Cervinia

Right underneath the Matterhorn, Cervinia is a brilliant place to ski and so very much more reasonably priced than its Swiss counterpart, Zermatt. The altitude, between 2050 and 3883 metres, pretty much guarantees snow whichever end of the season you take your holiday. The runs are long, the ski area is huge, connecting with Valtournenche and you can get across to Zermatt too, though do keep an eye on the time (it's 6 hours by road if you miss the last ski lift home!)

There are cruisey pistes everywhere, fine for beginners graduating from the nursery slopes. The run everyone talks about is the Ventina which is 8kms long but should be within the capabilities of first-time skiers by the end of the week. Then there's the bendy, carvy 10km run down from Plateau Rosa…and, for experts, or people with legs made of steel, a 22km run to Valtournenche. Ouch! One of the ski passes allows trips to Zermatt where there are plenty more challenges.

For boarders, the Indian terrain park is said to be one of the best in Italy.

Apres-Ski in Cervinia

Cervinia is a friendly place. It's very pleasing to wander around the pedestrianised zone and browse in the shops. There are bars, restaurants, cafés and clubs a-plenty. If you'd like to admire the Matterhorn from a sunny terrace while sipping your post-ski beer, then there's no better place than the Metzelet. The Copa Pan and the Café des Guides are welcoming places to go, and for night owls, Bianconiglio is the club of the moment.

Otherwise, Cervinia has a public swimming pool, sauna, natural ice rink and gym. You can go heli-skiing, snowmobiling, tubing and paragliding. For children, there's a play area with a bouncy castle. Valtournenche is only 9kms away and has a large sports centre with a range of indoor activities and a climbing wall.

Cervinia is a super-duper place for families, and skiers and boarders of all ages and abilities. All we can say is… go there, with GetSkiing!

Gary's Little Gems in Cervinia

Located at the foot of the dramatic Matterhorn, Cervinia has some the best snow-sure skiing in Italy and all of the Alps. One of the lift passes includes a day skiing in Zermatt which should be tried. The centre of the town is closed to traffic which gives it a unique charm. On weekends, the slopes can get busy with locals so head over to Valtournenche which has some good skiing and less crowds.