When I was little, because I lived in Lyon, my dad would always take my brother, my cousins, and me for a week of skiing. I’ve tested quite a few ski resorts in the Alps, but I had never been to La Rosière.
So it was during that increasingly popular season—spring skiing—that I discovered this lovely resort. My trip started in Méribel (I shared that part in a previous article) and ended in this cross-border resort, located in the Northern Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, not far from Mont-Blanc and the Little St. Bernard Pass. La Rosière is a more confidential resort than others, but it has undeniable charm and features no less than 160 km of slopes between France and Italy (Espace San Bernardo).
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Table of Contents
Practical Information
Ski Passes
- €30.90 for adults for 4 consecutive hours in La Rosière
- €43.10 for adults for a 1-day Espace San Bernardo pass (France + Italy)
- Great tip: Viva Italia day pass on Saturdays starting from €25 (order or top up your pass online at www.jeskieausoleil.com)
Getting there
The easiest way from Paris is to take the train to Bourg Saint Maurice station, then use the regular shuttle service with AlpBus from the station (23 km) which takes you to the resort center (about a 20-minute bus ride).
La Rosière Tourist Office
The perfect place to get all the information about the resort: open Monday to Friday and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM / Saturday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Great tips
- a system of free ski bus shuttles to get around La Rosière
- 4 ski lifts accessible for free to everyone on the snow front (for beginners)
- the Spring Skiing offer in April with a 10% discount
- passes are free for children under 5 and seniors over 75
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Appart’hôtel Le Roc Noir
This 4-star residence opened in 2017 is located in the heart of the resort and, above all, at the foot of the slopes, since you can practically ski right out from its ski locker room. We stayed in a very functional 20 m² small studio apartment with a sofa bed for the night, which isn’t necessarily the most comfortable, but it saves space, and we spent most of our time outside anyway…
The establishment also has an aquatic area accessible for free to its guests; unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to test it because it is closed on Saturdays, which was the only day we would have had time to go…
The major plus: the ski locker room assigned to you is always on the same floor as your apartment, which makes it possible to head directly out onto the slopes.
Appart'hôtel Le Roc Noir
Centre Station 73700 La Rosière
Wifi tip: free internet access for guests throughout the residence
Price: studio for 2 people per week between €350 and €700 depending on the season
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Get a massage in your chalet with Relax’Session
Emmanuelle offers in-home massages in La Rosière for a pure moment of relaxation in your chalet. No need for a lot of space since we managed to do it in our small studio, and she brings all the necessary equipment with her. Emmanuelle is certified in well-being massage by the Jean-Louis Abrassard Touch School, and she practices and mixes several techniques (Californian massage, Korean relaxation, reflexology, shiatsu) for a totally personalized result according to how you feel and, above all, what you need.
My favorite photographer and I each had a super massage, and it really relaxed us deeply.
Relax'Session Tel. 06 49 83 94 57 edesachymailbox-3@yahoo.com
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A Dolce Vita Getaway in Italy
The idea behind this little romantic getaway proposed by the La Rosière Tourist Office for a weekend is to ski to Italy to the village of La Thuile. So we pack all our little things into backpacks and head off on an adventure… Plus, what’s very practical and nice about this little getaway is that the Aosta Valley locals speak French very well.
Hotel Le Miramonti
This charming mountain hotel was our refuge during this 2-day getaway on Italian soil. I really liked the very mountain-style but cozy decor of the establishment, and our room was particularly pleasant.
In the offer, a 4-course dinner (half-board) is provided at the hotel and included in the price of the package. We ate very well there. Some photos of our dinner below, including: a broccoli flan, a minestrone soup, a mushroom risotto, roast veal, smoked scamorza cheese with a “pizzaiola” sauce, and a deconstructed tiramisu for dessert.
The next morning, a nice buffet awaited us for breakfast, and it is imperative to eat well because a few hours of skiing were waiting for us before returning to France to conclude this Italian interlude.
Plus, the hotel shuttle takes care of bringing us back down to the cable car on the morning of our departure.
Hotel Le Miramonti
Via Piccolo S. Bernardo, 3, 11016 La Thuile AO, Italy
Link to book a room
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Pré St Didier Thermal Baths
From La Thuile, you can go and enjoy the relaxing properties of the thermal waters of the Pré St Didier Thermal Baths (in the Aosta Valley) with its 3,000 m2 and naturally hot waters at 37°C.
My advice: to make the most of your afternoon at the thermal baths, I advise you to take the 2:25 PM shuttle that leaves right next to the hotel (€1.40 one way), because if you miss it (like us), the next one is at 4:23 PM… It still leaves you time to enjoy the place, but it’s a bit shorter. To return, I advise you to take the 7:40 PM shuttle in the other direction, which brings you back to the hotel around 8:00 PM, to take full advantage of the half-board (because the restaurant doesn’t take orders after 9:00 PM).
On the program: thermal pools, hydromassages, waterfalls, saunas, steam baths, salt room, …
The very funny thing is the atmosphere and the average age of the clients at the thermal baths when we went. Unlike France, where thermal baths are still frequented by people of a certain age, in Italy, it’s the spot for young couples to come and canoodle… We saw some who spent their time kissing passionately in a corner, and a few hours later, they were still in the same place doing the same thing… Proof in the image below… Different country, different customs apparently… In any case, it made us laugh a lot.
Pré St Didier Thermal Baths Allee Des Thermes, 11010 Pre'-saint-didier AO, Italy
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The Pepita Café
For lunch in the area on the day of your arrival, for example, I recommend the Pepita Café, a super Italian ristorante with truly delicious cuisine.
We each had the Skier’s Menu for €25 (which must be ordered by at least 2 guests at the table) which includes:
- charcuterie from the Aosta Valley with honey chestnuts
- a broccoli and mascarpone flan on Aosta Valley fondue
- a grilled crottin cheese with polenta and porcini mushrooms in Aosta Valley fondue
- homemade tagliolini with truffles and parmesan
- pappardelle with sautéed game with juniper and cinnamon
- a homemade tiramisu (a killer, quite simply!)
- a coffee (with a few homemade meringues, I think)
Photo also of the stuffed tortelloni with Gressoney Toma cheese, on a cream of sautéed leek and squash (€13), with fresh, homemade pasta.
Pepita Café 11016 La Thuile Italy
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The Dolce Vita Getaway
The offer includes: ski passes for 2 days, one night half-board at Hotel Le Miramonti, access to the thermal baths, transfers by private Alpissima shuttles (from the foot of the La Thuile slopes to the hotel)
Price: starting from €187 / person (inquire with the La Rosière Tourist Office)
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Gastronomy and great addresses in La Rosière
In terms of gastronomy, the area is rich in specialties and good products; it is notably the region of Beaufort, a cheese that I particularly like. You can buy it at the Haute Tarentaise Dairy Cooperative, which has a shop in the Valaisan II shopping center in La Rosière. I am providing you below with the few addresses that I had the opportunity to test on the spot, and as a bonus, I recommend the Duranton Bakery, an artisan baker, for breakfasts in your chalet.
Restaurant Les Marmottes
This restaurant with a typical and friendly atmosphere offers Savoyard specialties in a mountain chalet ambiance with all-wood decor. This was finally the occasion I had been waiting for since the beginning of this stay in the mountains to eat a Savoyard fondue, a dish of which I am a great fan. And my favorite moment remains the one where you crack an egg into the bottom of the fondue; it’s super fatty, but I love it!!!! We obviously accompanied this good food with a little Savoie wine, an Apremont, which goes perfectly with the Savoyard fondue.
I also advise you to have a small glass of Génépi (a local liqueur obtained by maceration of the plant of the same name, which is found exclusively in the mountains) to finish dinner; it helps to digest the fondue…
Les Marmottes Open every day for lunch and dinner In the Valaisan II shopping center
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L’Antigel
This traditional restaurant, located on the slopes at 2,000 meters altitude, also offers Savoyard specialties with an incredible view of the mountain. It is the perfect spot at lunchtime to soak up the sun between two ski runs!
To taste:
- For an aperitif, don’t hesitate to have a little Aperol Spritz (€6.50); after all, we are right next to Italy…
- For the main course, I highly recommend the Beaufort tart and its green salad (€12.50), which is really very good; otherwise, in a more classic way, you also have the Antigel burger with Beaufort, obviously!
- For dessert, the Nutella tiramisu (€8) or the Monte Bianco, with mascarpone, chestnut cream, and meringue (€8).
L'Antigel 73700 La Rosière
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Le Caffe Latte
It is the perfect place for a nice and quick lunch, with burgers, bruschetta, and some Italian sweets on the menu… It is also a coffee shop, so it’s the right place for a hot chocolate or coffee break to warm up in the morning or middle of the day.
To taste:
- The goat cheese Bruschetta (€16.50) served with fries and salad.
- The Caffe Latte burger (€17) with old-fashioned mustard, VBF Savoy ground beef, AOC raclette cheese, served with fries and salad as well.
- A little coffee and some Italian sweets (I don’t remember the name), to finish this lunch.
Le Caffe Latte Open every day from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM Le Centre 73700 La Rosière
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What to pack for skiing?
So you don’t forget anything in your suitcase, take a look at the end of my article on Méribel, where I created a section specially dedicated to this question.
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I hope that with all this, I have made you want to discover or rediscover the La Rosière resort, and if you too have your favorite addresses for this mountain destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free; permission from the photographer is mandatory before any use
