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Ski resorts in Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia ski resort is in the southwestern Alps on the Italian side of the Frejus Tunnel, which separates France and Italy. The resort comprises six villages and four ski areas.

Bardonecchia resort is made up of six different villages: Fregiusia, Les Arnaus, Melezet, Millaures, Rochemolles and Pian del Sole. The ski resort is characterised by good-value eateries, friendly locals, and historical town centres where traditional events are often staged. The villages are surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Italian Alps, featuring majestic mountain peaks blanketed by a pearly layer of snow.

The resort of Bardonecchia features four different ski areas: Campo Smith-Colomion, Les Arnauds, Mélezet-valle Stretta and Fregiusia-Jafferau. Together they make up 140kms of piste distance, linked by 27 lifts and catering to a variety of different levels: 25 per cent of runs are devoted to beginners, 55 per cent to intermediates and 20 per cent to advanced/expert skiers.

The Milky Way and Trois Vallées ski areas are easily accessible by car from Bardonecchia, providing skiers with a mammoth expanse of potential terrain to cover. Additionally, the area surrounding Bardonecchia is filled with historical buildings and enchanting scenery in the Valle Stretta, towards Lago Verde (the Green Lake), and at Rochemolles, the dam and the glacier.

The ski season at Bardonecchia resort extends from December to April. Bardonecchia has its own train station, making train travel the most advisable form of transportation, unless you are particularly pressed for time. If this is the case, flying to Turin’s Caselle Airport (93kms) and continuing the journey by road or rail might be a better option.

Skiing in Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia is made up of six villages: Fregiusia, Les Arnaus, Melezet, Millaures, Rochemolles and Pian del Sole. The area is conveniently located on the Italian side of the Frejus Tunnel, which separates Italy and France. Additionally, it is 90kms from Turin and within easy access to both the Milky Way and the Trois Vallées skiing areas - providing massive skiing potential.

There are four different ski areas in Bardonecchia itself, namely: Campo Smith-Colomion, Les Arnauds, Mélezet-valle Stretta and Fregiusia-Jafferau. Cumulatively they provide 140kms of ski slopes, made up of 25 per cent beginner pistes, 55 per cent intermediate pistes, and 20 per cent advanced/expert pistes.

The various slopes are connected by a system of 27 lifts. On the whole, the runs are challenging, being predominantly steep and sometimes under-graded. Campo-Smith tends to be the most suitable for beginners and is also the most crowded of the four areas, while the alternatives are usually pleasantly free of congestion.

Lodging options range from hotels and pensions to chalets/apartments and camping/mobile home facilities. Childcare is available in the villages, and there are a fair number of shops selling a variety of goods.

The winter ski season at Bardonecchia runs from December to April. There is also limited glacier skiing in the summer months. Bardonecchia can be reached by train, car, bus, or a combination of air travel and road transportation.

Apres-ski in Bardonecchia

There is more to Bardonecchia than just the ski slopes – the resort offers hiking, a natural ice-skating rink, a sauna, a cinema, ice hockey, horseback riding and bowling as alternatives for non-skiers or those craving a bit of diversity.

The villages offer a wide range of high-quality restaurants, serving mouth-watering Italian cuisine and delicious local wines. Nights are fairly low-key at Bardonecchia, but visitors do have a selection of bars, cafés, and even three discos to satiate their appetites. Accommodation on offer is varied, allowing guests to choose lodging ideally suited to their needs.

In addition to skiing, Bardonecchia offers a number of indoor and outdoor alternatives, including: hiking, a natural ice-skating rink, a sauna, a cinema, ice hockey, horseback riding and bowling.

The villages feature some excellent restaurants, serving up delicious, hearty winter fare - as only Italians can - and offering superb local wines to accompany meals. Nightlife is quieter than at other resorts, but the area does offer a selection of bars and cafés, as well as three discos for the high-energy visitor.

Transportation to Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia is situated in the southwestern Italian Alps, 90kms from the city of Turin, where there is an international airport. If you have time constraints, the best transportation option would be to fly as far as Turin and complete the journey to Bardonecchia by road. However, train travel is also an excellent option, as the ski resort has its own railway station. Lastly, Bardonecchia is also accessible by road.

If you opt for driving to Bardonecchia from the UK, be aware that this is a lengthy journey that involves taking a car ferry across the Channel to France, plus travel to Italy by road. Once you are in Italy, take the motorway A-32 to Turin-Bardonecchia-Frejus and the Bardonecchia exit.

To reach Bardonecchia by train from the UK, you will initially need to take the Eurostar from Waterloo station to Paris, from where you can connect with a direct overnight express train (run by a consortium of French and Italian trains known as Artesia) to Milan. From here, you can take the Torino-Bussoleno-Bardonecchia train line to reach Bardonecchia station.

The quickest but costliest way of reaching Bardonecchia is by catching a flight to the international airport at Turin, and continuing the journey by rail or road.

Lastly, if you are on a tight budget, the most affordable way of reaching the ski resort is by utilising Eurolines bus transportation (which runs to Italy from all over Europe) combined with local Italian buses

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