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Milky Way Ski Holidays
If you’ve ever stood on the sun-drenched balcony of a French chalet, squinting through the crisp air toward the Italian peaks, you’ve likely felt the pull of the Vialattea - the Milky Way.
Whether you’re a sun-seeker, a foodie, or an intermediate skier looking to rack up serious mileage, this corner of the Hautes-Alpes and Piedmont region is a bit of a playground.
The Milky Way is one of the world’s largest lift-linked ski domains, a vast network of pistes that straddles the border between France and Italy. While it is composed of five Italian resorts - Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, and Claviere - the crown jewel for many is its lone French neighbour, Montgenèvre.
What makes it special is the sheer variety of the landscape. You can wake up in the charming, traditional village of Montgenèvre, ski across the border for a dish of authentic Italian pasta for lunch, and find yourself back in France for a vin chaud by mid-afternoon. While the Italian side achieved global fame as the primary host of the 2006 Winter Olympics, Montgenèvre offers a classic Alpine contrast, feeling both vast and intimate depending on which valley you find yourself in.
Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere, Cesana, Pragelato, Claviere and Sansicario in Italy and Montgenèvre on the French side - the Milky way is an epic ski area!
Rebecca Dodson, Sales Manager
Mountain Facts
When we talk about the Milky Way, we’re talking about scale. The domain offers nearly 400km of interconnected slopes, making it a dream for those who hate skiing the same run twice in a week. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the distance from London to the middle of the Lake District - all covered in snow and serviced by an extensive lift system.
The elevation is equally impressive. The skiing starts at a respectable 4,429ft in the village of Cesana and climbs to 9,261ft at the summit of Mount Motta in Sestriere. Montgenèvre itself sits at a high 6,102ft, ensuring you can often ski right back to your door. With around 70 lifts in operation, you can navigate between the French and Italian sectors with relative ease, though you’ll want to keep an eye on the time to ensure you don’t miss the last connection back over the border to France.
Snow conditions in Milky Way
The Milky Way is often blessed by a meteorological phenomenon known as the Ritorno da Est, where low-pressure systems from the east dump massive amounts of snow on the Italian side. However, Montgenèvre is the legendary ‘snow hole’ of the region. Due to its unique geographical position, it frequently records some of the highest snow depths in the entire Alps, often catching weather systems from both the north and south.
Because a large portion of skiing takes place above 6,500ft, the snow quality remains remarkably consistent throughout the season, which typically runs from early December through to mid-April. To ensure perfection, there is an extensive artificial-snow-making network comprising over 950 snow cannons. These cover more than 120km of the most popular pistes, ensuring that even if the clouds aren’t playing ball, the ‘white ribbon’ will be there to greet you.
If it’s been a dry week elsewhere, a quick trip to the French side usually rewards you with fluffier conditions and deeper drifts.
Skiing in Milky Way
This is, without much debate, a dream setup for confident intermediates. If you love long, sweeping red runs where you can settle into a rhythm and just go - the kind that roll on for two or three miles at a time - this is your playground. Montgenèvre offers a wonderfully varied mix of open bowls and undulating terrain that feels slightly softer and more scenic than the rugged Italian peaks.
Once you cross into Italy, Sestriere brings the higher, more technical terrain, with wide-open slopes and those famous Olympic runs cutting across the mountain. Over in Sauze d’Oulx, it’s all about forest skiing - winding pistes through larch trees that give you contrast and visibility when the clouds drift in. And if you want to see the whole thing properly, the Giro della Via Lattea - the full-day Milky Way Tour - links every sector in one satisfying circuit, allowing you to experience the transition from French charm to Italian flair in a single day.
Beginners are particularly well looked after in Montgenèvre, where the nursery areas are generous, sunny, and welcoming. But the real magic of this area reveals itself once you’re comfortable on a red run and ready to explore. It’s less about ticking off pistes and more about covering ground - feeling the geography change beneath your skis as you traverse from France into Italy.
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Snowboarding in Milky Way
Snowboarders will also find plenty to love here, particularly the lack of ‘flats’ compared to some other massive European domains. The lift system is largely made up of chairs and gondolas, meaning fewer leg-burning drag lifts.
The terrain parks are a major draw. Montgenèvre’s park is exceptionally well-maintained and often a bit quieter than its Italian counterparts, offering a great space to progress. For the freeriders, the French side offers incredible backcountry access and natural hits, while the bowl above Sansicario in Italy offers wide-open faces to carve up after a fresh dump.
Accommodation in Milky Way
Where you stay depends entirely on what you want from your trip, but regardless of your vibe, we’ve got the perfect place for you.
All Accommodation in Milky Way Ski Area
Things to do in Milky Way
Après-ski in Milky Way
The French and Italians do après-ski with a certain effortless style. It’s less about dancing on tables in ski boots (though that happens) and more about incredible wine, great music, and sun-drenched terraces.
If you’re looking for the best spots to park your skis and grab a drink, you’re spoiled for choice:
- Trattoria La Rognosa is perfect for a long, lazy lunch that turns into afternoon drinks. The food is top-tier, and the views are even better.
- Located in Sestriere, Chalet Raggio di Sole is a quintessential sun trap. It’s the kind of place where you sit down for ‘one quick drink’ and realise three hours have passed while you were eating homemade cake.
- Il Cardo is a cosy, welcoming spot in Sestriere that feels like a warm hug after a cold day on the mountain.
- Ghost Bar is a staple of the Sauze d’Oulx scene. It’s lively, trendy, and usually the first stop for the younger crowd.
- Miravallino is a Sauze legend. Whether it’s live music or a DJ set, the atmosphere here is always electric.
- Gargote Fashion Cafe is where the ‘fashion’ in ‘Piedmont’ comes out. It’s a stylish slope-side hub in Sestriere with a great DJ and a terrace that feels like a VIP lounge.
Facilities in Milky Way
Across the vast terrain, the facilities are designed to keep you moving and well-fed. The mountain huts (Rifugi) are a particular highlight. In both France and Italy, you’ll find that the huts here often serve restaurant-quality meals - from French tartiflette to Italian polenta - at very reasonable prices.
The rental shops are high-tech, with many offering heated lockers so you don’t have to lug your gear back to your hotel. If you’re exploring the lower villages, there are also efficient ski bus links to get you to the gondolas in the morning.
Facilities for children in Milky Way
The Milky Way is, unsurprisingly, brilliant for families. Montgenèvre is often cited as the most family-friendly sector in the entire domain. It has a dedicated children's village and the Monty Express, a monorail sledge that descends the mountain for almost a mile.
In Sestriere and Sauze d'Oulx, the ski schools are also excellent, with many instructors being fluent in English. They have dedicated ‘Baby Parks’ with magic carpets and soft play obstacles to make those first few turns less intimidating for the little ones.
Why choose a ski holiday to Milky Way with Erna Low?
Incredible value holidays: We’ll beat any competitor’s price, giving you the best value for money.
Huge choice of accommodation: Choose from bargain breaks, 5-star premium deals and so much more.
Customisable travel: We specialise in fully customisable ski holidays; offering a wide range of options to suit all tastes and budgets.
Fully protected bookings: We’re ABTOT and ATOL members and abide by their Code of Conduct.
5-star Trustpilot reviews: We pride ourselves on the service we provide, which is why out of 10 of our clients would recommend us.
There are over 400km of skl terrain to explore in the Milky way, most in Italy but it is great to pop to Montgenèvre, too.
Jane Bolton, Product Director
