Why Abruzzo in Italy should be your next family ski holiday

Iain Martin samples la dolce vita on a family ski trip that won’t break the bank

Roccoraso offers quiet slopes (Iain Martin/The Ski Podcast)

The Romans and Neopolitans love Roccaraso. At weekends and bank holidays, the alla moda set converge on this ski resort, located just two hours from Rome and Naples, in search of la dolce vita.

Yet despite being Italy’s fifth largest resort, the 100km of the Alto Sangro ski area remains practically unknown to Britons.

Most skiers know that Italy is less expensive than France, Switzerland and Austria, but few are aware of the Apeninne mountains – a range that extends 750 miles along the length of peninsular Italy – let alone that there is skiing there.