Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Train -- Aosta is served by 13 trains a day to and from Turin (2 hr.); there are 11 trains a day to and from Milan (3 hr., with a change in Chivasso).

By Bus -- Aosta's bus station, across the piazza and a bit to the right from the train station, handles about eight buses (only one or two direct; most change in Ivrea) to and from Turin daily; the trip takes 3 hours (2 hr. on the direct). Four to five daily buses also connect Aosta and Milan (2 1/2-3 1/2 hr.). Buses also connect Aosta with other popular spots in the valley, among them Courmayeur, where you can connect with a shuttle bus to the Palud cable car and Cogne, a major gateway to the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso . For information, call tel. 0165-262-027.

By Car -- Autostrada A5 from Turin shoots up the length of the Valle d'Aosta en route to France and Switzerland via the Mont Blanc tunnel; there are numerous exits in the valley. The trip from Turin to Aosta normally takes about 1 1/2 hours, but traffic can be heavy in the busy tourist months -- especially in August, and from January through March, the height of the ski season.

Visitor Information

The tourist office in Aosta, Piazza Chanoux 8 (tel. 0165-236-627; www.regione.vda.it/turismo), dispenses a wealth of info on hotels, restaurants, and sights throughout the region, along with listings of campgrounds, maps of hiking trails, information about ski-lift tickets and special discounted ski packages, outlets for bike rentals, and rafting trips. It's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 1pm and 3 to 8pm (closed Sun afternoons Oct-May).

Festivals & Markets

Aosta celebrates its patron saint and warm winter days and nights with the Fiera Sant'Orso on the last 2 days of January. The festival fills the streets and involves dancing, drinking vast quantities of mulled wine, and perusing the local crafts pieces, such as lovely woodcarvings and woven blankets, which vendors from throughout the Valle d'Aosta offer for sale. Aosta's other major event is the Battaille des Reines (Battle of the Cows), in which these mainstays of the local economy lock horns -- the main event is held the third Sunday in October and preliminary heats take place throughout the year. Aosta's weekly market day is Tuesday, when stalls selling food, clothes, crafts, and household items fill the Piazza Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto.