Easter ski holidays Italy

Italy doesn’t have hundreds of chalets like France, which makes the few resorts that have them extra special – book yours for the school holidays and you’ll have 6 days of breakfasts, afternoon teas and suppers sorted, letting you enjoy the sun, snow and Dolce Vita.

Good snow conditions can really make your chalet holiday at this time of year, and they rarely get better than Cervinia’s. Thanks to connections with Zermatt, some of the slopes are so snow sure you can ski them in the summertime. Chalet Hotel Dragon is a long-time favourite here - it’s at the bottom of the pistes, it has a cracking après ski bar and the balcony’s views of the Matterhorn are incredible on a clear spring day.

If your ideal Easter resort has a roster of off slope activities for afternoons, Cortina’s fantastic. Located at No. 1 Corso Italia, Chalet Hotel Parc Victoria’s location is described in reviews as “excellent, close to shops and bars” – there’s nothing like a leisurely stroll in the spring sunshine, dipping in and out of the chic cafes and boutiques.

For stonkingly good springtime views, the Dolomites are hard to beat. Selva, where you’ll find Chalet Soldanella, has dizzying sights of the Sella Massif’s craggy peaks and Chalet Hotel Al Pigher in La Villa looks out to the same UNESCO-listed landscape.

Hotels are the most popular ski accommodation in Italy – and there are some absolute corkers when it comes to Easter holidays, whether you prefer all inclusive, half board or B&B.

The Club Med properties in Cervinia and Pragelato are a super option if you like to have everything bundled together – usually you’ll find all meals, drinks, ski lessons and lift passes included with the cost of your room.

If you want to treat yourself to some Eastertime luxury, Italy has some fabulous spa hotels like the Adler in Ortisei.

There are all manner of budget options too, rated 2 or 3 stars, that provide a comfy crash pad without the frills. We like the Alpen Village Hotel in Livigno, which comes with the bonus of having the ski lift being right next door.

For holidays with bambini in tow, Passo Tonale is brilliantly family friendly. Its trump card is the mighty Presena glacier, which tends to hold onto the white stuff for far longer than anywhere else. Hotels like the Sport Vittoria work well for all ages. A guest told us it was “really close to the lifts (there are 2 chair lifts just across the road, probably 50m away)… The atmosphere was nice and easy going and we really liked the spa.”

Self-Catering can be a smashing way to do Easter skiing. The absence of a set meal plan lets you eat what and when you like – and with Italy having some of the best food in the Alps (at fabulously low prices compared to France and Switzerland) you could dine out all week without breaking the bank.

The Italian sun has its hat on a lot more often at the end of the season, so pick an apartment in one of Italy’s most snow sure resorts to maximise quality slope time. Purpose built Sestriere hogs the highest spot in the Milky Way, and has a number of options like the Banchetta apartments. One of our lovely reviewers said they “would recommend the apartments to other families with younger and older children. They would also be good for couples who wanted time to themselves and I’d actually go here on my own as a solo traveller too”.

Livigno’s a huge resort with apartments of all shapes and sizes – and a high, snow sure ski area to boot (AND the whole place is duty free, so you won’t be missing the Good Friday sales back home). We like the Francescato Apartments which have a handy location 70m from the ski lifts and ski school meeting point.