I spent the whole winter season skiing in Europe to find the best and most budget-friendly places to practice this sport without paying through your nose. In this article, I will tell you how was my experience looking for where to ski near Milan and all you need to know for a perfect ski season in Italy.
Italy is famous for their food, incredible beaches, lakes, music, fashion – in fact, you can see all of our material about Italy here. But Italy is also a great destination for ski resorts. Sharing the Alps with Switzerland and very near the French Alps, skiing in Italy can be a great alternative to scape the jaw-dropping prices in the surrounding.
Yes, it is not a cheap activity. But it’s totally worth saving a bit more money to enjoy skiing near Milan; Or cut short your holidays to add a few extra days to go skiing in Italy and feel the adrenaline of carving down the snow in the slopes, appreciating the view of the mountain sipping on some mulled wine and simply be in contact with the culture of the mountain.
The north of Italy has great options for you to choose, but let’s talk about one of the most budget-friendly, practical to get to and with the largest night ski slope in Europe. That’s Aprica!
Ski near Milan – how to get to Aprica
First, if you haven’t found your ticket to Milan, we recommend using Skyscanner. It is the best flight search tool – check the best prices here.
Aprica Ski Resort is just 2h30 from Milan, by either driving or taking public transportation. You can easily rent a car in Milan and drive yourself, but please be aware of regulations to drive in such conditions. If you are going to drive, make sure you have winter tires on. It will guarantee your safety and your pocket will thank you, avoiding getting a penalty.
Alternatively, you can reach to Aprica by a combination of train and buses. As you are going to ski near Milan in a small village, there won’t be so much driving once you are there. So, going by public transport is definitely suitable. That’s in fact how I went from Milan to Aprica!
If driving is your way, check the best prices to rent a car in Milan with Discover Cars, our partner at Monday Feelings as well as a fantastic tool to give you the best deals on renting a car in Italy.
If you don’t want to take public transport but also do not want to drive too, look at this private transfer from Milano Malpensa airport direct to Aprica!
How to go to Aprica by train
As I said, I went from Milan to Aprica by train. In Milan, from the main station – Milano Centrale – take a train to Tresenda-Teglio with the final destination to Tirano. Once you get off at Teglio, right in front of the station there is a bus stop. From there, you take a bus to Aprica.
Just note that you can only pay by cash! You can buy your ticket in the shop next door, which is cash only, unless you spend more than just the ticket. Also, be aware of the time and day of the week. Sunday and holidays the circulation of buses are more limited. See the table below for your reference.
You can secure your train tickets from Milan to Aprica using the trainline application. Also, Omio can be a great alternative to find best tickets of buses and trains.
How to go to Aprica by car
There are two ways to drive to Aprica and both ways is about 130km.
The first is via SS36 as far as Piantedo, then SS38 as far as Tresenda, and finally the SS39 to Aprica. The SS36 edges Lago di Como, the SS38 is ok, a small state highway with a limited speed limit. The SS39 is quite mountainous. That can be quite dangerous, particularly when is covered in snow.
The other option and the one we recommend is the motorway Milan-Venice, exiting in Seriate. Then take the SS42 as far as Edolo and the other end of the same SS39 above, to Aprica, which is not mountainous as the end mentioned in the first way. And as you see, the speed limit is higher too.
Talking about speed limit, be aware of the speed limit in Italy as well as how they work. Also, be careful when driving in city centres where you are not allowed to enter, as you pass Bergamo and other cities. Furthermore, there are tolls on the way to Aprica. To understand how to drive in Italy, have a look at this site.
Ski near Milan – where to rent your equipments
Once you are in Aprica, you will need the equipments to enjoy the mountain. Go nowhere but Idea Sport Aprica. They have three stores, one in front of the training site, one in the main avenue and one near the Palabiano entrance.
If you get the chance to speak with Davide, tell him you came from Monday Feelings! He is a great guy and will help you out in any ways.
You will note that they take extra care of the equipments, everything is extremely clean and well looked after. And better still, one of the best prices too.
Where to stay in Aprica, the ski resort near Milan
Aprica is quite small and it feels like it is the backyard of Milanese people. Not just because of its proximity Milan, but also for the fact that a lot of the apartments and houses are their holiday houses. As most of the times those houses and apartments are not even listed on Airbnb or Booking.com, the availability for accommodation in Aprica gets quite limited.
For this reason, I recommend plan ahead in order to get a good deal on accommodation. The city has three major hotels:
- $$$ Hotel Arish – underground car park in the city centre of Aprica
- $$ Hotel Cristallo – also has a carp park and is a walking distance to Baradelo entrance
- $$ B&B Penak Mountain Wellness – great cost-benefit accommodation in Aprica.
Note that prices vary completely according to the season. See here for more options of accommodation in Aprica.
Golden Tip: As we all know skiing is not a cheap sport, the best way to help you on saving when skiing in Europe is to save money on accommodation. So, if you manage to get a group of 12-15 people, the price per head on your accommodation when skiing near Milan can get quite cheap as there are some huge houses perfect for groups. You can also see more places to stay in Agoda or Hostel World.
How are the ski slopes in Aprica
Skiing in Aprica is more for a fun experience rather than a radical one. There are no crazy jumps or spaces to show off your amazing skills, such as boxes, pipes and other radical stuff.
However, that does not mean Aprica is boring. It’s quite the opposite, really. As most ski resorts too, Aprica has some black slopes that scared the devil out of me! (Ok, I’m not that good and that would not be so difficult, but still).
Unless you are looking for radical snow activity, Aprica will definitely do more than just put a smile on your face. It has a space for total beginners, which I recommend getting a tutor by the way. It was some great slopes for intermediate people as well as some pretty intense slopes for advanced ones.
The best of all, it has the longest night slope in Europe. It is 6km, which is about 12min going down the slope, at night time. It is also opened during the day, which is awesome, but then is not the longest in Europe in day time :).
How is the mountain in Aprica
Aprica ski resort has three entrances: Baradelo, Palabiano and Magnolia.
Baradelo
That’s where you will find the night ski. It is the most southern entrance to the mountain, it has a cool bar at its foot that can get quite crazy some of the nights. We recommend using this entrance to enjoy the 6km ski slope!
Palabiano
That’s the middle entrance to the mountain. It is the entrance from the heart of the city, really. It is the entrance that will take to the highest point of the mountain. Also, not far from Palabiano, in between Palabiano and Baradelo, you have a place for complete beginners and kids to learn.
Magnolia
That’s the most northern entrance to the mountain. It’s perfect to go to the “back of the mountain” where is a blue slope, but where the sun hits the most. And even though is blue, the slope is really fun. But it is here too that you have the hardest black slope. I tried and found it really steep.
How much it is to ski in Aprica
The prices of skiing in Aprica will vary according to the season, your age, how many days and how many people – they have family packages. First let us see the season:
- Low Season – from 11/12 to 22/12 THEN from 08/01 to 09/02 THEN from 11/03 to 29/03 THEN from 02/04 to end of season. Saturdays and Sundays excluded.
- High Season – the 7, 8, 9, 10 of December THEN from 23/12 to 07/01 THEN from 10/02 to 10/03 – 30, 31 March and 1/04. Every Saturday and Sunday.
Now the age groups:
- Adult – basically everyone that does not list as below
- Senior – above 65 years old
- Junior – below 18 years old
- Baby – below 8 years old
The ski pass in Aprica can be bought for 1 day up to 7 days as well as the whole winter season. Prices start from €46 per day. Find more information about the ski prices in Aprica here.
Some hotels, normally 3 and 4 stars, include the ski pass for each day you are staying with them, if you buy for a certain amount of days. However, the hotels vary per season. You can find more information on Aprica’s website about which hotels offer ski passes with accommodation.
Other activities to do in Aprica
Depending the time of year, you can get other activities in Aprica, such as mountain bike, trekking and cities festivals, like carnival. In fact, we were there during carnival and it was great to experience their local traditions.
Another note, is that you will have activities in the mountain of Aprica during summer too, if that interests you. But, if you are looking for a place to ski near Milan, you have now found it.
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