If you are an avid skier, it may be a bucket list item to ski in the Dolomites. Last year, I made this dream come true! However, without a car, this seemed like a daunting task to figure out. But, where there is a will, there’s a way! After a bit of planning, I successful planned a trip to the Dolomites and went skiing on the Sellaronda. Save this post to reference for your amazing Italy ski trip.
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Transportation
I recommend to save yourself the hassle and rent a car. Trust me.
It is also possible to travel by train, but it can be a bit complicated as many of the towns do not have a train station. The main towns in this area are Bolzano and Ora. From there, you’d need to connect with a bus.
Skip down to the next section unless you want a laugh at my transportation journey.
It was my dream to ski the Dolomites, but as a car-less, helpless little American nervous to drive the Italian mountain roads I decided to book a ticket on a coach bus leaving from Milan and stopping in various towns along the way. The driver was a stout man with goatee, diamond earrings, and a knack for driving 25kph over the speed limit despite an enormous bus on tiny, winding roads.
The drive was supposed to take 4.5 hours, but somehow took nearly 8 despite our F1 driver. He continuously made pit stops so he could chain smoke a few cigarettes and then we were back on the road.
At least I wouldn’t have to worry about missing my stop. SIKE. As we neared Pozza di Fassa, my town for the weekend, I opened Google Maps to realize the bus was seemingly passing through town without stopping. “Aspetta, aspetta!! Questa e la mia citta, la mia fermata!” Wait, wait! This is my city, this is my stop!
He muttered some words I can’t repeat on a family-friendly blog, screeched the bus to halt, and left me on the side of the road. Um…grazie? I carried my ski bag, my boot/helmet bag, my weekend duffel bag, and my tote bag across the slippery path to the hotel. I looked like a Mount Everest sherpa. Despite feeling like I might pass out at any second, the beautiful views kept me going.
Where to Stay
There are 12 ski resorts to choose from, so it can be difficult to choose where you want to stay during your Dolomites trip. I recommend researching a little about each of the towns to see if they provide any experiences you want in addition to skiing. Ultimately, I opted for Val di Fassa.
Within the Val di Fassa territory, I chose to stay in Pozza di Fassa. The town has a population of 1,500 that drastically increases with the winter tourists, so it doesn’t feel too remote (something I wanted to ensure as a female solo traveler). Plus, you have direct access to the ski mountains (the chair lift is a 10-minute walk from my hotel) and there is even a QC Terme spa location here for a nice reward after skiing all day.
Hotels book up fast, so plan accordingly! Thankfully I found a single room at Hotel El Geiger.
This is a small mountain town, so don’t expect a 5-star luxury resort. Actually, my room was the perfect size for just me considering I’d be out and about all day skiing anyways. Plus, I can see the mountain peaks from my window!
Breakfast is included so fill up on a cappuccino before hitting the slopes. You can also have an orange and some mortadella (hey, fuel is fuel).
Ski Passes
You can purchase a ski pass for a particular region or the SuperSki pass, which grants access to all surrounding ski districts. I suggest purchasing the Dolomites SuperSki pass. Although slightly pricier than a single region pass, it allows you to ski everywhere, which is required to complete the Sellaronda.
I was skiing during the Christmas week, so tickets had a slight surcharge and cost 85€ per day. To put this into perspective, a daily pass to ski in Vail costs $300.
In fact, if you are staying at a hotel in the Dolomiti Superski zone, the Superski pass can be left at your hotel to pick up at check-in. This saves you a trip trying to find one of the locations. And time is money on the slopes!
In that moment, I blanked how to say sciare (to ski) in Italian. Is it pronounced like skee-arr-ay or shee-arr-ay? I repeated each several times before starting to re-enact someone skiing by pumping my arms together as if I was pushing off with my poles.
He lifted his eyebrows and said, “Ahh, skifahren!”
Oh. German. I forgot Trentino is a region of Italy that still today has a heavy Austrian influence. Most locals here actually speak German as their primary language. He handed me my ski pass and I went up to my room for a good night of sleep.
Skiing the Sellaronda
WOW and EPIC are the first two words that come to mind to describe skiing the Sellaronda.
For those who don’t know, the Sellaronda is a 40km (27km is skiing!) circuit that loops through at least 4 of the ski valleys. Given it is a circuit, it is possible to ski two different paths of it: clockwise (orange) or counterclockwise (green). It takes anywhere from 4-6 hours, give or take, to complete. Obviously this varies depending on skill level, if you’re stopping to eat, if you’re repeating runs, etc.
The signs are for the Sellaronda have clearly labels throughout the slopes, so follow them to continue on the correct paths. I spent one day skiing the green Sellaronda route and the following the orange. I personally didn’t find too much of a difference between the runs in terms of challenges.
Don’t forget that we are in Trentino-Alto Adige. As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of Austrian and German influence here. Which means you’ll be able to find a blend of both Italian and German dishes! The best of both worlds.
If you’re like me you’ll be switching back and forth. One day’s lunch was a plate of pasta, the next a mid-day strudel to regain your energy. 🙂
If you’ve skied in the US or Canada in recent years you understand how overcrowded the popular mountains have become. Between waiting in line just to get on the gondola for hours or narrowly crashing as you dodge the surplus of skiers, it’s become expensive and stressful.
While skiing the Sellaronda won’t mean empty mountains, it certainly means a more enjoyable experience. Plus, with the Dolomites SuperSki pass, you can circle around until you find less crowded runs. However, check out this gondola BUS we took at one section.
Overally, skiing the Sellaronda was an amazing experience and I will be back in a future ski season! As long as you keep your eye on the clock, you’ll have plenty of time to ski the circuit and still have additional time for extra runs and food (and a bombardino).
Save this post to help plan out skiing the Sellaronda in Italy. No matter where you choose to ski in Italy, you are bound to have a fantastic time!
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