Breuil-Cervinia

I came here for some snowboarding, and I came from the Zermatt side. The ride from the top to the bottom was really long which I enjoyed, although I do think there should be more lifts along the way. It was amazing though and the conditions were great despite being early in the season. I went on quite a few of the lifts, but unfortunately, some parts were flat and I had to walk. I went down to Valtournenche as well, but it was impossible for me to get back to Cervinia without using the T-bar, which is really difficult for snowboarders. I don't think whoever designed the T-bar was considering snowboarders, and it's a bit ridiculous that it's the only way to get from Valtournenche to Cervinia. Other than that, snowboarding there was great!

I can't say I'm overwhelmed by this place. Not even sure where to start... It's a ski resort so I can't ever just give it a single star. After all, skiing is a bit like pizza in that any skiing is better than none at all! I suppose it gets a second star for the picturesque Main Street which is cute, and everyone here seems to be very friendly be they locals or tourists. So why only 3 stars? Well, you mainly come here to ski, and they haven't made it very convenient to do so. Firstly the lift pass is ridiculously expensive. 270€ buys you a 6 day pass covering the total ski area which extends to Zermatt in Switzerland. Secondly, the lift arrangements are rubbish. A few giant super lifts with awkward links, a few smaller lifts with limited scope of pistes from the top. Staircases and escalators everywhere. For a place built to attract skiers, they've made it incredibly inconvenient for people wearing skis, ski boots or carrying skis. I suppose it's a bit better if you're a snowboarder except that many of the mediocre runs will leave you with a bit of a walk if you're boarding. The redeeming features, spectacular views, are often marred by the presence of big ugly buildings on the mountain side. It's like absolutely no thought whatsoever has been given to the layout of the lifts or pistes. That said, when the weather does allow for good skiing, there are some beautifully sunny runs that stay sunny until about 5pm and it's almost worth visiting just for those, Cervinia also has some of the best mountain side eating I've ever experienced, so if you're a snowboarder who likes food more than snowboarding, this is probably a good place to visit! I suppose the people here are so friendly because their only chance of repeat visitors is to make the non-skiing part of the stay as welcoming as possible, to make up for the rubbish skiing! Oh well :)