BUTTON LIFTS.....A BIT OF A DRAG?

We’ve recently been browsing through wintersports websites for reviews on Bardonecchia and have been surprised to find how scantily researched some of the articles are. We like the fact that Bardonecchia “flies under the radar” of more publicised resorts such as Sauze d’Oulx, Montgenevre and Sestriere. Being the preferred resort of the Turinese gives the resort both its character and authenticity. The slopes are busier at the weekends but this is what makes the town buzz. Shops, cafés and restaurants thrive and prices are genuinely Italian and not simply inflated for the tourist market. Bardonecchia is fortunate to have four separate lift systems transporting skiers and boarders to different sectors of the ski area so at peak times avoid Campo Smith and head instead to Les Arnauds, Melezet or Jafferau. Apart from one quirky 2 man chair at Jafferau which is due for modernisation, the rest of the pistes are well served with 8 man cabins, 4 or 2 man chair lifts and button lifts. Ascending through the most scenic areas of the mountain we love our drag lifts. They are great for natural selection too, those who struggle to make it up are probably not sufficiently expert to be skiing down! So you can rest assured that your descent will not be blighted by over-ambitious skiers and snowboarders out of their depth and out of control!
March 4th 2013

LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN

Living in Italy with close families in England and Ireland we have to be very flexible and inventive with our travel plans. We are fortunate in Bardonecchia to be well-served with air, rail and motorway links so we can be quickly on our way homeward bound. Our favourite route to Ireland involves strolling down the road to catch the morning high speed train from Bardonecchia to Lyon St Exupery airport. If booked in advance with Rail Europe we can keep the cost down to £18pp return. Arriving in the actual airport complex we have time for a relaxed lunch before boarding our Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. With five flights per week it affords us a bit more flexibility than the Saturday only RyanAir flight from Turin, though there’s nothing to stop us from mixing and matching airlines to suit our plans. If we really want the train to take the strain when visiting our London and Kent relatives then we travel all the way to St Pancras. Again by taking advantage of the best Rail Europe deals we can travel for as little as £73 single and the total journey time of under 9 hours even allows for lunch in Paris….. formidable!
Use the SnowCarbon journey planner for detailed information on rail travel from London to Bardonecchia.

February 20th 2013

FAREWELL TO MEAT...HELLO CARNEVALE

This weekend Bardonecchia is preparing to celebrate four days of Italian Carnevale frivolity to mark the start of Lent. Originating in Venice in the mid 13th century to dispel the gloom of winter the spirit of carnival has spread throughout the world. The party kicks off on Saturday evening with a parade of floats around the streets with festive music and a profusion of coriandoli confetti setting the scene. The fun continues until Martedi Grasso Mardi Gras with masked balls, fancy dress ski races and street stalls serving cakes and warm drinks. The town and slopes will be at their busiest as Italians flood in to indulge their love of tradition at the same time as British families arrive for a half-term break. Fortunately a new dump of snow will mean that the pistes will be at their very best and the local cafés and restaurants will do their utmost to meet demand. Our guests will enjoy the best of both worlds by soaking up the atmosphere during the day whilst avoiding too much of the hubbub and mayhem as they relax over their meal in the calm of the chalet during the evening.
For more information on local events take a look at the town’s two websites http://www.bardonecchia.it and http://www.bardonecchiaski.com
February 5th 2013