Private transfer from Turin Airport to Sestriere

Sestriere sits at roughly 2,035 metres on the Colle del Sestriere pass, one of the highest resort towns in the Alps. It is the hub of the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area, whose lifts link it with Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and, across the border, Montgenèvre in France. The two cylindrical towers built by the Agnelli family in the 1930s are the town's clearest landmark, and it hosted alpine events at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. In winter it fills with skiers and Italian second-home owners from Turin; in summer, hikers, mountain bikers and golfers arrive for the Golf Club Sestriere, among the highest courses in Europe. The resort splits into the Colle (main village) and lower Borgata.

From Turin Airport at Caselle the transfer skirts Turin on the tangenziale and heads for Pinerolo, then follows the SS23 up the Val Chisone. The valley road passes Perosa Argentina, the tiered fortress of Fenestrelle and Pragelato before the final climb of switchbacks to the Colle del Sestriere. The total is around 110 kilometres and roughly two hours, though the last stretch is slow, steep and winding rather than motorway. An alternative used in some conditions runs via the A32 through the Val di Susa to Oulx and Cesana, then up the SS23 from the west. Either way you finish on a mountain pass, so the scenery shifts from lowland plain to high alpine terrain in the final forty minutes.

Because Sestriere sits on a high pass, the final climb regularly has snow and ice from late autumn to spring; winter tyres or chains are legally required on these roads in the cold months, so travel with a driver equipped for them. Tell us in advance if you are carrying skis or a snowboard so the right vehicle is sent. Confirm which part of the resort you need, as the Colle and the lower Borgata have separate access points. For busy weeks such as Christmas, New Year and February half-term, book the return leg early, since departure-day traffic down the valley builds up. If you plan to ski over into Montgenèvre, carry ID, as that side of Via Lattea is in France.