Pila Resort Reviews
Visitor reviews for Pila 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
April 05, 2017
don from
United Kingdom
don from
United Kingdom
Visited early March 2017; a bit of a hidden gem. We spent 4 days of our 7 in the area at Pila. Had an apartment in Aosta area and used gondola each day. Some great intermediate runs, especially higher up the mountain. The blacks were good, not too steep but steep enough to class them as genuine for sure, some good reds too. Overall, a good variety of runs. Many hotels in Pila appear to be ski in and out.
What I feel lets the area down is the number of slow old lifts, many only 2 or 3 seaters, although there was on the whole little queueing apart from weekends where it was much more busy. This does, however, mean that due to lift capacities the pistes were never busy apart from the main blue through the centre of the area.
Decent, good value places to eat can be found around the area.
January 31, 2016
Andre from
Russia
Andre from
Russia
Очень ухоженные трассы, современные подъёмники, умеренные цены, при наличии автомобиля -прекрасное сообщение с курортами Италии, Франции и Швейцарии (всё в пределах часа езды), чтобы были развлечения-лучше останавливаться не в самой Pila, а, в Аосте или около неё (до подъёмника в Pila с большой парковкой 5-10 мин., зато-магазины, рестораны, современный бассейн и пр.).
October 19, 2014
John Walsh from
United Kingdom
John Walsh from
United Kingdom
We (a group of 6 or sometimes 8) have been going to Pila since 2009. Every year we talk about going somewhere different, but we continue to ski in Pila. Lots of people return year after year.
Runs are good, never crowded, lifts are good, never crowded (apart from 1st run in the morning and weekends when the Italians descend). Night life is a bit quite, but I think that keeps Pila being the Gem that it is.
November 20, 2013
Graham from
United Kingdom
Graham from
United Kingdom
We (family of 5, with three teenagers) were in Pila in Feb 2013 and will be again at Christmas. Staying at the Hotel La Chance, on an Interski package, which avoids the lift up from Aosta every day. The hotel is very nice with a spa and good food.
The lifts are sometimes busy with the first lift in particular crowded when the ski schools go off. Never queued for more than 15 minutes here though. The pistes are all impeccably groomed and there is a good variation although I suspect that a good skier may want more challenge after a few days.
The resort does have just one run to the bottom lift into which all the pistes feed. At busy times in the afternoon, it can be quite busy, especially as the nursery slopes are there as well! The local Interski people call it the "M25" and like that esteemed road, best avoided at rush hour.
Not much night life that I know of but then again, we don't really do that anyway so probably not best placed to comment.
Shop and bar owners we spoke with were very friendly. Lot of good eateries on the mountain and available in all languages.
We really enjoyed it and will probably go back again after Christmas.
January 11, 2012
dave stephenson from
United Kingdom
dave stephenson from
United Kingdom
Christmas 2011
This was our first visit to Pila; preferring to ski either during Christmas or just before over the last 20+ years. The hotel was very good with pleasant staff and good facilities and good food with unlimited free wine at evening dinner! "Etoiles de Neige" - 100m from a chair lift and 200m from the main lift station, accessed via a moving walkway from just by the hotel. The snow conditions were perfect but a few of the lifts had not opened due to a big dump of snow just before we arrived; the main pistes were well groomed providing easy cruising skiing and two or three awesome blacks if required. The slopes were not crowded and we never queued for more than a few minutes all week. The pisteurs and lift staff were courteous and polite and there's a big cable car that foot passengers can take from Pila centre to the main slopes. I believe that Pila can be crowded at weekends as the Torinese flock to the slopes if the weather's good. The resort is compact, all pistes leading back to the main resort centre so getting lost is pretty well impossible. If you want the hectic nightlife then this resort is not for you.
The nursery slopes looked ideal for beginners and young children and the slopes were well served by restaurants and bars without the eye watering prices encountered in other resorts throughout the Alps; I mention no other countries but suffice it to say we now ski three times a year in Italy and have noticed the numbers of French people skiing in Italy grows noticeably year by year.
Should one wish for a "day off" then Aosta is a cable car journey away about 17 minutes (included in your lift pass) and is well worth the visit even if for only a half day.
We would certainly ski here again but would suggest that for the expert skier wanting to travel far and wide then they would run out of pistes after a couple of days.
Dave Stephenson Jan 2012.
April 12, 2011
maria from
United Kingdom
maria from
United Kingdom
Pila is a little gem of a resort. It's fantastic for beginners and intermediates. Expert skiers can have great fun depending on the weather conditions. The views are superb from Mont Blanc to Matterhorn. Sometimes it can get busy during weekends in the morning but nothing horrible - just 5 min wait. Food is the best in the Alps for the money you pay- Hermitage is the best place and value for money-. Please stay at Aosta or nearby, not Pila if you like to have a life after skiing. Aosta is a lovely town full Roman ruins , shops and bars. If there is fresh powder you will write a review yourselves because you can have so much fun and no crowds. Very easy to visit nearby resorts such as Courmayer, La Thuile, Cervinia, Crevacol, Monterossa - all of them less than an hour away. The lift pass can cover all these resorts with just few Euros extra. I love Pila and I keep coming back for powder, trees, perfectly groomed pistes and the relaxed feeling it has.
March 26, 2009
Tom Goodwin from
Italy
Tom Goodwin from
Italy
I've just got back from Pila where the snow was the best for 20 years. The resort had 3 metres at the top, and enough at the bottom to last past Easter. Reading other reviews, it's true that there is no life in Pila at night - you have to make you own fun after the lifts stop, and the week-ends, peak times are particularly shocking, as Milanese and Torinese day-trippers ascend in their thousands. The British schoolchildren are no longer a nuisance and the locals are very welcoming. On the plus side, it has one of the best views in the Alps, and a short 'Bubble' ride takes you to Aosta, a city small enough to explore easily yet big enough to have good shopping, culture and amenities.
I would say Pila is a great mid-sized resort with plenty for beginners and intermediates, and if you know where to look, experts, like myself, keep coming back. For variety there is always the option of an international day trip. These resorts are under two hours away: La Thuile/La Rosiere, Cervinia/Zermatt Courmayeur/Chamonix or the cheapest heli-skiing in Europe. The ski school and creche are well run and compared to France or Switzerland, everything is absurdly cheap. Now it is time to come clean - I have been going for 30 years and with two young sons, I will probably still be there in another thirty.
In fact, I enjoyed the last trip to Pila so much, we're going back next week.
November 25, 2008
mike kimber from
United Kingdom
mike kimber from
United Kingdom
Went with school for two years over new years. Very contrasting; first year powder, second year snow cannon. Slopes covered by snow cannons leave fairly limited skiing so beware if going early in the season.
Aosta isn't the greatest place to stay. Not a lot going on really. Few bars etc but wouldn't rush back. Bit too small for me.
Overall, good resort but probably won't be going back. Save your pennies and go to Tignes instead.
Went with Interski through school who do a good job of everything. so if you are going on a school trip you'll love it.
February 11, 2008
Louise from
United Kingdom
Louise from
United Kingdom
January 20th 2008
Fantastic, if small, resort. We are beginner to medium intermediates and there was just enough to keep us going for a week. I imagine if you were more experienced you could cover the runs in 2-3 days. Weather was amazing with fantastic views over Monte Bianco and the Matterhorn from our hotel room in Lion Noir, which is a great hotel. Apres-ski is almost non existent but chilled. Looking to go back for 3 nights on the 24th February.
P.s. avoid weekends if you can as it gets packed with locals.
February 10, 2008
Kris from
United Kingdom
Kris from
United Kingdom
Went to Pila with my wife mid January - fantastic ski area, plenty of snow and the views cannot be beaten. Slopes were generally in great condition but we never left the hotel before 10am. The food on the other side was a bit poor. The apres-ski scene was almost dead if not for the Gallagher's bar (only good place to go - thanks to Laura). Overall, the place is ok if you are there for the average cruising but if you are looking for more challenging terrain you better go to La Thuile.