
Via Lattea: Europe's mega ski area with 400km slopes across Italy-France. Sestriere to Montgenèvre from €52, kids under 6 free.
Via Lattea delivers Europe's most expansive cross-border skiing experience across 400km of interconnected terrain spanning Italy and France, linking seven distinct resorts through a sophisticated lift network. This massive ski domain reaches 2,789m elevation at Mont Motta in Sestriere, connecting the Italian resorts of Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere, and Pragelato with France's Montgenèvre across the border. The terrain distribution of 24% beginner, 55% intermediate, and 21% advanced runs across 312 trails creates exceptional variety for all abilities whilst maintaining the famous Olympic heritage from the 2006 Turin Winter Games held throughout the region.
The resort's elevation range between 1,538m and 2,789m ensures reliable snow conditions supplemented by comprehensive snowmaking across 120km of terrain. The predominantly north-facing slopes preserve excellent snow quality throughout the season, with the high-altitude zones in Sestriere and Montgenèvre providing particularly consistent conditions. The interconnected nature allows skiers to traverse between distinctly different resort atmospheres, from purpose-built Sestriere's modern infrastructure to traditional Claviere's authentic mountain village character, all on a single lift pass.
Via Lattea represents exceptional value amongst major European ski areas, with daily lift tickets from €52 offering access to terrain comparable to far more expensive French mega-resorts. The cross-border configuration creates unique opportunities to experience both Italian and French alpine cultures, cuisines, and skiing styles within a single holiday, whilst the sheer scale of 400km ensures fresh terrain exploration throughout extended stays.
Via Lattea spreads 312 runs across 400 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 55%, with 75 beginner runs to find your feet and 66 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Via Lattea typically operates from late November through late April, with peak conditions occurring January through March when the Piedmont Alps receive substantial natural snowfall averaging 3.5m annually. The elevation range between 1,538m and 2,789m provides sufficient altitude for reliable natural snow preservation across upper zones, supplemented by comprehensive snowmaking across 120km ensuring base area coverage throughout winter. The extended season length reflects the high-altitude infrastructure and north-facing slope orientations preserving snow quality into spring.
The predominantly north-facing aspects across Sestriere, Sansicario, and upper Montgenèvre zones maintain excellent snow preservation throughout winter, whilst lower villages like Cesana occasionally struggle during warm periods. The 2006 Olympic legacy includes world-class grooming standards with extensive snow grooming fleets maintaining immaculate piste conditions across the interconnected network. Weekend and Italian holiday periods attract substantial visitor numbers from Turin, Milan, and Genoa, though the massive terrain distribution prevents congestion affecting skiing quality.
Spring skiing extends reliably through April with pleasant temperatures and softening snow creating enjoyable recreational conditions across higher elevations. The cross-border configuration creates microclimate variations, with French-facing Montgenèvre occasionally receiving different weather patterns than Italian sectors. The sheer scale ensures fresh powder stashes remain discoverable days after storms across the 400km network, particularly in less-travelled intermediate zones connecting resort villages.
Situated in Piedmont's Cottian Alps approximately 90km west of Turin, Via Lattea occupies strategic positioning with exceptional accessibility from northern Italy's major population centres and international airports. Turin-Caselle Airport lies 90km east with transfer times around 90 minutes via the E70 motorway to Oulx, whilst Milan Malpensa 240km southeast provides alternative international connections with 3-hour transfers. Chambéry Airport 137km northwest offers French gateway access, with Geneva 200km north positioning Via Lattea as a weekend destination for multiple European cities.
The historic transport hub of Oulx serves as the geographical centrepiece, with rail connections on the Paris-Turin TGV line providing direct train access eliminating road transfers. The railway station at Oulx sits just 6km from Sauze d'Oulx lifts with regular shuttle bus connections, whilst Briançon station 12km from Montgenèvre serves the French sector. This exceptional rail connectivity distinguishes Via Lattea from many Italian resorts, with the Paris Gare de Lyon to Oulx journey requiring just 5 hours on direct TGV services.
The seven resort villages provide diverse accommodation options spanning purpose-built Sestriere at 2,035m elevation through traditional mountain communities like Claviere at 1,760m and valley town Cesana at 1,354m. The cross-border configuration creates distinctive cultural atmospheres, with Italian sectors offering authentic Piedmontese cuisine and hospitality whilst French Montgenèvre delivers traditional Savoyard alpine character. The Fréjus Tunnel connection provides convenient access from western France and Switzerland, positioning Via Lattea as a natural stopover for multi-resort alpine touring holidays.
Hotels and lodges near Via Lattea, powered by Stay22.
Via Lattea's season typically runs from November 30 to April 21, roughly 142 days, weather and conditions permitting.
Via Lattea has about 400 km of piste across 312 runs.
Via Lattea operates 69 lifts in total.
Via Lattea averages around 138 inches (11.5 feet) of snowfall per season.
Lift tickets for Via Lattea can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.