Sauze d’ Oulx ski resort, part of the Vialettea ski domain, is situated along the southwestern Alps, not far from Turin, and is easily accessible. A successful combination of a pleasant atmosphere and the alliance with other nearby Italian and French ski resorts provides a variety of pleasant skiing and snowboarding opportunities.

Sauze d’ Oulx itself is a bustling village characterized by traditional 16th century Italian architecture and superb facilities. There are shops in all categories with boutiques, handcraft, haberdashery, clothes, sports, jewellery and supermarkets all represented. Ski schools and a non-skiing kindergarten, for children from the age of 13 months and up, are also featured.

Modern lodgings sit next to traditional wood buildings in Sauze d’ Oulx ski resort and there is a wide range and style of accommodation in hotels, chalets and apartments, with 2,000 beds available. Non-ski activities include ice-skating and snowshoeing, and there are two dozen restaurants and as many bars to keep Sauze d’Oulx lively.

The 120kms of runs at Sauze d’ Oulx ski resort are available for all levels of skill, with intermediates getting most of the 74 slopes; the longest run is 12kms. The 22 lifts operate over the entire 1,450m vertical descent of terrain and feature 11 chairlifts and 11 surface lifts, with an hourly capacity of over 24,000 people.

For alternative skiing, Sauze d’ Oulx is part of the Milky Way ski area, which boasts another 280kms and an extra 72 pistes. Sestriere, Sansicario, Cesana-Claviere (Italy’s oldest), and Montgenevre (France) are some of the other nine resorts on the Milky Way Pass. Away from the slopes, Turin is an elegant city and has fantastic sightseeing.

The ski season at Sauze d’ Oulx runs from November to April, with cheap rates offered up to the Christmas holidays and towards the end of April. Sauze d'Oulx is best reached by flying to Turin and transferring by bus or train to Oulx, from where the resort is a short bus or taxi ride away.