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The Aosta Valley's best kept secret - Pila is the ski resort that has it all.
Great skiing for beginners and intermediates with an unrivalled progression.
Views that stretch from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn make an unforgettable backdrop to your ski holiday.
The skiing in Pila starts at around 1800m and climbs to an impressive 2700m.
Pila boast and impressive array of blue and red runs, making it ideal for beginners and intermediates.
A diew choice of hotels including in the town and on the slopes.
Pila's a true hidden gem of a ski resort, keeping prices competitive and making it great value!
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Situated high above the town of Aosta, Pila offers some of the finest views in the Aosta Valley, from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn.
It's also home to a tempting mix of tree lined runs and wide open bowls, perfect for beginners, intermediates and those looking for ever greater challenges, including a snow park. There can be few better places to learn than the Grimod Bowl, with its confidence building pistes, while intermediates will enjoy themselves on a range of wide open red runs with jaw dropping views. The Wall, as you might guess by the name, is only for the brave, and recent lift enhancements have opened up new terrain for advanced skiers below Platta de Grèvon.
Pila is linked by a high speed gondola to the regional capital of Aosta, a busy and vibrant town with historic streets crammed with cafès, bars, restaurants and boutiques. The largely pedestrianised old town is enclosed by Roman walls, and there are many other remains such as a magnificent amphitheatre and triumphal arch. Explore the markets, restaurants and a whole host of evening entertainments as they're right on your doorstep.
Pila has options to stay in the town of Aosta on the valley floor, or up on the mountain in the village itself. For those staying in Aosta, rest assured we have our own ski hire located next to the gondola which means you don't need to carry equipment any significant distance. For those staying up in Pila, there's a great choice of accommodation including ski in/out options.
Skiing in Pila is similar to combining a ski holiday with a city break
Resort Height
1765m
Highest Skiing
2709m
Piste Length
70km
No. of Lifts
15
For those staying up in Pila, nightlife is pretty tame and centred around the hotel where you're staying. The hotels we use in Pila itself are all on a half-board basis so you'll be taking evening meals there. Outside the hotels there are a few quiet bars, suitable for a relaxing drink.
If you're staying in the town of Aosta on the valley floor, the hotels we use are all on a bed and breakfast basis owing to the great choice of places to eat out. The town has no shortage of cafés, bars and restaurants catering for a variety of cuisines and budgets. The vibe is generally laid back, but there are a couple of livelier bars as well.
If you're staying up in Pila, quiet evenings are par for the course. There's the snowtubing park which is great fun for adults and children alike, but note this closes at a similar time to the ski lifts. As well as the snow tubes, there are also sledges to use and the magic carpet glides you back to the top. There's also an articficial ice rink - not quite the real thing, but at least you don't get wet!
For those staying in Aosta, the town itself has a fascinating Roman history to explore, including some very well preserved ruins. The cobbled streets and central piazza are a joy to wander around. There's also an ice skating rink and swimming pool in the town for those with a little more energy.
The wider Aosta Valley has a number of interesting attractions including thermal spas, the Monte Bianco Skyway, snowshoeing and even husky dog tours!
Additional tours are charged separately and arrangements, including transport if required, will need to be made directly with the supplier.
There are a number of smaller restaurants and pizzerias up in Pila, so if you're staying at a hotel and want a change from the hotel dining room, there are a few options.
Down in the town of Aosta, there are plenty of places to eat. If you fancy a quick takeaway, there are a number of places that offer pizzas and even kebabs! Some of the bars even include such generous amounts of snacks as part of their aperitivi, it can be sufficient to fill you for the evening without needing to trouble a restaurant! There's also an impressive choice of laid-back and relaxing pizzerias as well as more formal dining options if preferred.
Yes! Remember, when you choose Pila you can stay in the town of Aosta on the Valley floor, or up in Pila itself. For those staying in Pila we have three options which are ski in/out - the Hotel Lion Noir, the Hotel Printemps and TH Pila. There is also the Hotel La Chance which involves a short walk to the piste, but is definitely worth considering.
Please note, ski in/out is not guaranteed and is dependent on snow conditions.
Chalets are very popular in many French resorts, but not really a 'thing' in the Aosta Valley. The vast majority of accommodation we offer is with hotels and we have those which offer bed and breakfast and half board.
There are plenty of places to get lunch, or stop for a coffee and a snack. Most venues offer simpler options such as pasta or sandwiches, but there are also places that cater for a more serious lunch if that's what you prefer.
For all of our packages staying at half-board hotels we include snack-lunch vouchers for use at a variety of mountain restaurants. For those staying at bed and breakfast hotels, you can purchase our snack-lunch vouchers as an add-on to your holiday.
No, not at all! It's around 10 minutes walk from Aosta to our ski hire building which is conveniently located next to the main gondola. This means all of your equipment is stored safely with us, ensuring you don't need to carry equipment any distance other than the very short walk to the gondola. It works really well!
Staying in Aosta and skiing Pila feels a little bit like combining your ski holiday with a city break - a real novelty!
Pila's track record for natural snowfall is exceptional with enviable records to date. The natural snowfall is helped by the North facing slopes which help to ensure snow remains, but it is further helped by an extensive network of snow=making facilities, covering most pistes.
At the highest point of the mountain, Pila boasts some very challenging black runs which are great for the more advanced skiers. For those who are working on their technique, Pila offers a number of very suitable runs, with ideal gradients for technical work.
For beginners, there are few better resorts than Pila. It has two brilliant 'baby' slopes, ideal for newbies to gain confidence before heading on to the wider blue runs. The progression is difficult to beat, enabling learners to explore the mountain with alacrity as they improve.
The resort is very well suited to intermediate skiers with lots of blues and steady reds to gain experience, along with some steeper reds for the more adventurous lookin to improve.
Aosta and Pila can be reached relatively easy by car from the UK with the journey from Calais taking around 9-10hrs to reach the Mont Blanc tunnel and Courmayeur. The motorway runs from the Mont Blanc tunnel to Aosta and takes around 15-20 minutes, of if you prefer the more scenic route it will take around 40 minutes. Please note, if you are staying in Pila itself, it takes approximately 45 minutes to drive from Aosta up to Pila.
Please note that during the winter months it is obligatory to either have winter tyres fitted or carry snow chains in your vehicle. If this is something you are considering, please note that we can arrange ferry crossings as part of your package.
If this is something you are considering, please note that we can arrange ferry crossings as part of your package.
For further information about driving in France, please visit https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/country/france/.
For further information about driving in Italy, please visit https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/country/italy/.
British citizens don't need a visa to travel to Italy but you will need to carefully check the issue and expiry dates on your passport. The issue date must be less than 10 years before the date you arrive and you must have a minimum of 3 months left on your passport, based on the day after you travel home.
For up to date information regarding passports and entry requirements for Italy, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements.
If you book a ski holiday with us, it is a requirement that you have travel insurance in place, from a reputable provider, that includes winter sports as part of your policy. Suitable policies are available from most travel insurers.
For the latest information regarding general travel advice about Italy, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy.
The most accessible airports for Aosta are Turin, Milan Malpensa and Geneva. Turin typically takes around 1.5hrs. Milan Malpensa takes around 2.5hrs and Geneva is similar. Please be aware however that ongoing refurbishment works to the Mont Blanc tunnel can sometimes cause delays. Please note that all times quoted are to reach Aosta - if you're staying in Pila, it takes another (approximately) 45 minutes by car from Aosta.
Flights from the Southern parts of the UK typically take around 1hr 45mins to Geneva and Turin and about 2hrs 30mins to Milan Malpensa.
Aosta and Pila are both in Italy's Aosta Valley, the smallest region in the country. Italian and French are the official languages of the region, but Italian is more predominantly used.
Italy is on Central European Time which is always 1hr ahead of the UK.
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