I like to take a few days off during the Christmas break to rewind and start the new year on the right foot.
Last year I chose a warm city break and headed off to Marrakesh, while this year I opted for a more conventional winter choice, a ski trip.
I went to Courmayeur on 2 January and had four full days there.
From Rome it is quite a journey, and I would not recommend driving. Although the road is fantastic all the way to the town, it is an eight-hour journey.
If you want the freedom, but can’t be bothered with being behind the wheel for that long, I would recommend the train to Milan and a rental car from there. Turin is closer, but the Rome-Milan route is covered by the high-speed train which takes three hours.
Flying is the other option, which all in all would take the same time, if not a little longer, and it is a bit of a hassle because even if you rent the equipment you will probably have to check your luggage; mountain attire is so bulky that even I, the queen of the carry-on, can’t do hand luggage only.
Courmayeur is a cute town. It seats at the foot of the mountains so you always have those giants towering over you. Some people may find it oppressing, but I loved it, it is a constant reminder that the mountains rule, so you should respect them.
It is not your typical mountain town with basic restaurants and ski stores. It certainly was, and there are still reminders of that time, in the little square dedicated to the Alpine guides, for example, but it is now a rather ritzy destination, chosen by the wealthy of Milan and Genoa and more and more foreigners. This means that the town transformed to cater to its clientele, hence the fancy restaurants, the nice bars serving perfect drinks, the expensive jewellery stores.
This is not a bad quality for me; after skiing for several hours, having the option to relax in a lovely café and looking forward to a tasty dinner which is not necessarily fondue and potatoes, it is certainly something I am for. Also, while you will come across the vulgar man with the fake tan or the over the top woman in her cringy fur, they’ll be among a larger crowd of young people looking for sport and fun in a polished, easy environment.
The slopes are really good, long, varied. The downside is that you have sun only in the morning, and partly in the afternoon, but that in a small portion of the domain. I was in Switzerland two years ago, in Champery and if I compare, the domain there, which they call Portes du Soleil is really huge, especially if you do the pass for the Swiss and French sides, however there is still plenty of skiing to be done here.
The other advantage is that if you are in the centre you can walk to the cable car and in a few minutes you are on the slopes. They are also very organised because there are ski rentals just around the cable car and even up at destination and you can leave your equipment there at the end of the day, so you don’t need to carry around anything but your tired self.
After skiing, it is very nice to stroll around and by 5 pm the centre is buzzing with skiers happy to rest their limbs and warm up. My best finds have been Caffé della Posta for a really good aperitivo in a Frenchish environment, Petit Bistrot for crepes you will not forget and Pierre Alexis for a gourmet dinner inspired by the hearty mountain food, but made lighter and modern. Also, do not leave town without stopping at Panizzi and stock up in fresh yogurt, cheese and mocetta.
Finally an experience which should not be missed is the Skyway, a cable car that in two stops will take you up on the Mont Blanc at 3,466 metres. Saying that it is breath taking up there it is an understatement. The two stations are equipped with cafes, entertainment centres and much more, maybe even too much, but it is very interesting and having prosecco up there is fairly decadent, in a good way.
There are options for activities for adventurous skiers and trekkers as well, but I haven’t looked into it. I was happy to spend a few minutes up on the 360-degree terrace taking in one of the most gorgeous view I have even seen.
A presto
Veronica Edit 