Passo Tonale

Passo Tonale Ski Resort

Passo Tonale is arguably Italy’s most snowsure and perhaps one of it’s best value ski resorts, with access to 100km of well connected slopes.

The main resort base sits at a lofty 1883m, which allied to an impressive snowmaking system gives Passo Tonale one of the longest and most reliable ski seasons in the Alps. There are great beginner facilities, over 60% of the slopes are marked as red – making this an excellent place for keen intermediate piste skiers – and there is also access to the Presena Glacier at 3000m. The resort itself is designed with only skiing in mind and there are several larger apartment blocks, but most of these are more attractive than some of the concrete jungles across the border in France.

Passo Tonale is ideal for families and this is why Ski Club Freshtracks have chosen it as the ideal location for their Families Half Term Instruction holiday. In addition, three Passo Powder and Piste trips are heading out, all of which offer excellent value for money.

Our Passo Tonale Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Après ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Passo Tonale Skiing and Snowboarding

For beginners there are some fantastic, sunny learning areas on the edge of the resort. From this point there is excellent progression on to longer blues, with most runs being served by fast quad chairlifts. Intermediates will enjoy the longer reds on the sunny side of the valley and also the runs on the Presena Glacier, but less confident skiers or boarders may want to download the final section to avoid the steeper black return run. A trip to the pretty wooded slopes of Ponte di Legno is also recommended, particularly in bad weather.

Although it has a family and beginner friendly reputation, Passo Tonale offers up some decent pistes for experts – especially the descent from the glacier and also on the slopes of Corno d’Aola above Ponte di Legno. Due to the altitude, any fresh snow usually stays cold and dry, meaning that the off piste often retains great snow – this is certainly an underrated facet of the resort.

• Total Pistes: 100km
• Blue: 24%
• Red: 61%
• Black: 15%
• Lifts: 28
• Altitude: 1121m (Passo Tonale is at 1883m) – 3000m

Passo Tonale Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Passo Tonale Resort

The resort is spread out along the road, which does mean that through-traffic can be an issue and some accommodation is a walk away from the lifts. However, that accommodation is very family-friendly – including a number of big hotels with good facilities – and is generally very good value, even during the main holiday weeks. Alternative options include the lower villages of Temu and Ponte di Legno.

Away from the slopes there isn’t a vast amount to entertain children, book a big hotel if you’re looking for post-skiing activities or things to do in an afternoon off. The après is increasingly lively, with some good bars utilising the sunny plateau and the foot of the slopes – and the great thing here is that a round of drinks won’t break the bank.

How to get to Passo Tonale

The nearest airport is Bergamo and it lies around two hours drive to the south of the resort. Verona is another option at two and a half hours drive, as are the two Milan airports – both of these are around three hours drive away.

• Bergamo airport: 2 hours
• Verona airport: 2.5 hours
• Milan Malpensa/Linate airports: 3 hours

Passo Tonale Contact Details

• Website: www.passotonale.it
• Telephone: +39 03 64 90 38 38
• Facebook: @PassoTonale