My family spent 2 weeks in late January 2016 based in Arabba which we found made a good base for exploring the Dolomites as there are direct links to Corvara and Canazei via the Sella Ronda, the Marmolada via Passo Padon and a short drive over to Cortina.

Despite there not being great natural snow depth at that time (35-45mm), due to the excellent snowmaking and grooming capacity in the Sella Ronda network nearly all lifts, pistes, refugios and restaurants were open and we found that once you were familiar with the main routes between the resorts you could roam far and wide and still make it back to your home valley before last rides. There are also ski bus and taxi services between the resorts if you do leave your last run too late.

The skiing at Arabba itself was somewhat mixed with many of the more difficult runs and most off-piste on the Porta Vescovo (south) side closed due to lack of coverage, and with not much sun on that side at that time of year we tended to ski more on the north (Corvara) side, with Marmolada an option for some high altitude (3,200m+) skiing when the weather allowed. You can purchase local resort lift tickets (Arabba-Marmolada) or for a little more the Dolomiti Superski pass for greater coverage, but some more flexible options (youth passes, ski 5 of 7 days) would be appreciated.

The scenery is spectacular and mountains more like western USA than the northern and western European Alps. Arabba itself is a fairly compact town with all the basics such as restaurants, bars, ski shops & schools, mini markets, ice skating rink and a good range of accommodation from self catering apartments to 4 star hotels, but if you are looking for lively nightlife you may be better off basing yourself in Corvara or Val Gardina. Prices were quite reasonable and being Italy, the food and drink was nearly always excellent.