Italy ski resorts grapple with crowds, climate pressure

Roccaraso, Italy: The buses from Naples arrive in a steady stream, unloading thousands of people in brightly coloured ski outfits into the small town...

Roccaraso, Italy: The buses from Naples arrive in a steady stream, unloading thousands of people in brightly-coloured ski outfits into the small town nestled in the mountains of central Italy.

Every weekend during winter, Roccaraso's streets are filled with day-trippers, its small slopes packed with Neapolitans seeking some snow fun and a little fresh air.

"We don't ski, but we have fun with sleds. Sometimes I even try with a plastic bag under my bottom!" laughed Anna Lippolis, a 58-year-old hairdresser in a retro pink ski jacket and silver earrings.

Tourists disembark from a bus arriving from Naples in the small ski resort of Roccaraso in the Abruzzo region, on January 18, 2026. Photo by Luca PRIZIA / AFP

She took the 30-euro ($36) return bus from Naples on a recent Sunday to "get out of the house, to unwind a bit" after a long week.