Snowsure: 3.9
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Courmayeur is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Courmayeur Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
December 04, 2010
Paul from the Aloha State from
USA - California
Paul from the Aloha State from
USA - California
Loved it! Courmayeur is charming, quaint and the people are nice.
All the restaurants were good. Didn't eat anything I didn't like. The skiing was okay compared to North American standards. Whistler it ain't, but I suppose skiing in Europe for North Americans should be judged for the whole package.
Overall, it was a winner in my book.
Would love to go back with my wife again and make a week of it to visit Chamonix and Verbier also.
April 12, 2010
Tim Connolly from
United Kingdom
Tim Connolly from
United Kingdom
Having just returned from the beautiful chique Italian town of Courmayeur after some wonderful spring skiing I just thought I would share some of the wonderful experiences from the last week.
Obviously, with the fabulous snow that the Alps has seen this year the pistes were in immaculate condition and the skiing, especially higher up, was the best our family has ever encountered. Every morning the piste bashers had done their job to present some great conditions.
Our favourite mountain restaurant at Courmayeur was the Maison Vialle with scrumptious food and a very reasonably priced house Rose. And in the evening you cannot go wrong by having a gigantic pizza at the Tunell Pizzeria!
Our only gripe 'the strength of the Pound versus the Euro'!!!
Back in Blighty now for more doom and gloom!
February 08, 2009
Killy Kid from
United Kingdom
Killy Kid from
United Kingdom
Courmayeur is charming and friendly and the cafes and deli's are fantastic. Also, when you think of the bad food one is served up in English hotels and the 'couldn't care less' attitude of British staff, I found Courmayeur a breath of passionate fresh air. People care about food. The scenery on the slopes is second to none.
February 17, 2008
Darth Vadar from
United Kingdom
Darth Vadar from
United Kingdom
I could not disagree more with what Andrew Downes has written.
The town is charming, the people are delightful and very helpful, the lift system is good and skiing is good. The locals speak good English are are very happy to help at all times.
There are 3 routes up the mountain. The Courmayeur cable car which takes 133 people per trip, the Dolonne gondola which takes 10 per car and the Val Veny cable car which I did not use but appeared to be about the same size as the Courmayeur cable. We did not experience any queues for these lifts and we travelled during the English 1/2 term week. This may have been a week before the main Italian holiday, but I do not know this for certain.
It is possible and cheaper to hire the kit from the shops at the bottom. Lockers are provided in the hire shop free of charge if you hire their gear.
There is a good selection of slopes for all abilities. The pistes are topped up at night with snow cannon and immaculately presented in the mornings. The mountain restaurants are better away from the Plan Checrouit and are very good.
There are 4 express chairs, from which the vast majority of the ski area can be accessed. There are 3 older and slower chairs which provide a welcome break and an opportunity to catch your breath.
About half of the ski area faces SE and the remainder faces NW. Take the opportunity to hire a ski guide (office in town centre) and ski the Col D'Arp or the Vallee Blanche. Cost was 79 Euros in Feb 08. Both are very worthwhile day trips and excellent value for money.
The best restaurant we found was the "Travety". I may have misspelt this, but it is next to the pharmacy, down a flight of steps at the northern end of Via Roma (main street in town centre).
Another excellent day trip is to La Thuile. This is just 30 mins away by bus. Time tables are available from both the bus station and the offices of the lift company, which are just at the top of the access road to the Courmayeur cable. Skiing the black #3 piste is a must (gradient of 73%).
January 23, 2008
Gary Snow from
Italy
Gary Snow from
Italy
Visited Courmayeur in early January 2008 - good skiing for beginner's and intermediates but the more advanced could easily ski the whole area in 2 days. However, superb scenery and fantastic mountain restaurants more than make up for any shortfall.
The ski area is located at Plan Checruit - a short cable car journey away from the town/residencies but be warned, as it starts at 8.45 every morning, early risers and fresh piste hounds should head for nearby Dollonne and catch the earlier running 4 person gondola to the top. It is well worth hiring a locker here for ease and convenience - we found the best restaurants at the top of the runs compared to those unimaginative and pricey ones at the base of Checruit. We found out later that the upper ones are largely run by the Italian locals-much, much better.
The town is very pretty and upmarket, with many high quality patisseries, pizzerias, local produce shops, coffee shops and designer label cloth shops - not too expensive as many claim. In all we had a good time and yes - we would definitely go back. Take full advantage of the lift pass and visit nearby Pila (ideal for beginner's) and through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix.
P.s. well done Sam Spray - you picked it all up well !!
Gary and the Redditch Mob
January 08, 2008
Katie Rathbone from
United Kingdom
Katie Rathbone from
United Kingdom
Fantastic week! Snow conditions superb even for beginners! This was my 2nd visit. The ski school was excellent and everyone was very helpful. The slopes were varied with some quite challenging terrain and the many restaurants were fantastic - especially Maison Vielle.
Courmayeur as a town has much to offer in the way of shops & restaurants with many good eateries e.g The Tunnel and Mont Fret. Hotel Berthod was a family run hotel with good facilities and is very central.
January 29, 2007
Kermit from
United Kingdom
Kermit from
United Kingdom
February 01, 2006
Andrew from
United Kingdom
Andrew from
United Kingdom
Some great skiing for not too long a break. Once you get up the mountain that is...
It's easy to get to from Milan / Turin / Bergamo airports, which makes it possible for a weekend (which I did), and the town itself I thought was beautiful. Also, if you're hungry, get to the Bar Roma on the main street round about 6pm for free food of very good quality.
I suppose that's just ruined it for some people, but I'm sure I'm not the only person who's passed on that information!
January 18, 2006
Andrew Downes from
United Kingdom
Andrew Downes from
United Kingdom
Courmayeur is unique in my experience. An easy motorway from Milan means lots of wealthy Italians have weekend homes here, which has resulted in a pedestrianised street of boutique (luxury) shops and a big sprawling town stretching up the valley. It feels like a proper town, not just a ski resort - the main ski hire shops are actually up the mountain at the first lift stations, though there is at least one hire shop at the bottom of each of the two cable cars. The presence of "old" money means that although the locals know what they're doing, we felt their attitude to customer service was a bit lazy (with some notable exceptions), a feeling confirmed by talking to a Milanese guy who said he has seen attitudes decline over 30 years. You will probably need to reserve a table at restaurants, either in the town or on the mountain, or you'll be greeted with snooty looks and a corner table at best. English isn't widely spoken but, being on the border, French is.
The main Courmayeur cable car takes 130 people at a time but is inadequate in the Italian holidays. We went at New Year and there was up to 90 mins wait by 10:30am, though I believe there is a plan to build another lift by the 2006/7 season. I agree with Simon Taylor's advice to use the Val Veny cable car if you can, it's smaller (45 people) but there were no queues when we were there. There's a car park or if your hotel is at the Mont Blanc end of the resort like ours you can use a public bus. You'll probably be wearing your normal shoes for the car journey or walk to and from the bus stop, having left your skis and boots in a locker at your ski hire shop. You can't ski back to the town - you have to come down in the cable car, or ski down and get a bus.
We went on a late deal with Crystal to the Hotel Astoria, a pleasant 3* with attached night club called Jimmi's open from 11pm most nights. This is allegedly the only club in the resort though lots of bars are open late in the centre. We never really went to the club, but the soundproofing is great and it never disturbed our sleep either. Hotel food was fine, very traditional, service was mixed. The hotel is a 45 min walk out of town but does run a free minibus to the Courmayeur cable car. It ran 4 times an hour when we were there, although I believe it normally runs only twice an hour. There's also a public bus to either Courmayeur or Val Veny cable cars (free with a lift pass or €0.80 single) but they don't run as often as you would like - only once every 40 minutes or so.
The Astoria is just metres from the Mont Blanc cable car. Covered by a separate pass, this goes up and over the big mountain to Chamonix. You can sight-see and take lunch at a mountain restaurant or if conditions are right you can get off halfway and ski the legendary 22km Vallee Blanche run down to Chamonix - a guide is advised as it's not pisted and there are apparently plenty of crevasses. We didn't do this run, unfortunately. Getting back would either be via the same cable car or by arranged pickup - if you go with a guide it will probably be the latter.
An interesting destination, one I'm glad I went to but not one I'll be back to in a hurry. The pistes were slightly ordinary and the lifts (even once up the mountain) largely antiquated, but the food, location and scenery were all excellent.
November 10, 2005
Dan Robinson from
United Kingdom
Dan Robinson from
United Kingdom
Words don't quite explain the amazement as we borded the cable car in the morning, up to the runs. The resort is truly magnificent, and the sights are amazing when there is a lot of snow about. Right in the shadow of Mont Blanc, this resort makes wonders for sight seeing, and with its location next to loads of other resorts, it makes a wonderfull week. Loads of off-piste to be had and you don't have to go too far off track to get it!
Nearest