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Table of Contents:
How to get to La Thuile from Turin
How to get to La Thuile from Milan
When to travel to La Thuile
La Thuile is a small but charming ski village located in the Valle d’Aosta region, on the border between Italy and France (on the Italian side). Mont Blanc is well seen from here due to its close location. The village is famous for its relaxed lifestyle and high-quality ski slopes. The lack of fuss and queues allows La Thuile to retain its charm and unique atmosphere of a small Italian village.
An advantage for skiers is that the home ski area of La Thuile is combined with the ski area of the neighboring French resort of La Rosiere, and this significantly expands the total area for skiing. The common ski area is called San Bernardo, and the length of its slopes is about 160 km.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in La Thuile. I figured out how to get to the resort, where to stay & what to do there, be it summer or winter periods. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to La Thuile.
If your main goal is skiing then choose the period between December and March incl. This is the best time for winter sport, including skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, freeriding, etc. But La Thuile can be visited during the period of April-October too. This period of the year you can try sightseeing, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing and other seasonal activities. According to my accurate research, thermal complexes operate all year round.
How to get to La Thuile
Where do you fly into to get to La Thuile? La Thuile is located relatively close to the major cities such as Turin and Milan. You can check the current flight timetable to Milan or Turin via specialized searching services, for instance, via Aviasales and others. I usually use Aviasales when planning my trips, because it can compare a great variety of available flight options. Then from Milan or Turin you can get to La Thuile by public transport, by taxi or transfer services or by rented car.
How to get to La Thuile from Turin
By public transport: If you prefer public transport, then from Turin you can take a train to the town of Aosta, and from there take a local bus directly to La Thuile. The option is the most budget-friendly, but the longest one. Trains from Turin to Aosta run 1-2 times an hour. The travel time is 2 hours. You can check the current timetable at the Raileurope booking service. It is one of my favourite online services for planning upcoming trips. It has a decent search with a lot of useful filters to sort the results.
Then you need to take a local bus # 581 to Pre-Saint-Didier village and then to take a local bus # 573 directly to La Thuile. The travel time by buses is approximately one hour.
As an option you can use Flixbus service to get to Courmayeur and then make a change there to direct bus # 573 to La Thuile. The total travel time is about 3.5-4 hours. Buses from Turin to Courmayeur run once a day. Another way is to get from Turin to Aosta town by Flixbus, then to take a local bus #581 to Pre-Saint-Didier and then to take a local bus # 573 to La Thuile. Buses from Turin to Aosta run 4 times a day. You can check the current timetable at the Flixbus booking service. As far as I know Flixbus is a pretty popular bus service in Europe and designed for cheaper trips with affordable prices.
By transfer service: To go from Turin airport directly to the resort, you can order a private transfer. This option is especially convenient if you arrive with your own ski equipment, with a lot of luggage or with children. You can book transfer services in advance via specialized services, for example, Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others. The travel time from the airport to La Thuile by transfer service is about 1 hour 50 minutes. In my point of view, both online services are good and very helpful when planning a holiday to the ski resorts.
By rented car: Another option for getting from the airport to the resort is to rent a car and travel on your own. In Turin airport you can find many rental offices with an available fleet of vehicles. To rent a car you need to have a passport, an international driver’s license and a bank card to pay for services. You can book a car in advance via various online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and other similar services. This will help you save your time and money. The distance between Turin and La Thuile is 160 km. The city and the resort are connected with highway No. A5 (see on the map).
How to get to La Thuile from Milan
By public transport: To get to the resort by public transport, you can use a combination of train + bus. Firstly, you need to take a train from Milan Central Station to Aosta town via Turin. The travel time is 3 hours 20 minutes. Secondly, you need to take a local bus # 581 from Aosta town to Pre-Saint-Didier village. Thirdly, you need to take a local bus # 573 from Pre-Saint-Didier village directly to La Thuile. The travel time by buses is about 1 hour. You can check the current train timetable at the Raileurope booking service. I can definitely recommend Raileurope as I personally use it very often and I think it has one of the most convenient search systems.
Another option is to take a Flixbus bus from Milan Lampugnano Station and go to Aosta town. The travel time is a little bit more than 2 hours. Flixbus buses run three times a day. You can check the current timetable at the Flixbus booking service. After that, you need to take a local bus # 581 from Aosta to Pre-Saint-Didier and then to take a local bus # 573 from Pre-Saint-Didier to La Thuile.
By transfer service: To go from Milan airport directly to the resort, you can order a private transfer. This option is especially convenient if you arrive with your own ski equipment, with a lot of luggage pieces or with small kids. You can book transfer services in advance via specialized services, for example, via Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others. The travel time from Milan airport to La Thuile is 2 hours 10 minutes.
By rented car: The distance between Milan and La Thuile is 230 km; the cities are connected with motorways No. A4/E64 and E25 (see on the map). To reach your destination, you can rent a car at Milan airport or at the city center of Milan. For renting a car you need to have a passport, a driver`s license and a bank card. You can also book a car for renting in advance via different online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. It will save your time on the spot. I can recommend both services as they have a decent search with a lot of useful options to find out the best available car rentals.
Where to stay in La Thuile
You can stay in La Thuile in apartments or in hotels. I would recommend booking a room or an apartment in advance, especially during the ski season. Here some options to stay, that I discovered:
Chalet Alpina Hotel & Apartments – the chalet is located in the center of La Thuile and close to the ski lifts. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms, as well as in apartments. Breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Free private parking is provided on site. The hotel is surrounded with a garden and has a terrace for relaxation. At the reception you can find places for storing your luggage and skis, if needed;
Maison Perron – the guest house is conveniently located near the cable car station. Guests can enjoy a garden, a terrace, a playground for children, and a shared lounge. Guests can stay in apartments with mountain views. The apartments have a kitchenette. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Free private parking is provided on site. There is a ski storage area on site.
You can also stay in the town of Pré-Saint-Didier and the resort of Courmayeur. Both settlements are connected to La Thuile by bus.
QC Termemontebianco 4* – the hotel is located in Palesie village. The hotel has a spa center with hydromassage, a solarium, a Turkish bath, a sauna and a swimming pool. There is also a restaurant and a fitness center on site. You can stay in rooms of various categories. Breakfast is included. Wi-Fi is provided throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Free public parking is available nearby. The reception is open 24 hours a day; a ski storage area is also available;
Locanda Bellevue 3* – the hotel is located in the town of Pré-Saint-Didier, within walking distance of the local thermal complex. The hotel has a bar and a restaurant. You can stay in rooms of various categories; many of them have a balcony. Breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is provided throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Free private parking is available on site. Storage spaces for skis and luggage are available at the reception;
Hotel La Compagnar 3* – the hotel is located in a picturesque location in Courmayeur, at a distance of 200 m from the nearest ski lift. The hotel has a bar and a restaurant. You can stay in rooms of various categories. Breakfast is offered. Free private parking, ski storage space and wireless Internet are also provided;
Hotel Des Glaciers 3* – the hotel has a good location close to the center of Courmayeur and to the ski lifts. The hotel has a bar and a restaurant. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Buffet breakfast is offered. Free private parking is available at the hotel. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge.
What to do in La Thuile
La Thuile is an all-year-round resort. In winter, you can find high-quality ski slopes of different levels here. In summer, the place is ideal for outdoor activities, including hiking and rock climbing. I found out detailed information for visiting the resort:
- The total length of the trails in La Thuile is about 160 km.
- 55 km are blue trails for beginners; 83 km are routes of medium difficulty level; 22 km are for advanced skiers.
- The resort is served by more than 40 ski lifts.
A special feature of the resort is that the most difficult trails are laid in the lower part of the mountains, in wooded areas, while the easiest trails are located at the very top of the mountain range.
The longest route, called San Bernardo, is 11 km long. Please, note, that La Thuile home ski area is combined with the ski area of the neighboring French resort of La Rosiere, and they have a common ski pass.
The resort has 2 snow parks for snowboarders; paved cross-country trails for classic skiers; opportunities for heli-skiing and freeride; other activities include sledding, snowshoeing and paragliding.
You can diversify your time by going to one of the authentic restaurants, bars or even to the cinema. The neighboring resort of Pré-Saint-Didier has a large thermal complex, which has become famous far beyond the resort. The QCTerme thermal complex offers its guests services such as a salt room, various saunas, steam baths, thermal water pools, mineral waterfalls, hydromassage, sensory showers, Kneipp baths and other entertainment. Some of the pools are open-air, and in winter you can admire the snow-capped mountains while in the summer you can admire sunny green valleys. There is some useful information for visiting that I discovered:
- QCTerme is open daily from 09.00 to 22.00; on Saturday it is open from 08.00 to 23.00.
- The entrance fee for the whole day starts from 44 euros.
In the summer, ski lifts also continue to operate in La Thuile, which means that the guests of the resort have the opportunity to see summer natural landscapes. For example, here you can go hiking, trekking, rock climbing or try horse riding, rafting, tennis, fishing, mini golf, swimming, and explore local lakes and waterfalls.
In the surroundings of La Thuile there are the highest waterfalls in the Aosta Valley. The thing is that the Rutor glacier is located here, which is the source for the local waterfalls. Hiking routes have been laid to the waterfalls, and special observation bridges have been built for better viewing.
There are also many mountain lakes in the surrounding area. The most picturesque lakes are Verni, Tormotta, Arpi, Bellacomba, Verde, and Grigio. All of them are located at different heights and are accessible for observation.
In general, I can say that La Thuile offers a very special holiday. Active pastime is possible both in winter and summer. In addition, there are all opportunities for discovering magnificent nature, spa complexes, and traditional restaurants. All this creates a special relaxing atmosphere.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Nina
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…