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Visitor reviews for Sauze d'Oulx (Via Lattea) 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)
Top rated
October 23, 2003
Andy McVey from
United Kingdom
Andy McVey from
United Kingdom
To be avoided on Sunday due to influx of Italians and the queues are huge. During the week, access to Sestriere, Clavier and San Secario make it all worth it. Off piste powder can be found and in the trees can be excellent, Snowboarders may have to contend with long flat sections, so be prepared to walk a lot. Good place if you have had some experience on ski's, but the pistes are very mixed steep then shallow, which can be scarry to beginers. There are also numerous bottlenecks, both with lifts and on piste. On the whole, it is cheap, not so well though out, but not nasty, the range on the ground is vast considering all linked resorts. The main problem to me is the inadequate feeder lift system which can take an hour and a half to get you to the top on a busy day.
The town is mixed old Alp and modern. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants and great night life, predominated by British holiday makers. In general I like it a lot, but then I live near so its only an hours drive up the road.
It can take more than an hour to arrive at the top. The skiing is only really for intermediates. The
November 05, 2003
Steve Moore from
United Kingdom
Steve Moore from
United Kingdom
As a novice I found the terrain of Sauze D'oulx very challenging. Its not a great place if you are a complete beginner but with a couple of weeks under your belt its fantastic with vast endless terrain and gondolas linking several resort areas. The food was good and not too expensive.
Didnt have any problems with long queue's but we did go mid March which is late season. The town itself is lively with plenty of bars and restaurants, and its only an hour and a half from the airport which is a major bonus.
Only downside was the accomadation in the Gran Trun(First Choice Holidays) It was terrible and noisy with live music in the bar below untill three or four AM each night.
I would definitely recommend Sauze, In fact Im going again in February!!!
Steve
November 08, 2003
Ady Keeble from
United Kingdom
Ady Keeble from
United Kingdom
I have visited this resort several times over the last ten years and have to say that, in good conditions, it ranks right up there with some of the bigger French resorts. The one major drawback, however, is that good conditions are not always that easy to find. I have been to the Milky Way when there has been over three metres of the white stuff (1997 I think), but equally I have spent 7 days skiing on rocks and ice.
The problem is that Sauze, along with the southern French Alps, gets its weather from fronts that move in from the south rather than across mainland Europe. As such, it is possible to sit outside a sunny Italian bar watching a huge dump fall in France whilst not a flake lands in the Milky Way! The region seems to have to rely on infrequent major dumps of snow for a good season, and these are often several weeks apart. Still, time it right, keep an eye on the snow and take a late deal and you will be in for a treat.
It is fair to say that Sauze is not a great beginners resort. Not only are the resort level slopes a bit on the steep side, but some of the key links, most notably above Clotes, are prone to ice in the afternoon making the run home tricky on tired legs. But for anyone above the level of timid intermediate the possibilities are endless.
Once you have negotiated the rather out-dated lift system to the main meeting area at Sportina, the mountain opens out before you. Get in and out of Sportina early, as the bowl here is the meeting place for ski school and can get very busy, especially at high season and weekends. This is compounded by the fact that the only route up from here is via two excritiatingly slow 2-man chairs.
Once out of Sportina, the world is your oyster! There are some sweeping reds which lead down into the bowl beneath the Sestriere gondola, and the whole area tends to be less crowded until midweek when the ski schools start to venture farther afield. From here you can take a steep dogleg drag over to Sansicario, where I have enjoyed wide open motorway cruising on some of the best tree lined reds I have found anywhere. There are also great lunchtime possibilities here with one particular bar enjoying spectacular views across the valley into France. Be warned, though - the route back from Sansicario is via a steep black (to date still the only possible way back to Sauze) which I would not recommend to anyone lacking confidence or stamina.
Another great day can be had at Sestriere, perhaps best done early in the week before ski schools clog up the gondola there and back. Keep one eye on the weather, however, as the link is prone to closure when the wind gets up and taxis back are not cheap!
At the weekend Sauze gets invaded by the locals from Turin, who all seem to head for Sportina particularly when the sun is out. My advice would be to steer well clear of Sportina on Saturday, taking the Clotes lift instead and skiing the Genevris sector - I have always found this area deserted when Sportina is packed.
The resort itself has always had a reputation for rowdy behaviour, stemming from a couple of high profile lager induced incidents in the late 1980's, and whilst Sauze is still lively in the evening it in no way justifies the label still attached to it. There are bars which are tailored to suit most tastes - I prefer 'relaxed' and Moncrons and The Derby fit the bill perfectly. Accomodation wise there is loads to choose from, but my advice would be to try for a hotel as close to the top of the resort as you can find - the morning walk up the hill to the lifts can be a real pain otherwise. The Stella Alpina is ideally located about 50 yards from the Clotes lift.
All in all, a great place to ski in good weather. The Milky Way still lags behind other areas this size in terms of uplift capacity - the lift system in parts is positively pre-historic - but if you come knowing what to expect you will be in for a fantastic time.
March 30, 2004
A Jones from
United Kingdom
A Jones from
United Kingdom
Just been to Sauze for a week. Was pleasantly suprised especially as a friend had said it was the Bendorm of ski resorts. The town is small but nice, especially the old town which has retained some of its character. There's plenty to do at night and if you're not into UK-style pubs abroad (which I personally think are sh*te) there's some places that are pretty cool - like the Derby Bar, just off the main square.
Skiing is good - there are loads of runs in the Sauze/Sportina area, as well as the adjoiing areas of Sansicaria and Sestriere. Some of the lifts are old and slow so moving between and around the different areas can be a bit time consuming (which also means you freeze your arse off). Runs are mostly red and intermediate, but if you're confident and not a complete beginner the skiing is great. There's a few nice tree-lined runs for those 'scenic' descents.
Not sure what the conditions are normally like but the runs were hard and icey for most of the week (Mar 21st to 28th). There was a 6 inch snow fall over the thursday and friday, which was great for the first half of the day but once everyone had skiied it the ice was showing through again so the skiing got pretty hairy in places. I get the impression that Italian piste-bashers are laid back as they didn't bother getting the bashers out at all in most places after the snow fall, which was a shame as this would have made the pistes much better. There's some great off-piste skiing to be had, especially of you're a boarder.
All in, a good resort with great skiing as long as the conditions are ok. I'd recommend checking the snow reports before booking. Oh yeah, and don't stay in the Hotel Syanara. It was dreary, the beds were like old camp beds and the hotel manager was the most miserable woman I've met in a long time (it was only 2 star, but still...).
December 09, 2004
J and C from
United Kingdom
J and C from
United Kingdom
We are back from our ski weekend in Italy and in short â¦â¦.never to return again!!
We arrived at the Turin Airport ½ hour late, due to massive snow falls in the UK, to quite a warm Italy. my husband and I made our way to the closest toilet in the terminal and were pretty grossed out at how dirty they were. Outside the guy from our hotel was waiting with his blue jersey, to take us to our so called âhotelâ. This guy, we still do not know his name, wore the same jersey from Friday when we arrived until Sunday when we left. The cab stunk of wet smelly stinking socks so we had to endure this for 1 hr. When we got to the place, we realized we were not in Sauze DâOulx where our friends were staying but rather the town way below it called Jouvenceaux. There were just mountains everywhere and we could see this coming, the mountains we would be climbing to get to ski lifts and back to our âhotelâ. The guy showed us to the closest ski hire shop which we could not believe. The skiâs were from 1800âs with tie bindings, not even click ones (like we were used to) so we asked for another shop which was now not in our village but Sauze instead. We eventually got our blue jersey man to drive us up the hill to try and get some skis before the shop closed in 15 mins. We soon realized most things closed btw 1230 and 1530 even the ski lift near to our town. We managed to get some skis and once again persuaded our man in the blue jersey to take us up to Sauze so we could ski on Friday afternoon from the Sauze lift system. But before skiing we got shown to our room which we were horrified at. This was also from the 1800âs. The beds were camper beds and if you sat in the middle of them, you got folded inside them. The mattresses were an entire 5cm thick with springs sticking out everywhere. The bathroom had no shower and there was so much junk all around the room, we could not believe our eyes. To top it all, it was the most we have ever paid for accommodation when skiing and it was def the worst. We then proceeded to the slopes which were probably the highlight of the w/end. The snow was great, there were no moguls and the slopes were strangely empty maybe it was because most of the lifts took about 45 mins to get anywhere at all not to mention uncomfortable at all â they all seemed to stick into the middle of your back. The lifts are in sure need of a major revamp and soon at that. They are supposed to be having the 2006 Olympics at this place and as far as we were concerned, they need to break down the entire of the village, ski lifts, restaurants etc and start again!! We had lunch at a restaurant in the Sportina region where we were served our meals on plastic plates. There must have been about 6-7 restaurants in this small area and yip they had all but one toilet!!! We really liked the slopes but seriously that was about it for Sauze. The Italians were nice and friendly but most of them seriously needed some deo!! Out on Friday night, we went to a bar which had about 200 people inside it and it has a communal bathroom for men and woman which was a ceramic hole in the floor. We were not impressed to say the least!!
Friends went on a weekâs package deal which was quite reasonable but I think if it were us, we would have left after the 2 nights we had experienced no matter what the cost!!
Saturday it snowed huge and on Sunday morning there was at least 40cms of snow which melted so fast because we think it must have reached about 10 degrees on the mountains. We skied loads on Sunday and our bodies felt the effect. Last night we were delayed in Turin airport which is also filthy so only got back at 230am in th emorning.
To sum it all up, we think Austria RULZZZZ big time, it is spotless, much cheaper and so modern and you can't even compare Austria's great nightlife to Suaze. We will never return to Italy, at least for a skiing holiday. We will need something really special to make us go back â maybe the Italian Riviera ....who knows??
So take advice from this, you might get a good ski package for Italy but DO NOT TAKE anyone/anything up on it.
January 26, 2005
Richard Gardiner from
United Kingdom
Richard Gardiner from
United Kingdom
I have been to Sauze twice before in mid 90's and have had a great time on both occasions, sun, skiing, beer bars and suprisingly good places to eat. Lucky with good snow I think. It does get busy at the weekend but quiet for the rest of the week. Mostly intermediate runs, with some steeper stuff in Sestriere. Some good potential for off-piste diversions. Chairs are definitely slow in comparison to other areas and the old two man chair that you have to jump off holding your ski's is always good for a laugh, unless it has now been replaced(remember to step to the side, rather than run away from it!). Going again this year because feeling poor, like to have two trips a year and got a good price for a resort that offers a lot of potential if snow OK (and short transfer). However, would always chooser higher, larger French resorts, or Selva in Italy if not skint. Would recommend Cervinia for beginners and early intermediates who want to go to Italy and want loads of easy runs. Sauze is well worth a visit if you get a good price and can tolerate some of the limitations.
December 23, 2019
Blanka Tomlinson from
United Kingdom
Blanka Tomlinson from
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.
November 26, 2005
Debbie Pheby from
United Kingdom
Debbie Pheby from
United Kingdom
The fact that my son and I will be retuning for our sixthe Xmas in Sauze, I think, speaks volumes! I can only reiterate other visitors reviews regarding the resort; the range of runs and facilities is there for every conceivable ability and the atmosphere on the mountain is 'cracking' not to mention the apre ski! the 'natives' are unbelievably friendly and hospitable. Anybody who says Sauze is the 'Ibiza' of ski resorts in Europe needs to try it for themself before they believe that! If you want to ski hard all day, apre ski all evening and then party through the night, you can....... and if you just want a quiet relaxing day on the slopes followed by a quiet night in, you can do that too and not even know the youngsters are partying (unless you want to join then if you are allowed!)
I have skiied in America, France, Austria and other resorts in Italy, but for me Sauze is without a doubt the best. This xmas and new year cannot come soon enough!
February 02, 2016
Stephen from
Ireland
Stephen from
Ireland
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!
January 31, 2010
Colin Bromley from
United Kingdom
Colin Bromley from
United Kingdom
Snow conditions were good on arrival at Sauze d'Oulx and lots more fell during our stay. We were sold a Milky Way pass which proved to be something of a joke as the link to Sestrierre was closed most of the time. Very few runs were pisted with little piste-basher action until Christmas Eve by which time we had been there four days.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas night the pisteurs were out all night making lots of new runs ready for the Italian holidaymakers.
Frankly, we felt cheated and we were far from alone in this.
Additionaly, this year's changes to the ski lift arrangements meant that in poor conditions, the only way back from Sestrierre to Sauze (although only a green run) was hairy to say the least with a steep fall away on one side of a very narrow track.
My strong advice, based on numerous years visiting Sauze (Sauze d'Oulx), is "Don't bother!" Try France instead where the lift systems are better and piste conditions well monitored and maintained.