23/02/2026
After our interesting experience at the campsite we were ready to return to a bit of off grid parking. The sun was shining and the days were warm. The solar should be able to work it’s magic during the day, even in the higher altitudes where the overnight temperatures would be colder.
Valtournenche
We have been to Valtournenche many times so we knew what we were doing. But things do change, so we try not to be too complacent. Before we left home I’d heard a rumour that the parking at the Valtournenche gondola station might have a cost attached. Not that I’d mind paying for overnight parking, but a bit of asking around on various forums confirmed that it was still free.
So we drove into the huge parking area in the morning just before 9am and got ourselves established on the top story of the parking area, at the end of one of the columns of parking spaces. In a rush between 9 and 9:30 cars started arriving, it looked like all spaces were taken by the time we got on the gondola.
Parked up with the gondola behind us
We headed out for a full day skiing the Valtournenche slopes, there’s about enough just in this area to keep us entertained for a day. The linked area of Cervinia would be saved for another day. We had a lovely day and saw some more chamois silhouetted on the top of the ridge that runs down the middle of the ski area.
-
- A couple of pictures of us enjoying Valtournenche
Feasting in Valtournenche
When we got back we ordered pizza from the Le Moulin restaurant under the gondola. This is excellent pizza and superb value for money, under £15 for two pizzas. We’d been looking forward to it for a few days and managed to scarf down a whole pizza each, despite thinking we might save some for our lunch the next day.
The following morning we decided to walk into Valtournenche for a shop in our favourite pasticceria (bakery) in the area – L’Angolo Dolce del Pane – where we picked up some of their delicious bread rolls and focaccia, not forgetting the buttery, crunchy Torcetti dipped in sugar and dark chocolate and some hazelnut Baci di Dame. Yum. Sorry there isn’t a photo, we’re not very good at remembering to film food as we’re more interested in eating it.
After the bakery we popped into the butchers opposite and picked up some sausage. We think Italian sausage, the fresh kind rather than the cured type (which is also delicious by the way), is the best outside of the UK and were going to make some sausage sandwiches later that day.
We got the free ski bus back to the gondola where we found a Dutch car trying to park directly in front of us (not in a parking space) when there were several empty spaces still available. We popped out to ask if they minded parking in an actual space as we were going to leave and didn’t want to get blocked in. The wife was adamant that they wouldn’t move and we had to point out the white markings (admittedly quite faint) of the actual parking spaces before the husband slunk into the car and moved it while the wife was still arguing with us. Sometimes things are more difficult than they need to be.
Motorhome Ski Valtournenche – the practical stuff:
Here is the practical stuff, an update from our previous visits
Parking
We park and stay overnight in the Valtournenche gondola station car park. Motorhomes are tolerated on the top level of the two story parking to the left of the gondola (as you head down into the parking). There are no services but the gondola toilets are open while the gondola is operating. The parking is free.
We saw a few vans we recognised from Cervinio Camping who were coming to park here during the day and returning to the campsite at night, so that’s another option if you like the comforts of a campsite. Or of course you could ski over from Cervinia.
Getting to the Slopes
To access the slopes you need to ascend the gondola, to return you can download in the gondola or you can ski all the way down. It can get a bit slushy on the return and it’s a red run so not for beginners.
Ski passes
Ski passes can be ordered online, bought from self-service kiosks, or bought from a manned kiosk under the gondola. A local area pass can be bought for Valtournenche, or you can access Cervinia, or even combine Valtournenche, Cervinia and Zermatt in Switzerland.
Skiing Valtournenche
Valtournenche is all Blue and Red runs. The Reds vary in difficulty and some of them are very good fun. At the top of the resort, where it links to Cervinia, the slope can get quite chopped up because of the number of people coming through the bottleneck. You really need to be an intermediate skier happy with red runs to get back from Cervinia.
The link to Cervinia can sometimes be shut due to high winds, but it’s not the prevailing wind direction and much less likely to be shut than the Zermatt connection.