giving out clothes and “sabots”. Visitors can still buy these typical wooden clogs at the Fair today. Now the entire city centre is involved, inside and alongside the city’s Roman Walls.
In several leading ski resorts of the Aosta Valley, celebratory evenings when the ski school stages an evening torchlit display is always a great experience. Besides admiring the incredible skills of the instructors, there’s mulled wine, a fireworks display and usually lots of associated apres ski fun in the bars, clubs and restaurants of the resort.
© Aosta Valley Tourist Board.
There’s a great New Year’s Eve display in Pila and the event is also staged in Breuil-Cervinia and Courmayeur.
Courmayeur also has many major events running all winter and into spring, many of them focusing on the fabulous dining experiences the resort offers.
However, before the full-on foodie focus, Courmayeur is also a magical place to be for the festive season. On Christmas Eve, the children in Courmayeur can experience the traditions that pay homage to Rhémy de Noël, a legendary character whose roots lie in the link between the town and Mont Blanc and provide the area with its snow. The big day includes children’s workshops, theatrical performances, special guest appearances with gifts and the lighting of lanterns to direct Rhémy de Noël down from the mountain to Courmayeur.
© Courmayeur Mont Blanc
Then on New Year’s Eve, the square at the Jardin de l’Ange will be at the heart of Courmayeur’s New Year’s Eve celebration, coming alive with music, DJ sets, entertainment and a midnight firework display. The celebrations will then also continue at venues downtown as they toast the new year.
Valentine’s Day is also big in Courmayeur as the resort comes alive with festivities, with shop windows and boutiques along Via Roma, the pedestrian shopping street, decorated to celebrate the resort’s patron saint, St Valentine. Courmayeur’s streets are filled with music, animations, gourmet delights, and traditional celebrations with a folk group parading through the centre performing traditional dances.
There’s ski racing excitement in February too, this time over in La Thuile. After hosting the Women’s Ski World Cup competitions in 2016 and 2020 and the Telemark in 2017 and 2019, the Women’s Ski World Cup is back with a downhill and a super giant slalom to be held on the legendary Franco Berthod slope 3 on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 March 2025.
February also sees Courmayeur’s Design Week returning for its fifth year, for one long weekend, transforming the town into a vibrant hub where designers, companies, and design experts gather at the foot of Mont Blanc.
The gourmet festivities gather pace in Courmayeur in March when the resort continues its partnership with UK-based ski specialist tour operator, Momentum Ski, as the fabulous Gourmet Ski weekend, created with Heston Blumenthal OBE, returns to the resort for its 10-year anniversary from 27th – 30th March 2025. Featuring two internationally renowned Michelin-starred chefs to curate a programme of gastronomic encounters this upscale culinary event promises an exceptional dining experience.
This year will see the return of Jean-Philippe Blondet, the three-star Michelin Executive Chef of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, who with his team will prepare a gastronomic experience like no other. He will also prepare an alfresco BBQ in the mountains, followed by performances from top DJs.
March is also the month of Courmayeur’, Peak of Taste, celebration of haute cuisine, with a rich program of events. Attendees can engage with ambassadors of Italian and Aosta Valley flavours and participate in discussions with internationally renowned star chefs, emerging culinary talents, bartenders and mixologists.
Previous editions have included aperitifs at Skyway Monte Bianco, a state-of-the-art cableway reaching Italy’s highest point at 3,446 metres and cooking classes with Aosta-Valley Michelin-starred Chefs, such as Paolo Griffia and Ugo Alciati.
Special Offers For the Season
The ski areas of the Aosta Valley have re-thought their lift pass pricing this winter with an even better offer for children and young people. Firstly, the 30% discount for children aged under 14 years of age, will be extended up to those under 16 years of age. There’ll also be a new category of users, young skiers aged between 16 and 24, who will receive a 20% discount on the pass price (previously it was a 12% discount for young people up to the age of 18). In addition, accompanied children aged under-8 are able to ski for free and there’s a 12% discount for the over-65s as before.
This is a full regional agreement and covers both the big ski areas like the Cervino Ski Paradise, Courmayeur and Pila to smaller centres such as Torgnon and Chamois. The discount is valid on the entire price list, from daily to multi-day ski passes.
Some centres also offer discounted lift-pass prices when you book your accommodation through them. For example, the Happy Ski Monterosa promotion gives a 35% saving on your ski pass with a discount code when you book accommodation participating in the promotion.
Getting to the Aosta Valley
The Aosta Valley is very easy to reach via Turin, Milan or Geneva airports from the UK making it an ideal destination for a weekend or short break. If you have more time, road and rail connections from the north are excellent too. The Aosta Valley is located in Italy’s northwest corner – that’s the closest part to the UK!
Ski Solutions can organise your Aosta Valley ski holiday!
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