La Thuile or Champoluc?

Looking at a week at the start of March and have narrowed it down to these two.

Hotel. Planibel in La Thuile or Hotel Champoluc in Champoluc. Both half board and both good value.

Does anyone have experience of either and which ski are would be better for the week.

I have found another great value week in Bardonecchi but reckon that the ski area is too small.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I have skied La Thuile twice now and stayed at the Planibel both times. However I have never been to Champoluc. La Thuile is connected to La Rosiere (France) and together offer about 160 Kms of good skiing. It is VERY quiet and at last years half term the pistes were virtually deserted compared with French resorts and other Alpine resorts.The skiing is varied from testing blacks (B3 the steepest in the Alps)to really cruisy blues. The trip to France is now easy but you have to ski a reasonably difficult red to get home. There is also a LONG (2-3 km) button to get back. The resort is typically Italian very laid back with mostly wide pistes. The exceptions are the return to the village, red 4 is easiest but red 6 is narrow and can be busy at the end of the day. All the blues are easy, the reds vary but you would prob enjoy Reds 9 and 10.

The planibel is ...umm ...different. Its sort of 1980's, the food is pretty good but the rooms are a little dated. They DO all have baths though which is great with a glass of wine at the end of a long day.

Would I go back...Def it is on my "best" list along with "Serre Che"

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxvwHLQG3MM or PM me for more detail

Thanks Baldy, I do like the sound of a laid back Italian feel to the place.

Hi - never been to La Thuile but going back to Champoluc for 4th time in January. Can't recommend the hotel du Champoluc enough. It's clean, warm & friendly with great buffet style meals with complimentary wine with dinner in the evening. Boot room is literally across the driveway to the bottom of the piste - first gondola is right there. The village is laid back & friendly with a few goods bars for après drinks and nibbles. There are some really good restaurants in the village if you fancy a change from your half board. Places to eat on the mountain are great with a few off the beaten track places which are well worth the effort - check out Rascard Frantze and Stella Alpina. Also the Belvedere on your last run back of the day is a must for late afternoon sunshine & bombardinos!

The sking is fantastic for intermediates - long sweeping reds on Champoluc side, a couple of steep blacks over towards gressoney & a fab unpisted black down to Alagna; as well as easier long blues and a couple of nice runs through the trees. Pistes are kept immaculate and lifts are modern & efficient; queues just don't happen!!!

You've also got the option with your lift pass to catch the local bus to Atagnod - costs 1 euro & about 10 mins down the valley. Here you've got easier skiing & fantastic views. Also if you travel with Crystsl they usually run a ski away day to Pila or Courmayor which gives you the chance to see other areas - but to be honest skiing in Champoluc is so good you probably won't want to leave the lovely empty slopes!!!

Really can't recommend it enough - if you want empty slopes, no queues, great skiing & food in amazing scenery surrounded by the wonderful Italian people, this is the place. You'll find Champoluc is very popular with repeat guests - always a good sign!!

Any questions, please ask!!!

Gareth, good choices. I was literally about to book the Planibel but HB at the hotel for mid Jan, but opted at the last minute to do a Club Med in light of a great deal I got. But I've looked at La Thuile and La Rossiere a few times in the past. Sounds nice and quiet on the Italian side.

As for Champoluc, I skied there in Jan a couple of years ago, stayed in the Hotel Champoluc. I cannot recommend it highly enough. The ski area is really very different from the norm. People say its limited and a small extent, but the truth is that its spread across 3 valleys so you travel around a lot, and you can nip off the edge in a number of places and mess about off piste to your hearts content. Its a good long day from Champoluc across to Alagna and back. Hardly saw anyone else on the slopes, never had to wait for a lift anywhere, some incredible scenery and a great feeling of really being up in the mountains when you ski, rather than being beneath the peaks as in many places.

The hotel is fine, quite smart, bang next door to the main gondola out of town, couple of bars nearby. Village life is very quiet but get yourself into the little cafe/bar just 50 metres up the hill from the hotel and they'll really look after you well. Cheap wine! Very cheap prices on the slopes for coffee, drinks and food, and some quality restaurants too. The black down to Alagna in the valley is simply wonderful, not particularly difficult in the main, and after one or two steep sections it opens up into a fantastic cruise. We really loved this area and would defo go back. The only one ball ache is skiing back to Champoluc through Gressoney, you have to walk from the red a few hundred metres to the cable car, which after a hard day on it can be irritatingly hard for some, Mrs H had a good moan about this bit each time!

Great video,of La Thuile Baldeagle Man!!!

https://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/13758.page

Thanks for the information, looking like La Thuile as some of our group are going for a week and some for just four days and Hotel Planibel can do short stays.