Skiing in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Skiing is the major sport in both Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta. Excellent facilities abound at resort towns such as Courmayeur and Breuil-Cervinia. The so-called Via Lattea (Milky Way)—five skiing areas near Sestriere with 400 km (almost 250 miles) of linked runs and more than 100 ski lifts—provides practically unlimited skiing. Lift tickets, running around €40 for a day's pass, are a good deal compared to those at major U.S. resorts.

To Italian skiers, a weeklong holiday on the slopes is known as a settimana bianca (white week). Ski resort hotels in Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta encourage these getaways by offering six- and seven-day packages, and though they're designed with the domestic market in mind, you can get a bargain by taking advantage of them. The packages usually (though not always) include half or full board.

You should have your passport with you if you plan a day trip into Switzerland—although the odds are that you won't be asked to show it.