Claviere

Claviere: reviews

• skiclub.co.uk visitor (28 February 2010)

  Just returned from a few days, unbelievably quiet. Where was everyone in the evenings? We wandered out looking for a bar, but those that we saw signs for were mostly closed and one that looked promising had no one in it.

  
  Montgenevre over the French border, was a bit livelier and good fun for the France v Wales Rugby international, (there seemed to be more Welsh than French). There was more than enough snow and a big dumping whilst we were there. The higher lifts were closed for most of one day due to winds but the lower runs and lifts were still not crowded. Skied for 3 hours on Saturday morning in perfect conditions and didn't have to queue once for a lift.

  
  Not a good resort for Mountain restaurants, but better than Montgenevre where we only found one. Because of the variable conditions we couldn't explore too far but it's a massive ski area. A decent value resort, both for accommodation and food and drink. We stayed in a nice hotel, very friendly, excellent food and only E60 a night for half board.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 February 2010)

  We stayed in Claviere in February 2009 staying in the Crystal Club hotel. The hotel caters particularly well for families, food and comfort were very good. It is also literally on the French Italian border and a walk of a few tens of meters from the door puts you in a different country, which our 13 year old neice thought was pretty cool.

  We also had incredible amounts of snow - we are talking metres of it! Intermediates should head out of Claviere to enjoy the skiing around Montgenevre, using the Claviere-Montgenevre pass. We got caught out with the Milky Way pass which only gives you one day of skiing in Montgenvre (not clear when pre-booked) which does seem bonkers - either it is part of the Milky Way or it isn't! We are good intermediate skiers and a journey to the very edge of Sauze d'Oulx was just about possible via Sangalonga and Sestriere, with a lunch stop and the return journey, a lot of fun but a hike in places on flattened out blues, so we made the most of our Milky Way passes.

  Club Hotels do - in their words - 'give you an opportunity to sample the local restaurants on one night' - though some might think it is a cop out to avoid feeding you themselves every night. There is not much choice in sleepy Claviere - most of which seemed to be shut even though it was peak season. The Kilt however is excellent, built in the cellar of an ancient barn, the host and his wife were fantastic and the food wonderful. be sure to book a table as early as possible in your stay as it is very popular on the hotels's 'free night'.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (07 February 2010)

  Claviere is quite small and is great unless you're looking for wild nights out - it's very traditional and there are some good, inexpensive eateries there as well as all the necessary basic facilities bank, post office, tourist info, ski shops etc. In terms of the skiing, I would agree that it isn't great for beginners - it is more of a red resort than anything else. Lots of runs through trees and some spectacular scenery. I would strongly recommend buying the Claviere-Montgenevre lift pass - this gives you unlimited access to both resorts and one day on the Milky Way (Via Lattea). The rest of the Milky Way area is annoyingly very poorly connected from Claviere and it will take you a good hour (via a long and almost flat 'blue' path and some lifts) to get to San Sicario, which is the nearest resort to Claviere on the Italian side. Sestriere and Sauze d'Oulx are another half hour further on at least. Claviere and Montgenevre (a bigger, more varied area) will give you all you want for a week if you are a good intermediate skier. Connections between Claviere and Montgenevre could be better, but it's worth the effort.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Amanda Gregory (07 April 2009)

  I have just returned from Claviere staying at the crystal club hotel, with four teenagers. the hotel was good, good food ,the staff were all young and friendly and included the children in their fun. Brenda the crystal rep was very good and immediately inspired confidence. The skiing was great, we arrived on the 29th march to quite heavy snow which freshened the slopes up and we had more snow the following week. The slopes were uncrowded, some were deserted which was great. I was the only skier in our party and did the ski school which was good. The children who were boarding also had good instruction. I would think the resort is best suited to intermediates which is what I had read. My 17yr old son found there was not quite enough for him as only a few black runs and no snowpark.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (03 April 2008)

  We took a school trip (41 kids) here over Easter 2008 at very short notice. On the whole we were pleased with the resort – it’s a nice enough town, small and safe, although perhaps not a huge amount to do.

  There are some lovely runs, but it seemed limited for absolute beginners – there is a flat “nursery” area with a magic carpet and a slightly sloping area which beginners have to walk back up before going up the chairlift. Once up, there's only two blues really. It did mean they came on quickly, but there were a few tears from those loathe to face the reds after only a couple of days.

  The area overall is more suited to good intermediates and above. Links to Montgenevre are steep and the area was a bit of a letdown, apart from the runs on the 'wrong' side of the valley, which offer fast, steep reds with loads of powder off the sides. Getting to and across the Milky Way is a bit of a trek - some lovely runs apparently, but lots of lift-time. Overall, we felt it was a bit limited for advanced skiers or complete beginners but, having said that, the kids had a great time!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (25 March 2008)

  Came back from Claviere a couple of weeks ago after a lovely holiday. Stayed at the Crystal Club Hotel Grande Claviere. The staff were excellent and could not do enough for you. Food was delicious and plentiful. The creche facilities were great and they really cared for my 2 small daughters, leaving me to enjoy my days skiing. Fresh cakes and biscuits were brought out at Afternoon tea and the hotel also provided early tea for the kids.
  

  Skiing is a little limited at Claviere but good for less experienced intermediates. The trip to the Milky Way is a bit of a pain, requiring a very long and boring ski to Cesana on a windy blue run and then numerous other lifts. Skiing at Sansicario was pretty good though. Montgenevre was a great day out - wonderful wide runs within a bowl (no steep sides to fall off!) - really worth a couple of days there. Definitely advise people to get the local lift pass as you get one day on Milky Way and one day in Montgenevre included, plus you can upgrade for a day if you want to go back to either again. Looks like we may well be going again next year!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (01 March 2008)

  Claviere is a great little resort, small, traditional and very Italian. The food is excellent, as you'd expect and the ski area whilst small, is interesting. I can strongly recommend Kilt pizzas. There is plenty of ridable lift lines and easy off piste amongst the trees.

  There is reasonable access to the Milky Way and excellent access to the French resort of Montgenevre, make sure you buy the lift pass which includes Montgenevre it's far easier to get to than the other Milky Way resorts. First Choice who my brother Rep'd for do not offer the lift pass which includes Montgenevre so buy directly from the lift pass office.

  There is only a couple of bars so if you are going for the nightlife look elsewhere - although Montgenevre is only a 15 minute walk and this is a much bigger resort.

  Finally avoid the Sport Sagnalonga hotel unless you are booking independently and get a great deal, its in an amazing location, but it accessible only by ski's or skidoos and its very run down. There is no organised transport down the main resort (we booked a skidoo in the evening and it was an hour late).

  I can strongly recommend the Miramonti which whilst simple is well run - exactly my kind of place!

  I've been to a lot of French resorts and I really like the boarding and relaxed atmosphere in Claviere. One to visit which is a little off the beaten track. Its worth noting that Serre Chevalier is only a 15 minute drive away and we visited this resort and also a charming French resort called Puy St Vincent during our visit (which is about 30 minutes by car).

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 February 2008)

  We have just taken a group of 14 non-skiers to Claviere to celebrate a 40th birthday and despite our trepidation after reading some reports it turned out to be excellent. There are some great runs for beginners and as we had adults and children in our group, we found there was something for everyone.

  Although not as developed as some resorts and I am comparing it to Soll in Austria, where the ski hire etc is second to none, we found Claviere to be rather quaint and ended up fitting the boots of the non-skiers as there was only one guy on hand.

  I would recommend the local pass rather than the area pass as there are enough runs to challenge most skiers but the day in Montgenevre was excellent with some fantastic green runs for the faint harted. All in all, I would definitely go back and spend a few more days in Montgenevre.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (02 January 2008)

  December 07 - Just returned from the Sport Hotel Sanga Longa where my 12 year old and I experienced wonderful skiing from the hotel door and back, with no lift queues apart from gateway from Sansicario to Sestriere. The area is obviously purpose built but the runs are good. Idyllic setting, the hotel was a basic 3 star - comfortable, room could have been warmer. The dinner was plentiful and varied but the breakfast wasn’t up to the same standard. I would say the resort is challenging for beginners and best for intermediates and advanced. Don't bother with area pass as day skiing in Montgenevre is included in local pass be sure to make this a day visit as there is a lot to ski. You can buy extra days to top up but get to the kiosk before 9.30am to avoid the queues. Monti Della Luna has to be a favorite with lots of safe off-piste skiing through trees. The mountain restaurants were very good although ladies beware stand up loos! Skidoo rides were amazing fun. Hope to return next Xmas and reach Sauze D'oulx and re-visit the amazing fish restaurant at the bottom of the slopes in Claviere. Apres-ski, make your own.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (21 December 2007)

  Nineteen of us spent christmas last year (2006) in the Sporthotel Sagnalonga, the Hotel matched all of our needs although did not quite meet our expectations. We had a long wait to get up the mountain on arrival, which meant even with all our ski kit on, we had to break open a bottle to keep warm. The rooms in the Hotel are very basic, yet cosy (take a travel kettle). The heating and hot water were sufficient, and the food was varied, tasty and plentiful. The Chef explained each dish to the kids every night. Facilities were good however, we did have to requst the pool to be opened on the first couple of nights. The skiing was great once we found our way around, within the group we had a varied level of skiers from beginners to experts and we all managed to have fun!! Especially the kids. Don't bother with the Area Lift pass, just get a local one and purchase extra days elsewhere if you need them. As for the Skidoo transfer back on the last day, don't look down and make sure the rep gets the Cafe in Claviere open for you.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (28 July 2007)

  Claviere is one of the most boring places I've ever visited. The skiing is very limited and the lifts close at 5pm. The best skiing is in Montgeneve. Top tip try The Holiday Club in Are in Sweden. Top accomodation, people and skiing!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 February 2007)

  Spent a week at Sporthotel Sagnalonga (4th -11th Feb) with First Choice. Hotel was adequate, but breakfast was very basic and not enough to set you up for a day on the piste. Soft drinks and the pool table are expensive. Worth buying your own in Claviere during the day and carrying them back to the hotel.

  The slopes are not for beginners, or the very advanced, but excellent for intermediates.

  Foolishly bought an area (Milky Way) lift pass for an extra £50 each. They don't tell you until you get there, but a local pass will give you a day on the Milky Way area and both passes will give you a day at Montgenevre. The courtesy bus advertised in the First Choice brochure does not appear to exist, so getting to the other resorts on the Milky Way is a mammoth journey. e.g. a total of four chairlifts, two cable cars and a drag lit are needed to get from Sagnalonga to the bottom of Sestriere. On the other hand, Montgenevre is easy to get to and well worth the visit.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (12 February 2007)

  4th Feb for 1 week.

  Travelled with First Choice to Hotel Sport, Sagnalonga. What a disappoinment, first impression was great, but then all goes a bit down hill.

  Skiers/Boarders: No good for beginners, excellent for intermediates and its a must to go to Monteneve, but be wary that your all region pass will only cover you for one day.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (21 January 2007)

  Recently returned from 1 week's holiday based at the Sport Hotel, Sagnalonga. Despite the positive setting you will see described in other reviews, please be aware of the following: The heating and lighting are often non-existant, the soft drinks are very expensive, there is no hot food available for breakfast, the evening buffet consists of pasta and tomato all week, the hotel lounge area does not have an accessible bar when you come off the slopes.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (16 January 2007)

  We have just returned from a week at the Sport Hotel Sagnalonga near Claviere in Italy. We booked this holiday through First Choice and eight of us travelled as a group. The skiing was not too bad good for intermediates but absolutely rubbish for beginners.

  The Sport Hotel Sagnalonga is shown in the First Choice brochure as 4 star. Personally I think that the Hotel isn't a 4 Star. The Hotel is situated up a mountain and as a result there is no entertainment, the hotel charges £2.15 for a can of Coke. Claviere town is a bit boring with no shops.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (08 January 2007)

  Just returned from a week at the Sporthotel Sagnalonga reached by 2 chair lifts from the town. On arrival we our cases were put onto the chairlift one by one - these were taken off at the next stage before being loaded onto the final chairlift! Soft drinks expensive (£2.00 a can). Lunch was pretty good, very nice made to order pizzas, fresh cooked pasta dishes and salads. Evening meal pretty good, again plenty of salads, choice of 3 or 4 hot meals - pasta with tomato sauce seemed to be available every evening, just as well as it's all my daughter ate for a week! skidoo ride back to town when we were going home was very fast and bumpy but fun at 5am! Prices did seem to vary a bit as well, for no good reason - somedays beer was 3 euros, another it was 3.50. Some of the chairlifts are dodgy - watch your back especially at the top of the mountain. The shack there does brilliant bombardinos - coffee, brandy, cream etc.! The red run straight down to the hotel can get very icy and is probably the steepest in the area.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Chris Babbs - Solent Ski Club (25 January 2005)

  Claviere is built around one main street which gets busy at times with traffic going to and from France. Skiing is not good for beginners but mainly suits intermediate skiers with enough wide red runs to cruise. The Milky Way, depending on snow conditions, is not easy to get to so a visit to Montgenevre is a much better option and costs an extra €15.50 a day for a lift pass which provides linked skiing with Claviere without bus transfers. Sufficient bars and shops in Claviere will keep you entertained for a one week visit. Be warned - the bank only opens on Monday mornings, however, there is also an ATM. Claviere is an easy going, friendly resort without lift queues - the Montgenevre lift pass is a must for intermediate skiers looking for mileage without the hassle of getting to and from the Milky Way.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Shaun Holmes (10 January 2005)

  We have just been to the Sporthotel Sagnalonga with our friends and their 2 children aged 9 and 5. We are experienced skiiers, but our friends were beginners. The skiidoo ride up to the hotel was a great bonus, we and the kids loved it (although it was a little scary). The hotel pool and sauna was a gread hit with all of us. The rooms were perfect, overlooking the mountains (great sunsets), and really cosy. The hotel is situated in a perfect position surrounded by ski school, lifts, ski/sledge hire - the kids were able to play with sledges on the piste when the lifts had closed. The nursery slope is quite steep, but this brought everyone on quickly enabling my friend and his 9 year old son to ski into Claviere on the third day! The food was buffet style with a good selection which we all enjoyed. Our friends are now hooked!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark Thomas (09 March 2004)

  The Sporthotel Sagnalonga hotel sounds great as it's slopeside. The best part was that you really can ski in/out - which was great. The downside is that the majority of the staff are about as warm as the snow, the food is ok but tedious, the drinks expensive, the facilities limited. Claviere has very few slopes suitable for beginners and the instructors have limited English. Don't think about it if you're a learner. Snowboarders - DON'T BOTHER! The bruise on my thigh from the endless super long / super steep button lifts is still healing. A nightmare! To be fair there are some great reds in the local Claviere region, but the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Proximity to the Milky Way is overrated, yes you can get to other places, but it's a real pain and a lot of time on lifts to get anywhere (or back) If, heaven forbid, you miss the 4:30 last lift back to the hotel you'll have to call the hotel to arrange for a skidoo to pick you up (Euro 13 each!). Our skidoo came with a trailer and a matress to which the skis / board were tied before we were told to "lie there" for one of the most dangerous journeys I've ever had the misfortune to undertake. On departure our bags travelled by skidoo, then transferred to a van, ebfore being unceremoniously dumped in a carpark (which did have a pub) 3 hours before our transfer by coach. Our choice was to stay in the carpark with the bags or leave them on their own. Stupid! Can you imagine on check-in "could anyone have tampered with your bag?" I had a good time due to the company, however we all agreed we're not going back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Lilias Lamont (14 January 2004)

  Have just been on a school skiing trip with my son to Claviere. The hotel was very basic but clean, which is to be expected on a school trip. However, the resort was perfect for this sort of group - lots of snow on easy runs which were well bashed and the resort seemed EMPTY compared to France - the longest queue must have been 5 minutes. The Italian instructors were kind and generous to the children and they all seemed to enjoy themselves. We skiied to Montgenevre one day, and got the bus to Sestriere another. Would recommend for families, and you should be able to improve on the Hotel Roma!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.

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