Courmayeur

Courmayeur: reviews

• Sally Pierce (21 February 2011)

  We have just returned from a wonderful week's skiing in Courmayeur after a five year absence. In the intervening period a stunning new high speed Gondola has arisen out of Dolonne to Plan Checrouit linking in with a high speed chair to take you on up the mountain. The whole lift system is now very efficient and there were no queues except for the small cablecar up to Youla, which is hardly worth the wait. (They have plans to replace this with a new lift that goes on up to Cresta d'Arp). It is now possible to ski on an excellent new, wide run down to Dolonne, so there is no need to come down in the Gondola/cablecar at the end of the day. Much work has been done to improve the runs and to enlarge the skiable area. All the runs were very well maintained.
  
  Our holiday was very special as we had a week of dark blue skies and perfectly bashed pistes. It was every bit as beautiful as I had remembered it. The other side of Mt Blanc was short of snow and some resorts were closed but Courmayeur runs were all in excellent condition - and the biggest bonus was that the pistes were almost deserted. The restaurants were busy at lunchtime on Saturday when Turin/Milan etc came to town, otherwise there was hardly a soul, except for a few intrepid French coming through the Mt Blanc tunnel.
  
  As we travelled independently, midweek, we hired a car from Turin Airport and it took us 1 1/2 hours to reach Courmayeur. The car enabled us to have a pleasant day's skiing in Pila (included on our ski pass) which is only a short drive away on the edge of Aosta (take the Sarre exit).
  
  An evening or two at the Thermal Baths, 10 minutes away in Pre St Didier, is an interesting diversion (but avoid weekends). Sitting outside in the dark, in steaming bubbling waters, with the peaks above you, surrounded by animated Italians, with only stars and flares for light is a novel experience - try it!!
  
  Do not miss the Passeggiata before Dinner on Friday/Saturday evenings, when the streets come alive.
  
  The Meuble Laurent is an excellent B and B to stay in, from which you can try the many wonderful restaurants around the town. It is small, spotlessly clean and exceedingly friendly, with lots of character. Enjoy practising your Italian or French at breakfast! It also has a large underground garage. From the Meuble Laurent it is only a 10 minute stroll to the new Gondola in Dolonne and you can arrange ski and boot hire at 4810, nearby - I had excellent brand new skis! Leave your skis and boots in their lockers overnight so you are free to wander through the old villages after you have finished skiing.
  
  The whole village is now much quieter since the old main road that brought all the lorries through the village from the Mt Blanc tunnel was re-located through another tunnel - out of sight and out of earshot!
  
  The pretty old village of Courmayeur and the beauty of the surrounding area greatly add to the enjoyment of a holiday here but it is the amazingly warm-hearted, friendly people that makes it so special for me!
  
  Buon viaggio e buona vacanza

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Paul Hewitt (25 April 2010)

  Spent a week in Courmayeur in late March 2010 - it was a last minute decision to go and fit one more ski trip in before season's end. I was impressed and as such would not rule out returning to this charming village in the Aosta Valley. The only downfall was the weather, but it was late in the season so I wasn't expecting it to be exceptional. I will, at this point say that if you have the opportunities to go on any excursions then do so and maximise your holiday to the full.

  
  Courmayeur itself can be skied quite easily in 2 days, even for a competent intermediate so the availability to ski in other resorts is something one should consider. The skiing area of Courmayeur is reached by going up in one of Europe's largest gondolas - this itself involves a short walk depending on where your hotel is situated. Be advised that it is far easier to 'rent' a ski locker once you're up in the ski area itself, this eliminates hauling your kit to and fro everyday (also be advised that it's probably best to rent on a daily basis, especially if you intend to go on 'ski away' days).

  
  Take the chance, if available to ski in nearby Pila and La Thuile where you can also ski into La Rosiere, France, but the best experience for me was skiing the Vallee Blanche (maybe not for beginners). The weather on this day was perfect and it was truly an amazing ski experience. The one drawback being as it was late in the season we could not ski all the way into Chamonix as there was not enough snow cover thus having to climb what seemed like a thousand and one steep steps to a gondola and then to the train to take us into Chamonix for a well deserved beer or two!

  
  Back to Courmayeur, and it is a beautiful village with lots of shops, restaurants and not so lively bars, but pleasant all the same. Apres ski is really not the thing here if this is what you seek. Bar Roma seemed popular early evening where there is a free buffet selection of pasta and salad - always plenty and of a very good standard. There are a good selection of restaurants, in high season it may be advisable to book a table. I quite liked the 'Cadran Solaire' - good food in beautiful settings. Wine can be a little on the expensive side, I ordered a bottle one evening in a bar and it cost 35 Euros!

  
  In summary: A beautiful, quaint Italian village nestling at the foot of Mont Blanc with great views, friendly locals and decent enough skiing, but do try and ski in other nearby resorts. Nightlife is quiet however and apres ski is not something the Italians do as well as the Austrians. Worth a visit.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Nigel Hayes (28 March 2008)

  I spent Easter in Courmayeur for the second year running, booking independently with Easyjet to Turin and driving to the resort. It's motorway all the way so is very easy to get there.

  I stayed at the very friendly Bouton D'Or Hotel. It is in a good location with clean, comfortable rooms and well presented breakfast with lots of homemade quiches, omelettes, pastries and cakes.

  There was 31cm of new snow on the Friday resulting in knee high powder. Conditions over the weekend were fantastic due to the new snow and sun with cloudless skies. I visited Chamonix on Saturday as it is so easy to get there through the tunnel.

  I had lunch at Maison Vieille on Friday and would recommend either booking or going early as it does get busy - but the food is worth it. I also went to Chiecco beside the drag lift on the Sunday which serves fantastic home cooked food with very friendly service. I would highly recommend it - the specials are excellent - but definitely book in advance. I would also reccommend Bar Roma (good atmosphere, music and free food), the back room of Cafe Della Poste and La Terrazza, Vieux Pommier and Cadran Solaire in town. Again depending when you go it is advisable to book.

  All in all another excellent late break - even though it was only 3 days skiing it felt like a week.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (27 March 2008)

  I stayed in Courmayeur, for a week at the beginning of March, at the Hotel Croux. The accommodation was comfortable and the breakfast good, but the walk from the hotel to the gondolas was about 10 mins uphill so if taking children it might be advisable to stay closer to the lifts.

  Staying on a B’n’B basis, I found that it was expensive to eat out in the evening; a beer ranged from €4 to €9. A good bar to drink in was Poppy’s; the food was good and inexpensive, and there was music or football on most nights.

  The skiing was very good for people who like long reds, which you can cruise down or ski very fast. The lift pass allows you to ski in Pila, La Thuile & Chamonix which helps as you can ski Courmayeur in 1 or 2 days. Pila & La Thuile were fantastic to ski at and a lot cheaper.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (10 March 2008)

  Having just returned from Courmayeur from a weeks skiing (9th March 08, a couple) & having used reviews to make our destination choice, I felt we should return the favour for others.

  Booked independently, the resort was chosen based on transfer time & cost from Geneva Airport. Flights booked through skyscanner meant we went with different operators each way to keep cost down. Transfers were booked with ATS & should have been shared, but we found ourselves alone & taken door to door, very convenient, if a little more than we expected to pay (£80 return /person) having previously preferred public transport in other resorts, but info was scant on this in advance, hence the ATS choice, they were extremely good though (1.5hrs) & a lot cheaper than any French resort.

  Accommodation was difficult to find 2 weeks beforehand, as the resort seemed to be booked out for the week we chose, many apparent 3*/4* nicer facilities already fully booked. However, Hotel Dolonne had availability, in Dolonne rather than Courmayeur, but very convenient for the new Dolonne Cable cable car (with 1 supermarket 2mins up the hill). Courmayeur town was a good 10 mins walk down & up the hill to the central bus station / tourist information, 15mins walk to the 'Via Roma' where all the shops/restaurants/bars were. At Half Board it was a price that was almost half the cost of the next available B&B accommodation, we arrived wondering what the catch would be. It was basic & in its tired condition I would have assessed it as a 2* rather than 3*, it was however clean, food acceptable (if not a lot of choice, no wine included & cheapest €15/bottle), but typically italian (though no pizza)). Other reviews I read warned of the cold dining areas & they were right, all were in fleeces/jumpers for meal times, rooms were warm though. Staff were friendly, though unable to converse in English, clientele mainly Italian. Barbara, the owner though was very helpful & able to advise in English where required. Other than for dinner we didn't use the bar / communal areas. Pictures on the hotel website are typical. We spent 2 evenings in Courmayeur centre (restaurants/bars) & missed dinner, but at this price didn't feel guilty for doing so.

  As for the skiing itself, reasonable 6 day ski boot & locker hire were available @ 2/3 locations at the top of the first cable car (Plan Checrouit). On the first day we got to grips with a resort typically suitable for intermediates (we've been skiing 3-4 times previously). However, inexplicably all the higher lifts seemed to close at 12noon (perhaps wind related, but I've seen much worse elsewhere) that forced all skiers to the lower slopes, we opted for an early finish in the resulting slushy conditions. Completing the resort in day 2 (the highlight being the cable car to Youla), we were ready to make use of the Lift pass in neighbouring resort La Thuile connected with La Rosiere

  (France) on days 3&4. The scope of slopes, quality of snow & conditions were far superior here to those in Courmayeur & really welcomed, able to ski down to the resort in 2 routes in near perfect snow, with snow canons turned on @ the end of the day, not seen at Courmayeur. The trip on the free skibus to La Thuile was well worth it (following the walk in ski gear to the Coumayeur Bus station (buses from Dolonne to Courmayeur are not reliable), availability of lockers at La Thuile leaving skis/boots overnight @ €3/day + deposit made it all the more convenient in not having to cart back all the gear overnight. We decided not to take up the Chamonix lift pass option for day 5 (€18/person transfer for half a day's skiing didn’t seem value for money), instead taking it easy on the higher slopes of Courmayeur, the lower slopes really suffering from the lack of enthusiastic snow maintenance that made La Thuile stand out. Likewise for day 6 we decided to finish early, the slopes being busier for locals & visitors from Chamonix, instead taking up the option of free bus to La Palud & the 3 cable cars included in the 6 day lift pass to view Mount Blanc & surrounding area, unrivalled views of mountain scenery.
  

  Skiing verdict overall... As skiing purists we wish we'd booked & stayed in La Thuile as our base resort & traveled to Courmayeur for more scope.

  In summary, it was good to experience the Courmayeur Monti Bianco area, but thank god we had the opportunity to go beyond Courmayeur for skiing. The choice depends on your priorities, socially it may be better in Courmayeur with its chic restaurants & shopping, but La Thuile wins hands down for skiing (with La Planibel accommodation complex right on the foot of the slopes if you can get in).

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

  Just returned from a long weekend in Courmayeur 23rd - 26th January. Really accessible with flights to Turin and just under a 2 hour drive.
  
  Stayed at the Hotel Courmayeur very friendly, good food and about 7 minutes walk to the main gondola.

  Mainly red runs and good intermediates will ski it in a day or so. Also, not many long runs and resort gets busy on a Saturday. Don't try and eat at the Maison Vielle (at the top of the chair of the same name) on a Saturday, they can't cope and service is totally chaotic. Food at Petit Mont Blanc was pretty poor, really sloppy pizzas!
  
  For Apres-ski Bar Roma and The American Bar are good with great free nibbles!

  All in all a good place for a long weekend but if you go for a week make use of the other resorts covered on the lift pass otherwise you might get bored!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 January 2008)

  Just returned from a fantastic week in Courmayeur. Stayed in the Hotel Astoria which was great for families and couples alike, although you have to make your own entertainment at night as it is too far from the town to walk. The hotel provides a very friendly and flexible shuttle service to and from the cable car. Because the hotel is family run the staff take true pride in the service they provide. The only down side to Courmayeur was the piste was not groomed on a regular basis.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (28 January 2008)

  January 20 to 27.

  Stayed at the Hotel Walser very near to town & the main gondola (5 minute walk). Excellent hotel with great food, great rooms & very friendly staff. I can't fault it on anything. The ski area is a little small for intermediates but the closeness of other resorts included on the lift pass makes it worth trying. We visited Pila (beautifull) & Chamonix (awesome) which broke the week up nicely. The ski area was very uncrowded until Saturday when all the locals & ski clubs arrive but monday to friday are great.

  The Town is very pretty & worth dining out a couple of times even if it means giving up prepaid evening meals in the hotel. It was so good we even dined out after our evening meal! Food on the mountain is just as good as anywhere in the town. Food & drink is a little more expensive than other countries we have visited but worth paying. We travelled with Crystal who looked after us very well. All in all i would recommend Courmayeur & the Hotel Walser to all.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Charles Irish (04 April 2007)

  Courmayeur is charming and relatively small resort. Those choosing holiday dates would do well to avoid weeks where life in this resort, including its streets, bars and restaurants, is dominated by those attending corporate events organised from the UK.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Simon Wilkinson (26 March 2007)

  Courmayeur March 04-11th 2007. Excellent skiing to be had, although limited for the more experienced skier (who should expect to ski the whole area in 2 days). Most of the runs were unchallenging but well groomed. Best of all, the slopes were empty Mon-Fri.

  One of the best runs I have ever skied was down from the Yula cable car with amazing views over the mountains.

  The mountain huts and restaurants were excellent with all budgets catered for.

  I’d recommend a trip to Pila where the runs are beautifully tree-lined, but easy-going. We were less impressed with La Thuile as many of the runs plateau out half way down which was very annoying.

  We wanted to ski the Vallée Blanche run down into Chamonix but the risk of avalanche and a closed Mt. Blanc tunnel sadly prevented it. It is a challenging c18km off-piste decent (led by a guide) with supposedly the most picturesque of views and I would definitely consider going back to Courmayeur just to do that run.

  We stayed in the Les Jumeaux hotel (in the Annex), which was a great location next to the cable car.

  In the town, the après ski was lively with some great bars.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (04 March 2007)

  Just returned from a week in Courmayeur - March 4th 2007. Intermediates be aware you will ski this in 2 days! Though it's a great resort, it is limited if weather conditions close the link to Chamonix. We stayed at the Hotel Walser - don't be fooled by the 5 minute walk to the gondola - it is at least 10 mins along the very main road that runs through the Mont Blanc tunnel to France. The staff were very friendly and evening meals were good. Take the trip to Pila (we went last year for the week and loved it) and there is a free bus to La Thuile running morning and afternoon for a good days skiing too. Courmayeur is expensive though unlike it's other Aosta counterparts.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (20 February 2007)

  Feb 11-18 2007

  Apparently we've just had the best week of the 06-07 season and the new snow on Monday and Wednesday made for some great on-piste powder skiing. The 'blues' are really pretty tree-lined runs and the 'reds' are wide enough for early intermediates to feel comfortable. Surprisingly quiet considering it was half term week - the busiest time was Saturday when the Italian weekenders arrived but offset that with the package tour change-over day and it never really got packed and the lift queues were negligible.

  We stayed in the excellent Hotel Courmayeur at the top end of the pedestrianised Via Roma and only 200m from the main gondola access onto the mountain but if you really hate carrying your skis, there are lockers on the mountain.

  If you don't like the hustle and bustle of busy mountain restaurants, try the top of the Val Veny cable car (which isn't always open) and the bottom of 'blue 3' - at 12 noon we were the only ones in there and the food was excellent.

  Even if you're not one who racks up the mileage, you may soon exhaust the runs so access to nearby La Thuile or Chamonix gives you options.

  Overall a great holiday, and we're going back next year.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (11 February 2007)

  Flew out on the 28th January 2007, the area had just had a top up of snow. No further snow fall while there but blue sunny skies all week did make for a very enjoyable time. Yes we had skied the resort in the first 2 days but long groomed runs were such a joy after Whistler last year. Unfortunately only 2 black runs were open and were just a sheet of ice.

  We did take advantage of the area covered by the lift pass and spent hugely enjoyable days out in Pila, La thuille and a less enjoyable day in Chamonix.

  Yes our hotel (del vialle) was away from the cable car but the hotel put on a minibus am to the lift and picks you up again at the end of your ski.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (03 February 2007)

  visited courmayeur on the 21st of january 2007. Had great snow conditions 4 days later. I've had the best skiing holiday that i can remember in a long time. Would go back to this resort. Hotel select was very good for b&b stay, rooms kept very clean. Lift close by.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• connor mcbee (12 February 2006)

  fantastic really deep snow at the moment, great resort, pretty

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Duncan Costin (02 February 2006)

  Spent the last weekend in Jan in Courmayeur. Easy to do independently as it's only an hour and half from Geneva. Pretty village with fab restaurants and a couple of decent apres ski bars (Bar Roma and Bar Americano which both offer huge free buffets at about 4.30-5pm!). Several hotels are inconvenient for the large cable car out of town so leave your ski's and boots up the mountain. It's a shame the ski back down to the village involves an infrequest bus service to get back to the centre of town cos the run is excellent. Decent skiing on piste but a lot of it is quite "samey" - tree lines moderately steep reds that mostly bring you back to the same place - Plan Checrouit. Found two excellent mountain restaurants (La Zerrota and Ristorante Chiecco just above Plan Checrout where the owner, Anna, is good fun and totally mad!). Would have liked to have done the ski routes off the top but the weather and visibility would have taken the enjoyment out of them. Lift sytem is a bit rickety and slow typical of many italian resorts but the piste grooming was as good as I've seen anywhere. All in all a decent resort for early to mid intermediates who don't want high mileage skiing and like a good lunch on the hill, or advanced skiers who want good off piste. NOT suited to beginners or high mileage skiers at all.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Matt Uffindall (08 December 2005)

  Courmayeur is a fantastic resort. There is something there for everyone. Although the beginners area is a little steeper than normal, as soon as your up and about there, there are endless runs to explore. Two tips, one down the back of the hill is Zerotta, great couple of restaurants with amazing views of Mont Blanc and really nice runs down. Second, the Yula, from the top in the little gondola, only a handful of people in front of you. The view is out of this world then the steep red decent back down really gets those legs working. Swing a left and cut down between the pistes to follow another sweeping red all the way down to the bottom where nobody ever really goes! Happy skiing!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Matthew (19 June 2004)

  i thought Courmayeur was great for me being intermediate. The lift queues were surprisingly short for peak times and the only problem was getting to the ski area in the morning. Great place Great skiing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Matthew (19 June 2004)

  i thought Courmayeur was great for me being intermediate. The lift queues were surprisingly short for peak times and the only problem was getting to the ski area in the morning. Great place, great skiing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jeff Pearey (20 March 2004)

  Just returned from week's skiing in Courmayeur with a group of 14 guys. A really first rate place ( once you get usd to the cable car trip each morning - fast and regular). Lots of red runs to keep an improving intermediate challenged - if not all week then certainly good for a 3 - 4 day trip. The drive from Genva took less than an hour and really is very convenient to get to. For boy's apres ski Poppy's Bar andf the American Bar are the top places.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Steve Lambert (04 March 2004)

  The ideal weekend break resort. Straight up the motorway from Turin and only 2 mins from the junction.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark Hodson (03 February 2004)

  Just came back from staying at the "I Maquis" hotel, in the hamlet of Entrèves. Outstanding restaurant, incredibly contemporary & chic, but has a nightclub which stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, which does make sleep impossible! However, midweek stays were great. It is 150m to the Val Veny cable car, and the ski shop has handy lockers next to the cable car entrance. The skiing was great during the week, but hoardes descend from Milan and Turin at the weekend. As intermeditates, the pistes were just right, although we were glad that we were only there for 4 days otherwise we would have been a little bored. Piste maps are dreadful!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Daran Rahill (26 January 2004)

  A great all round resort. Pretty village with nice shops although more for window shopping than spending unless you've a big bank balance. Very friendly people. Hotel Laurent was a good find. Recently renovated the rooms were cosy and traditional and the bathrooms were modern and clean with the added luxury of a heated towel rail! Best to hire and store equipment at the base of the slopes at the top of the cable car. Not ideal for beginners or experts. Don't expect long pistes or a very varied ski area, but with good conditions it's excellent. Most piste maps are terrible. The best one found is in a shop called 'Ski In' under the gondela station at the base of the slopes.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Nicholas Goode (22 December 2003)

  I took my children aged 8 and 7 to Courmayeur in 2003 for their first ever ski holiday. It was a total success. The ski instructor from the local school was excellent - great way with the kids, gave them confidence and good technical skills. The local restaurants were terrific and good value. I can recommend this resort to people going with their kids for their first taste of skiing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jessica Gorton (16 April 2002)

  I went to Courmayeur in January on the school ski trip, and I really enjoyed myself! I thought it would be really scary, but it was great! I didn't wan't to go home! I wish to come back in the future.

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

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