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Visitor reviews for Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) Ski Resort

Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) Ratings

Overall: 3.9. Based on 29 votes and 65 reviews.

Snowsure: 3.8

  • 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
  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 4.1

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 3.7

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.1

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 4.5

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)

Public Transport: 4.0

  • There are no buses or taxis to Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 4.2

  • No places to stay in/near Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 3.9

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 3.4

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)

Ski in/Ski out: 3.8

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 3.6

  • There are no child care facilities at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.8

  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 4.0

  • There are no snow groomers at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) are groomed daily

Shelter: 3.8

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 3.9

  • If snow conditions are poor at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea), it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 3.7

  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 4.1

  • The staff at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 3.7

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 4.5

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.4

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 3.7

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 4.6

  • No intermediate terrain at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 4.1

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 3.1

  • Not even a kicker at Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 2.8

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea)
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 2.5

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 4.3

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 4.2

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 4.3

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 3.2

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 3.2

  • Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
  • The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
  • The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 3.4

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 4.0

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 4.0

  • Overall, Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 4.2

  • Overall, Sauze d'Oulx (Vialattea) is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

April 02, 2024
C roberts from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just back from a late Easter week in Sauze. We got lucky with the snow after a few weeks of above average temperatures. Lovely tree lined runs with only the last bit bare and slushy. Made Sestriere over the top on a sunny day, which was a treat and some lovely skiing down to San Sicarso. Only gripe about this resort is the basic lift system which needs some investment. It’s crying out for a gondola from the village up to Sportinia to serve the beginners and when the low runs are suffering. I was in the 3valleys in January and the lifts are on another planet to Sauze. The 2 seater chair, which is the main Sestriere link lift, is a joke by modern standards. But, hey, the lift pass is a lot cheaper as long as you run at Italy speed and at 1.5 euros for a coffee on the slopes it makes for a cheaper holiday. Nice quick transfer from Turin also. The town itself is ok but not sure where the boozy reputation comes from. It was dead in the evening and a few quiet bars surviving and a few clubs looked like they’d closed down. Lacking ski in-ski out and there being steep hills to walk in ski boots is no fun, To summarise, nice to go there, lovely red runs. But would I return? Probably not as all a bit dated and much better resorts to spend your time effort and money in.
December 23, 2019
Blanka Tomlinson from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
23.12.2019. Our first day of skiing. Plenty of snow but, unfortunately, many pistes are closed as not ready for the visitors. Hence, massive queues and not much to ski. Very disappointed!!!! Let's hope tomorrow turns up with better prepared slopes or we will not return to this area and may choose different country such a Austria which always have the customers as a priority. We paid lots of money for our ski passes and can only hope we can use them fully tomorrow in fully opened resort. 
February 02, 2016
Stephen from Ski France France
Returned from a great long weekend's skiing in Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea) at the end of Jan 2016. The fact that the resort is a mere hour from Turin airport makes it perfect for a long weekend break. The lively bars are also a bonus and we had some top notch food to boot. I started going to Italy around three years ago after simply getting fed up with the queues, the expense and the long transfers to the big French resorts. Nothing has happened so far that would make me turn back. The skiing was great especially over on the Moncrons section of the resort, even though the snow was not as deep as it should be for the time of year. The sun shone, the beer was cheap and the locals were glad to see us! There are a few gripes I have with this resort though and they have mostly been mentioned before: the Moncron section is only served by drags, this is where all of the powder was but the borders with us weren't interested as they were so long and very steep. The beginners area in the village is not served by snow machines. We actually could not believe our eyes at the sight of people coming down sheer ice to avoid the steep walk downhill from lift base; a few canons would mean people could ski to the town. Mt. Fraiteve, the only way to ski out of Sauze (down to either Sestriere or Sansicario) is still served by a very slow 2-man lift which closes at any sign of wind. This is especially frustrating as only half the runs in Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea) were open so we became very limited when the wind picked up. Taxis are an absolute rip off and should be avoided at all costs; we paid €45 for two of us to go 12 mins from Cesana to Montgenevre. A final tip to anyone planning to ski from Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea) to Montgenevre: don't bother skiing, plan to catch the bus from Oulx (€3) which will drop you at the bottom of the lift in Cesana for around 09:00. Once you catch the lifts towards Claviere and navigate the way to Montgenevre, you will be skiing in France before 10:00. If you do the same on the way back (aiming to catch the 17:00 bus), you end up with an entire day between the lovely resorts of Claviere and Montgenevre instead of clock watching trying to catch the last lifts home. All in all and, would recommend everyone to give it a go; it won't disappoint!
March 07, 2014
Jenny from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just got back from Sauze. Brilliant ski conditions, lots of empty wide slopes. My husband boards and he was delighted in the off-piste snow. Would def recommend. It's a shame there isn't any apres-ski on the slopes, but there is enough in-doors bars. It's just a shame when the weather is sunny to be inside.
February 25, 2013
John Jones from Ski Italy Italy
Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea) Back again for the 3rd year and still booking all my ski extras through 'the shower!' as it is called by Robin Marriot (see Jan 31 2012 comment) and still extremely happy to save loads of money for my family through Skiinitaly besides being offered excellent professional service by Christine. Snow conditions great this winter, the ski area as vast as ever, sign posting is improving, apres-ski as quiet or as noisy and lively as one wishes and this year even more places are having live music which is great. The best pizza in town at La Griglia, best pasta at Sugos, and some great wine at Lampiones and Seggiovia for aperitivo italian style. Enjoy
January 31, 2012
Robin Marriot from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just back from Sauze (Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea)) where we had a great holiday. We booked with Crystal ski and were provided with an excellent holiday. We took part in the Torchlight Descent and the went on the ski away day to Montgenevre. We pre-booked all our ski passes and equipment in the UK, with Crystal because they offered a great combined package. I've seen a lot of comments on this site about skiing in Italy. During our stay this company booked another group onto the French trip but didn't order an early breakfast for them, causing them much embarrassment!! I'm glad I booked through a professional company, not this shower!
January 30, 2012
Malcolm Firth from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just returned back to UK having left the area getting a welcome covering in fine snow which should see out the season as most of the pistes were well kept. The piste markings relating to the local maps are not very accurate and information as to what was open / closed was a bit hit and miss and was left much to trial and error. The beginners routes were more difficult than the intermediate blue/red routes often with rocks and ice abundant. Stayed at the Stella Alpina very very close to the lifts and piste with the boot room next door - brilliant! The Scotch Bar in the Stella Alpina closes at 11pm to keep it nice and quiet for it's residents but the town centre 5mins away on foot has plenty of bars with live music etc etc. Would I go back - YES
January 20, 2012
John Smith from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just back from Sauze d'Oulx, enjoyed the easy red/blue runs and the faster new Roce Nere chair lift. Sauze is still such good value for money. arrived on 8th Jan and cannot believe we were almost alone on the piste. Had a great day skiing Sestriere and San Sicario. Snow conditions were fine considering there has not been much snow. Great apres-ski with live music in many bars, hotel derby very cheap and cheerful and found eating out a pleasure and very reasonable, maybe the strong pound has helped, which reminds me I did not book any extras like lift passes, ski hire etc before I left UK cause I read the reviews below, and emailed [email protected] before I left, compared prices and thanks to the good exchange ended up paying the equivalent of £144 for my pass and £60 for top skis through them. So if you are on your way to Italy get your £ exchanged before you leave into Euro. If you have an iphone or similar loads of bars offer free wifi, just great to keep up with all at home also on FB Ski InItaly I manged to know every day what was happening re lifts, weather, activities, live music you name it. Have a great trip if you are on your way to Sauze d'Oulx.
March 09, 2011
Tony O'Grady from Ski France France
This has to be one of the most antiquated ski lift systems I have ever seen. There are plenty of nice slopes to be had, but the lift system lets the whole thing down. I for one would not visit Sauze (Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea)) again.
January 13, 2011
David Thomas from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Had a wonderful week in Sauze (Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea))over New Year. Loved the rolling red runs through the trees, particularly red 11 which is used for the torchlit descent. Interesting comments about skiinitaly.com. Although their prices are competitive I did some research online too before I went and found the reviewer's claims about in-resort prices being hugely exagerated. Ski school for 6 days is 129€ with Scoula Sci Sauze so I don't know where they got her price of 150€ from. I don't prebook as mostly cheaper to do it nearer the time but can sometimes can get some excellent deals with the tour operators if you time your booking right.