Looking for info on Courmayeur Italy for skiing in January.Specifically,hotels ,anyone know anything about Hotel Select as opposed to Hotel Cresta et Duc and snow conditions at this time of year?How about getting to nearby Swiss and Frech Alps ?Thanks BMac

The Hotel Cresta et Duc is supposed to be excellent. I've heard the food is good and the hosts are great.The snow should be good, but you never know. I've been the past 2 winters in February and it's been excellent. I drove to Cervinia and skied in Zermatt and Cervinia that day. La Thuile was fun for a day and the tunnel to Chamonix will be opening on December 15th. I highly recommend Courmayeur!

Hey BMac, I'm going to jump into your question too, I hope that you don't mind. <BR> <BR>Bob, you sound very knowledgeable. My husband and I are considering skiing in either Courmayeur, Cervinia, Champoluc or Val di Fassa or Fiemme (Dolomites) in mid-February (Feb 16-23). I am a beginner (learned to ski last year), and my husband is advance (I think he used to be expert but he's out of shape). We need a place where there's more to do in the general area, as I need 1-2 days of non-skiing. Also a hotel with nice food and a hot-tub to soothe tired muscles would be great. Based on this, do you have any recommendations on resorts and hotels?

I was at cresta et duc this year in march.I would stay there again, awesome food,service is outstanding. Snowfall was the best,short walk to the lifts.Guido will make your trip the best.

Hello guys:<BR><BR>I have been to Courmayer 3 years ago. We had a group that stayed at a property called the Palace Bron. The town is wonderful. The food is outstanding. The skiing I heard was pretty good, intermediates and beginners should have a ball. The reason I "heard" that the skiing was good was that on the first day I tore my calf muscle on the frst run of the day/week!! I had a wonderful time taking the rental car a traveing around the area and seeing sights that I would not have the time to see if I was skiing. Aosta is a wonderful town to day trip to. The Gran Paradiso area was outstanding! What a beautiful pristine area. I spent the day watching mini avalanches drop off the clifts while sipping Barbaresco and eating soup with dollops of Aosta Cheese!! yum yum! The dollar value and the Itallian people still makes Italy a great destination for a wonderful trip<BR><BR>God choice!<BR>JOHN

Oops! I meant "GOOD CHOICE". Although GOD said HE/SHE agrees!!<BR>john

I'm heading for my first trip to Italy (Milan) first weekend in March with my 11 year old daughter. She wants to see Venice. I want Ski Courmayeur Italy. Can we do both? Which first? bus to courmayeur? r/t train to venice

Bilzen - Milan, Venice &amp; Courmayeur in a weekend? Whew - I'm exhausted just thinking about it

You can find train timetables between Milan and Venice on:
www.trenitalia.it

There's a daily bus service from Milan to COURMAYEUR, which departs at 07.00 from Autostazione Garibaldi.

The return leaves Courmayeur at 17.00.
Journey time each way is 3.5 hours.

Here's the link:
http://www.sadem.it/orari_tariffe.htm

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Mariorosa - I haven't been to the other resorts you're considering, but we skied Cervinia two years ago. It's a great area for a beginning skier because most of the runs are quite easy and you can pretty much ski along and not worry about getting over your head. It's also sunny and, because of the altitude, snow-sure. And it has the advantage of allowing you to ski over and visit Zermatt. On the down side (for you) is that it's at the end of a long drive up a remote valley and the town itself has very little going on other than a typically European ski resort noisy bar scene. (Inexplicably it also has a wine store with one of the most impressive inventories I've every seen - as in magnums of 1st Growths in abundance).

Steve I'm hoping you can give me a little more info. I want my daughter to enjoy this not be exhausted. We land Milan Friday 10 AM from NYC. I'm thinking of having lunch in Milan and one quick sight seeing jaunt, then training over to Venice for the evening (any good hotels you can name?)Spending Saturday in Venice, training back to Milan at night, then off to Couremayeur on Sun AM, back Sun PM. Fly out Mon. Too much? Instead of skiing, I was thinking of Lake Como but heard it's too cold in March, right? I was thinking Como/Bormio .

Too much? Well - it depends how much energy you've got left after a day's sightseeing in Venice.

Courmayeur means an early start - but lots of Milanesi do it for a day's skiing.
Como wouldn't be as cold as Courmayeur, that's for sure

I've stayed in an RCI place when I go to Venice, but I'm sure others can help you with hotel suggestions there if you re-post.

Steve, you've convinced me it's too much.
My plan now is to land Fri AM, train to Venice, spend Fri and Sat nite in Venice, and train back Sun AM to Milan, with a short sun pm trip to lake como. Any recos you have re hotels (i'm in rci), activities, buying tickets in advance, and/or transport, itineraries, i'd welcome. thanks, you've been a great help. bill

Bill - I stay at Le Ville del Lido in Venice - but for such a short stay you'd want to stay in Venice proper, I think.

En route to Venice you might want to consider a gelato stop in Verona - and a visit to 'the other' Colosseum, perhaps.

If you want to ferry-hop on Lake Como, you can find timetables on this link:

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/itali...indicecomo.htm

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Steve, thanks for all your help! Bill