Ski-In Ski-Out in Livigno: What It Really Means

Ski-in ski-out, ski-to-door, near the slopes: not the same thing

Strictly speaking, ski-in ski-out means you step out of the door, put your skis on and slide onto the piste, and at the end of the day you ski back to the door. Listings, though, also use it for places with a piste or a lift a few dozen metres away, which you reach on foot in your ski boots.

"Near the slopes" is vaguer still: it can mean 50 metres or a kilometre. There is no rule saying when a place may call itself that. So the word on its own tells you little: what you need to know is the distance, the lift and the route.

Why Livigno is different

Livigno is a long valley, and the village stretches for kilometres along the valley floor. The ski area covers both sides: Carosello 3000 on one, Mottolino on the other, plus the Sitas area, with about 115 km of slopes in all according to Livigno's official website. In many parts of the village you can walk to the lifts.

That changes things. Even a place right on the slopes on one side is far from the other: if you want to ski Carosello one day and Mottolino the next, you will be moving anyway. For that there is Livigno's free bus: its lines reach all the lifts, the centre and the outskirts, and skis and snowboards travel free. It runs hourly, with extra runs in high season; to use it you need the MyLivignoPass, which you ask for at your accommodation. The differences between the two sides are in Carosello 3000 or Mottolino, and we compare the parts of the village in where to stay in Livigno.

Five questions to ask before you book

Before you book, with us or anywhere else, write to the host and ask these five things. A host who answers precisely usually has nothing to hide.

1. How many metres, and to which lift? "200 metres from the slopes" is not enough: ask for the name of the lift and whether it is a beginner drag lift, a chairlift or the lift that takes you up the mountain. It makes a big difference.

2. Do you get back to the door on skis or on foot? This is the question that separates true ski-in ski-out from everything else. Also ask how you get back if the return piste is closed.

3. Where do skis and boots go? A ski room, ideally with a boot heater, saves you carrying your kit indoors and putting on cold boots in the morning. What to look for is in our guide to ski storage.

4. How far is the bus stop? Even near the slopes you will use the bus to change sides or to go into the centre in the evening.

5. Is there parking? Ask whether it is included, whether it is free and whether the space is reserved for you.

When 100 metres on foot is enough, and when it is not

For many people, 100 or 200 metres on foot is perfectly fine. If you put your boots on at home and walk for a couple of minutes, the difference from true ski-in is small. This is especially true for families with lessons at the ski school and for anyone who stops at the rental shop in the morning: then it matters more to have the school and rental nearby.

True ski-in ski-out matters more if you have small children to carry along with everyone’s skis, if you come back in the middle of the day for lunch or a break, or if you want to be on the first lift without any fuss. Then every step in ski boots counts. If that is you, ask for the exact metres and perhaps a photo of the route.

Our case: Ironwood Livigno is not ski-in ski-out

We will say it plainly: our apartment is not ski-in ski-out, and you cannot ski to the door. We are at Via Saroch 767, near San Rocco (here is our guide to the area). The San Rocco ski lift is about 100 metres away on foot, and from there you reach Carosello 3000 on skis. The Doss 18 ski lift is about 200 metres away, the Carosello 3000 base about 400 metres. You come back on foot.

About 50 metres away there is a ski school and a ski rental shop, and the bus stop is about 40 metres away: handy for Mottolino or for the centre, which is about 15 minutes on foot. The apartment has ski and bike storage, and parking for one car is free.

If you want to step out of the door with your skis already on, we are not the right choice, and we would rather tell you now. If 100 metres on foot works for you, the apartment is 90 m², has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, sleeps up to 6 and has a private infrared sauna and steam bath for the evening. In winter we book Saturday to Saturday. Send us your dates and we'll get back to you.