Skiing the Milky Way: The sun-drenched pistes of the French-Italian border
The Milky Way – or Via Lattea as it’s known in Italy – hugs the French-Italian alpine border, taking in the resorts of Montgenevre, Sestriere and Sauze d’Oulx in one easily navigable ski area. Here’s my guide to the Milky Way ski area, a wonderfully diverse slice of the Alps that’s perfect for beginners and experienced skiers alike.
Confession: I’ve fallen a bit in love with the Milky Way.
I’ve just returned from my second trip within a year, and keep finding reasons to recommend it. The pistes are diverse, challenging and picture-perfect. The food is fantastic (raclette anyone?). The landscape is just breathtaking.
It’s also a relatively quiet ski area compared to some of the nearby French behemoths.
I’ve explored the vast majority of the Via Lattea on two consecutive trips with some of my best friends, and we’ve based ourselves at opposite ends of the ski area on each visit. But I’m still looking for excuses to return to this surprisingly budget-friendly area.
So, if you’re a lover of mountains, snowsports, perfect pistes and plenty of cheese, read on for my guide to making the most of the Milky Way.
There’s no AI here! Every post on Travels with a Saddle Bag is written by myself and based on my own travels. This post was written in February 2017 and last updated in October 2024, based on my visits to the Via Lattea in 2016 and 2017.
Introducing the resorts of the Milky Way ski area
The Via Lattea comprises seven resorts: six in Italy and one in France. But don’t let the border worry you. It’s easy to ski and board back and forth between the two countries to your heart’s content. Choosing the right resort for you is the key to your perfect stay in the Milky Way ski area.
These are the key resorts in the Via Lattea;
- Montgenevre, France
- Claviere, Italy
- Sansicario, Italy
- Cesana, Italy
- Sestriere and Pragelato, Italy
- Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
Starting on the French border: Montgenevre
This purpose-built French resort delivers everything you’d expect and more. With the town at 1860m and all pistes higher up, good snow conditions are guaranteed for most of the winter. The large ESF-run ski school is great for beginners and improvers, and there’s a good selection of restaurants and cafes (it is France after all) as well as a smattering of useful shops. Plus it’s easy to access the piste from anywhere in town.
Montgenevre is a fabulous location for mixed ability groups. You’ve got a huge range of pistes on your doorstep, from pretty tree-lined green runs that everyone can enjoy, to challenging reds and blacks that’ll get the blood pumping and help you explore every inch of the mountain. And at the end of the day, you can warm up on the way home with a vin chaud at one of the many bars along the main street.
The best bits: The pistes up at Les Gondrans are a dream. They’re varied and easy to access from four lifts. It’s perfect for those who want to spend some time finding their ski legs, practising their technique or having some fun. We loved Cafe Les Anges at the bottom of the lifts for hot chocolates with a fantastic view.
Be aware: If you’re hoping to explore the whole Milky Way, it can take a long time to get across from Montgenevre. You’re best off taking a bus, or heading to nearby Serre Chevalier (separate lift pass required) if you’re after some variety.
Little Italy: Claviere
This traditional little village sits on the Italian border just 3km from Montgenevre, with easy ski links between the two. Smaller than its French neighbour, it’s a great spot for families and those who want the pistes to themselves. We based ourselves here in 2017 to give us the best of both worlds – easy access to the large ski area around Montgenevre, and easy access to Italian cuisine!
Claviere is quiet, but well-served with a small Italian supermarket, bakery, Gallo’s bar for your après spritzes and a couple of delightful pizzerias and restaurants both in town and on the piste at La Coche.
The best bits: Claviere is well located for exploring the whole of the Via Lattea. We could get across to Sansicario, Sestriere and Sauze d’Oulx from here with relative ease (provided we resisted too many coffee stops). This makes it a good strategic base for more experienced skiers.
Be aware: It’s not a party town, so if you’re hoping to hit the après or aperitivos every night you’re better off considering Sauze d’Oulx or Montgenevre.
Sansicario and Cesana
A venue for the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, Sansicario is largely purpose-built and one of the smaller towns on the Milky Way. It’s close to the valley town of Cesana, a functional hub in the centre of the ski area that’s home to more locals than tourists.
What Sansicario lacks in size it more than makes up for in enjoyable piste. The sunny sweeping reds and blacks are the perfect playground for boarders and experienced skiers. Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere are only a few lifts and pistes away if you want to cover as much snow as possible.
The best bits: Sansicario is a sun trap on a clear day, so slap on some sunscreen and head over to make the most of the open upper pistes and cafe terraces.
Be aware: The lower slopes were in poor condition when we visited so I wouldn’t recommend as a ski-in/ski-out location. You’ll be spending a lot of time carrying boards and skis if you base yourself here. The town also has more of a functional, rather than resort, feel.
Prestigious Sestriere and Pragelato
Synonymous with world-class skiing, Sestriere – and nearby Pragelato – sit in a bowl towards the southern edge of the Via Lattea. This upmarket resort might not be the prettiest you’ve ever visited but its heritage as a host of world cup skiing tells you everything you need to know.
You’ll find spectacular, challenging pistes right on your doorstep as well as mountain restaurants galore. A gondola offers a speedy link to Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario, giving you the opportunity to ski a massive area each day.
The best bits: The central location and wide variety of accommodation and eating options. As with Montgenevre, you’ll also find the elevation here (2,000m) means that Sestriere is pretty snow sure throughout the season.
Be aware: Sestriere isn’t a great recommendation for budget travellers. As an alternative, base yourself in Sauze d’Oulx instead and head across early in the morning.
Party time in Sauze d’Oulx
Sauze has a bit of a split personality – part traditional Italian alpine village, part party town. Whichever side you’re most interested in, it’ll be outshone by the meandering tree-lined pistes that make Sauze a joy to visit in its own right.
It’s one of the larger resorts on the Milky Way, meaning you’ll find a good variety of accommodation and eating options on and off the slopes. It also offers the best value for money I’ve come across in this area for both, especially when it comes to enjoying food up on the mountain.
The best bits: Find time to stroll around the old town without your ski boots on. The narrow cobbled streets, overhanging eaves of ancient chalets and arched stone doorways are irresistibly charming. You’ll feel more like a visitor to an Italian village on the plains than a modern ski resort. There are some great budget eats too. Try the fantastic Famelica Pizzeria in the old town for the best takeaway you’ve ever eaten (bonus points for enjoying it out in the snow), and the cafe at the top of Col Basset.
Be aware: As with Sansicario, the lower pistes can struggle with snow cover if conditions are warm. Unseasonable weather in 2016, when we based ourselves in Sauze, required some serious efforts from the piste-bashers and snow cannons to keep the returns into town open.
A guide to the Milky Way ski passes
Depending on where you base yourself, and how much of the Milky Way you intend to explore, there are several options when it comes to lift passes.
The international ski pass
This covers you for all resorts on both the Italian and French sides of the border. Given the size of the ski area and the amount of time taken to get from one end of the Milky Way, this is good value for money only if you’re a very experienced (and ambitious) snowsports enthusiast. Alternatively, it could be a good choice if you’ve got your own transport to move from one resort to the other.
For most skiers or boarders, the Via Lattea or Montiluna Montgenevre passes are a better fit.
The Via Lattea ski pass
This gives you full access to all Italian resorts, and one day in Montgenevre (if you go for the 6 day pass).
Montiluna Montgenevre ski pass
Alternatively, if your base is in Montgenevre or Claviere, you can opt for the Montiluna Montgenevre pass that allows you to explore these two resorts to your heart’s content, and spend one day in six in the other Italian resorts.
The Via Lattea and Montiluna Montgenevre passes offer great value for money as they cover substantial areas. Take the opportunity to make the most of a day’s skiing elsewhere in the area by taking a coach transfer to Montgenevre, Sauze or Sestriere. They’re easy to organise through reps in resort. This’ll get you there for lift opening, and take you home once the pistes have closed. It is possible to take lifts all the way across, but you’ll need a bit of patience and ability to shuffle across a car park in ski boots at one point. Check out full details of all lift passes available on the Via Lattea website.
Via Lattea travel resources
How to get to the Via Lattea
The Milky Way is just over an hour’s drive from Turin airport. Coach transfers and taxis are easy to find and book in advance. Sauze d’Oulx is closest to the motorway and has the quickest transfer time, with Montgenevre and Sestriere taking approximately 30 minutes more.
How to get around the Via Lattea
If you’re on skis, the whole area is linked – check the piste map for routes. Private transfers are best for moving between the resorts and are easy to find.
Where to stay in the Via Lattea
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation with hotels, catered ski chalets and apartments in abundance, although pick your resort carefully if you plan to self-cater. Some of the resorts, including Sauze d’Oulx, have little food shopping. We found Montgenevre and Claviere had much greater choice. If you’re travelling from the UK you’ll find a wide range of tour operators offering good value packages to this area.
In 2016, we opted for the Neilson Hotel Edelweiss in Sauze d’Oulx, which gave us easy access to the Jouvenceaux lift to get onto the mountain, generous food and stylish rooms. In 2017, we stayed at the Grande Hotel Albergo Claviere in the centre of the village. This hotel pitches itself as family-friendly, but it’s a good choice for all budget travellers with fantastic access to the piste, a friendly bar and a plentiful – if a little eccentric – menu.
What to pack for the Via Lattea
Check out my suggestions in A complete guide to what to pack for your ski trip.
Is the Via Lattea worth it?
Absolutely. This is a hugely diverse ski area with something for everyone. There’s the unexpected thrill of hopping backwards across the French/Italian border for starters, and with that, an abundance of excellent French and Italian cuisine. The landscape and pistes are varied and beautiful, with plenty at a higher altitude near Montgenevre. Beginners are well-catered for with gentle, tree-lined runs and good ski schools. More experienced skiers will enjoy the sheer variety of runs, ability to explore a wide range of pistes and tackle Olympic and World Cup runs in Sestriere. And there’s plenty of good alpine hospitality to boot.
There’s good reason I’ve visited here more than once – this is an enchanting ski area that blends the best of both the French and Italian Alps.
