Dolomites Ski Safari with Inspired Italy – Great Concept but look around for better value!
Our ski group of 7, all “mature” skiers in their 60’s, has recently returned from a week‘s ski safari in the Dolomites with Inspired Italy.
The holiday concept is great, you ski from a base hotel exploring the vast Dolomiti SuperSki area, staying at different mountain rifugios each night before returning to the base hotel on the last day of the holiday. You ski on-piste but this approach allows you to get a real sense of travel and to visit outlying ski areas of the Dolomites such as Marmolade, Catinaccio, Civetta Cortina/Hidden Valley & Alta Badia not possible with a resort based holiday.
The Dolomites provides stunning scenery, the rifugios are warm, comfortable (hot showers!) and with excellent food. Many such as Rif Lagazuoi are spectacularly located for amazing sunsets and sunrises and you get ‘Freshtracks’ every morning!
However, this is an expensive holiday for 6 days skiing:- The Inspired Italy package is £1,545 pp for 3 nights hotel B& B, 4 nights in rifugios HB, Lift pass, ski hire, airport transfers and a ski leader to show the route. You will need to add extra costs:- Flights from the UK, 3 nights evening meals, plus lunches & drinks.
Also once you leave the base hotel, you ski with ALL your essentials in a well stuffed rucsac as you won’t see your luggage until you return to the base hotel at the end of the week.
An excellent holiday concept in a beautiful area but we have since identified some better value deals:
Guided Ski Safaris:
With a wide variety of routes around the Dolomites are available at cheaper prices and better value from Collett’s and Arabba Holidays. (They also offer bespoke itineraries for groups of 7/8). These safari holidays include 7 nights HB in a hotel and mountain rifugios, lift pass, transfers, Plus guiding by a fully qualified ski instructor offers ski instruction/tips during the trip AND they arrange for your luggage to be transferred by road to your rifugios each night so you can ski with just small bag/rucsac.
Neilsen Ski Holidays have a fully inclusive Dolomites Ski Safari with cheap charter flights from Manchester & London, transfers, 7 nights HB, lift pass, guiding by a ski instructor and luggage transfer from hotel to rifugios each day. This is even better value but Neilsen don’t offer quite the same range of routes as Collett’s and Arabba Holidays, so check the itinerary/route covers the skis ares you want to see.
Self Guided:
If you love looking at (piste) maps and are happy to put in some pre planning, the ski areas in the Dolomites are very well signposted, have good piste maps and the timetables for ski bus links between regions are all on the internet.
We calculate this adventurous approach, without a ski leader, will save about £300 pp!
This is a great holiday idea – go for it!
