14 reviews of Passo Tonale in Italy.
Reviewed 13 May 2015
I’ve skied a bit before but my girlfriend hadn’t – we chose Passo Tonale because it looked good for beginners and also because it’s high and we were skiing late in the season. It was as we’d expected and we had a really nice holiday! The conditions were a bit slushy towards the end of the day but overall they were good for the time of year. The ski area was fairly limited for me and I wouldn’t say it was a great place for advanced skiers but for beginners and low-intermediates it’s perfect. We went out a couple of evenings in Tonale – which included a cracking night in the place where our reps were based, which had live music.
Reviewed 27 Apr 2015
We had an awesome week, this was our first snowboarding trip to Italy and we loved it. I think the weather helped, there had been a lot of snow prior to our arrival and we had more at the beginning of the week. The layout’s a bit funny compared to what we’re accustomed to in France and the skiing doesn’t have the same scope but it’s still a fantastic place. I’d describe it as a linear resort that stretches out along a main road. This makes it ideal for beginners as it’s impossible to get lost – wherever you are on the slopes you’re looking straight back down to that main road. The main slopes are also ideal for anyone new to skiing and snowboarding as they’re nearly all greens and blues and quite straightforward slopes.
More experienced skiers and snowboarders might be getting fidgety towards the end of the week as the area isn’t massive. Having said that it’s so easy to get onto the off-piste from the lifts here, and I didn’t think it seemed as dangerous as the off-piste in France. The Italians didn’t seem to bother with the off-piste, and days after there had been snowfall I was still finding big areas that hadn’t been touched.
One other thing worth mentioning is a really good link between Passo Tonale and the next town along, Ponte di Legno. You can ski or snowboard down there or there’s a gondola link, it takes about 10 minutes. It’s really lovely over there and a complete change of scenery. We had really poor visibility in Passo Tonale one day and went down to Ponte di Legno where there was blue skies and sunshine! It’s a ski area in its own right so we found a good amount to explore.
There’s quite a lot to do in Passo Tonale as well as skiing, they have ice karting in the town (although it was too warm to do it while we were there) as well as snowmobile rides, pub quizzes and cheese and wine tastings. We had a half board holiday at the Eden (great hotel) but had a mooch around the town and found quite a lot of small supermarkets around, so if you were self-catering here it would be easy to get food – and the prices were reasonable too.
Reviewed 27 Mar 2015
Passo Tonale’s a quiet resort and not very big. The locals are very friendly and it’s great for our family but it depends what you want from a holiday – if you want parties and karaoke it’s probably not for you! The resort has an ice rink although it wasn’t open when we stayed as it wasn’t cold enough. You can also do skidoos and dog sledding which we’ve done before (this was our third time back). We went to the local Italian bars rather than the reps’ bars – they’re really nice and friendly.
We’ve used the ski school which is very good. The ski area is more beginner and intermediate friendly than advanced – it has some really nice wide slopes which is great for families if you’ve got young children. You can go on the glacier but if you were an extremely good skier, you’d probably want to go somewhere else... The snow (Christmas week) was good enough for us, though it got colder as the week went on and snowed on the day we left.
Reviewed 18 Jun 2014
It was my first time in Passo Tonale, we had a great holiday. I would definitely recommend doing the day trip over to Madonna di Campiglio, that was very good.
Passo Tonale is a very high resort so it was full of snow even though it was only New Years. It was quite busy. There are a few good bars and places to eat out – we ate at a little café at the bottom of the gondola and that was reasonable. They do fine food and a happy hour between 4 and 5pm (or maybe it was 4 and 6pm). Much cheaper than France.
Reviewed 14 May 2014
We went to a couple of places for a drink in the evenings and a few of the bars seemed OK. It was very quiet at the time we went, we did some off piste in a lesson with a guide and there’s a nice route that takes you down a long 14-16km trail down to the village. Overall we had a good experience on the piste.
Passo Tonale itself is quite a modern town that goes along one long street – if you’re looking for a traditional town or something scenic it’s probably not for you.
Reviewed 8 May 2014
I really liked Passo Tonale. For a first ski holiday / if you’ve got children it’s perfect and my daughter (6 at the time) and I had a lovely week together. If you’re a beginner or intermediate, there are lots of good slopes and they all go back down into the centre so you can’t get lost. We had lessons with the ski school and were very pleased with the instruction; we just did a couple of hours each morning and skied together in the afternoons which worked well.
Reviewed 8 May 2014
Passo is quite a small resort and there’s not much there, but I’d ski here again. The good thing is it’s high – go to the glacier if it’s open as there’s a good black run as well as a couple of reds and blues (not to mention excellent scenery). We skied past the husky skiing place and had a go at that which was good fun.
Reviewed 6 May 2014
Passo is a good place for families - it was the UK half term week while we were here and we had virtually no lift queues anywhere, which meant we could ski wherever we liked! You probably have to be a good intermediate to enjoy the whole ski area. The family we met there had a daughter who was a nervous intermediate and she could cope well with most of the runs. There’s stuff if you’re more advanced and we took a few icy blacks over in a different village which were fun.
There’s not a lot to do in the actual resort as it’s a fairly small town but we had all we wanted. If you want busy St Anton night life, Passo Tonale would be too quiet. It’s a perfect place if you want to get on with the skiing but have something to do in the evenings rather than just go straight to bed. We found a nice little bar where we could go and chat over some beers in the evenings.
Everything seemed to be fairly reasonably priced, certainly cheaper than places in France and so forth!
We were skiing in the middle of the season and the snow was very nice – there were a few icy patches and one day it was a bit cloudy but overall conditions were good.
Reviewed 6 May 2014
Passo Tonale is built for skiing and isn’t really the best place to ‘do things’ if you’re not skiing. There are loads and loads of slopes and I like that they’re nice and wide. There’s also a long run down to a different area if you’re advanced and want to ski more black runs. We saw quite a few snowboarders there and they have a ski park for snowboarders too. You can get a fog as you’re so high, but we’ve been going there for 6 years and only had 2 days of fog which is pretty good going.
The people are so friendly - we found the most amazing restaurant called Scorpio up on the mountain where the staff are really nice. There’s also a pizza place near the Miramonte hotel which was OK but we weren’t hugely impressed with and a good place for burgers if you don’t like Italian food...
There’s a delicatessen up not far from where the main lifts are. One place you must go is La Vogila, which is amazing, Filippo who works there is fantastic. You don’t really need to go anywhere else as they do coffee, ice-creams, cakes and amazing cocktails – whereas back home you pay £8 for a cocktail, there you only pay 5-5 euros and it’s a nice tall one.
Turin Airport is another thing altogether... last time we booked was good but all other times have been abysmal (one time we were waiting for our cases for 2 hours...). The other thing is that the transfer is quite long, although this doesn’t bother us.
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Ski Holidays in Passo Tonale With magical views, a variety of skiing and being snow-sure, Passo Tonale is a treat for any skier. Being relatively unknown, queues are kept to a minimum, and with an extensive coverage of lifts linking the towns of Tonale, Ponte di Legno and Temù together you can be sure to be able to explore this whole resort. A number of bars serve the après scene, such as Nico’s Bar and Bar Heaven, with a selection of nightclubs for those that just don’t want the après to end. Tobogganing, snowmobiling and ice skating are but a selection for those with a quieter holiday in mind.
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Passo Tonale Ski Resort is perched high up on the Rhaetian Alps and has exquisite views over the mountains of Italy. At 1883m, the town of Tonale is one of the highest purpose built resorts in the country, providing unrivalled snow quality, assuredness and an above average amount of sun coverage, allowing for those all-important goggle tan lines. Whilst the transfer time can seem quite long (2 hours 20-45 minutes from Verona), the number of departure airports in the UK makes up for this, as you are able to fly from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Manchester. A rental car would definitely be recommended, as the ease of access to and from the resort to the airport, as opposed to a coach transfer, will give you more time to soak in the scenery and atmosphere of this picturesque resort. The town of Tonale has all the amenities available to make your stay easy and hassle free; for those on a budget there is a supermarket, rental shops and relatively cheap options for eating out, with pizza and pasta from only €5. For those looking to push the boat out and splash a little more cash, there are local speciality shops, as well as equipment shops for buying rather than renting your own kit. As the host of the Adamello Ski Raid, you could be lucky enough to witness an international spectacle. Usually later in the season (around April), this competition combines mountaineering skills at the high altitude that this resort offers. This race was not only set up to test the athletes, but to advertise and expose the rich history of the area; one such example would be the locality of the Winter War from 1915 to 1918. Providing both local and historical exposure, as well as the adrenaline of the Ski Raid, this event will be sure to appeal to almost everyone. With 6 different ski pass options, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or a prospective applicant to the Adamello Ski Raid, there will be an option for you. From the Adamello Ski lift pass, covering Passo Tonale, Ponte di Legno, Temù and the Presena Glacier (the areas in the immediate vicinity), to the Superskirama, covering these areas but also the Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Branta area, tripling the original ski area size to over 340km of runs. Whilst not well known, Passo Tonale has everything needed for all types of winter sports holiday makers. This relative anonymity allows trips here to have the potential of being much cheaper than other, more renowned places. A resort definitely recommended for beginners to advanced-intermediates, as well as those sticking to a budget. Whatever your situation or intentions though, you will not regret your choice of this stunning destination.
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Those looking to pick up skiing and snowboarding will think they have gone to heaven once they set foot in Passo Tonale. With over 110 instructors in both Tonale Presena and Ponte di Legno, as well as 50 years’ experience, you will be taught everything you need to know about skiing, as well as getting insider knowledge about the area. As a beginner, travelling far on numerous lifts to get to the tranquil runs can be a daunting experience. Passo Tonale simplifies this, with the majority of blue runs close to the town’s hotels and bars, for those all-important hot chocolate breaks. Although spread out, which makes traversing a must to be learnt as soon as possible, the variety on offer makes up for this. Intermediate skiers have the last laugh however, with 56% of runs in the resort being red, and of varying difficulty. The glacier offers a variety of reds, or if you fancy gliding through the trees, Ponte di Legno offers steeper, wooded runs. The Alpino run is particularly recommended, to provide more of a challenge for those feeling brave. Runs for those with a bit more experience are quite limited, with only 15% of them being black. With narrower tree-lined runs, head over to Temù for a more challenging selection. Also, if you make your way up to Cima Presena at 3015m, you can drink in the panoramic views before descending 1215 vertical metres on blacks and reds for a rollercoaster of a ride. However, the off-piste makes up for the lack of pisted expert runs. Being so high, the resort is relatively snow-sure, and can offer large snowfall later in the season coupled with beautiful blue skies. With lots of options available, one particular recommendation would be taking the itinerary route off the Presena Glacier, which will take you right back to the bottom of the village, albeit with a ten minute walk. A guide and the relevant equipment is a must have though, and with police doubling up as mountain rescue, safety is paramount. If freestyle is your thing, you will be in ecstasy with the new park. At 600m in length, with two separate lines catering for different ability levels and over 25 different features, you will be hard pushed to find yourself bored. Daily maintenance means the park is kept to the highest quality, and music playing throughout the day allows for riding in style or a great place to meet and chill out. In addition to the park, there is also a border cross over a kilometre in length, with popularity rising hugely since the Vancouver Olympics. Don’t forget your helmet though!
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
For those who value the European après ski scene, Passo Tonale has plenty to offer, with ten bars catering to a number of tastes. The main place to go, coming the most highly recommended, is Bar Heaven; a great and lively spot to head to after a long day’s skiing, and with its happy hour providing two for one drinks, it makes it more affordable. Crazy Horse also offers a happy hour, and is a great watering hole for the weary legs. For the hard-core, the Miramonti and Antares nightclubs offer the chance to continue the après later into the night. For a more sophisticated evening, Passo Tonale offers a wide range of nineteen restaurants. Whether you’re looking for fast food to fill you after a hard days skiing (try La Torretta for their filling pizza), or a more authentic, native dining experience (El Bait serves local, genuine cuisine), you won’t be disappointed. You can eat on a budget as well, with some local fast food dishes from €5, as well as being able to grab a three course meal for about €10, making it much more affordable to enjoy yourself than other resorts. It’s not all wining and dining however, and if you have children, or just fancy a break from skiing and après, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy. For those who still want to feel that rush of adrenaline, the skidoo trip at night is essential, as well as the indoor climbing wall. And for those who just want a more serene evening or day off, you can glide on the natural ice rink, or simply float in the swimming pool. With such a variety on offer, Passo Tonale will not disappoint, whatever your idea of fun.
Reviewed 14 Jan 2014
As a learner (came here on my second time skiing), it's pretty ideal. Good blues of varying length means you can advance as quickly as you like, and the number of reds in close proximity means you can go in a mixed ability group and still be near each other. If you do learn quickly, the reds will keep you occupied... for a time at least. Night life is mostly contained to the hotels- which was awesome at New Years, but unless you make friends in ski school, don't expect to come here with the idea of meeting many people in local bars or restaurants. Similarly, if you want a budget holiday and good learning skiing, you're in the right place. But experts who get bored easily and want an outrageous nightlife, stay away! Overall- good for newbie families wanting a safe and easy place to learn, not so much for experienced skiers wanting excitement on and off the mountain