Sauze d'Oulx

Sauze d'Oulx: reviews

• Tim Eyles (23 April 2010)

  We visited Sauze for a long weekend from Friday 19 through Monday 22 March 2010.

  
  In my mind the single greatest advantage of this resort is the ease with which we got there and back. For our outbound journey on the Friday we flew Ryanair from Stansted to Turin at 6:55am, breezed through passport control and baggage reclaim, picked up our hire car, about an hour's drive to resort, checked into the hotel and changed into our ski gear and were on the slopes by 1pm local time. On the way back we finished skiing at about 4pm on Monday which gave us plenty of time to catch the 8:35pm return flight, getting us back to Stansted for 9:30pm UK time - an awful lot of slope time for only two days off work and three nights away from home.

  
  We stayed at the 4 star Grand Hotel Besson. Pluses - clean, staff very friendly and efficient, and apparently there's an extensive range of beauty treatments saunas massages etc at the spa if you like that sort of thing - quite frankly after a hard day's skiing we'd rather unwind on a sofa in the terrace bar enjoying the panoramic views across the main valley while sipping on a nice cold pint - all very civilised. Minuses - the twin room we'd booked turned out to be a double which we couldn't get changed and it was a good 15 minute hike uphill with skis / wearing ski boots to the nearest lift with no buses in sight (only a minor inconvenience for two reasonably fit 30-something blokes who in any case had their own transport but I suspect any ladies or children in your party would make their displeasure known in no uncertain terms).

  
  The Milky Way area quite rightly has a reputation as an intermediate paradise with mile after mile of wide beautifully groomed gentle motorway pistes - albeit as has been documented in other reviews the map is largely a work of fiction and navigation is at best a haphazard affair! Those of us wanting some more challenging skiing were however finding all of this rather tame after four days - even the few black runs would barely register as an Espace Killy or Trois Vallees red slope for example - although to be fair I'm sure that with a fresh dumping of snow and a guide the off piste would've more than compensated. It is also worth noting that our Italian passes ceased functioning as soon as we hit Montgenevre - in fact some warning that we would be shelling out for a second pass might well have stopped us crossing the border in the first place (GRRR...)

  
  Another gripe concerns the prevalence of "holes in the ground" in many of the bars and restaurants - whilst I'm sure maintaining "that" position is excellent for thigh muscle tone and does wonders for your skiing posture this is the 21st century after all and most of us prefer them with SEATS (GRRR...)

  
  The après scene also seems to cater for all tastes and at 4 to 5 EUR a pint whether up the mountain or in town this is far from the most expensive resort in the Alps to go drinking. There's "lively" if you want it but we found ourselves gravitating towards the mellower charms of Moncrons Cocktail Bar where extremely affable guv'nor Mark dispensed beverages, banter and local knowledge in equally generous measures (but sssh please don't tell the Paddy McGintys crowd).

  
  Considering we saw Sauze in far from perfect conditions (spring snow, off piste completely skied out, "Braille skiing" three days out of four) we nevertheless had a great weekend away and would definitely consider returning, albeit probably earlier in the season in an attempt to experience the place at its best.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jon Widdows (10 April 2010)

  Visited Sauze with 8 friends in January 2010. Had a fantastic time, weather was great, snow was great and plenty of choice for après ski. Stayed in the Stella Alpina, would recommend.

  
  Skied over to Sestriere on a couple of days which was quite straightforward. From MT Fraiteve I'd recommend taking the gondola down all the way or at least from the halfway point. We ended up on a simple track down to Sestriere and had to walk all the way across town.

  
  Maybe because it was January or a result of the recession but didn't encounter any crowds. We were there on one Saturday when it got busy in the mountain restaurants but this may also have been the result of some extremely cold and windy weather. We are comfortable intermediates and didn't find any of the runs too difficult. Maybe they aren't that hard or maybe we're just getting better! The Olympic Runs in Sestriere and Sansicario were brilliant, nice and wide so you can attack them at your own pace. Tried most of the bars, can't say we had a preference, all were ok. There was always a happy hour deal somewhere after skiing. All in all, a great holiday and given the short transfer from Turin can imagine visiting again. Could do without the early flight from Gatwick though!

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

  Had a great week in Sauze. First time skiing in italy and was really impressed. Conditions for 5 of the 6 days were amazing - blue skies and really nice snow - still some fresh powder if you looked hard enough! The main thing that struck me versus other places I have skied is how hospitable the resort staff and lift attendants were - they actually cared that you were enjoying your holiday which made a nice change. Absolutely no lift queues and in most cases we had the slopes to ourselves. The Milky Way area is well linked and you can ski easily in Sestriere and Claviere within the day without spending all day chasing lifts. Getting into Montgevre though is a long way (and a lot of lifts) so taking a bus would be the best way. There is plenty of skiing though without having to go into France unless you really want to. Stayed at the Hotel Sauze through Inghams and while a little cosy it is in a great location just down from the Clotes lift - fantastic food and again great staff. Town is nice if a little biased towards the English and it must have been a quiet time as most of the bars seemed reasonably empty. Would highly recommend Sauze and I will return.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (08 March 2010)

  Just back from a great week in Sauze d'oulx. Snow conditions are just fantastic, lots of fresh snow to enjoy almost skiing off piste on the piste! If you want a different experience try twin tip K2 Extreme skis - they are something else - especially the day after lots of fresh snow, so happy I got talked into hiring them by Chris at one of the local ski hire shops.

  
  I have never experienced such a short queuing time in my life skiing. Yes it's true that signage is non existent, and piste bashing is not great for the beginners but it also allowed the off piste skiing on the piste!

  
  Great tree line skiing and cruising, the ladies downhill run in Sansicario and the men's downhill in Sestriere all worth a visit. The run from Sportinia to Jouvenceau and also the Gran Pista down to the bottom of the Sportinia chair were great, and if you do not mind buttons a go at the Genevris area and Moncrons is a must.

  
  If you want to save loads of money I suggest you book your holiday through one of the main tour operators as no one can beat their package price but do not book any extras from them. You can book discounted lift passes, ski school and top range ski hire from skiinitaly.com just email info@skiinitaly.com. I saved over 60 euros per person going through them and the great thing is that I did not have to pay in advance, so I actually felt safer doing it this way as I was able to be sure that I was given what I wanted before parting with my money (I have had some bad experiences booking ski equipment on line and finding 2 planks on arrival)

  
  Apres ski is as noisy or quiet as you make it, we enjoyed the noisy beer bars as much as we enjoyed the quieter wine bar, Friday night live band at Osteria vagabondi was brilliant.

  
  All in all we have had a great week, excellent conditions, friendly resort offering good value for money and friendly people.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (01 March 2010)

  Must agree with the last review. I don't know how Sauze got the 'Ibiza' tag, as you can have as much or as little 'apres' as you want. Paddy's and Queens lounge are full of drunk Brits, but there are plenty of other places that are quieter.

  
  The skiing is great for intermediates, we even managed the 'Olympic' runs in Sestriere and Sansicario with ease. Piste bashing is occassional, so one nice run one day was a mogul field the next day. Snow conditions were great, we actually had too much snow in my opinion, and combined with the bashing made some runs very difficult.

  
  Ignore the snow reports as well, I noticed on here it says they had 2 cm of fresh snow on the 27th Feb, but I was there and can tell you that over 12 inches fell.

  
  Stayed at the San Georgio, which is adequate, and just off the main street. As everyone has mentioned before, the piste map and run markings either don't exist, or don't make any sense, however we did find that after two days the piste map isn't required anyway, as there are about 3 - 4 main points. Ski down, get a lift back up, and you'll find yourself at one of these places.

  
  Skiing in Sestriere is nicer, particularly the Olympic runs, but it is a very dis-jointed resort, and to get from the Olympic run back to the Cable car to take you back to Sauze, either requires numerous lifts and blue runs down, or a good 10 min skate across.

  
  No queues during the week, and the morning is the best time to ski, as no one seems to ski before 10:30. Store your skis at the Clotes chair lift, or if you get spoken to like we did, walk 100m uphill, and use the Eydallin Sports, where the English speaking owners go out of their way to be helpful.

  
  Don't let the Italians push in front at the lift queues, stay strong, glare a bit, and they back off, very useful if you actually want to ski on Saturdays.

  
  Overall rating, for good intermediates would be about a 7 out of 10. Piste bashing and piste markings/map would make this a much better resort.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (21 February 2010)

  Just got back from Sauze after a weeks holiday with my family. The credit crunch directed our holiday location this year and after reading some reviews, we were a bit nervous of the 'Ibiza of the Alps'. Fortunately, the majority of our concerns were unfounded. True, Sauze is a bit 'low rent' but the skiing is in the main, fantastic, and lets face it, that's what its all about. The reds and blacks are enjoyable and challenging, however I would certainly agree that Sauze is not a place for beginners. There were no shortages of snakes of people, snow ploughing down icy reds hoping for no more than survival.

  If you're used to the sort of piste/lift management that you get in the 3 valleys, then you'll be disappointed. Piste grooming occurred once or twice a week and the lift system is certainly not the most efficient. However, with the exception of Saturdays, there are no queues. As mentioned, the piste map is little more than a 'serving suggestion' and bears little resemblance to the situation on the ground. Coupled with non existent piste marking, the best solution seemed to be 'ski downhill till you find a lift'.

  Saturday is a bit of a challenge as it seems that the entire population of Turin descends on Sauze, changing the entire feel of the place. Thankfully the locals like to pose around Sportina and don't venture higher up, however the runs back to Sauze become congested to the point of concern with would be Alberto Tombas competing with 15 year old novices from Barnsley for piste space. Needless to say, a helmet is thoroughly recommended!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (11 February 2010)

  Went out 3rd Jan 2010, going back 7th March 2010 (3rd time to Sauze). Plenty of skiing for intermediates and beginners. Yes, the chair lifts from the Sportina to the top are antiquated, but you rarely have big queues and you can avoid them by using the Clotes lift to get over to The Bowl and other resorts.

  Yes the signs are typically Italian and non-existent, but to be fair it's difficult to get lost unless you try to ski to France.

  The snow has been excellent, loads of powder, and yes the resort runs get worn and busy, just like every other resort in Europe. If in doubt, ski high and get the Sportina chair back down to the bottom. It's now easy to get over to Sestriere and Sansicario. Use the rep guides, Crystal are particularly good (unlike the good old days).

  The apres ski is as good as Austria. Do the torchlight decent and have a game of football in ski boots-hilarious, but don't try to head the basketball, it hurts. Watch off-pisting as the mountain police were around and there is a 230 euro fine. People got warned but didn't get marched to the cash point! Enjoy!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (11 January 2010)

  Sauze is still a very badly organised resort with appalling signage. Lots of walking on arrival and departure as well as access to lifts with buses. I would suggest using the ski shop at the bottom of the Clotes chair for storing boots/skis/hiring. Do NOT use this resort if you are a beginner. Most runs are red and final resort runs are steep and narrow in places.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 March 2009)

  Just returned from a week in Sauze. I have to say we were originally slightly concerned about some of the comments we had read about the "boisterous" nightlife! Whilst we went late in the season, Sauze was great and little different to any other European resort I have ever visited. The old town centre seems to get largely ignored as people congregate around the main square and its shops and bars, this is a shame as the old town is very attractive with cobbled streets and houses nestling together. The skiing was great - the reds in Sauze are some of the nicest cruising runs ever experienced. No lift queues anywhere in this end of the Milky Way. The links to the two neighbouring resorts need improving and when it snows the lack of a bubble anywhere in the resort can be an issue. That said, it sounds as if both are being resolved this year. We went half board at the Gran Baita and would definitely recommend it - great food and tucked away behind the medieval church. Snow was good with just bottom half of runs into village getting really slushy late afternoon - good for late March! Spent a day in Montgenevre/Claviere which was excellent too! We will return!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (10 March 2009)

  We have just returned from Sauze on Saturday and this is our second visit to this resort and will not be the last. We had excellent snow conditions both times. Great: Short transfer time, fantastic long and wide runs, NO queues, not too busy on piste either. Poor: Some lifts need updating, poor links to other resorts San Sicario or Sestriere, terrible piste marking. This is a great resort for beginner/intermediates and good for boarders because of the wide runs, plus we never queued. The link back from Sestriere either involves a button lift or a walk if the single man chair lift isn’t working (only working once whilst we were there) but the runs in Sauze are great anyway. However, we were told that they are doing a lot of work on the lifts this summer, including installing a cable car to solve the link between Sauze and Sestriere. Food and drink not cheap, but I think this is reflected everywhere because of the weak pound. A pint of beer cost 5 euros...OUCH! Go full board if you can. Also we have been on the skidoo at night experience. This was soooooo much fun and definitely recommended. Overall we love Sauze and would definatley recommend it.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (08 March 2009)

  Got back from sauze 22 feb, ski conditions excellent more runs than you could do in a week, night life as much or as little as you want. Make sure you have a locker at Sportinia and fill your boots

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (13 February 2009)

  Just returned from Saux d'Oulx 8th February 2009. This was my first and probably last visit to the resort. Initial reaction was good short flight from Bristol to Turin and a transfer to resort inside 1hour 15minutes. Stayed at the Hotel Florida Prata, very clean but slightly dated and centrally situated with a team of very friendly staff with basic but tasty food. However, the central situation although convenient for the nearest chairlift turned into the West End of London in the early hours with not one night passing without some noisy disturbance in the early hours. The snow conditions were great but for a resort that was part of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics the linkages across the Milky Way were poor and the piste signage was appalling. The situation was not helped by the very poor visibility experienced on 3 of the 6 days skied. With blanket fog descending without warning, being stuck on a strange mountain without any indication where you were or which way to go even for a relatively experienced skier was a little scary. Whilst snow was not in short supply I did feel the piste maintenance could have been better. The town certainly had a number of lively bars although the price of a large beer was well above central London prices. You can still enjoy a snack and cup of coffee at affordable rates. Although Paddy McGinty’s Irish Bar tends to have a laddish beery atmosphere in the evening, if you want a break from the great Italian food available the full English breakfast on offer was fantastic. Another plus was the total lack of queuing throughout the week; the two of us did not need to share a chair lift once. However, if you wish to ski the whole Milky Way this will be hard to achieve without resorting to hiring a taxi if you have not got your own vehicle. Lastly the excellent snowpark at Sestriere is limited by not having a drag lift and depends on either a distant chairlift or long walk.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (14 December 2008)

  Just got back huge amounts of snow and no people - never a bad combination for a great weekend. Good skiing in the trees, lots of restaurants on the slopes and English spoken everywhere. Almost all of the runs are over-graded,(reds should be blues etc) there is nothing difficult here but lots of fun cruising. On the down side the lifts are poor, the walk to the lifts in the town long, the piste marking the worst I have ever come across (in many places there simply isn't any) and the linking to the rest of the milky way is workable but limited. Not my favourite resort but we did have a great time.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Wayne Douglas (31 May 2008)

  This was our third time in the Milky Way, our second in Sauze. We stayed at the Hotel Miravalle, which although at the far end of the resort was very comfortable. The food was excellent and the staff were probably the friendliest I have ever met. We were a group of four males and expected to get the cold shoulder, but I have never felt so welcome. Michael and his team are a credit to the hotel.

  Whilst in resort at the beginning of February, the skiing was fantastic, despite the fact the only new snow we saw was on the way back to the airport. The plus side was that we got fantastic tans! If you prefer your skiing to be more challenging, head over to San Sicario or Sestriere where you can ski the men's Olympic Downhill.

  Après ski is whatever you want to make it, there are some quaint restaurants in the old town, or lively bars and clubs around the main square. The Derby Bar is a favourite of ours and Paddy McGinty's and the Cotton Club are worth a few pints too. If you fancy something a little different, we went to see Juventus Vs Inter Milan in the quarter final, second leg of the cup, the atmosphere was explosive! Visit www.skiandfootball.com for details of fixtures.

  Another trip we managed was a go on the Olympic Bobsleigh at San Sicario, travelling down the track with the French Olympic driver at G4 was amazing – an experience I will never forget. It cost €90 for 61 seconds but was worth every cent.

  To sum up Sauze; miles upon miles of skiing, great après, something for everyone.

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

  We went to Sauze D'Oulx for the last week of March. Sauze is a friendly resort with lots of shops and bars to choose from, most child-friendly without an imposing booze-culture, thankfully. We stayed at the Relais Alpes hotel, which was very clean, hospitable and the bedrooms were good-sized and better than average. The food was reasonable with self-service hot and cold dishes for each meal. The Queens Lounge bar was the hotel's main entertainment; bar-staff were friendly, but bar itself was quite dark. Evening entertainment filtered up to second floor of the hotel, but was not overly intrusive.

  The two main ski stations are Clotes (5 mins walk uphill from hotel) or Sportinia (15mins walk to the chairlift up to Sportinia). We hired our ski-equipment right next to the hotel and carried it up to Clotes on the first morning, then left it in deposit locker there each night to avoid having to carry it back and forth each day. From Clotes you can catch lifts and then ski to get across to Sportinia (in about 15-20mins), which is where the main ski centre is located for ski-school etc. The resort is on the wrong-side of the Alps to benefit from the main snowfalls, and there was no snow in the week we were there, although the French resorts were getting some. By end of the week, the piste back down to Clotes was brown/slushy most of the time - not good when your legs are tired after a full day's skiing. Overall though, a good week's skiing, but next time I'd stay in/around Sportinia if possible (Orso Bianco mentioned in another's feedback is worth a shout).

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (05 March 2008)

  We have visited Sauze d’Oulx for many years and this time stayed at the Florida Prata which is a small and friendly two star hotel located in the centre of the resort. The hotel has about 22 rooms which are kept extremely clean by a team of very willing and helpful staff. The beds are comfortable and our room had a large balcony. In addition to the reception area and main dining room there is a bar to the side of the hotel which is a good place to have a quick drink before getting out of the ski wear. There is also a large terrace area (like a pavement café) where drinks can be taken before the sun goes down.

  We stayed at the Florida Prata week commencing the 24th February 2008 for one week on a half board basis. Transfers were arranged for us from Turin Airport at short notice. Breakfast was a buffet style with meats, cheeses, cereals, spreads, yogurts etc., plus a large bowl of fresh fruits.

  Evening menu consisted of a good salad bar and a choice of first and main course dishes. However, if you are a vegetarian like me, and sometimes nothing on the menu suits, you just have to ask and the chef will provide an alternative.

  If you fancy eating out a few nights then you are extremely close to the old town and it’s a very easy walk to the bars and restaurants

  Another good point is that the ski bus stops right outside the hotel, so you don’t have to carry skis more than a few yards.

  Overall the hotel is a little dated in appearance, but our experience was that it is clean, quiet, friendly and nothing is too much trouble for the management team and their staff.

  We found this hotel offered good value for money and we continue to enjoy the resort.

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

  We just got back from Sauze (Feb2008). We had a great weeks skiing - the area is good for intermediates like us. The link across to Sestriere is recommended especially if you want to try a more challenging run or two.

  We stayed at the Orso Bianco at the Sportinia lift which we couldn't fault - especially the food and drink which was wonderful!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (29 February 2008)

  Got back from Sauze d'Oulz on Sunday 24th Feb, the weather was great, but ridiculously warm on last 3 days and the snow was spring conditions and slushy after 1:30.
  

  The snow on the pistes was ok, in a lot of places it was hard and like ski-ing on a table top. Why some of the runs are rated red beats me, in France they would be blue runs (as proved when we went to Montgenevre for a day).
  

  We stayed in the Piccolo Chalet, it was cheap and basic but considering it was half term, quite acceptable.

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

  Just back from Sauze ( feb 2008) we had been once before as beginners and it was everything we remembered. The snow was fantastic and the weather even better. I was a very cautious skier at the beginning of the week but thanks to a great ski school was a much more competetent and very much less cautious skier by the end of the week. There is great access to the other resorts and the olympic runs in Sestriere were a great draw/

  We stayed for the second time in hotel martin. It was perfect. From the minute we arrived we felt relaxed. The family looked after us so very well. The food was stunning and the bar lovely. There was a great choice of wine and the atmosphere so relaxing just what we wanted after a day skiing. The hotel is away from the noisier parts of Sauze but max was more than happy to drive anyone the few minutes uphill to the main centre.He and his dad ricardo are also excellent instructors and I can very much recommend a lesson with either.

  The ski hire is outside the door and the ski lift almost on the doorstep. All in all a perfect spot in a brilliant resort. Cant recommend it enough.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (16 January 2008)

  Sauze d'Oulx is a quaint ski village within the Milky Way ski area. Although it advertises itself as a lively resort, this is no Ibiza, it is merely that there are bars to go to if you want rather than being totally dead in the evening like some modern ski resorts.

  The skiing is a paradise for intermediates, lots of red runs with the added challenge of being able to ski the Olympic runs in Sestriere and Sansicario. You can access the whole of the Milky Way from Sauze d'Oulx through lifts and skiing, though it can take a long time to make your way across to Claviere and Montegenevre. Lovely scenery of snow capped mountains and tree lined runs. Although doable the links could be better as you need to keep an eye on the clock and be prepared to ski black runs. The lifts are a mixture of modern and old, with some being very slow. Oddly in Jan 2008 several lifts and runs weren't operating despite snow conditions appearing to be perfect, rumours were this was mainly due to low season manpower savings. Didn't really make much difference as there are 400kms to ski.

  If you are a complete beginner Sauze d'Oulx only has a very small nursery area and then you would be straight onto red runs. Sestriere has better beginners runs, but the town looks more like a concrete jungle. Be warned that the piste signage leaves something to be desired. Overall an excellent skiing holiday, but we were very fortunate to have superb snow conditions.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Stuart Eyres (13 January 2008)

  Just got back from Sauze - 6th to 13th Jan. Skiing was fantastic, Scansicario has the best with a long red which is labelled black all the way from top to the bottom of the mountain.

  It is definitely worth skiing to France despite the critics. There is a really long green you have to do to get back to Scansicario from Claviere but the steep black run from France and the runs in and around France make up for the chair lifts. We left at 9am and were back in Sauze for 4pm with 3 quarters an hour for lunch and a coffee break!

  The runs around Sauze are not suited for learners as they are busy and steep in places. Get a bus or lift to Sportinia and ski above there, otherwise go to Sesteriere. On the other hand by day two our first time skiers were capable of skiing those runs.

  We ate great food ranging from steak to pasta for about 30 euro per person which included a lot of wine and beer! We stayed at Max apartments opposite Paddy's bar really cheap and basic (no tv and towels but bed linen inc).

  Max's are very nice and honest people with a great bar and good steak! They called the doctor out for one of our crew at 11pm and still gave our deposit back even though we were a bit loud sometimes.

  Been to Sauze twice in 8 months, extremely enjoyed both visits but ready to find new snow but DEFINATELY worth a visit but keep an eye on the snow as the runs depreciate quickly even with the recent snow (That’s in Sauze, the other resorts held the snow better

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Julie Barker (25 July 2007)

  Stayed (late March 07) in Hotel Splendid - high end of resort and just uphill from Clotes chairlift, in good conditions there is a skiable cut-through comes out opposite. Nice hotel, friendly staff but disappointing food. Very attractive ski area but not so good piste maintenance - we arrived to heavy snow after several weeks of none so the links had been closed. By day 3 we were ready to explore new terrain but despite wonderful powder, the links were still not open. Day 4-5 -fantastic skiing in Sansicario and Sestriere plus day out in Serre Chevalier (not so attractive).

  I was skiing alone but linked with the ski rep Sarah and with a small group had a wonderful time including fantastic off-piste (private lesson between us). Great run thorough ghost hamlet Tachier -red run 12.

  I highly recommend a small restaurant in old town near Zias (its killing me that I cant remember its name but its worth hunting out) and nightlife at Paddy McGintys.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• David Garnett (02 April 2007)

  I stayed at La Fontaine from the 18th March until the 25th and had a fantastic week.

  The Hotel itself is excellent and the staff are genuinely friendly and helpful. It also has a brand new chair lift on its doorstep which was great.

  The Runs were good considering the conditions with only one nagative point being the lack of signposting.

  I would recommend Sauze to anybody and hopefully next time we will get the 1.5m of snow that fell the day after we left...

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (01 April 2007)

  Just got back from Sauze d'Oulx and had a great time. We were told we have had the best snow of the season and I can believe it. The day that we arrived it was snowing and this continued for 2 more days. This made for great skiing, especially the off piste. We stayed at La Fontaine hotel and overall it was very good. The staff were very friendly and looked after us well. I am vegetarian and they looked after me very well in this respect. The best thing about La Fontaine hotel is that the hotel has a brand new chair lift just outside the hotel (about 1 minute walk) which is great for avoiding the busy buses. I would definitely recommend this hotel and the resort in general. The only thing to be aware of if staying in La Fontaine is that it is a 20 minute very steep uphill walk into the main town.

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

  Just spent a week in the sun-kissed resort. Weather was fantastic. Stayed at the Gran Baita, which was superb! Atmosphere this side of the Alps and due to the great weather a little dry (turn your heating off at night) Board school was well run, private lessons with Guido made all the difference to my partner. Snow was very slushy by the end of the week, however as a relaxed, traditional resort, couldnt complain. Turin Airport only an hour away which is always a bonus. All in all, a pleasantly suprisingly good week.

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

  Just back from a week boarding/skiing in Sauze D'oulx & found it to be a little more expensive than I remember it!! First went there in 2002 & loved the lively Apres Ski & charm. I was expecting more from the place after the winter olympics, but was disappointed to find that most of the infrastructure was the same - I guess most of the money has been spent in Sestriere.

  Getting around to other 'linked' resorts is difficult (getting back from Sestriere is still via a 10 minute one man chair lift with no ski/board support! This is often closed if the wind picks up!). Some of the other resorts need a degree of planning or a good 30 min taxi ride to get to!

  The main let down for me was the prices of drinks & food - The Apres Ski is far quieter than it used to be, & this isn't helped by everything starting later - By the time any party gets going, most people are off to bed!

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

  Feb 2007. Good snow high up, slushy runs into the village, sunny week with no new snow. The resort is, as you would expect, on a big hill. This makes getting to the slopes at the start of the day a challenge, especially if you have had a really good evening the previous night. The bus gets full pretty quickly, and after about 09:30 seems to have big gaps in the schedule, but it is essential if you need to get to Sportinia. 10 to 15 minutes walk will get you to the Clotes lift from most places in the centre. 3 lifts from there to the top, then you can ski down to the Sportinia area. Not a lot for beginners, especially when there is a lack of snow, but plenty for intermediates/advanced to get to grips with. When the snow is plentiful you can probably ski to the other linked resorts, but we could only get to Sestriere, and that was by Gondola. Did not get a chance to go to the other resotrs, but there was ehough good skiing in Sauze to keep us occupied all week. Generally very friendly town, with most bars/restaurants geared up for the British skiier. Overall, this resort is not for the faint-hearted, it will challenge you, on and off the slopes!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (06 March 2007)

  Just came back from a week boarding with a group of 5 guys from Southend, including 1 beginner. Tavelled with Airtours and stayed at the Assietta Hotel.

  A very nice resort with a good variety of runs, best off to just start on the Sportinia lift though, as the Clotes gets very busy in the mornings! The upper slopes were fine and kept in good condition, but the lower slopes did get quite slushy by the end of the week.

  The hotel was half board with breakfast layed on every morning (continental - bread, cheese, ham, jam, croissants, etc). The hotel was very clean with the maid coming every day and cleaning up our mess!

  Food in the resort was ok. There was a couple of cheap pizza places there which were very nice and very cheap!

  Beer was the usual 5 euros unless you go somewhere at happy hour, and you can't smoke in any of the bars out there!!

  All in all though a good resort and I would go back!

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

  Just returned having spent a week in Sauze with a party of 8. 7 of the 8 could ski well and we had one beginner. Thanks to lots of new snow on the first sunday there was plenty of skiing for everyone. All of the pistes were being well maintained and the one man chair lift to take you to Sestreire was open most of the time. At the end of the week the upper runs had plenty of snow, however, the lower ones were beginning to suffer.

  We stayed at the Hotel Stella Alpina which was very well situated and the rooms are pleasantly decorated. The food was great and there was plenty of it.

  I would recommend this Hotel to anyone who wanted to be close to the slopes and also in the town. It could sometimes be a little noisy when the nightclub emptied, but I will definitely go back to Sauze and stay in the same hotel.

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

  Just spent a week with a party of 9 (4 adults; 5 children) staying at the Grand Bosco hotel.

  GOOD POINTS

  Friendly hotel, restaurant and ski lift staff throughout resort.

  Very cheap holiday (one of our cheapest ski holidays - possibly because we had unusual room combinations of 3 X 3 person rooms) booked through Panorama.

  Short transfer time.

  Eating out at mountain restuaraunt cheap and good quality.

  Plentiful 4 course dinners in hotel, and generally good choice.

  Hotel bus available into town.

  Nice tree lined runs which were virtually empty (at half term as well).

  BAD POINTS.

  Piste signage non existant - often covered up for some reason. Impossible to decipher the piste map or know which run you are on.

  No drag lifts were open, making many areas inaccessible - we were told by the rep that the lift system had been bough out by a big operator, and it was cheaper to man chairlifts than drags - although still plenty of chairs closed as well.

  The ski bus ride - hellish! We were lucky to get on at the start, otherwise you wouldn't have a chance if you were closer into town. The buses are also infrequent later in the day, and in fact don't turn up at all sometimes...

  The climb to both the Sportina and especially the Clotes lift (is there any wonder nobody ever got off there?).

  Lift system needs upgrading desperately.

  and finally...

  That one man chair to / from Sestriere...truly horrible!

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

  There were several thing that were different when we decided to go to Sauze for the annual ski trip. Firstly we weren't going to France (I couldn't remember the last time we didn't ski in france!) and the other was that we were going to drive with a stop over each way.

  I was genuinely surprised , it was brilliant, the drive was easy (Sauze is just over the other side of the Frujus Pass) and the resort was a genuine old style Alpine ski resort (my favourite type of resort). The hotel we booked was v.good value for money (Hotel Besson) and the Ski club rep we meet was fantastic (Deane Bond). The only poblem was the lack of snow.

  The pistes that had cannons were relatively well maintained and perfectly skiable. I could only look at the runs which didn't have snow on them and think 'what if?'. With access to the rest of the Milky Way ski area there was no shortage but you had to get over to it, the sinlge man chair can get a little chilly!

  The holiday was great and would have ranked among the top ski holidays if there was more snow. I'll definately be going back, but I'll be checking the snow reports first!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (15 February 2007)

  Visited 04-11 07. As stated elsewhere this is an intermediates resort with a slow and un comfortable lift system and limited/confusing piste markings. The experienced will find there way around in a couple of days but I wouldn't want to learn to Board or Ski in this resort. For the Skiing alone I'd give it 8/10, include the lifts and it's 6/10 add the resort itself and I'd give it 4/10 as there's nothing to do except drink. Resort seems to target or attract 25-45 yr old single men with Full English breakfasts and Sky sports everywhere. WARNINGS; Hotel food a major disappointment, Half-Boarders beware! Everything offered by the Reps, especially Ski packs can be found cheaper in resort. Don't be shy, if you make the effort you will not be disappointed.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (14 February 2007)

  Just got back from Sauze, 2nd year I've been there was very little snow on the mountains but the runs were very looked after better than last years even though there was more snow then. Very much warmer than last year. Said at Ciao Pais again very good as per the norm. Skied alot in Borgata and San Secario, the only problem is that they do not keep key links open. eg Top of Borgata to Sauze you have to take the worlds slowest single chair and San to Sauze instead of a great red back that will take about 20 mins its a 4 lift and a lot of blues back taking about 40 mins. Other than that very good.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (31 January 2007)

  Returned on 28/1 from Sauze - 5 of us stayed at the Monte Genervris Hotel. Food in hotel good, some residents noisy at 5am but generally warm and clean. Lucky that snow came on Monday 24th and so set up for the week. However, very cold but all main lifts and single chair to Sestriere open. I agree with previous correspondents that the Ski bus service is dreadful - all the buses packed full by the time they reach the village centre. Even the walk to the Clotes lift from our hotel was arduous carrying all the kit so the bus was only alternative particularly as the lessons were arranged at Sportinia. If you didn't take the bus to the Sportinia lift then you had to walk to Clotes lift and then take 3 lifts in total with a bit of skiing in between to reach your lesson. If one lift wasn't going you were stuffed! I think that the local reps are trying to get bus passes included with the lift pass but they will also need to lay on more transport particularly when they haven't reached high season yet.

  In addition the piste map is appalling and the signposting non-existent!

  Had a great time though with mixed ability group - bars quite good - happy hours a plenty! Instructors at Sportinia ski school excellent with good english!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 January 2007)

  Just returned from Sauze d'Oulx. Had 3 days of heavy snow whilst there. All the chair lifts are now open. 1 or 2 of the button/poma lifts were starting to open. The snow cannons are hard at it all day and night and the piste bashers are constantly on the go. The pistes tend to be in the shade in the afternoon so it can get very cold (up to -30 with the wind chill) and a little icy. But the skiing is fantastic.

  The resort of Sauze d'Oulx is excellent. Plenty for the party goers and quiet enough for families and the older ones.

  Sestriere is well worth a visit ideal place for any standard of skiier.

  I would definitley go to Sauze d'Oulx again and would recommend the hotel Relais des alpes.

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

  I got back a week ago after a week at this resort staying at Hotel Sauze. Skiing conditions were terrible due to lack of snow which of course they can't be blamed for. However I was not impressed with this resort. We lost a whole day's skiing when all the lifts were closed due to high winds which I have not know in my 35 years of skiing.

  My biggest critisicm was the main reason I chose Sauze was to ski the Milky Way. An antiquated single chairlift, slow, uncomfortable and exposed to the elements so even the slightest winds means the lift is shut. You have to take the same lift to get back to Sauze instead of just skiing back as I would expect.

  Walls in Hotel Sauze were so thin that it was as if the people in the next room were in my room. I could hear every word they said including when they were whispering.

  Signposts and piste markings around the resort are awful and for some strange reason many of them are covered up. I could only find one black run which they had closed despite it being in no worse condition than most of I have seen. Skiing was not challenging for the experienced and I don't believe it to be a good resort for beginners.

  The fact that the resort is full of English pubs and "All day full english breakfasts" backs up the claims that Sauze is skiing's answer to Benidorm.

  On the plus side I found restaurant prices at the resort and slopes very reasonable.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (14 January 2007)

  Just returned from Sauze d'Oulx. Terrible conditions, very little snow even at the top. Only half the lifts open. Lift system old and archaic, no sign posting of runs and no information on pistes at all. Worst ski conditions I have had in 12 years.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (10 January 2007)

  A group of 6 adults and 4 children spent 7 days in a hotel at Sportinia in Sauze called the Orso Bianco. The location was great, the staff friendly and good food. Evening meals were very good and provided a selection of local Piemontese food. Skiing down the mountain at Sauze was not great so living at 2137m gave us an advantage for getting straight out on the good slopes, no busses, walking etc. It was out of bed, breakfast and skis on before most people got on the lifts. There was also the option to go into the town for dinner and be picked up for the return journey to the hotel on a skidoo, the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids. I would recommend it, and although a 2* hotel, it is clean, comfortable and more than makes up for it with its location, food and friendly staff.

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

  Went to Sauze Jan 06 and stayed at Ciao Pais. You can only get there by skido. Great place to stay. Ski down to the lifts in the morning down the 2000 and ski back in the evening the food is great as well. Reading the reports from last year about the same week I canot believe I was at the same resort. OK only 10 lifts were open but the skiing on these run was great, no rocks no tree stumps (they must have been off the trails. only thing was that due to the Olympics Sest was abit of a mess but back there in Feb 07 so its gotta be good.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Liz (27 March 2006)

  Spent w/comm 12th March 06 in Sauze in group of 19. Journey over took no time at all and we were in resort by 11.30 which was a bonus. Hotel Relais was clean & reasonable, plenty of (quite dull) food Skiing great for intermediates and we all clocked up lots of miles ( esp over in Sestriere and SanSicario) lovely long pisted runs and very quiet with no lift queues. Wouldn't especially recommend for beginners as easier runs around Sauze are limited. Would recommend La Taverna (older part of village) for fantastic wine and great chilled ambience.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Andy C (21 March 2006)

  Hotel Splendid, w/c 12 March 2006 - mixed party of 11, including children. Splendid by name, Splendid by nature. Best value for money trip we have had since starting 6 years ago. Great food. Very friendly staff. Hotel clean. No complaints at all. Ski bus to Sportinia lift on time every day straight outside the hotel. Ski more or less all the way back (via Clotes) though challenging for beginners. Not too much ski challenge for the advanced but fantastic for intermediates. Highly recommended but must add that we did benefit from the best snow of the season so opinion may be tainted slightly.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Paul Darby (14 March 2006)

  Just spent a good week (4-11th March) overall in Sauze booked independently with Ryan Air, the hotelier and the help of very reliable and cheap public transport. Best snow conditions they have had for a while so the skiing was fun on a very scenic mountain. The newly refurbished Relais Alpes was very comfortable with good food and extremely helpful staff. Night life doesn't kick off until late. For my money, The Derby Bar offers the least cheesy music and best ambience. the old town is understated and charming with nice looking retaurants. A few negatives though; First, the ski bus service is a slow and inadequate disgrace and not included on the lift pass. Second, skiing here is for lazy intermediates only, especially when the link is closed to San Sacario where more excitement exists (it was inexplicably closed my entire week !). Beginners are poorly served in Sauze unless they progress quickly as there is only one true blue which contains one hellish uphill slog. Third, food is very average, verging on poor, at the mid-station Sportina restaurants and I would suggest trying the more remote places on the piste map. Finally ... the aforementioned piste map and on piste signage are awful. I would go back with a group, but still prefer Madonna Campiglio in the Dolomites for the overall package and for a couply thing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark Sherwood (12 March 2006)

  Just got back from our group holiday in Sauze D'Oulx. If you like friendly locals and uncrowded pistes then Sauze is for you. However there is a payoff. The lifts are still old and some are painfully long and slow. The way the resort is organised leaves something to be desired. For starters our hotel was a long walk to either the Clotes and Sportinia lifts which are the only lifts to get you up the mountain and there did not seem to be any facility for ski-in-ski-out at other hotels. This meant it was a pain to carry our kit uphill to the lifts. As there is no ski-in-ski-out you leave your kit in lockers for which you are charged 30 Euros for the week. Aside from that the pistes are excellent. Although not that challenging for advanced skiiers, our beginners were more than catered for by the superb, English speaking instructors. The fact that there were so many pistes to choose from meant that we frequently found ourselves on slopes with no one else around. A good mix of tree lined and open pistes and challenging off-piste kept our week interersting. Sauze is part of the Milky Way ski area which would have been amazing had we been able to get to Sestriere and beyond. However high winds and avalanche warnings meant the cable car and button lifts were closed. We stayed at the New Miravalle Hotel. The hotel was clean and well appointed. The staff were friendly and attentive. Breakfast was good but dinner was terrible. Very basic and not generally not very nice. We expected a lot more from Italian cooking but were disappointed. Overall Sauze was a great resort with plenty to do in the evening, although a bit "Brits on Tour" at times we all enjoyed the holiday.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Neil Lamputt (12 March 2006)

  Went to Sauze d'oulx for a week from the 4th March 2006. Snow conditions were great, but dissapointed that we were limited to the 120 km's of the Sauze ski area rather than the 400 km's of the Milky way, which was what I was hoping for. The link to Sestrieere was shut for all but one day due to high winds, this appeared overly cautious and there were atleast a couple of other days the wind was not strong but the lift was still shut. The only other link to Sansiscario was shut due to an avalanche the previous week, again no efforts at all were made to try and remedy the situation. I would advise you not to come to Sauze if you are a high mileage cruiser and want to explore the Milky Way. Now the good news, I ski'd most of the week with Tony, the ski club guide. He was excellent, setting a pace to ensure the group enjoyed the day's skiing. He was friendly and approachable and attentive to people's requests. He arranged a trip to Clavier by taxi, which meant in the end we did manage to ski more of the Milky Way. Thank you Tony

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Jangler (06 March 2006)

  One week at La Fontaine Hotel in Sauze d'Oulx 26 Feb to 5 March 2005. We arrived Torino airport where we waited 45mins for the baggage to arrive queuing an extra 10 minutes to exit was somewhat fraught. Having escaped the airport baggage area we then had to walk 10 minutes to the coach park. There was a lame excuse about the Winter Olympics, but they had ended!! On arrival at the resort (not the hotel) the snow looked fantastic! We then met friendly Panorama Rep who was going to take us to the hotel, the luggage van was intended to take our kit down didn’t arrive so we had to carry out luggage including boards down the hill to La Fontaine Hotel. On the way we were stopped on the roadway to be told about the restaurant that sold great Pizzas. My board hung over my shoulder nearly got clipped by a car. Tempers now getting short we arrived in the hotel to find our rooms ready, travelling through the wee hours was no fun. Now for the welcome meeting at Hotel Martin in the late afternoon but no one told us any useful welfare related issues like; hotel eating times, access to the hotel after midnight. Small consolation it wasn’t just us other people had the same level of service. The meeting was simply a sales pitch and nothing else. I paid for OFF-PISTE snowboard experience and nearly got fobbed off with beginner lessons, only to be told that they don’t do an OFF PISTE experience. The Ski School blamed the Panorama Rep. I blamed them both. In the end I had an advanced Snowboard lesson that cost me 85 Euro when it should have been 75Euro. No refunds offered. Oh and two hours wasted time! La Fontaine Hotel is in an ideal location just at the bottom of two albeit slow lifts to the top of the mountain. The alternative is the packed out BATTLE BUS to the Sportina lift with the driver trying to cram punters on board with the words Doesn’t Italy have Heath and Safety polices? The driver had little consideration to those non Italian speaking people, so watch he doesn’t close the door as you are leaving and trap your arm like it did to one of our group members. La Fontaine is basic and clean, the hot water system goes hot and cold along with the central heating system, more cold than hot. The food is below average on a half board basis, the crusty rolls were more like powdery rolls, the garlic bread lacked butter and garlic. The fresh orange was watered giving us all the stomach problems, so take plenty of dia-calm. The week Snowboarding was FANTASTIC with lots of powder and snow it really couldn’t have been better, there is a run (Red 12) from the top of the mountain to the hotel pushing some 7KM long ideal if you don’t fancy returning on the BATTLE BUS or alternatively you can get the two lifts back down to the hotel. For the return journey home the luggage van didn’t arrive to take the kit UP the hill from the hotel (NO SURPRISE!) so I had to carry my board bag, suitcase and rucksack back up the hill to where the coach dropped us off. Back at Torino airport we did the ¾ of a mile trek from the coach park to the air terminal, yippee! On the plus side I am much fitter than I was courtesy of Panorama, but that wasn’t what I had paid for.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Geoff Pomeroy (22 February 2006)

  Took my Wife and 2 Children (one a beginner) to Sauze week of 5th to 12th Feb on a last minute deal (through Thomson's). Stayed in the Hotel Sauze which was very comfortable, the food excellent and staff very friendly. Slopes were OK - very quiet, probably due to impending Olympics, but lacking in snow in places although still skiable. My Wife, a tentative skier, found some of the slopes too steep in places but the Children loved every minute of it and the Ski School (Sauze Project) & Instructors were excellent. There are probably better resorts for families/beginner skiers but that didn't stop us having a very enjoyable holiday.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Michelle Searle (20 February 2006)

  We visited Sauze from 15th January 2006 until 22nd January. Well where do I start we booked with First Choice flights were on time all went well until we arrived in Sauze and had quite a climb up to the hotel (a very steep bank which took about 20mins). Our hotel was the Splendid. Our luggage was taken up by a van but we had to walk, some of our party needed their inhalers by the end of the walk. The hotel was okay, comfortable rooms but badly missed a bath. The food was ok but we have experienced better in Austria. The main complaint was the first choice rep, we had hardly any snow there was a lack of choice of runs to go on due to most not having enough snow. So we paid to go to Seirre Chevalier which was great but cost 75 euro and meant an early start. Once we came back and as the sun shone the snow was melting fast, so we tried to book another trip to Montgenevre and the rep told us there were no spaces left but we could always use the public transport!!! I thought they got commission for this. We were in a party of 13 and it was only through raising this at breakfast that we found other interested parties which meant we could easily fill another coach. We only got this however by complaining to the First Choice head office. The holiday was definatley spolit by the lack of snow and runs being open but mostly by the attitude of the rep.

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

  I Visited Sauze D'Oulx on the 5th of feb to the 12th of feb. Snow conditions man made, icy in places. Bare patches showing through, but ski able, wasn't impressed by the town much. Wont be going back there in the future, as the town is on too much of a hill, and you soon become tired out.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Julie Hannant (07 February 2006)

  Just got back from Sauze and had to say we had a great time, we stayed at the Hotel Sauze a 2 minute walk from the Clotes lift and an excellent position for skiing. Food was excellent but we have to say the standard of our room was quite poor with severe condensation to windows and damp on the walls. We were up on the fourth floor so would expect the lower floors to offer improved accommodation. We were one of the luck ones enjoying two full days of snow before we arrived resulting in a couple of days of powder skiing. There were a few moans from beginners on the first two days about the lack of bashing to the slopes but this added to the enjoyment of an intermediate. Expecting a lack of piste bashing due to the olympics we were pleasantly surprised that when the powder began to harden and worn areas appeared the pistes were immediately groomed that evening leading to adequate cruising mid-week. Some of the runs seemed to be closed unneccessarily at times without any reasons being given. Towards the end of the week the runs did become dangerously icy and more effort should've been made by the resort to make snow. With the kamikarze locals out on Saturday it is not surprising that injuries are going to occur, as fairly experienced skiiers we found it highly dangerous on the ice to have the locals speeding past without any thought for you having to turn (or at times even go in a straight line !!) - particularly the sestriere & sauze local ski schools!!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Stewart Phillips (06 February 2006)

  I found Sauze to be a very pleasant ski resort, but we did have lots of snow for 3 days before we arrived. The resort is nice, plenty of bars/shops, and not too big. The piste itself is well marked and layed out, and allows beginners to get to top of mountain and practice as red runs are really blues, and are nice and wide. Weather was perfect all week, bright sunshine after 3 days of solid snow, but i can see that the resort would suffer with lack of snow. Runs were getting very icy towards end of week, and didn't help when they shut Sestriere for the olympics, as then everyone came to sauze causing massive queues at every lift. If i had one complaint it would be the snow cannons, pathetic, and they needed some more snows on runs as they were getting very icy. We saw 6 broken legs on Saturday alone, simply because the runs were sheet ice. The local ' downhill specialists' didn't help the cause, and from the people we spoke to, they were the causes of some if not all of the accidents in some way. Nice resort, nice pistes, shame it's full of Italian 'show boaters'. (Shout at them and they retreat though!!!!!)

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Tony Smith (30 January 2006)

  Just back from Sauze, limited skiing for any level all throughout last week. Ice, stones and tree roots taking their toll on both equipment, my skis written off, and bodies (never seen so many wheelchairs, neck braces and crutches at Turin airport on our return). As a large group, took 8 seat taxi out of resort every day to Serre Chevalier or Val Thorens via Orrelle and the Frejus tunnel, day passes and transport more expensive than anticipated but worth the extra. Olympics taking much of limelight and the piste workforce so runs in resort not recovering from prior days use. Lively town, great pizzas at the Village, good live music at Vagabonds but beware location if you want more than a few hours, sleep some people don't seem to need any!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Stephen Dupree (29 January 2006)

  Went week 15th to 22nd Jan, little or no snow. Stayed at Grand Bosco, which I thought was excellent. Deals on ski hire at 39 Euros for the week, which knocked the rep deals sideways. Mini-bus hire to other resorts much cheaper if you book yourself, but need a group of at least 9. Public transport does go to other places, but a bit of a hack to change buses etc. I am a beginner really, a bit daunting, although I really liked Montgenevre, which you can ski for a day with a full pass. My 20 year old son, had a whale of a time with a guiding group. Very icy, lots of injury`s if it snows I guess it will be lovely.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• m.shepherd (28 January 2006)

  I stayed in the Hotel Splendid in Sauze d' Oulx on 15/1/2006 for a week with my party of 15 which may I say was a pleasure the hotel and its staff were a credit to Sauze. The hotel is in a quiet area but up a steep hill so a walk into town ( a must ) is a bit of a pain on your return but if you talk nice to the bar staff in Paddy M'Gintys they will sort out transport for you cheep (a must). On the downside to our once a year ski trip we found there was a lack of snow and only 26% of the ski area open and the majority was artificial snow. To rub salt into the 15 of our partys wounds we were horrified to discover that the only lift pass on offer was the whole area pass ( sauze, sansicario, sestriere, clavier oh and a day pass to montgenevre) for the full price!!!. You could access sestriere by a 1 man chair then by a bubble because of no snow only to find basically a huge building site and very limmited lifts running or runs open and all hands on making and grooming the olympic runs and all other piste staff making sure you did not dare go near them and guiding you to your yellowey/ brown rocky/icy runs of which cost you £110.00 for your pass and only 26% open. Even worse was to find of the limmited runs we had at our disposal in our resort of sauze were closed off for slalom practice by the ski club of sestriere. I asked our rep about lift prices but I just got the common shrug of the shoulders I expected but was offered a trip to the fully opened resort of montgenevre but at a cost of £14.00 each. I have visited sauze d' oulx on two occasions previously and when fully open is a vast area to ski with good runs. The link to sansicario (a dog leg drag lift ) is a bit dated but once over the other side opens to some great tree lined runs but unfortunatly not opend this year. Finally sauze area is great normally a few more snow cannons are required though but this year the customers who keep this resort open year after year many of which are brits have been sold short for a one off Olympics.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• James Bertuzzi (25 January 2006)

  In our group there we had a mixture of abilities from total beginners to the well experienced. We choose this resort as we felt it would have been suitable for all, how wrong could we get! Having been skiing / boarding for 15 years I have got to say that these are the worst conditions I have ever known, lack of snow didn't help. Slopes were not groomed and kept as well as they could have been, and there were large lumps of ice on certain runs. The slopes were deadly in places and only passable with care and experience. This is probably down to the Italians concentrating their efforts on getting everything ready for the winter games which is understandable, but this should not detract from the safety of the slopes! We heard of some quite horrific injuries from the previous week - fractured backs, halo braces, broken arms / legs mainly attributed to the condition of the slopes. Regards previous comments about some runs being over rated - possible if your an experienced hand, but very daunting if your a total beginner like some of our group. Our beginners found it quite daunting after minimum tuition to be taken up to handle a red run which was more ice than it was snow and the only way off the slopes. Rep's in resort want to charge over the odds for providing ski hire & trips away you can do it yourself much cheaper ideal when in a large group and the bus drivers are good for a laugh or two as well. The locals were friendly and helpful, it is very much a party town in the evening with Paddy's and the Crowed bar being worth a visit a least, Banditos was good to end the night with. Not much to do in the town if you don't fancy skiing, however Turin is about 1.5 hrs away by train and bus and is a good day out. Just plan carefully or you could be stuck waiting for a train or bus for a while. We would not receommend this resort to beginners, and one that will we not be returning to in a hurry.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• David Kelly (23 January 2006)

  Just back from Sauze and unfortunatly the snow was disasterous. This is the second time for me and the second time I have stayed in La Terrazza hotel. The food is very good and it is very handy for the Clotes lift which is a new 4-man. The hotel is up a steep hill but away from the noise of downtown which suited me because we had two young kids with us.We went with Panaroma Ireland who use Faure ski shop which is the worst I have been in and I have skied in Bulgaria for years. There are much better deals to be found if you shop around rather then buy your gear from the reps. Even if you want to go to another resort public transport costs 4 euros and the reps charge 20. I realise they are trying to make a living but if you are on a buget it pays to shop around or look after yourself.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Phill Allsopp (17 January 2006)

  Just returned back from Sauze. After reading some reviews we were very suprised at just what a good time we had. Stayed in Gran Trun in old town some excellent restaurants that must be tried, sugos pasta house is excellent! Locals are very friendly and atmosphere is good. Skiing was dissapointing for our group, this is not a resort for beginners after only 1 days tuition you get taken to top of mountain to tackle an icy red run! Oh and as everybody says it needs MORE snow!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Paul Bache (16 January 2006)

  Resort seriously lacking snow now. By the end of the week it was very icy in places and saw a number of nasty injuries. As a resort I had heard some terrible stories but on my arrival was pleasantly suprised. If you want to party you can, however there are a number of places to go if you want a quieter affair. I stayed in Hotel Sportina and it is basic fare, with little imagination in it's food and you somehow feel that they want you to eat up as quick as you can so they can finish for the night. Friends stayed in the Stella Alpina and were full of praise for it's food and comfort. I would not book down the valley at Jocemeyaux which is a steep walk of a night if you fancy a good drink etc. Derby Bar and Paddy McGinty's were great drinking holes. Paddy's 5pm -5.30pm were you toss a coin and if you guess correct you get your drink for free!! I won 4 on the run!! As for the ski-ing - very few blues open though i would say some of the reds on the piste map are more genuine blues. I think some of the reds are overgraded. Best runs were 11,29,42,2002 but with some of the lifts still shut (I still didn't know why when I asked) you soon become bored of these. Snow cannons operating on parts of these runs. The lift over to Sestriere was down so they operated a free skidoo service which while fine still meant sometimes 20 - 30 min queues. Sestriere was a bit better but again the focus was on the Olympics and not all the runs open. I would suggest popping over to Cesana , Claviere and Montgenevre where sking is much improved though still icy in places. Montegenvre was deserted when we were over there on the Friday and it was great ski-ing on some lovely cruisey blues and reds. Claviere /Sanscario I found lovely, quiet yet some great runs. We got the bus from Sauze to Oulx - changed at Oulx and got over to Cesana - 50 mins and you are there so much cheaper than some of the operator run coachs - 4 euros Vs 20 euros. Overall, I would recommend Sauze as a great place to ski - but would not book until last minute next time where I was more confident of the snow. It's reputation of having erratic snow is well justified but if you get it - it is top ski-ing.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Gordon Parkinson (12 January 2006)

  Currently in Sauze d'Oulx, The skiing conditions have been getting worse every day since we got here on Sunday 8th. There are currently next to no blue runs open and would not suit a beginner either on ski's or a board. Conditions are very hard packed runs with lots of ice, except for around snow cannons. As the week has progressed there a more and more people getting injuries some major. It would seem that all efforts are putting put towards th olympics with the runs being ignored. there are a number of people who have decided not to carry on skiing due to the conditions. Hope this helps

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Steve Moore (10 January 2006)

  If you are looking for a reasonably priced, lively resort with great skiing, then Sauze D'oulx ticks all the boxes. Its a short airport transfer(80 mins) and with an early flight you can be on the slopes the day you arrive. Accommadation varies from the VERY basic to the very comfortable and there are numerous pleasant restaurants in the village. The various lively bars and Banditos nightclub mean you can party from 5pm till 5am if you have the stamina. The only downside to Sauze is that the snow conditions can sometimes be very poor, however if the snow is good then there is enough challenging terrain to keep anyone happy. The link to Sestriere gives easy access to some of the world cup black runs or you can head toward San- Sicario (via a leg burning drag lift) and cruise miles of twisting reds through the trees. Beware though that the only way back to Sauze is down a fairly steep black run. All in All Sauze is great for groups of lads or couples but perhaps not somewhere I would choose to take the wife and kids, Just remember that if the snow is good its great, but if its poor it can massively limit the available skiing and you may end up taking day trips to Serre Chevalier or other nearby resorts in search of fresh stuff!! Oh and if you are a total beginner I would look somewhere else such as Soldeu in Andorra.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Karen Cranwell (06 January 2006)

  Just back from Christmas, good time lively resort, however do not stay at Hotel Sportina unless you want hostel accomodation for hotel prices.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Nigel Clarke (26 December 2005)

  Arrived back 26th December after a weeks skiing. Few runs open and lots of ice. Main teaching area is worn out. The resort desperately needs more snow. Turin airport is stil as bad as ever. I'll be amazed if they get it ready in time for the Winter Olympics. The ski lifts are slow especially up to the main area. Don't stay in any hotel near the main square if you want a good nights sleep. The disco bangs the music out till about 3 pm and smokers are obliged to stand outside the place and shout at each other. The Irish pub does good food and and has a nice open fire. You can hire boots and skis from the ski locker at Spartina. Cheaper then reps offer on the coach. Leave skis and boots there which saves lugging them up each morning.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Richard Gardiner (14 November 2005)

  Returned to Sauze D'Oulx in March 2005 after previous visits in 1996 & 97, encouraged by cheap deal. Fond memories from previous visits as an intermediate skier have now been replaced by intolerance for the very slow and out of date lifts, dodgy snow and little attempt to open the full resort (including the link to Sestriere which would be easy to do). I won't be going again unless it's a late cheap deal and I know the resort has decent snow. I think this resort suffers more than others in poor snow conditions. There are much better places to spend your skiing pound, if you are booking early and are gambling on snow conditions.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Troy Sauders (09 November 2005)

  Went to Sauze for a week in Jan 2005. To start with the snow condtions were bad but to be fair the pistes were in good shape considering. Can somebody explain why the only link out of Sauze requires u to do a drag lift the lenght of the river nile to get back??!!?? a real mission for snowboarders (and this is where the park is meant to be!!!) but i heard all the links closed early due to the snow or lack of it. We stayed in the sport which was ok but you can hear everything going on below in the bar. The highlights of the trip where the DVD we made by some guys in resort...lots of fun, recommended and the football trip to Milan, well worth the money and a great chance to see some star players (well i am a Sunderland fan!!) but overall a good resort and loads of fun.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Snow Plough Col (17 January 2005)

  The snow was poor but I was told it was all round Europe at that time 02/01 - 09/01. Part from that it was excellent!! Im that good now that Europe can't offer me a challange so im packing my bags and im off to Canada in March! I was that good everyone on the mountain nicknamed me Snow Plough Col.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Alex Newbury (14 January 2005)

  (2-9 Jan 2005) Stayed at the Miravalle Hotel in Sauze which had just been refurbished to a high standard. Very friendly staff and delicious food made for an enjoyable stay. Quite a trek to the Sportinia lift from the hotel, though. Ski deposit at 25 Euro for the week to leave boots, skis and poles at the top of the Sportinia ski lift was definitely money well spent. The snow was on the low side, and several runs were closed, but there was still enough to ski every day and some very good runs ~ especially enjoyed 51 leading into 25 on the far east of the Sauze ski area. The lift system could definitely do with modernisation and the drag lifts from the bottom of 47/48 seem to go on for ever! Very friendly, diligent ski instructor with good English through Scuola Sci Italia - the group unanimously agreed they were the most thorough and technical ski lessons they had ever had.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• andy church (11 January 2005)

  2-9 Jan 2005 Stayed at appropriately named 'Splendid' hotel - first class everything- food, service, facilities, welcome Whole resort very friendly and lunch on the slopes was much cheaper than I imagined and good to eat too- cheap weekly bus pass makes getting around easy and hotel off the beaten drag - I didn't realise Sauze had a nightlife!- Definately catering more towards families and on-piste profile supports that. Snow not great but enough to ski enjoyably on every day - yes, lots closed and some lift queues, but occasional challenging conditions kept us focussed and tested learning - instructors skills and English brilliant - I didn't hear of one single bad experience - our party overall had five different instructors - ski shop (Clataud Sport) was fantastic - quickest in and out I've ever known and still friendly and concerned with great waxed skis- on a plain glide, I effortlessly skied from the back of my group to the front as they frantically poled to stay ahead - a great feeling, a great resort - would certainly go back

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Elton (02 August 2004)

  Just wanted to inform anyone that has good stamina, can cut some shapes on the dance floor and loves first class skiing - "paint your canvass" next winter in Sauze D'oulx. 21 of us stayed with the (superfluous to say) very understanding www.holidayitalia.com Flexible Breaks company who specialise in weekend ski breaks, or when you want basically. Reason being that 9 people stayed from Fri-Mon the rest of us until the following Friday, sounds difficult but they made life very easy. The skiing was awesome for begs/ints alike and the skiing in Sansicario and Sauze is some of the best you'll ever have, big open motorways! The Apres is first class as long as your legs can carry you, many a good night to be had at The Schuss bar. The one slight anomolie in what is a great value resort is the antiquated lifts but by all accounts the main clotes lift is being changed prior to the Olympics in 2006.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Paul Collings (27 March 2004)

  We have just come back from a week in Sauze, great snow and sun all week.Went with a group of 17 including 8 children and we all had a brilliant time. Stayed at the Hotel Relais des Alpes **** where the food and staff were excellent. The one downside if you were on the first floor was the noise coming from the bar on some nights, a quick phone call to reception soon had this lowered. We hired our boots and ski's at the resort ourselves, and found that the closer to the lift the cheaper with the children's only costing 25 euros for their helmets, skis and boots.The sking was very varied with both tree lined and open pists. Lots of times we were the only ones on the slope. The only queing was early in the morning with the ski schools but if you got up to Sportesia and then ski down to Clotes, there is a new 4 man chair to take you away from the crowds. Two of our party didn't ski so they spent their time walking both around Sauze and up and down the mountain and meeting the rest of us for lunch. We found a particulary nice restaurant just through the gully on the right at Clotes.Though some of the lifts were a little old the attendents were the best always helping the children and the less abled. All in all a great holiday and we will be going again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark (23 March 2004)

  Just got back from Sauze D'Oulx. Had an excellent week on the sunny slopes and lively nights. Stayed at the Hotel Splendid where the staff where all excellent. Would definately consider going again, although the only way up from over the next valley was a drag which is not the easiest for snow boarders. I felt the overall lift system was very basic which a lot of old, slow chair lifts. On the night I would recommend Vagabondi's for live music where a lot of locals go and Banditio's for the best night club in the resort, I would check out with locals or reps where to go on what nights.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mrs H (22 March 2004)

  Stayed at the Grand Olympic Besson Hotel (4*) which only re-opened in December after extensive refurbishment. Could not fault the hotel at all. It's been beautifully re-furbished with lots of wood, stone and slate. Very relaxed ambiance, staff extremely friendly, always smiling and very helpful. Rooms are all individually named after ski resorts (we stayed in Lake Placid), not huge in size but well appointed with plenty of wardrobe space. Bathroom was small but fully fitted out with a power shower and all the usual fixtures. Food was great - no complaints at all. Nightlife in Sauze was great fun, didn't eat out at all except for the usual panini and latte at lunchtime up in Sportinia. All cafe's up there were much of a muchness except for the toilet facilities. Avoid the one which on the right hand side of the piste as you come off the chairlift - loo is hole in the ground. A friend recommended The Goat which is on the Clotes slope - lovely restaurant with excellent wines and great menu. Skiing was great - lovely open pistes, good for the experienced intermediate who hadn't been skiing for a while and fab for beginners. Blue skies for the whole week, baking sun - this took its toll on the slopes at the bottom of the Clotes and Sportinia runs - complete slush and very very patchy. Top of the mountain was perfect. Would certainly go back to Sauze again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• marc (23 February 2004)

  Great skiing and brilliant snow conditions with three beautiful blue sky days after 36 hrs of snowing and two very windy days. Not the easiest place to get to the skiing area, especially if staying at La Torre... The runs were brilliant but the whole area is spoilt by a very old and creaking lift system. Hopefully the 2006 games will change all that. One of the best ski instructors I have ever had...Excellent... The village was great, good restaurants and "the crowded house" a very good place to spend the evening drinking.. One major word of warning..... The "La Torre Hotel" is best avoided. It hosts the most aggressive and disorganised restaurant I've ever stayed long enough to eat in! Eating out was the prefered option! The rooms were a good size and clean though not much appreciated by three rooms occupied by our party having no hot water for at least three days! The director seemed to think that we Brits have a different perception of "hot water" (Mine burnt my .....??? hands off! The hotel was cold and souless! Great skiing though :-) Marc

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark Alexander (01 February 2004)

  Just got back today from a fantastic week in Sauze (for me). First the bad news. Went with two friends who had never skied before. The instructors in Sauze are great, I had a lesson there myself, but they can be a bit ambitious. The one my 2 friends had took them to the steeper reds on the top of the mountain on their second ever day on skies. Their confidence evapourated and they didn't ski for the rest of the holiday, which was a great shame. So as far as it goes for first time skiers I would recommend being very firm with the ski school instructor about what you're prepared to do. I was having a fairly ok time, skiing alone mainly as the holiday company I went with didn't really do any good guiding. I only found my first group to ski with on Thursday when the company guider chickened out of doing any (comments left on customer form later, I can assure you). Then I had a stroke of luck and saw a poster for the Ski Club and joined Lou, the fantastic ski guide. In a fairly small group on Friday we skied all the bits I'd dreamed of and the atmosphere was great, then again on Saturday with Reg, the new rep. I would say the resort isn't really set up for first time skiers. Intermediates and advanced can have some great times on the steep reds and the blacks. Lifts in Sauze are old, sllllooooowwwww and sometimes very cold indeed. But those in the adjoining resorts are very new, quick and comfortable. Queues in Sauze were very long at 1030am when the ski schools set off but lovely and short at other times. A really good thing about Sauze is that it's linked to several other resorts. So when the connecting lifts are open (only one day on my stay) the possibilities of a good day's skiing are virtually endless. I really enjoyed Sauze and was so impressed with the Ski Club that I joined in resort and looked up this page as soon as I got back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Lorraine (28 January 2004)

  We have just returned from a good week in Sauze. The new snow on the day we arrived lasted well all week, but the lifts and links to the other areas are very unreliable and ancient. All our group decided we would not return there-they need to spend alot of money updated the chair lifts, and replacing the steep drags.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Denny Bryant (05 January 2004)

  Just returned from Sauze d'oulx. Fantastic place. Great snow, great ski school, great hotel (Relais des alpes) and great people. Go there.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Joe (02 June 2003)

  The Milky Way is a very good ski area. When it is all open there is 400kms of skiing to be had. A good trip is from Sauze to Claviere and back for good intermediates. We stayed in the Orso Bianco Mountain Restaurant in Sportinia which is up the 4-man chair. It's a great base for avoiding early morning queues. Another way to dodge the queues is to go at off-peak time i.e not school holidays.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Chris Barstow (16 February 2003)

  Godd Skiing partly offset by the outdated two man lifts at the top of the main 4 man feeder lift.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Simon Holt (11 February 2003)

  When the snow is good, as it was last week, this is possibly the best place for skiing imaginable - so much scope for different days out, including all the way to France if you feel up to it. The huge number of runs also mean that most sectors away from the main lifts remain quiet to grave-like even during weekends. I had the whole of the Genevris sector to myself one day. Most of the lifts here are drags or 2 seat chairs, but except for the Sportinia chair, this does not seem to induce queues, even at quite busy times. Key lifts into other areas, such as the drag to the top of the run into Sansicario get very busy though, and can add around 30 minutes to journey time if you want to go through these bottlenecks. The lift times are also rather restrictive - opening is 0900, and the lower lifts close rather too promptly at 1600. Usually more like 1550 if last week was anything to go by. This is very annoying, and limits your options towards the end of the day, with lift attendants seeming to compete with each other as to how quickly they can close. Watch out for this, particularly if you have skied over into Sestriere or Sansicario, or even into the bowl containing the Sansicario connection drag lift. Previous comments about poor signage seems to have been rectified to a large extent. I didn't have any trouble knowing where I was or where I needed to be going. The grading of some of the runs is still very suspect. Some reds in the Genevris sector are a decidedly "dark" shade of red, and I've seen them trap some unwary snow-ploughers. Conversely, some of the blacks do not provide anything like the challenge you would expect... Watch out for certain mountain restaurants slipping in a "seating charge" of around 3 Euro per person, even if you are just sitting down for a coffee and a focaccia - they will still expect a tip, too... "The Highest Pizzeria in Italy" near the bottom of the Triplex chair is a prime offender here. Head for "Bar Genevris" for a more quiet, friendly, and cheaper lunch! The resort itself is nothing exciting. There is an old sector which is quite picturesque, but holds none of the local shops and facilities that one might expect from a true Alpine village. Most establishments are "Pubs" or Restaurants, none of which offer particularly good value for money compared with other Italian resorts. The resort is still very much a British/Irish haunt, and the prices plus the "pub" culture reflects this. Italians coming in for the weekend make constant references to the over-whelming English/Irish presence, and are consequently less friendly than their counterparts in other locations. Anyone self-catering should bear in mind that there are only two, very small, supermarkets in the village, which charge accordingly. There is a baker and butcher concealed near the church, but no greengrocer or equivalent that I could see. In summary; excellent skiing, probably some of the best you could wish for with the right conditions. Poor, beer'n'fags culture, in the village with little hope of escape. Ski all day and stay indoors at night :-)

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Sheridan Webb (03 February 2003)

  The Milky way does offer plenty of ski-ing, and day trips to Sestriere and San Seccario were great. The standard of the Moutain restaurants varies enormously, as do the ladies toilets. I can thoroughly recommend the ones at the Pizza place (who's name I forget) at the top of the 2002 run, as they were proper toilets (not urinals) clean and there were 4 of them! The town was good - an excellent range of bars. Our favourite was the mellow 'Derby Bar' with it's comfy sofas and 'chill-out' music. Perhaps the only slightly disappointing thing (apart from the poor signage of the pistes) = was the fact that all the runs seemed to be red - most of the blacks were the same difficulty as reds, and blues tended to the same as reds, but with a flat bit. Disappointing for those looking for a real challenge, or for those wanting some easier ski-ing at the end of the day on tired legs.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Angela Kennedy (25 November 2002)

  I booked a holiday in Sauze d'Oulx last week on strengh of the fact that the Dumbo creche was open. We have subsequently discovered that it has closed. According to the Tourist Office, plans are going to the Town Hall for the opening of another creche due to the number of enquiries. I would welcome an update if anyone is aware of any developments as soon as possible.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Ady Keeble (21 November 2002)

  I have skied The Milky Way a number of times during the last few years, and have found Sauze to be an excellent intermediate choice with only one major reservation - the weather! In good conditions the area is one of the most varied on offer, however, snowfalls are notoriously unreliable and from bitter experience I would only return here on a late deal when the snow was good.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• David Docherty (18 June 2002)

  Brilliant resort with very friendly locals. Excellant resort for intermediates only complaint is the lift system could do with upgrading.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Stuart Brown (04 April 2002)

  I have skied in the Milky Way twice (Montgenevre and Sauze d'Oulx) and have found the links to other resorts in the area are somewhat unreliable. They can be closed for a variety of reasons: too much snow, not enough snow, high winds etc. This can spoil what otherwise is a good area - perhaps some investment needed?

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Claire (03 April 2002)

  Just returned from a fantastic holiday in Sauze D'Oulx - I can thoroughly recommend both the resort and the skiing. As an intermediate skier there was a huge variety of slopes - well maintained (but could have done with better signposting occasionally)! I had lessons with the ski school - I learnt so much from the instructors who were knowledgeable and professional, all had impeccable English. The resort has everything you need, is heaps of fun, plus is only one hour transfer from Turin. Can't rave about it enough!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Simon Davey (12 March 2002)

  Agree with comments about Sauze lift system. The queues were ok till the weekend and then waited 30-40 minutes a number of times to get on. The resort needs to invest in modernising the lifts as it relies on slow 2 man chairs and slow drag lift for some of the major access areas.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• John Davis (25 February 2002)

  If you get the weather in Sauze the resort is fantastic, for intermediate skiers. The Stella Alpina also has a range of better rooms for rent with spa pool baths and plenty of space, but these are booked directly with the owner. The new scotts bar and moncrons bar are the places to be if you want a good beer after a tough days skiing.

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

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