So you have an Epic Pass and want to use it to get free ski days in Europe? Remember that most of the European options are only available if you bought the full Epic Pass, not the Local Epic Pass or any of the less expensive Epic Pass options. I would like to introduce the hidden gem Madonna di Campiglio as an option, which is part of the Skirama Dolomiti resorts.
Why should I choose Madonna di Campiglio?
A couple years back before the pandemic, my friend and I decided we wanted to try an European ski trip. We had both gotten the Epic pass, and were looking through the European options. While St. Anton in Austria and Verbier in Switzerland sounded amazing, there were very strict rules on what accommodations (read: expensive locations that you need to book directly usually by email and were mostly already fully booked anyways) you need to stay in to get the free lift tickets through Epic Pass that it didn’t seem worth it. We ended up choosing Italy because of the better value over France, but to my defense, this was before I realized how good the après ski scene was in Val Thorens. Madonna di Campiglio-Pinzolo ended up being a great option using our Full Epic Pass. While it only costs about 60 Euros a day in Madonna di Campiglio, you get 7 free consecutive days with your Epic Pass, plus half price on any additional days (unclear if those additional half price days have to be consecutive to the 7 free days).
Ok, and the other thing that swayed us was the bombardino! (Bombardino translates to “the bomb”, hence the exclamation mark after it!) We were in Prague the previous year and had been introduced to bombardino at a Christmas market there, and were hooked. This is a popular apres ski drink in the Italian alps, but difficult to find this anywhere else in the world. It is very similar to hot eggnog with brandy with lots of whipped cream on top. You can also order it with a shot of espresso which is called Calimero. These drinks are available all over the resort at any of the little rest huts or Refugio, and range from about 4-6 Euro. Prosecco costs just about the same amount.
I didn’t realize until after I went to Madonna di Campiglio how beautiful it was out there. It is in the Italian Dolomites which is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Words can’t do justice about how beautiful it is. I think of all the places I’ve ever skied, I think this is in the top three. The place that might outrank this is Cerro Catedral alta Patagonia in Bariloche, Argentina, in Northern Patagonia. Don’t worry I’ll get around to writing about Bariloche soon, hopefully before you start making your summer (well, it would “summer” if you go) plans.
The past two times (Jan 2019, Dec 2022) I went to this region to ski, I stayed in Pinzolo. This year, I decided to splurge a bit and stay in Madonna di Campiglio this time. As I did more research, the après ski scene looks lit, with an on mountain après scene at Chalet Spinale, two umbrella bars with DJs, Lab Après Ski and Ober One, plus at least one indoor club at Piano 54. I’m excited to check it out this time.
In addition to the great après ski scene, there are 3 One Star Michelin Restaurants in the Madonna di Campiglio area. We haven’t decided which one to book yet, but I did look at the menus, and all of them look reasonably priced at about 100-120 Euros for dinner. I believe only one offered a lunch option.
And of course I can’t leave out the skiing. Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo has the best groomed runs I have ever skied. Last year, my Italy trip was my very first ski trip of the season. Usually I like to warm my ski legs up by going on a day trip to a local Vermont or NY resort. But I wasn’t able to swing it. So I skied over 120K vertical feet in 6 days on my very first ski trip, but my legs weren’t that sore, I know it was because of the impeccable grooming. Skiarea Campiglio, the connected ski area encompassing Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Folgàrida, and Marilleva, is the largest ski area in Trentino and one of the largest in Italy with 155 km 96 miles of ski runs and 58 lifts and gondolas. Almost all of them are modern and fast. Because I’m a skier, I don’t love gondolas, I much prefer a ski lift with a bubble, but you can’t win them all.
Much like the rest of Europe, ski lessons are quite the value. I took private lessons on the Pinzolo side for 45 Euros an hour, which were actually 50 minutes each. I would have tried to take group lessons but adult intermediate/advanced lessons weren’t available before Christmas because there weren’t enough people to form a group, but group lessons are even cheaper if you go during the right time of year. I think it costs a bit more in Madonna but not significantly. The lessons are very high quality because the high level qualifications necessary to become a ski instructor in Italy.
The biggest drawback to Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo is that it is a pain in the a$$ to get to from the United States. The closest international airport is Milan. From there you can rent a car and drive 3.5 hours. Since I don’t drive, you can either pay for a VERY EXPENSIVE taxi or private shuttle. You can also take FlySki shuttle, which is a shuttle from Bergamo Orio Airport, so you’ll have to take a 2 hour shuttle to Orio Airport, a break, and then 3-4 hour shuttle to Madonna di Campiglio, but due to the timing of arrival of direct flights from New York around 9am, you don’t arrive into Madonna until after 8pm. This shuttle bus only runs on the weekends. Other option is taking 3 trains to Trento, and then the 2 hours bus to Pinzolo and Madonna di Campiglio. Or take the direct afternoon Flixbus to Trento, but you won’t make the last bus to Pinzolo or Madonna, you’ll have to stay in Trento overnight. This is a huge effort compared to flying into Geneva Airport directly, and then taking one of over a dozen buses running on Saturdays, taking only 2.5 hours to Val Thorens.
Pinzolo is a lower price option with access to the same slopes
The first time we went to Madonna di Campiglio, we actually stayed in Pinzolo, which is a smaller quieter town, where the resort is connected by a 20 minute gondola to the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort. We stayed in a lovely hotel called Hotel Lory, which you can get half board with a full breakfast and a 3 course dinner. The restaurant located in the hotel is the best ranked restaurant in the town of Pinzolo. It has a relaxing spa open in the afternoon and is located only 7-10 minute walk from the gondola. There are ski lockers available at the hotel but because I am a skier and terrified of slipping on ice, I paid for a locker that included boot driers at the base of the gondola for just a couple euros a day. The family that runs the hotel is very sweet and take great pride in their business. It makes you realize how sterile hotels feel in America.
Our day would begin with a full breakfast downstairs. It was the standard European breakfast with breads, honey, jams, cheese, meats, yogurt, fruit, cereals, but in addition they would add in 2 eggs freshly cooked at your request and basically unlimited cappuccino or tea.
Usually after our day of skiing, we would grab a drink at one of the resort bars. Some had gorgeous views of the Dolomites. Since I’m a skier, but my friend is a snowboarder, she offered to go get us drinks. She ordered us two prosecco, and was quite confused when they said six euro. “Wait, each or total?” I know this was back in January of 2019, but I also went in December of 2022 and my drink was 3.5 Euro. Drinks at Vail were easily $15 before the pandemic, its probably closer to $20 now, plus tax and tip, its $25 now?
After our drinks, we would head back to the hotel and I would enjoy the spa. My friend isn’t the biggest fan of spas. In addition to their lounging area with hot tea, there is a wet sauna, dry sauna, steam showers, and a “hot” tub. I’m not sure why but every single “hot” tub I’ve ever tried at a ski resort in Europe has been lukewarm at best. Is this a thing? Japanese like the hot water so hot you’ll turn as red as a lobster, which is not my preference, but better than lukewarm water after being chilled to the bone.
Pinzolo nightlife seemed quiet. Maybe we were ignorant and didn’t realize there was an apres ski scene in Pinzolo, but we did thoroughly enjoy our delicious dinners at our hotel which always included a salad bar with meats, cheeses, and breads, a first course of soup, pasta, savory flan, a second course which was usually a heavier meat course, and a dessert, we usually chose the panna cotta. We also always ordered a bottle of wine which was all local Trento wines. It was great because we were eating there every night, they kept our bottle for the following night if we didn’t finish it. Let’s be honest though, it was usually our second or third bottle of the night they saved for us.
I enjoyed my trip so much that in December 2022, I had some vacation time I needed to burn through because my company didn’t rollover vacation time. Skiing around Christmas time is very expensive alone. Although the flights are usually expensive into Milan, I had alot of Delta miles, and I knew that Pinzolo is something I can afford even if I’m traveling alone. In the end, I was very lucky because a friend I met skiing years before happened to be living in Barcelona at the time, so she joined me for a couple days. I did have to spend Christmas all alone in Milan, but for some reason no one felt bad for me.
Here 4 the Apres 
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