Overview of Ski Area
Situated in a unique position straddling the border of two Alpine countries, Espace San Bernado has one foot (or ski boot) in France and the other in Italy. Encompassing an action-packed skiable area of 160 kms of pistes with more than 40 ski lifts, a single ski pass can cover you for what is one of Europe’s largest ski regions.
The eclectic, cosmopolitan nature of Espace San Bernado is not all that makes it so appealing to both beginners and experts. As well as border-free skiing between France and Italy, you can head off-piste for some excellent cross-country, or take the ultimate adrenaline adventure with glacier heli-skiing.
Resorts in Espace San Bernado
THE SKI RESORTS OF ESPACE SAN BERNARDO
La Rosière
Overview of Ski Resort
Situated at 1850 metres, earning it the nickname of the “balcony of the Tarentaise Valley“, La Rosière is somewhat of an undiscovered gem. Its charming chalets, laidback ambience and snow sure north-facing slopes combine to create a truly family-friendly resort, with plenty of opportunities for skiers of all abilities.
Best for:
- Families
- Beginners
- Intermediate
- Snowboarders
Piste Guide
The slopes of La Rosière offer excellent opportunities for beginners and children, along with intermediate slopes for the more confident skiers and some challenging reds and blacks (at Ecudets) for the speed demons. One of the most pleasing aspects is the general lack of queues for the lifts.
The resort has some excellent nursery slopes as well as some gentle blues in Les Escherts and the main village, and the wide pistes of the main mountain offer plenty of red runs for those looking to progress. While taking advantage of the open border skiing across to La Thuile, in Italy, does involve a red run, it’s not beyond the capabilities of a confident youngster.
For snowboarders, even novices can enjoy the soft snow conditions of the slopes and the resort also has a very good terrain park, Poletta – which, with green, reds and blue lines, has something for all ages and abilities.
Facilities
The majority of La Rosière’s ski lifts are chairlifts, which is good news for beginners and those with younger families.
As well as skiing, other child-friendly activities include dog sledding, curling, snow rafting and tobogganing, while beyond the slopes there’s a cinema, bowling and ice-skating rink, playground and merry-go-round. For older children, snow kiting is an exciting sport that even beginners can master.
Après
La Rosière is certainly not known for its hedonistic après ski scene, so party animals are few and far between in this lovely laidback resort. However, there’s a good selection of friendly bars and restaurants, which are perfect for families to enjoy some afternoon or early evening downtime off the slopes.
La Thuile
Overview of Ski Resort
The resort La Thuile, in the Val d’Aosta, is the Italian component of the French-Italian Espace San Bernado. This purpose-built resort situated right on the slopes is the epitome of a relaxed, family friendly ski destination, with expansive, crowd-free slopes, a lovely historical old town and an accessible mix of terrains suitable for all ages and abilities. With border free skiing across to La Rosière, in France, the skiable area encompasses some incredibly picturesque scenery.
Best for:
- Families
- Beginners
- Intermediate
Piste Guide
With the majority of the north facing slopes situated at above 2000 metres, this is one of the most snow sure resorts in the Alps. The terrain is a fantastic mix of gentle blue runs, diverse reds and spine-tingling blacks.
For beginners, there’s a good nursery area at Les Suchs, complete with magic carpet lifts, leading to an excellent range of blue and relatively easy red slopes above, at 2200 metres. Intermediates and experts can enjoy the challenges of the steep blacks below Les Suchs and up at the highest point of Espace San Bernadao, The Belvedere – Piccolo San Bernardo area.
The beautiful wooded runs of the resort enjoy consistent snow cover and are wonderfully relaxed and crowd free, even more so during the week.
Facilities
The resort is facilitated with modern high-speed lifts, with direct connections to La Rosière, and there are rarely any problems with queues.
While there’s not as much to do off the slopes as in some other resorts, there’s an indoor pool and a selection of shops as well as opportunities for hiking and dog sledding. Just 10km away, the fabulous thermal baths at Pré-St-Didier offer an extensive menu of spa experiences in the outdoor pools.
Après
La Thuile offers a quieter, family friendly ambience rather than a non-stop party après-ski scene. There are some lovely mountain pubs and restaurants serving up traditional cuisine, and a selection of cosy cafes where you can try the famous valdôtain coffee à la ronde. If you’re looking to score brownie points with the kids, they’ll be in their element amongst the tempting confectionery shops of the resort.
How to Get There
If you’ve chosen Espace San Bernardo for your ski holiday, a number of airports that service the French Alps will get you there, including Geneva (GVA), Chambery (CMF), Grenoble (GNB) and Lyon (LYS). Various budget carriers offer regular routes to these airports from the UK and the average flight time is around an hour and a half.
To get the rest of the way from any of these airports to La Rosière or La Thuile, Shuttle Direct offers an efficient service to transport you comfortably to the resort as quickly as possible. If you’re bringing your own equipment, we will transport it at no extra cost, but it must be mentioned at the time of booking.
About Shuttle Direct
Shuttle Direct is the premier airport transfer company servicing the French Alps. Our friendly and cost efficient services can be arranged to meet you at any airport or train station to transfer you directly to your resort in Espace San Bernado.
We have many years’ experience with winter sports transfers in Italy, Austria and the French Alps, so you can rest assured you’re in good hands. We’re happy to carry any ski equipment for free as long as you mention it at the time of booking.
With a range of options for different group sizes and budgets, we offer transfers to and from all airports servicing the French Alps, including Chambery (CMF), Lyon (LYS), Geneva (GVA), Turin (TRN) and Grenoble (GNB).
