Livigno – Italy

As the crow flies Livigno is just a few kilometres away from the chic Swiss resort of Klosters, but the contrast between them is stark. Livigno was afforded tax-free status by the EEC in 1960 in order to help sustain a year-round population in the remote mountains, and nowadays it is one of the best value resorts in Italy with no VAT on anything. Livigno still maintains a traditional Alpine appearance with a friendly, lively feel. Free buses provide relatively reliable access from one end of the village to the other until mid-evening.
 
The remoteness of Livigno makes getting there quite tricky. The transfer time from Bergamo can be up to 5 hours, but regular visitors would argue that it is worth the effort. With altitude also comes snow reliability and the pistes on both sides of the resort have a great record late into the season