Table of Contents:
How to get to Monte Rosa from Turin
How to get to Monte Rosa from Milan
When to travel to Monte Rosa
The mountain peak of Monte Rosa rises above several valleys, in which the ski resorts of Italy are located. These include, in particular, Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna. The ski trails in Monte Rosa are suitable for all skill levels. There are easy, medium and difficult level trails, as well as many opportunities for freeride. Cozy restaurants, bars and thermal complexes are also available to make your holiday more relaxing. The resorts of Monte Rosa are lively and charming. With the exception of the winter holidays, it is relatively uncrowded, making the place ideal for those who want a relaxing holiday without stress.
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 Monte Rosa. I figured out how to get to the resort, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Monte Rosa.
As far as I know, Monte Rosa resorts can be visited any season of the year. In winter resorts offer skiing, snowboarding and other seasonal sport. In summer you can try hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, cycling, horse riding here. Depending on your preferences you can choose the best season to travel to Monte Rosa valley. The cable cars operate during the year with the exception of 2 weeks in November when lifts are checked before starting a new winter season.
How to get to Monte Rosa
Where do you fly into to get to Monte Rosa? The most convenient way to get to the Monte Rosa resorts is from Turin or Milan. Both cities have international airports. You can check the flight timetable to these cities, as well as purchase tickets, on specialized booking services like Aviasales and other similar ones. Then you can get from Turin or Milan to the valley of the Monte Rosa mountains by public transport, by taxi or transfer services or by rented car.
How to get to Monte Rosa from Turin
By public transport: Getting to Monte Rosa resorts by public transport is rather tricky, because there are no train stations at the valley. In this situation you need to combine train + bus options to get there by public transport.
⇒To get to Champoluc, firstly you need to take a train to Verres town, where you can take a local bus by VITA company to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 1 hour 20 minutes. Train from Turin run once in two hours during the day. The travel time by bus from Verres to Champoluc is another 1 hour;
⇒To get to Gressoney, firstly you need to take a train to Pont St Martin town, where you can take a local bus by VITA company to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 1 hour 10 minutes. Trains from Turin run once in two hours during the day. The travel time by bus from Pont St Martin to Gressoney is just a little over an hour;
⇒To get to Alagna in Valsesia valley, you need to take a train to Vercelli town, where you can take a local bus line #50 to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 55 minutes. Trains from Turin run every hour during the day. The travel time by bus from Vercelli to Alagna is about 2,5 hours.
You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance via Raileurope booking service. It is one of my favourite online services and I can definitely recommend it as I use it very often when planning upcoming trips.
By transfer service: You can also order an individual transfer service for the time of your arrival to Turin via specialized international services, for example, via Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others. The transfer from Turin Airport to Gressoney takes 2 hours, to Champoluc – 1 hour 25 minutes, to Alagna – 1 hour 35 minutes. I can recommend both transfer services mentioned above as they have a great number of positive reviews. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport. During winter, group transfer services also take place.
By rented car: A rented car is also convenient means of transport, fortunately there are a large number of rental offices at Turin Airport. You can clarify all rental conditions and book the car you need in advance via specialized services. These, in particular, include well-known international services like Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. To my mind, both online services have a decent search with a lot of useful filters that help to choose the best available option from a great number of results.
The distance between Turin and the resorts of Monte Rosa is from 110 to 150 km (see on the map). The routes connecting the cities are high-speed, in some places there are mountain serpentines, but, in general, they are comfortable and well equipped even for trips in winter.
How to get to Monte Rosa from Milan
By public transport: Getting to Monte Rosa resorts by public transport requires to combine train and bus options and to make changes along the route, because there are no train stations at the valley. So, be ready for quite a long road.
⇒To get to Champoluc, firstly you need to take a train to Verres town (via Turin), where you can take a local bus by VITA company to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 2,5 hours. Train from Milan run every hour during the day. The travel time by bus from Verres to Champoluc is another 1 hour;
⇒To get to Gressoney, firstly you need to take a train to Pont St Martin town (via Turin), where you can take a local bus by VITA company to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 2,5 hours. Trains from Milan run twice an hour during the day. The travel time by bus from Pont St Martin to Gressoney is just a little over an hour;
⇒To get to Alagna in Valsesia valley, you need to take a train to Vercelli town, where you can take a local bus line #50 to go directly to the resort. The travel time by train is 50 minutes. Trains from Milan run every hour during the day. The travel time by bus from Vercelli to Alagna is about 2,5 hours.
You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance via Raileurope booking service. I totally recommend this online service as I use it very often and in my opinion it has a convenient search with a lot of useful options.
By transfer service: As an option you can also use a private car transfer service. Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and other services run along the route. Thus, a transfer from Milan Malpensa Airport to Gressoney takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, to Champoluc – about 2 hours, to Alagna-Valsesia – about 2 hours 10 minutes. According to my research, both services mentioned above have a lot of positive reviews so they can totally be recommended as reliable ones. During winter, group transfer services also take place.
By rented car: A car Rental option is also suitable, fortunately there are a large number of rental offices at Milan international Airport. You can book a car in advance via specialized services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. In my point of view, both services have a convenient search that helps to find out the best available car rental option.
The distance between Milan and the resorts of Monte Rosa varies from 150 to 180 km (see on the map). The routes connecting the cities are high-speed, in some places there are mountain serpentines, but, in general, they are comfortable and well-equipped even for trips in winter.
Where to stay in Monte Rosa
At the foothills of Monte Rosa there are several valleys, in which the local ski resorts are located. If you are looking for where to stay in Monte Rosa, the main resorts here are Gressoney-le-Trinite, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Champoluc, Alagna-Valsesia and some others. These resorts are small and have a limited number of accommodations, so, in my opinion, it is better to make reservations in advance. According to my research, All Monte Rosa resorts have excellent infrastructure and a cozy atmosphere.
In the resorts of Gressoney you can find hotels of all-star categories from 1 to 5, which means that the resort is suitable for tourists with different budgets. Apartments and guest houses are also popular in Gressoney. Many hotels have access to the slopes. Hotels also offer some additional options such as restaurants, parking lots, saunas, and children’s playrooms. Most hotels in Gressoney are designed in a chalet style for a small number of guests, which creates an additional atmosphere of comfort and great conditions for a relaxing holiday. Also, the price of your stay usually includes breakfast, and some hotels also provide half board (check, when booking).
In Champoluc there are noticeably fewer accommodation places than in the resorts of Gressoney. The number of apartments for rent is also limited. However, in all other respects, in particular with regard to infrastructure, hotels in Champoluc are in no way inferior to hotels in Gressoney. The pricing policy is also comparable. The undoubted highlight of the resort is that the hotels are equipped with spa areas, including indoor pools and saunas.
In Alagna-Valsesia there are even fewer accommodation options; the resort is suitable for those who seeking a cozy countryside atmosphere. The resort has a less developed infrastructure, and social life here is less intense. In general, you can find several hotels and only a couple of apartments for renting here.
The largest number of offers for accommodation among the Monte Rosa resorts is available in Gressoney-le-Trinite and Gressoney-Saint-Jean; these are the largest villages. If you look for privacy it will be better to stay in Champoluc or Alagna-Valsesia.
For example, the following accommodation options are consistently popular:
Hotel Scoiattolo 4* – the hotel is located in Gressoney and offers free transfer service to the slopes. You can also find a wellness center, a restaurant and a bar here. Tourists can stay in rooms of various categories. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that breakfast is offered as well as private parking, wireless Internet and ski storage;
Ellex Hotel 3* – the hotel is located in Staffal village. The nearest ski lift is 250 m from the hotel. There is a spa area with hydromassage, a sauna and a Turkish bath at the hotel. Tourists can stay in rooms of various categories. Breakfast is offered. Free private parking nearby, wireless Internet and ski storage are also available;
Villa Fridau Resort is an apart-hotel, located in the closest surroundings of Gressoney. The nearest ski lift is 600 m from the hotel. Guests can stay in studios or apartments. Optional breakfast is available for an additional fee. There is a spa area with hydromassage and a sauna on site. You can also find a terrace for relaxation at the hotel area. Free private parking and wireless Internet are provided.
What to do in Monte Rosa
The total length of the slopes of all Monte Rosa resorts is about 130 km with a predominant number of red slopes of medium difficulty. In addition, there are also extensive opportunities for heli-skiing and freeride. The highest point exceeds 3000 meters. Fans of cross-country skiing can also find great opportunities; for them, the trails have almost unlimited distance.
Other sports popular in Monte Rosa include paragliding, ice skating, mountaineering, snowshoeing and sledding. Even in winter, Monte Rosa has a rope adventure park. The Monte Rosa resorts are largely family-oriented, which is why a snow park for kids is also open here.
After some research, I can say that the cost of a ski passes in Monte Rosa is comparable to the cost at other ski resorts in Italy and differs mainly in the time of skiing (high and low seasons). During the low season the cost is slightly lower.
For those who like to combine active sport with relaxation, a spa center has been opened in Champoluc, which offers a lot of services. The spa and wellness center is called Monterosa Terme. In addition, in the neighboring town of Saint-Vincent there is also a thermal complex called “Fons Salutis”, which offers treatments using locally sourced mineral waters. You can also find a spa center at the Jolanda Sport 4* Hotel, which is located in the town of Gressoney-la-Trinite. There is a swimming pool, hydromassage, a gym, a Finnish sauna, a Turkish steam room, an outdoor pool, and spa treatments for face and body, as well as massage services.
The most unexpected thing about the resorts of Monte Rosa is that there are also cultural attractions here. So, in your free time from skiing, you can go to see the Savoy Castle, the Museum of Alpine Fauna, or the Eco-Museum of Local Culture. By the way, Savoy Castle travel information that I have recently discovered is just below:
- The castle is open from 9 am until 7 pm during the April-September period;
- The castle is open from 10 am until 1 pm and from 2 pm until 5 pm during the October-March period;
- The castle is located in Gressoney-Saint-Jean village;
- Full ricket price is 8 euros.
As I did some research, I can conclude that in the summer, the resorts of Monte Rosa also offer a lot of activities, including rock climbing, hiking, horse riding, golf, fishing, cycling, rafting, canyoning and Nordic walking. Springs and summers as well as autumns are pretty colorful and inspiring here. Magnificent natural landscapes will impress you with mountain and forest panorama.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out a travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerged medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase an 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: Alessio Maffeis
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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…