Sauze d’Oulx: The Affordable Hidden Ski Resort of the Italian Alps – Everything You Need to Know
You have probably heard that one of the best mountains in Europe for winter sports is the Alps. For years, I had to say no to a ski trip because for me skiing in the Alps = huge price tag, until I found Sauze d’Oulx. This affordable hidden ski resort of the Italian Alps will make your ski holiday in Italy completely worth it!
Do you know that feeling when you find out that you can actually do something from your bucket list at half of the price that you thought it would cost? That was me when I discovered Sauze d’Oulx, an affordable option for winter sports enthusiasts.
When it comes to a ski holidays in Europe you probably think of the Alps and then France, Switzerland, Austria, but what about Italy? A snow holiday for beginners can bring a mix of emotions. Excitement is for sure on the top. But what about when you never skied or snowboarded? Don’t worry, there are plenty of beginner ski gear rentals.
This is why I decided to write about Sauze d’Oulx, a small town in the north-east of Italy perfect for all levels of skiers and snowboarders without the huge price tag attached like the top Ski Resorts in Europe. Sauze d’Oulx is an ideal destination.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click one of those links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission on the sale at no extra cost to you. Review the Privacy Policy and Disclosures.
Where is Sauze d’Oulx in Italy?
Sauze d’Oulx pronounced [sow-zee-doo], is located on the north-east of Italy, close to the border with France and it is a little ski gem. The village has a cute feel, the houses are all built in wood with some medium size apartments. Sauze d’Oulx is part of the Piemonte region, only 16 km away from the Turin airport.
Being so close to Turin, Sauze d’Oulx makes it very accessible to reach, just over 1 hour driving from the airport.
How to get to Sauze d’Oulx
The best way to get to Sauze d’Oulx is by private transfer. Prices are typically between $25 and $80 depending on how many people you are sharing with. The journey is just over 1 hour.
Private transfers (quickest way):
Plenty of ways to book your private transfer, either by calling local numbers or online.
Alternatively, you can speak with the host or resort staff to ask for recommendations. I used Alps2Alps to go from Turin airport to Sauze d’Oulx (link here) but from Milan airport to Sauze d’Ould I booked online via Expedia.
Public Transportation (great if you want to explore nearby cities):
The other option is by taking public transportation and shuttles – this option would be great if you want to also see Turin for a day or two before going to the mountains.
To get to Sauze d’Oulx from Turin airport, you need to get to Porta Nuova (Turin’s train station), which is $5. From central Turin, then take a train to Oulx which is about $8 and when you get to Oulx there is plenty of shuttles up to Sauze that cost around $5.
Best connected airports to Sauze d’Oulx
Being in the middle of the Alps, this cute village is very accessible from airports in three countries. Other than Turin, your options are Chambery (France), Milan Linate (Italy) about 2 hours from the airport. Milan Malpensa (Italy), Geneva (Switzerland) and Genoa (Italy) are about 2.5 hours drive and you even have Grenoble and Milan Bergano (itlay) both just under 3 hours – Of course, times are estimated as it can differ with traffic and driving.
Why consider Sauze d’Oulx for your ski holidays
At the beginning of choosing your ski holidays, always think about what you want to get from the overall experience. For me, was to completely learn, for my partner was to become a better skier.
If you never skied, have some experience and don’t have thousands of $$ to spend, Sauze d’Oulx is definitely the perfect place to start. I would even say the best for families too.
The village has ski and snowboard schools a lift away that you can return too.
Another factor to add to Sauze d’Oulx being a great option for your ski holidays is how this town is lesser known, a true hidden gem. Let’s break it down. You all have heard of Chamonix, Zermatt, Les Trois Vallees, Les Portes du Soleil, Whistler in Canada and Denver in Colorado. But not Sauze d’Oulx right?
That is because Sauze d’Oulx has a perfect combination of all things you need in a ski holiday, and in my opinion even better than perhaps some of the top known resorts.
Sauze d’Oulx Vibes
In Sauze d’Oulx the atmosphere is very quaint, homey atmosphere, with traditional chalets giving similarities to the ones of Switzerland or France. People on the street speak more Italian than English, French or German.
Sauze d’Oulx still keeps Italian culture and authenticity, it perfectly offers a blend of Italian warmth and hospitality owith the adventure of an alpine town with the snowy setting and the backdrops of the mountains.
During the day you have dogs walking their owners through the cobbled streets of the village. There are a few bars located around the main street and the famous Après-ski is a costumed that is balanced between the generations allowing it to be both lively and a relaxing town.
Is Sauze d’Oulx a good ski resort?
Sauze d’Oulx is part of the Vialattea or the Milkyway. It’s part of the top 5 best ski resort areas in Europe and is super accessible. There are about 400 km of pistes across 7 resorts including Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, and Montgenèvre. This means that if you start to ski in Italy you can also get to France.
80% of the ski resort is above 1,900m meaning that is guaranteed snow during the season, apart from that, there are a lot of snow cannons dotted around the area to guarantee great conditions.
From Sauze d’Oulx you can ski both in the Italian side of the Alps in the resorts of Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere, Pragelato and on the French side of the Alps, at Montgenevre ski resort all with one ski pass.
Want to go skiing and don’t know how?
Try Heidi
Heidi is the best company to plan your ski holiday with no complications and as flexible as you want. There is options for beginners, families, friends, seasonality and even if tailor made such as self-drive.
The company was founded by two brothers with passion for the mountains and winter sport.
Best time to go to Sauze d’Oulx
Ski Season:
The ski season starts at the end of November with December normally being alright for sking, however, for higher chances of full snow and all ski runs open try going between January and February. I first went to Sauze d’Oulx for New Years Eve and although it was great for a newbie, the overall feedback was that the levels of snow could have been better.
Something that I would recommend is checking the live cameras of Vialattea for live snow levels and also the lifts open at any time of the season.
So, what’s the best time to go sking in Sauze d’Oulx? To play safe go between January and February where snow is guaranteed even in lower parts of the Vialattea.
Summer:
Summer in Sauze d’Oulx is very beautiful for biking and extensive walks. The mountain region is perfect for wild photography, hiking, cross country and biking. Best time to enjoy the best views of the Italian Alps is between May and September. You can also enjoy the quick access to France and the connectivity to neighbourhood countries such as Switzerland and Germany.
Is Sauze d’Oulx expensive?
Sauze d’Oulx is far from being the most expensive ski resort in Europe. In fact, it is considered to be of great value for money. I have only been to Sauze d’Oulx but in talks with friends and experienced skiers, the feedback has been very unanimous, it is the best place to ski in Western Europe where you don’t compromise the quality of the runs or your bank.
Ski passes can be booked online as early as 6 months ahead of the opening of the ski season and cost around $220 for 5 days. Equipment rental varies from $94 – $117 (depending on the quality of your skis).
There are plenty of accommodation across, and the food is very affordable too making Sauze d’Oulx one of the most affordable ski resorts in Europe, definitely a hidden gem in the Alps region!
Where to stay in Sauze d’Oulx
Prices range between resorts, you can have just a single resort pass, an area pass. We wanted to have the freedom of choice and ski in Italy and also France, so we booked an apartment in Sauze d’Oulx, and got ski passes for the whole Vialletea and balanced between food in and food out to save costs.
An apartment ranges between $80 per night to $1450. Of course these are villas and apartments normally to share. I wouldn’t recommend staying in an apartment if you are going alone or just with a plus one. If you are a couple stay in an hotel. You can enjoy the facilities and enjoy the Alpine vibes.
Hotels in Sauze d’Oulx start at $72 and can go up to $500 per night.
I often recommend staying in an apartment in the town center, about 10 minutes walk from the ski lift Seggiovia Cotes. There are plenty of places to stay near the lifts. Book your accommodation as far in advance as possible, Sauze d’Oulx is starting to be internationally known and you can make it cheaper if planned in advance.
To give you an idea, when we first went to Sauze, we paid about $600 per person for an apartment sharing with 6 people for 5 nights stay. We booked it around August time for December. The second year, we booked it straight away around March for February the following year, and although February is a school holiday we paid $350. It’s a massive difference!
Another thing that I would suggest is to bring people with you. A large group is hard to manage but a small group on a ski trip can be expensive. Regardless if you are in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland or Austria when travelling with a bigger group (4 people +) you can take advantage of apartments and save some $$ in cooking.
Hotel Recommendations
There are plenty of places to stay, and I will tell you all the ones that we have stayed over the last few years, plus the ones that some friends and family stayed with and our wish-list for the following years when we bring more friends with us.
The best place to stay is right in the town center, close to the lifts and all the shops. The closer you are from the Ski lifts the easier it will be when you are walking in the morning.
Remember that you are in a mountain town, so you have to play with gravity. Walking with the boots for over 10 minutes will be your nightmare.
Best Hotels near a ski lift
Best Hotel for families (all inclusive)
Club Med Pragelato Sestiere
Best Chalets
Bars, Restaurants & Apres Ski in Sauze d’Oulx
People go sking for two reasons: 1 the sport and 2 the vibes after sking and this could not be possible without the infamous “apres ski”. Although a French term, it is widely used in Italy as well and with it comes the food and the drinks, the below are all the places I tried in Sauze d’Oulx which I think you should try if you ever spend some time sking in the North East of Italy.
Before I start giving you all my favourite spots in Sauze d’Oulx, I need to confess that in comparison with France and Switzerland, the prices of decent, warm, delicious food in the Italian Alps are super affordable, you can eat and drink in the mountains for less than $15 and i am talking hot + alcoholic beverages (sometimes more than one!) – this is unheard of in other ski resorts in Europe!
Best bars for Après-ski experience:
AleGria – Fridays and Saturdays with some DJs and Aperol Spritz flying around. It is said to have one of the best espresso Maritinis in Sauze d’Oulx too. It doesn’t get better than this for the cool Apres Ski in Sauze d’Oulx. It turns really into an outdoor mini-rave. You will struggle to find a seated area inside. AleGria is the bar that belongs to Hotel K2, very central for both Ski Lifts and buses to other lifts of the Vialattea.
Derby’s Bar – on my top 3 of best places to be in Sauze d’Oulx for either Apres Ski vibes or food. Derby’s Bar is perfect for groups, couples and families. Is warm inside, cozy, large sitting spaces, indoor games such as the “hitting the nail in the wood”, cards, and others.
The best part of Derby’s is the hospitality and how well they treat new clients, they provide a mixture of hams, mortandela, crisps and grissini during your first round of drinks before 6pm.
During New Year’s eve this is the best place to be if you want clear views of the fireworks and unbelievable nightout. The bar provides live music Friday-Sunday and during festive season, DJ outside in the car park – I absolutely loved my time at Derby’s and had the best New Year’s Eve Ever!
Enoteca Il Lampione – I absolutely loved this little corner bar/restaurant. Very low key, away from the typical buzzer, Enoteca provides great service, cocktails and Apres Ski Vibes that will let you go from afternoon to early night without even notice. We were very well received and by surprise had progressive house DJ for a couple of hours. Definitely add Enoteca to your Apres Ski bars next time you are in Sauze d’Oulx.
Ghost Bar – Ghost is a pub/bar located next to Clotes lift and end of the ski run at Sauze d’Oulx. . Ghost bar is the quickest and most convenient bar/pub on your route to any apartment or hotel around Sauze d’Oulx. Pints are decent and the price of a Guiness is not extraordinary, even if imported. Although not my favourite, it fits its purpose. Ghost Bar/Pub is normally frequented by holiday makers. Offers food until late. Staff are welcoming!
Best Places to Eat in Sauze d’Oulx
The good news is that Sauze d’Oulx is located in Piedmont, Italy and therefore you are already in one of the best corners in the world for food. I don’t think anything gets better than this snow + Pizza?! It’s not just about the pizzas, but also the pastas, the meat, the cream and cheese.
For traditional Italian restaurant, make sure to add Sugo’s to the itinerary.
Sugo’s is located in the heart of Sauze d’Oulx but still tucked away from the main roads where the crowds go for a bite. It’s full of character, from the building to the Nonas in the kitchen. Sugo’s is an institution, regular skiers in the area make Sugo’s a must to visit everytime. At Sugo’s you can count with fresh pasta dishes, proper Italian cuisine, delicious antipasti and the infamous wild boar ragout – Very very tasty!
Assietta – located in the heart of Sauze and on the next to all the bars, nightlife and vibrant town, Assietta offers exactly what you might expect from a Alpine restaurant, it’s busy, is cozy, people are happy still “high” from the altitude of the mountains. The menu is extensive, but due to the location and quality is not the cheapest. The best part of Assietta is the quality of the space. Assietta has an amazing outdoor space with blankets and the best Truffle Fondue as well as polenta potatoes for grabs.
Pizza House – If you are staying at an apartment or fancy an outdoor pizza, there is only one place that you need to go and that is Pizza House. They don’t offer a seat down area, so all pizzas are for takeaway only, but it will be worth it. The best place to eat fresh and oven made pizza in the Italian Alpes for sure. Be aware that queues can be of 45min + as this is the spot for Apres Ski pizza grabs.
Options for Breakfast in Sauze d’Oulx
During your time sking in Sauze d’Oulx there aren’t much time for breakfast out as you are more conscious in getting to the lifts early to avoid queue and get all the quality runs, saying this, there are good places for european breakfast (coffee + cake or toast).
The Cafe Gally or Pasticceria Torteria has the best coffee and the most cute cakes and delicacies.
Other option is La Grangia. Stopping here is kind of mandatory when climbing the steps to the Clotes Lift, especially with the weight of your boots and the pressure on your chins. La Grangia is great for coffee and snack before heading to the mountains. It is also a restaurant, so worth checking it out on your way back too!
What to do in Sauze d’Oulx other than skiing?
Recently, I have been doing more of a destination research as not everyone will read this blog post when planning a ski holiday in Italy. Also, not always you want to ski, and sometimes you might just want to relax and explore the town and see what there is nearby.
During the summer you can enjoy e-bike tours to the mountains and adventure yourself, these can be booked for groups.
During the winter, apart of the amazing food that the town has to offer, you can also enjoy a Spa, and snowshoeing the forests during the day or evening with a professional guide.
If you are travelling solo, Sauze d’Oulx offers skiing tours, where you go with a group skiing the mountains – I personally never done this but sounds a great way to get to know people if you are travelling solo!
Important: before you go skiing
There are plenty of other equally important things to consider when skiing in Europe (or in any country really) but something that I need to mention in this blog is travel insurance.
In the past 10 years travel insurance HeyMondo has been my saviour. I have been involved in motorbike accidents, missed flight, got baggage stolen and got stuck in Australia with an injury, luckily I have always had a travel insurance policy protecting me from any issue I had so I was able to cover any situation whilst abroad, including cancelled flights when it was “due to weather”.
While I never needed to claim during ski trips, I strongly recommend travel insurance for such adventures. HeyMondo is particularly suitable for adventure travellers, offering coverage for extreme sports like skiing and snowboarding, making it one of the best choices for mountain travel. The best Travel Insurance for adventure travel around the world is HeyMondo, I wouldn’t be able to write this here if it wasn’t for them.
Final thoughts
I really enjoyed writing all my favourite places of Sauze d’Oulx and I hope this gives some inspiration and support planning your next trip during the winter or summer!
Sauze d’Oulx will always be one of my top recommendations for ski in Europe for being super-mega affordable, with option of making a cheap ski holiday without really compromising the quality of the runs. Overall, Sauze d’Oulx is a great choice if you are looking for a relaxing ski holiday in Italy, with a combination of Après-ski options and Italian culture in the mixture.
If you want help to plan your next trip, feel free to reach out via the contact form and I will happily help you booking everything you need.
Safe Travels!
Miri x
