Alleghe, Italy

Lee Jones from UNITED KINGDOM writes:

Alleghe is little gem off the Tourist map. Relatively small with 80km of slopes but varied enough to please most tastes. There are 5 main entry points onto the ski area and the entire area is well serviced with fast chairs and fortunately only a handful of drags. Whilst small, it took us a few days to 'ski the map' and the conditions were perfect. Excellent restaurants dot the mountain (I would choose the 'proper' restaurants over self-service. The village itself is quiet and nothing to really rave about. One huge advantage is its proximity to the other areas that come under the superski pass. Arabba, Cortina and Canazei to name a few. Arabba is about 30 minutes away and Cortina about 45 minutes. Ski hire is a little limited but try Kiwi Sports outside the main gondola in Allehge. The best hotels are the Sport Hotel in Alleghe itself or the Alla Posta in Caprille (only a 5 minute free Hotel shuttle away). Both are listed as 4 stars, but they are not anywhere close to say Austrian 4 stars - this is though reflected in the price (for everything). Under 9 ski for free (need passport evidence of age) and our 8 day Superski lift passes where £350 for 2. The hotel was approximately half of the price of our normal Austrian choice. The food on the mountain was fantastic and a good meal with drinks was about €12 a head. Busy at weekends but not to much of a problem. Ski School for our 7 year old was about average. One warning - if you hire a car - don't forget the ski chains; I did and was lucky to find some locally.

2006-02-21