Sunshine was not what I was expecting when we planned a trip to Italy to ski. We chose Cervino Ski Paradise based on a friend’s recommendation that you were guaranteed snow. At an altitude of 2600 metres, the temperatures should stay cold enough during the winter months to allow skiing without any risk of brown patches. And now Cervino Ski Paradise boasts a never-ending season. Open 11 months of the year (with September off for lift maintenance), there is never a bad time to hit the slopes. From 4 May, 2025, summer fares are offered with skiing primarily limited to the Plateua Rosa glacier on the Swiss side and accessible by three chair lifts.
We had a five day trip planned, with two travel days and three days to ski. Flying in and out of Turin, we ended up hiring a car rather than booking transfer to Cervinia as the car was slightly cheaper and gave us more flexibility. With a 7pm flight on our last day, we were tempted to plan a 4th day of skiing before heading home. Unfortunately, I had a pretty bad fall on the Sunday which meant no skiing on Monday.
From Turin airport, it was about a 2 hour drive to Cervinia. As we got higher up into the mountains, more snow started to appear along the roads. In the last few kilometers to our accommodation, we had to put on tire covers/socks (instead of chains) to give us enough traction to climb the hill (we only got stuck a few times before this). We rented a studio apartment through Booking.com that had parking, a ski equipment room, and was ski in/out. When we travel, we usually just look for a place to stay that are convenient, safe and clean. We are normally out all day so just needed a place to eat, sleep, and shower. While this place was a tight squeeze (we ended up using the bunk buds instead of the pull out couch to sleep), it was perfect for us to make breakfast, pack snacks for the mountain, and then have dinner. Even thought it could sleep four, I can’t imagine how everyone would have fit.
It was a short walk downhill to get to Cieloalto lift, where we could strap on our gear (sadly, James is a snowboarder) and ski about 90% of the way to Breuil-Plan Maison lift. Our first morning, we tried to leave the flat ‘early’ but it took us some extra time to get organized. Once we got to the main ticket office, we learned that high winds were keeping the slopes shut so no lift tickets were being sold. The Cervino Tourism board kindly provided me with a 3 day lift pass, so I was able to pick that up while James had to wait for the lifts, and therefore ticket office, to open. It totally makes sense not to sell the lift tickets unless they are sure the mountain will open up. We waited over an hour, to the point where I badly needed a Red Bull or Diet Coke. I went up the road to try to find a shop or cafe which would help me get some caffeine into my veins. The ticket office had numerous vending machines but they were stocked with coffee, tea and healthy snacks whereas I was after sugar. Because we arrived so late the night before, we didn’t have time to stop at store to pick up any fizzy drinks for me. I made sure we did at the end of the day. Soon thereafter, the winds resided and we were able to make our way up the mountain to meet our friends and their kids.
Our friends, The Williams, have been to Cervino twice, one time booking everything themselves in 2024 and this year they came as past of a package holiday. They are a family of five and it is because of their recommendation we booked our trip to Cervinia. Serendipitously, they were there on holiday when we were. It was much easier having someone familiar with the mountain and village to guide us around to the best spots.
In 2024, the Williams, Jenny, Chris, Max, Milo, and Penelope, stayed for 10 days at Basecamp Apartments at Cieloalto lift. While this is a ski in/out lift, you have to be fairly advanced (and good at planning) to make it back on your skis by the end of the day. There is a bus that runs from the city centre up to the Cieloalto lift (and beyond). We also used this bus to get back to our flat because it would have taken forever to walk back uphill while carrying our kit. While the skiing in/out is convenient, Jenny said they wanted to be closer to the lifts and village centre (thus not needing a car), so they booked a package holiday for the following year before they had even left from their first visit.
How did the package holiday compare? First off, it was slightly more expensive than their DIY apartment and for 7 nights instead of 10. But the benefits outweighed that. The kids ski lessons, the airport transfers, and daily breakfast were all included. The Williams still paid for their ski hire, ski passes and for Jenny’s private lessons. Staying at the Hotel Europa, they were 150m from the Cretaz lift – the closest they had ever been to a lift when skiing. It made things so much easier if they had to go back to the hotel to fetch something. The hotel had a spa and pool (which they used each day). As the hotel was bed and breakfast only, they went out for dinner each day in the village and enjoyed lunch on the mountain. One tip Jenny has is to book restaurants ahead of time for dinner as they do get busy in the evenings. I would add that if you want to enjoy a spa during your visit to Cervinia, be sure to book a hotel that has one. We could not find a spa with public access, even after speaking to a local.
It is hard to show you here in photographs just how amazing the valley is with blue skies surrounding you. Aside from the windy first day, the others were a repeat of: ski in the sun, stop to enjoy a morning coffee in the sun, ski some more, stop for al fresco lunch admiring the Matterhorn (should have worn more sunscreen), few last runs, apres ski drinks, and then bed. Keeping in mind that the Matterhorn is the world’s most photographed mountain, I did what I could to keep this title. You will have to pop over to my Instagram to see some video footage of our trip because as I have said, these photos do not do it justice.
Things to know about the region:
- New chairlift in Goillet area, which is a 6-seater with individual footrests, heated seats, and a transparent bubble to protect you on windy days
- To encourage younger people to ski, there is a new pricing scheme for those under 24. A regional agreement in the Aosta Valley aims to make skiing more accessible by giving those under 24 years old a 20% discount and under 16s a 30% discount.
- The 3S Matterhorn Alpine Crossing opened in July 2023 and connects Testa Grigia with Little Matterhorn, linking Breuil-Cervinia and Zermatt (which are only separated by the Matterhorn
- We enjoyed the Cretaz treadmill, which is protected by a clear tunnel and serves the baby hill. No ski pass required!
- The SnowXperience Plateau Rosa has snow tubing and a beginner’s slope.
- Other winter activities in the local area include: freeriding or heleski, cross-country ski, ski mountaineering, and snowshoeing.
Even if you are just a couple, as compared to a large family, I would say Cervinia is still an ideal destination. It was easy for us to get around with our ski/in out accommodation. Our studio flat was big enough for two of us but and gave us the option to save some money by eating in. Lift passes were very affordable at 172 Euros for three days*. Although we had a big breakfast and pack snacks, we did enjoy lunch on the mountain each day. The first day, we ate near one lift because the wind caused it to close temporarily. We also lucky enough to enjoy lunch at Love* and Les Skieurs D’Antan*. One night, we had dinner out with The Williams in Cervinia village at
Jour Et Nuit. There seemed to be a variety of restaurants and food trucks, from steak to Thai to pizza, that everyone should find something they like. Although we bought pasta and a few other bits for dinner, the lunches on the mountain were so filling we managed without dinner the other nights.
Unfortunately, on our last day of skiing, I had a nasty fall which ended with me taking a taxi (at a flat rate of 20 Euros) from the chairlift back to our apartment. I had to lie on the couch with ice on my leg for the rest of evening, which wasn’t much fun. The following morning, we had to be out of our apartment by 9am. As my leg and arm still hurt from the day before, we decided to explore Aosta Valley a bit more by driving over to Courmayeur for lunch to see Mount Blanc rather than squeeze in another day of skiing. We quickly left the snow behind as as we descended. Driving through Aosta Valley was beautiful with all the mountains off in the distance. And of course, the windy roads were fun to drive along. Before we returned to the airport, we stopped at the Turino Outlet Village because they had a Salomon and Ferrari outlet stores (and many high end brands). With longing memories of snowy mountains, we returned the car at the airport and boarded our plane.
This was my second time skiing in Italy (last time was in the Dolomites a long time ago). Both times I had blue skies and plenty of open piste to enjoy. Perhaps next year, I should forget about the Alps and explore more of the Italian ski scene. After all, the coffee is much better in Italy (so I am told).
*My lift pass and our lunches at Love and Les Skieurs D’Antan were complimentary. Thanks to Cervinia Tourist Office for their support. All views are honest and my own.
My ski jacket is #gifted from Tog24. It was warm and toasty, as well as making it easy to spot me on the slopes.
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