If you’re considering Sauze d’Oulx for your next ski holiday but don’t know much about the resort, this guide is a good place to start.

Sauze combines a lively Italian mountain village with an extensive ski area, plenty of restaurants and bars, and access to the much larger Vialattea ski area stretching across the Italian Alps and into France.

It’s also relatively straightforward to reach from most of the major European airports with Turin Airport around 90km away.

Here’s what you need to know before booking your first ski holiday to Sauze d’Oulx.

What is Sauze d’Oulx like?

Sauze d’Oulx is located west of Turin at one end of the Susa valley perched at just over 1500mts, a snowballs throw from the French border.

Unlike many of its contemporaries it still feels like a proper mountain village, not a purpose-built resort. The old town has narrow cobbled streets, a 16th-century church, traditional stone buildings, small squares, and no shortage of places to eat and drink.

It’s worth understanding that whilst Sauze is relatively compact you may be faced with jumping on the ski bus in the morning to get to your desired lift. Where you stay can make a difference to your holiday, particularly if you have young children or don’t fancy a long walk in ski boots each morning.

The main access to the ski area is via the Clotes chairlift close to the centre of the village. This lift is only suitable for those who have skied before and who are confident on blues progressing to Reds. For everyone else there is the Sportinia lift towards the top end of Sauze. There is a ski bus that will take you to the bottom of this lift.

Jouvenceaux, just below the main resort, also has a direct lift taking you up to the Sportinia plateau at just over 2000mts. 

Restaurants, bars and après-ski

Sauze has a great choice of bars and restaurants. You can choose from informal pizzerias, restaurants serving traditional Piedmontese food or for the pasta lovers restaurants dedicated to serving you the very best in fresh home made pasta. You’ll also find plenty of bars serving great Italian coffee, aperitivos and some stunning local wine. 

Your day can end with a drink or 2 at a choice of mountain bars located at the top of the Clotes home run before continuing back in the village where there are several lively bars with the option of staying out into the wee small hours, energy levels permitting. Equally, it’s easy to have a quiet meal and a glass of wine away from the busier venues.

That balance is part of Sauze’s appeal. Those looking for a lively week will find it, while families, couples, and anyone after a quieter holiday can happily stay clear of it.

There is plenty of choice on the mountain too, with restaurants and rifugi dotted around the slopes of Sauze and elsewhere across the Vialattea providing somewhere to stop for coffee, lunch or an afternoon Bombardino at prices that won’t break the bank. 

See our guide to après-ski in Sauze d’Oulx and for the current restaurant listings, see the Sauze d’Oulx tourist information website 

What is skiing like in Sauze d’Oulx?

For many visitors, this is where Sauze really comes into its own.

The local ski area rises from the village towards Sportinia at 2,170m before continuing higher and connecting across the mountain towards Sestriere, Sansicario and the rest of the Vialattea.

Sauze is particularly good for intermediate skiers. There is a large choice of red runs, including some excellent long, tree-lined pistes descending towards the village. These lower wooded slopes are one of the characteristics of skiing in Sauze and can be particularly enjoyable when visibility is poor higher up the mountain.

Beginners are catered for too, with the main learning area at Sportinia. Being up the mountain means new skiers can learn in a proper mountain environment rather than being restricted to a small area at village level.

Watch our beginners guide to Sauze d’Oulx

More experienced skiers can explore the black runs, off-piste terrain and, importantly, the much larger Vialattea network.

Exploring the Vialattea

Sauze d’Oulx is part of the Vialattea – or Milky Way – ski area.

The full area offers around 400km of skiing, linking Sauze d’Oulx with Sestriere, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and Pragelato in Italy, with Montgenèvre across the border in France.

Your 6 day pass will also give you one day in the neighbouring resort of Bardonecchia. It’s not connected by lifts but easily reached by bus.

You don’t have to cover huge distances every day to enjoy a holiday here. There is plenty of skiing around Sauze itself. But for confident intermediates and advanced skiers, being able to set off in the morning and explore different parts of the Vialattea adds considerably to what the resort offers.

Sestriere is an obvious destination for a day out, while longer journeys across towards Claviere and Montgenèvre allow you to see just how extensive the area is.

There’s information on the slopes and lifts that are open throughout the season on our website. We also link to the official Vialattea website for more detailed information on the ski area.

Where should you stay in Sauze d’Oulx?

One of the first decisions is whether to stay in a hotel or choose self-catering accommodation.

There isn’t a right answer – it depends on how you like to spend your ski holiday.

Hotels

Depending on the board basis, breakfast and possibly your evening meal are taken care of, and you don’t need to think about shopping or cooking after a day on the mountain.

Hotels can work particularly well for couples, shorter stays and anyone who prefers having most things organised for them.

Location is worth checking carefully before booking. A hotel described as being in Sauze d’Oulx may still involve a walk to the lifts, and distances that sound insignificant at home can feel rather different uphill in ski boots. It’s also worth checking if the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the lifts. 

Self-catering apartments

Apartments offer more independence and can work particularly well for families and groups.

You have your own living space, can eat when you want and you’re not tied to hotel meal times. For groups sharing a larger apartment, self-catering can also represent good value.

Choosing an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean cooking every night either. With so many restaurants in Sauze, you can mix evenings eating out with quieter nights at the apartment.

Again, location matters. If you’re comparing two similarly priced properties, look at their position in relation to the lifts and village centre rather than simply choosing the one that appears closest on a map.

For families with young children, being conveniently located for the lift you’ll use to reach ski school can be particularly useful. Please feel free to reach out to us for advice. 

Find accommodation in Sauze d’Oulx

Getting to Sauze d’Oulx

For most visitors flying from the UK or Ireland, Turin Airport (TRN) is the most convenient option.

It is approximately 90km from Sauze d’Oulx, and the journey to the resort usually takes around an hour by road, depending on traffic and conditions.

During the winter there are direct flights to Turin from a number of UK airports. Current services include flights operated by airlines such as British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and TUI, while Ryanair also operates a winter service from Dublin and Shannon.

Flight schedules change between seasons and some ski routes only operate on particular days of the week, so it is worth checking your options before deciding on your accommodation dates.

The Milan airports provide useful alternatives, particularly if flights to Turin are expensive or the timings don’t work for you, although the onward transfer is considerably longer.

Read our full guide to this seasons flights to Sauze d’Oulx

Planning your first ski holiday to Sauze

Once you’ve chosen your flights and somewhere to stay, there are a few other things worth arranging before you arrive.

That’s where we can help.

SauzeOnline has been helping visitors organise holidays in Sauze d’Oulx for more than 20 years. We work with established local partners and are based in resort throughout the winter, so if you have questions before you arrive – or need help once you’re here – we’re not far away.

Airport transfers

We can arrange private airport transfers from Turin and the main Milan airports directly to your accommodation in Sauze d’Oulx.

If you’re arriving with skis, children or a group of friends, having your transport organised before you land makes the start of the holiday considerably easier.

Get a quote for an airport transfer

Ski and snowboard hire

We work with five ski hire locations around Sauze, including shops close to the lifts and on the piste.

Pre-booking allows you to choose a shop convenient for your accommodation and saves up to 15% compared with the in-resort price.

If you’re unsure which shop is best for where you’re staying, just ask us.

Book ski and snowboard hire in Sauze d’Oulx

Ski and snowboard lessons

If it’s your first ski holiday, lessons should be high on the list.

We work with an established ski school in Sauze d’Oulx and can arrange group and private lessons for adults and children, as well as snowboard lessons.

Even if you’ve skied before, a lesson early in the week can be a good way to regain confidence and get more from the rest of your holiday.

Find ski and snowboard lessons

Is Sauze d’Oulx right for you?

Sauze works particularly well if you want a ski resort with more to it than simply accommodation built around a lift station.

You get an established Italian village, plenty of places to eat and drink, a lively atmosphere when you want it and an extensive ski area on the doorstep.

Intermediate skiers have a particularly good choice of terrain, while access to the wider Vialattea means there is enough skiing to keep adventurous skiers busy well beyond the local slopes.

Combining excellent skiing, authentic Italian cuisine, a lively village atmosphere and access to one of Europe’s largest linked ski areas, Sauze d’Oulx offers exceptional value and is an excellent choice for your next ski holiday.

If you’re planning your first visit, have a look through our Sauze d’Oulx holiday planning guide or get in touch if you need help putting the different parts of your trip together.