French Pyrenees ski holidays - the Pyrenees mountain range runs along the 400km border of France and Spain, with Andorra in the middle. Ski holidays to the Pyrenees are ofen over looked in favour of the more popolar ski resorts in the French Alps such as Les 3 Valleys and Portes du Soleil or Austria. However, the ski resorts in the French Pyrenees offer excellent value, are less crowded and have a fantastic snow record.
The region offers a wealth of culture and history and offers an electric mix of Spanish and French influences dating back through the centuries. Its not often you see Taps bars in French ski resorts! The area is also rich in sulphurous thermal water so spa & wellness is a popular pastime, Alpine villages such as Saint Lary and Font Romeu are just as popular for non-skiers for this very reason.
Mountain Facts
45 ski resorts | |
2528 m | |
1000 kms | |
402 | |
Ski areas
The main ski resorts in the French Pyrenees sit in the departments of Haute Pyrenees and Pyrénées-Orientales.
Haute Pyrenees
There are 9 main ski resorts in the Haute Pyrenees and includes the well known Cauterets, Grand Tourmalet and Saint-Lary Soulan. These resorts offer some fantastic skiing for all levels of skier and boarder plus ski touring on a par with the 2-6 day tours you'll find in the Alps.
The Grand Tourmalet is the largest ski area in the French Pyrénées sitting at 1400m at the foot of the Pic du Midi. The lift linked resorts of Barèges and La Mongie provide 125km of downhill slopes plus cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.
Pyrénées-Orientales
This part of the French Pyrenees backs on to the Mediterranean and includes the resorts of Font-Romeu-Pyrénées 2000, Cerdagne-Puigmal 2900, Formiguères, Les Angles, Porté-Puymorens, Puyvalador, La Quillane and Espace Cambre d'Aze.
A popular option, especially late season is to combine some skiing with a beach holiday. The beautiful beach resorts of Canet Plage and Saint Cyprien are around 90 minutes away by car.
Featured ski chalets
With a mixture of traditional stone and wood chalets and new style apartments, the accommodation options around the French Pyrenees ski resorts cater for all budgets and tastes. Many resorts have various hamlets and satelite villages which together, provide a unique experience through their own charm and character.
For ski-in, ski-out chalets, Saint Lary 1700m has several residences on the slopes which are ideal for families whilst some of the chalets in Cauterets allow you to ski back if there is sufficient snow cover.
Featured ski resorts
Offering a warm and very friendly stay, the ski resorts within the French Pyrenees are excellent value and provide nothing less than the highest quality in service with fantastic chalets, residences and apartments for you to enjoy your ski holidays. The ski resorts vary in size from only a handful of pistes to lift linked carousels such as Grand Tourmalet that offer something for all levels of skier and boarder.
Our view on French Pyrenees ski holidays
For a ski holiday that won't break the bank, the French Pyrenees resorts are an excellent alternative to the mainstream international villages and mega ski carousels in the French Alps. The snow recored is excellent, there is skiing for all levels and the apres-ski scence can be as lively or relaxed as you want. In a nutshell, we think ski holidays to the French Pyrenees offer better value than the Alps on and off the slopes and are a good option for families.
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