There's no such thing as boundaries in Europe. So, there's no in-bounds or out-bounds either. Only open groomed runs are secured, patrolled and insured. Everything else is technically off-piste (even one meter from the run). Off-piste means: not covered by standard insurance, you're there at your own risk. This terrain is only secured (avalanche-wise) if other runs, buildings of installations below are at risk. Otherwise, you have to be able to calculate avalanche risk on your owen, need avy gear (transceiver, probe, shovel) or hire a guide (in most cases, avy gear is included in the price).
In the Dolomites, there is hardly any easy terrain to ski off-piste, other than some steep couloirs in spring. Moreover, if you trigger an avalanche, that a fellony.
In the Arlberg Region, Ischgl, Three Valeys, Tignes & Val d'Isère there is much more easily accessable off-piste terrain. Watch out for the white-outs though... Treeline is around 1800 meters above sea level in the Alps.
There seems to be a lot of confusing and contradictory info between "on-piste" and "off-piste" European skiing, insurance and guide needs. Posters here and on other threads keep saying you need a guide to go "off-piste" and you are not covered by insurance. This is NOT correct unless something has changed drastically in the past few years. I have been skiing all over Europe for the last 40 years and had two accidents off piste requiring medical assistance, both were fully covered by "ticket sir-charge" insurance. One, a non-dislocated fore-arm fracture at Val D'isere while using a Mono-ski (don't ask) and two, a dislocated collar-bone and slight concussion (no helmet) at Lech from hitting a hole during white-out dump conditions.
Every time I have bought multi-day passes in Europe, they have automatically added an insurance sir-charge (about $5/day) which covers ALL expenses. For my concussion in Lech they took me off the mtn in a sled, transported me to the local hospital in an ambulance, had x-rays, overnight stay, privet room and transportation back to my lodging - ALL FREE - I didn't pay a penny. I was skiing off-piste on an un-groomed slope both times.
On-piste v Off-piste: Most lifts in Europe have at lest one "groomed" (piste) run from the top to the bottom. If you ski on it, you are "on-piste", if you ski off it you are "off-piste" - simple as that. I have never seen a sign saying you can't ski "off-piste" or need a guide or avy gear to to do so.
This needs further explanation/clarification: See my pictures posted above of Courchevel. All of them show a groomed/piste run from the top with extensive open slopes on either side. Note that most of them have moguls, they don't groom them every night. If you zoom in, you will see that the open slopes are totally tracked out. This is "off-piste" but totally permissible to ski on with NO restrictions as hundreds of skiers have done in these pictures. Generally speaking, any open slope accessible from a groomed/piste run, that leads to the bottom of the lift is skiable without restrictions. You do NOT need avy gear or a guide.
Exceptions: in the first picture, notice the couloirs to the right under the tram top station. These are skiable, but I, personally, would not ski them WITHOUT a guide.- they are about 3 times the height of the Palisades at Squaw and steep! Also there are innumerable runs in these resorts that are NOT off groomed/piste access, similar to "back/side country gates" in the U.S. You need a guide to ski these runs or you are taking a serious risk of injury or getting lost.
BTW, all the skied out on/off piste slopes in the pictures, except for the couloirs, are avy controlled by "Dragons Breath", compressed air/propane "snow cannons" - very impressive when they go off. You can see some of them if you zoom in; they are the upside down "J" shaped things near the ridge tops.
These pictures were taken after a 20 inch dump - awesome ski day.
