Skiing Italy
 

We are planning to ski in the Dolomites region in March is there enough snow? Where is the best place to stay? We were thinking of the Sella Ronda route do we need to book accommodation?

Hi SM - The best choice IMO is Selva or Ortisei in Val Gardena.

Selva has instant access to the Sella Ronda circuit via the Ciampinoi and Dantercepies lifts - so is a popular choice with skiers.

Ortisei - 20 mins down the valley (- regular ski-bus service) - IMO is a more attractive village and is where I usually stay.

Really you can't go wrong with either.

You can find a Val Gardena slideshow on:
http://www.ortisei.com/Tour2/index.htm

For snow conditions, hotels and general info see the Val Gardena tourist office website:

www.valgardena.it

Another useful link is:

www.val-gardena.com/


If you're looking for a pleasant 3* guesthouse I can recommend this one in Ortisei:
www.hotelvillapark.com


Alternatively you could base in one of the Alta Val Badia villages - Corvara or Colfosco ...

www.altabadia.org

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Here's a good site for world-wide snow condition reports

http://www.snocountry.com/

sounds nice!

We have skied in the Dolomites twice. Although, I have not been following the snow reports this year, I would recommend going the first half of March as the second half is warmer and snow starts melting, which means slushy conditions in the afternoon. I would also make reservations in advance. This is a very popular area for Europeans to vacation during their "Spring Break" holidays, so the hotels and guest houses are pretty full.

The Sella Ronda route is increadibly busy and a little gimmicky. Everyone does it. If you go on the trails that are not part of the Sella Ronda, you'll find that they are not busy at all. Even hotels that are not "on" the Sella Route will shuttle you to one of its points so you can take a day and do the circuit. Also, the Sella is not the only circuit you can do. There are at least 10 other circuits, the tourism offices can send you the maps for it. You can contact them through dolomitisuperski.com

Finally, some of the valleys have a more Italian flavor and some have a more Tyrolian flavor. Val Gardena and Alta Badia (both lovely) have a more German flavor, whereas Val di Fassa has a more Italian flavor. In Val di Fassa, you have direct access to the Sella in Campitello and Canazei.