Everyone is looking to save money and ski well this season, that’s why we’re recommending family skiing in Italy, specifically in the easy, affordable and great fun Aosta Valley.
Pila ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
When it comes to family skiing in Italy, or indeed much of the rest of Europe, Aosta Valley is hard to beat on just about everything from value for money to snow-sure resorts, incredible scenery and how easy it is to reach: you can be in Aosta Valley resorts in under 90 minutes from Turin Airport, plus you also have the option of flying into Geneva or Milan, all short flights with kids.
Also, Aosta Valley might be Italy’s smallest region but it punches well above its weight, so don’t expect small ski areas, quite the opposite; only here, ski areas aren’t just large, they’re low on crowds too. That makes it a great choice for beginners and younger kids naturally, but it’s also known for remarkable off-piste, as well as heli-skiing and ferocious black runs.
Time you got to know Aosta Valley’s resorts a little better? We think so, not least because some of them you could easily manage on a weekend break from the UK, even with kids.
Pila ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Pila: the all-round amazing resort closest to historic Aosta town
It’s just a 20-minute gondola ride from Aosta town to Pila, so you won’t be surprised to learn this is one of the most popular resorts in the region with local families. The plus side of that is lively après-ski, good restaurants and shops, a very laid-back atmosphere and great value family accommodation. Obviously home-grown popularity means it does get busier at the weekends, but generally this is an excellent all-round choice for families.
It’s also one of the most snow-sure resorts in the Aosta Valley with slopes up to 2,700m and magnificent views of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. A wide range of red runs suit intermediates well, but there are also good beginners’ slopes here, as well as more challenging pistes for advanced skiers.
Pila’s Snow Park AreaEffe was the first in Aosta Valley and has gone from strength to strength, consistently being named the best in northwest Italy. Then there’s sheltered Fun Park Chacard which lives up to its name by coming good on bobsleigh and sledging slopes, along with snow tubing and rafting: younger kids have an entire area devoted to them, packed with colourful inflatables and games.
Good to know: 90 minutes from Turin and 2 hours from Milan.
Cogne ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Cogne: family skiing in Italy’s oldest National Park
Gran Paradiso National Park is Italy’s oldest and, right at its heart, sits Cogne, another charming, traditional mining village and one of the best places for cross country skiing in Aosta Valley. That aside, this is a good base for younger families with a mix of boutique hotels, family-run guesthouses and apartments, along with stunning scenery and a warm, friendly atmosphere.
But what kids will like best is the snow park here. It’s packed with fun inflatables, as well as a tubing and toboggan run and designed specifically for smaller kids to build snow-confidence early.
Good to know: 1 hour, 40 minutes from Turin.
Cervinia ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Cervinia: the most snow sure resort for family skiing in Italy
A friendly, village atmosphere and fun snowparks makes Cervinia a good choice for family ski holidays.
Your kids will like it a lot here, but what about the skiing? Well, if we tell you it has the best snow record in Italy and up to 380km of pistes, you know you have lots to look forward on that front too.
Its ski area also links Valtournenche in the Aosta Valley with Zermatt in Switzerland, so you get to really spread beyond family skiing in Italy. There’s even heli-skiing for the truly adventurous.
Down to earth a little bit, we like that Cervinia combines plenty of challenge for advanced skiers with cruising runs for beginners and intermediates. The resort itself is very modern, but that doesn’t it stop it feeling cosy, what it does do is give you an excellent choice of good value places to stay, along with laid-back family restaurants and an après-ski scene that doesn’t exclude kids.
Good to know: 1 hour, 40 minutes from Turin and 2 hours, 20 minutes from Geneva.
La Thuile ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
La Thuile: where UK skiers come for family skiing in Italy
Choice and more choice is what La Thuile offers families, which is just one reason it’s very popular for UK family skiing in Italy.
You can even take your pick of historic village or new resort vibes when it comes to accommodation: the original La Thuile mining village is ridiculously quaint. And as far as matching your ski level goes, this is the resort that offers more that 160km of pistes ranging from fiercest black right through to gentle nursery slopes.
The intermediate terrain is some of the most extensive in Aosta Valley too, so the fact that La Thuile is also one of the least crowded resorts might come as a surprise.
But it’s families that really luck out here at the moment, as La Thuile is keen to introduce you to its great range of very easy and easy slopes that are perfect for kids and beginners. So keen, that it’s offering generous discounts on lift passes for children, teenagers and young adults this season.
Good to know: 2 hours from Geneva and Turin.
Courmayeur ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Courmayeur: home of the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car
Home to the remarkable Skyway Monte Bianco cable car, Courmayeur probably doesn’t need a lot explaining if you’re familiar with family skiing in Italy. If it’s your first time then – lucky you for a start – and Courmayeur is a brilliant base for mixed age kids.
Despite its fairytale looks, the village’s lively cafés and great shops are big on teen appeal. The aforementioned storybook charm will win over younger ones instantly, and it’s also where you’ll find some of Aosta Valley’s best restaurants to keep parents happy, and Courmayeur accommodation runs from luxury hotels and cheerful B&Bs to very affordable family apartments.
Keen skiers will be interested to know that this is also the closest resort to the French border, and delivers over 100km of pistes served by 18 lifts, along with some of the loveliest off-piste trails in Italy.
On the slightly less serious side of skiing, Fun Park Dolonne comes with treadmills, as well as fun tubing and a bobsleigh run. Also, kids can try out as trainee mushers at Sleddog in Courmayeur; training starts from age four with a guide on the sled, and older kids aged nine and over, get to drive alone, and we don’t need to tell you how much they love that.
Good to know: 1 hour, 20 minutes from Geneva and 1 hour, 40 minutes from Turin.
Champoluc ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Champoluc: the largest resort in Monterosa, Italy’s own ‘3 Vallées’
Another heart-melting traditional village with outstanding skiing on its doorstep, Champoluc is also the largest resort in the legendary Monterosa area: known as Italy’s 3 Vallées.
If the prettiness of historic belltowers and winsome chalets here doesn’t win you over completely, the spectacular glacier views and abundance of lush forests, will probably do the trick.
It’s a given that the skiing is very good, with access to 180km of pistes and the entire Monterosa circuit, Champoluc is known for uncrowded slopes and stunning scenery, as well as challenging off-piste. Although families with younger kids will equally appreciate the warm, local atmosphere, along with friendly restaurants, pretty little craft shops and the village ice rink.
Good value accommodation is another Champoluc plus, and if you want to stretch your horizons, the resort is surrounded by sweet little mountain hamlets begging to be explored.
Good to know: 1 hour, 20 minutes from Turin and 2 hours from Geneva.
Gressoney-Saint-Jean ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
Gressoney: the characterful side of family skiing in Italy
The characterful villages of Gressoney-La-Trinité and Gressoney-Saint-Jean are also charming, and in the Monterosa area too.
Both are famously untouched and awash with heritage buildings, but Gressoney-La-Trinité is the slightly more developed of the two, so if you’re looking for a hotel stay, it’s the one to choose.
Gressoney-Saint-Jean is delightfully low key and warmly welcoming to families. Plus, as well as having access to the Monterosa ski area, it also has its own slopes, so it’s an effortless base with younger kids.
Good to know: 1 hour, 20 minutes from Turin and 2 hours from Milan.
Stella Couis, Pila ©Aosta Valley Tourist Board
What’s new in Aosta Valley if you’re thinking about family skiing in Italy
Like we said, Pila has always been a great choice for family skiing in Italy, because it’s so accessible, and in 2025, it became even more so with the opening of a brand new gondola to replace the Grimondet lift. But, not content with being easier to get to, Pila is going for full WOW this December, with the launch of Stella del Couis.
Taking the concept of eating on the mountain up several notches, this stunning new restaurant sits at the top of Couis 1 and Couis 2, at a height of 2,730m. Constructed entirely of glass and steel, with a panoramic 360° design, it takes in views of the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa.
Needless to say it’s astonishing looking and accessible by lift day and night, so it’s not just for skiers – although it’s destined to be the coolest lunch break in any ski day – non-skiers can soar up in the evening too, and dine above Rome’s Alps under some of Europe’s clearest, starriest skies.
Marmot Den ©Skyway Monte Bianco
Let your kids make like marmots at the Skyway Monte Bianco
Kids less taken with restaurants and more interested in playing aren’t left out when it comes to new stuff in Aosta Valley this season either. In fact, some parents might feel children are getting the better deal, as it involves making like marmots at the Skyway Monte Bianco: the Marmot Refuge.
Set at a soaring 2,173m, The Marmot’s Den lets kids live a little like the most endearing of all fluffy mountain animals; burrowing into their secrets and discovering their habits. The Marmot Den is constructed from wood and incorporates slides and tunnels so it really is learning through play. Plus, all materials used are natural and recyclable, which means kids get to know the ways of the marmot without impacting on its mountain habitat.
Now find out more about family ski holidays in Aosta Valley