Sestriere sits on a high pass at 2,035 m, about 95 km west of Turin. It’s one of the highest ski villages in Italy, and the local tourist board calls it the country’s highest municipality. Two towers, one red and one white, built in 1930 for FIAT founder Giovanni Agnelli, still mark the skyline, and the resort has been a fixture of ski racing ever since, from the first World Cup races in 1967 to the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.
Sestriere is also the busiest hub of the Vialattea (“Milky Way”), one of the biggest ski areas in Europe: 400 km of pistes, 73 lifts and more than 300 runs, linking a string of Italian villages with Montgenèvre in France.
Sestriere ski area: the heart of the 400 km Vialattea
The Vialattea links Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Sauze di Cesana, Claviere, Oulx, Pragelato and the French resort of Montgenèvre, all on skis. It has two main hubs:
- Monte Fraiteve, which connects Sestriere with Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario.
- The Monti della Luna, home to the slopes of Cesana, Claviere and Montgenèvre.
The skiing runs from 1,400 m at Cesana to 2,800 m on the Motta, and the lift company says 80% of the area is above 1,900 m. Of the runs, 9 are green, 99 blue, 173 red and 40 black, so it’s a red-run area at heart.
Sestriere itself has 85 runs and 20 lifts spread over Monte Fraiteve, Monte Banchetta, the Motta and Borgata, with the Pattemouche cable car and the Nuova Nube chairlift among them.
Skiing in Sestriere for beginners
New for families and beginners is the First Steps Area in Sestriere, with a beginner slope, a snow-play and sledging area, and a sun terrace. Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario also have beginner areas and Baby Fun Parks. The Vialattea sells a Beginners & More pass, and with only 9 green runs in 400 km, beginners should stay close to the nursery areas for the first few days.
Skiing in Sestriere for intermediates
This is the Vialattea’s strength. With 173 red and 99 blue runs, confident intermediates can tour for days: over Monte Fraiteve to Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario, then on to Cesana, Claviere and France. It’s a big area, so plan your route back and keep an eye on the time.
Skiing in Sestriere for experts
There are 40 black runs across the Vialattea, including the race slopes in Sestriere. The resort also lists heliskiing and ski touring. Off-piste needs a qualified guide.
The Kandahar and night skiing: Sestriere’s Olympic slopes
Sestriere’s racing history is the real thing. The lift company counts 70 World Cup races in the Vialattea since 1967, the 1997 World Championships and the 2006 Olympics. In 1994, Sestriere hosted the first-ever World Cup night slalom, won by Alberto Tomba. In February 2025, Mikaela Shiffrin won her 100th World Cup race on the Kandahar Giovanni Alberto Agnelli slope.
For 2026/27, night skiing is planned on the floodlit Kandahar slope in Sestriere. Dates and times will be announced by the Vialattea, and night skiing is included for Vialattea International and Vialattea // Bardo season-pass holders.
Snow in Sestriere and the 2026/27 season
For 2026/27, the Vialattea is scheduled to open on 5 December 2026 and close on 11 April 2027.
Altitude is Sestriere’s big advantage. The village is at 2,035 m, the top lifts reach 2,800 m and 80% of the ski area is above 1,900 m, which helps both natural snow and snowmaking. The weak spot is the bottom of the area: Cesana is at about 1,400 m, and the lowest slopes are the first to suffer in a warm spell. Weather is the other risk. Much of the skiing is high and open, so wind and poor visibility can make for hard days.
Is Sestriere good for a last-minute ski trip?
Yes, more than most Italian resorts:
- Altitude. A village at 2,035 m and slopes to 2,800 m give it a good chance of snow when lower resorts are struggling.
- Close to Turin. It’s about 95 km, or an hour and a half, from Turin by car, and Turin airport is under 2 hours away.
- Rail access. Oulx station, on the line from Turin and from Paris, is only a 30-minute bus ride away.
Check which links are open on the daily lift bulletin before you go, especially if you want to ski to France. Then find a place to stay in Sestriere.
Sestriere lift passes
The Vialattea sells several areas of pass:
- Vialattea: the Italian side, covering Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and Pragelato.
- Vialattea International: adds Montgenèvre in France.
- Montiluna and Montiluna/Monginevro: the Cesana, Claviere and Montgenèvre side only.
- Beginners & More: for beginners.
A 6-day Vialattea pass includes one day in Montgenèvre and one day in Bardonecchia, reached by shuttle from Sauze d’Oulx. Prices change with the season: low season runs from 5 to 23 December, 7 to 22 January and 15 March to 11 April, peak season from 24 December to 6 January, and high season in between. There are baby, under-16 and gold (senior) rates. Baby passes are sold only at ticket offices with ID. Buying online lets you skip the queue, and you can collect passes from Print&Ski boxes.
Italian law requires all skiers to have third-party liability insurance. You can buy it from any insurer, or add the Vialattea’s optional Sci Noproblem policy, which also covers medical costs and unused days, when you buy your pass.
Après-ski and things to do in Sestriere
Sestriere’s best-known après spot is GFC La Gargote, a slope-side hut in the heart of the resort with music after the lifts close. Off the slopes, the tourist board lists:
- Husky sledding with The Husky Experience on Via Sauze.
- An ice rink at Piazzale Kandahar, beside the pistes.
- Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and heliskiing.
- The Sestriere Sport Center, with a gym, squash courts and a wellness area with sauna, Turkish bath and hot tub.
- The municipal swimming pool, which has been closed for renovation and is due to reopen around the winter season. Check before you rely on it.
Who Sestriere suits, and who it doesn’t
- Great for: intermediates who want a huge linked area, snow-seekers who want altitude, race fans, and anyone flying into Turin or coming by train from France.
- Think twice if: you want a pretty, traditional village (Sestriere was purpose-built from the 1930s), lots of tree-lined runs on stormy days, or a resort for complete beginners with long green runs.
Skiing with children? Read our guide to Sestriere with kids.
How to get to Sestriere
Driving to Sestriere
From Turin (95 km, about 1 hour 30), take the A32 Turin–Bardonecchia motorway and leave at the Oulx bypass exit, then drive about 20 km up to Sestriere. From Pinerolo (50 km), follow the SR23. From Briançon in France (30 km), take the N94 over the Montgenèvre pass, the SS24 to Cesana Torinese and the SR23 to Sestriere.
Italian winter ordinances usually require winter tyres or chains on board on mountain roads from 15 November to 15 April. Check the current rules for the roads you’ll use before you travel.
By train and bus
The nearest station is Oulx, about 1.5 hours from Turin by train. Direct trains from Paris Gare de Lyon reach Oulx in under 5 hours. From Oulx, a regular bus runs to Sestriere in about 30 minutes. Trenitalia’s Vialattea Link sells the train and bus as one ticket, and the Vialattea has offered ski-pass discounts to rail travellers in past seasons.
Nearest airports
Turin (TRN) is the closest airport, about 90 km and just under 2 hours from Sestriere.
