Valle d'Aosta - Looking for info

Have a business trip in March that will put me going into/out of London.  Of course first thing I did was check prices for flights to the alps.  Seeing options for <$100 now has me seriously interested in trying to pull off a quick solo in and out ski detour.  Work allows for the flexibility to do this.  Wife may not. Worry about that later.

Have a lot of family in Italy (other side of the Italian alps, Dolomites), but never have skied in Europe.  Crazy it seems since they live 1.5 hours from Dolomites and Brenta Dolomites, but I've only been there to visit twice, both summer trips.  Hence my interest in skiing Italy vs other countries for my first alps experience.  Also, for some reason not yet confirmed, I feel like Italy will be cheaper than Switz/France/Austria/etc.

Quickest and cheapest option to me looks like it will land me in Geneva March 18th with a quick 1:20 trek to Valle d'Aosta.  Targeting Courmayeur, Chamonix, and maybe La Thuile.

Got some info here:

http://aosta-valley.co.uk/destinations/courmayeur/

But looking for some first hand experiences and suggestions.

Traveling solo. Need it to be cheap as possible. Prob shooting for a 2-4 day, figuring on skiing two days assuming It's hard to ski and fly same day.

Anyone been?

JamesD is going to the Alps tomorrow...He is the expert on the region..

Best ski experience on earth....Cost wise..The Swiss Alps are not more expensive..

Isn't Switzerland just more expensive in general, since they are not a Euro currency economy?

Sounds like Chamonix/Couramayer is your best bet, but, I'm biased. I've always wanted to do that, because you can ski between the two. Easy to get to from Geneva, and relatively inexpensive (Chamonix). Gorgeous, too. Just watch out for all the drunken Brits, I'm told.

Well, I'll have a week of working with the Brits prior to this trip lol so no worries on that.

All I know about Switzerland is that when I was flying out of Zurich this past July, two medium regular coffees at Starbucks cost me $12.  Then I had lunch, and two burgers and two ice teas at a Five guys type of place, no waiter type of thing, cost me $40.  Not planning to head back anytime soon unless I hit powerball.

ADmiKe wrote

Well, I'll have a week of working with the Brits prior to this trip lol so no worries on that.

All I know about Switzerland is that when I was flying out of Zurich this past July, two medium regular coffees at Starbucks cost me $12.  Then I had lunch, and two burgers and two ice teas at a Five guys type of place, no waiter type of thing, cost me $40.  Not planning to head back anytime soon unless I hit powerball.

I have been there twice..Yes airport prices suck..but the prices at the ski areas are not out of line with the US..

Benny Profane wrote

Isn't Switzerland just more expensive in general, since they are not a Euro currency economy?

Was true for decades but now the exchange rate is exactly 1:1. My upcoming eight-day trip to Switzerland is going to cost slightly less than a similar North American trip out west -- and I'll provide the exact costs so you can do an apples-to-apples comparison.

Yeh, I wasn't in the airport, this was in Zurich itself...but I get what you're saying.

Any experience in Valle d'Aosta?

ADmiKe wrote

Any experience in Valle d'Aosta?

Never been, but here are a few TRs from the region [put the link through Google Translate if interested in the text]:

http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=53482

http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=52226

http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=38494


Nonstops from EWR or JFK to the two major Alps gateways (Geneva and Zurich) usually land before 10 am, which almost always allows for at least three hours of skiing on arrival day, but your mileage may vary.

We skied Courmayeur 3 years ago as part of a trip to Chamonix.  We stayed in the center of Chamonix and skied most of the areas there, and then went through the tunnel and spent a day at Courmayeur.  You can buy one lift pass that covers all of the ski areas in Chamonix + Courmayeur and also includes the tunnel tolls and bus rides.  I have to say that it was the best trip we have ever taken (and we have taken some really good trips!)  I have a trip report on this forum, but I don't know how to link to it.  Courmayeur has great grooming and some really nice long, wide trails.  The on-mountain food is fantastic.  The town is a little sleepy looking, so if you want more activity, you should stay in Chamonix. You can also ski the Vallee Blanche from either side. As far as cost, I found the lodging and lift tickets to be less expensive than in US ski resorts. The food is a bit more expensive.  We are headed back to Europe this year, but are going to try Austria for a change.  

poindexter wrote

We skied Courmayeur 3 years ago as part of a trip to Chamonix.  We stayed in the center of Chamonix and skied most of the areas there, and then went through the tunnel and spent a day at Courmayeur.  You can buy one lift pass that covers all of the ski areas in Chamonix + Courmayeur and also includes the tunnel tolls and bus rides.  I have to say that it was the best trip we have ever taken (and we have taken some really good trips!)  I have a trip report on this forum, but I don't know how to link to it.  Courmayeur has great grooming and some really nice long, wide trails.  The on-mountain food is fantastic.  The town is a little sleepy looking, so if you want more activity, you should stay in Chamonix. You can also ski the Vallee Blanche from either side. As far as cost, I found the lodging and lift tickets to be less expensive than in US ski resorts. The food is a bit more expensive.  We are headed back to Europe this year, but are going to try Austria for a change.

Where on the forum is your trip report located?  Maybe I can find it

Think I got it:

http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Chamonix-Courmayeur-Feb-2014-tp4037607.html

We skied the Aosta Valley last year.  Stayed in Courmayeur, but it was part of an organized trip, but very inexpensive.  Try Hotel Courmayeur, breakfast and dinner included and you can walk to the tram.  Bus system is fantastic to get you anywhere.  Multi area lift tickets are about $45 US, but pay the extra $5 for rescue insurance.  One in our group broker her collar bone and everything was covered for that $5 fee.  We skied Courmayeur 4 days, La thuille and La Rosier once and went through the tunnel to Cham and skied Grande Montes.  All was fantastic, people friendly and after ski free apps at the bars are a meal in themselves.  Only downfall, the beer sucks. Are you still going to Aspen in Feb?

K man wrote

We skied the Aosta Valley last year.  Stayed in Courmayeur, but it was part of an organized trip, but very inexpensive.  Try Hotel Courmayeur, breakfast and dinner included and you can walk to the tram.  Bus system is fantastic to get you anywhere.  Multi area lift tickets are about $45 US, but pay the extra $5 for rescue insurance.  One in our group broker her collar bone and everything was covered for that $5 fee.  We skied Courmayeur 4 days, La thuille and La Rosier once and went through the tunnel to Cham and skied Grande Montes.  All was fantastic, people friendly and after ski free apps at the bars are a meal in themselves.  Only downfall, the beer sucks. Are you still going to Aspen in Feb?

Yes still going to Aspen in Feb. We are flying out Sunday the 19th and will be in Aspen until the 22nd, then working our way back towards Denver, hitting A-basin, etc.

Need to start doing my research on how I'm going to dirt bag it in Aspen...need to figure out the cheap eats and ...and where the grocery store is...no on mountain burgers for this guy.

Yes, that's it.  Also check out CMR's trip report for Vallee Blanche, which we did during that trip.I highly recommend it.  You can do it from the Courmayeur side, which I believe has the added advantage of avoiding the hike down the arete.

Hi, I'm Italian living in the city.

I have skied  in Courmayeur for 30 years, it's a wonderful old italian mountain village...

From a ski perspective, I'd surely go get the sky way

http://www.montebianco.com/ the rope to the Mont Blanc.

From there there is maybe one of the more beautiful trail in the world, called Vallee Blanche, 13 miles on the glacier, from Punta Helbronner (11,300 ft) at the border Italy / France, to Chamonix (France), approximately 7,900 vertical feet from the top down to the village.

You will need a ski-guide to do that, go to

http://www.guidecourmayeur.com/montebianco/vall--e-blanche-the-ski-descent-of-the-vall--e-blanche-322.html

PM if you need any further info on that,

Andrea