Hideaway in France - gîtes in the Pyrénées near Carcassonne

Winter Sports in the Pyrenées

Key Local downhill skiing and Snowboarding resorts

As you can see on the map above, we are 30km (by road) from the nearest ski resort, and it is an easy daily journey.

So, why stay with us for a Winter holiday?

We are often asked by our Summer visitors: 'Can you ski or snowboard properly in the Pyrenees?' and 'Do you get many people staying here when they are skiing?'. The answer to both questions is yes, but our facilities are better suited to some types of Winter holiday than others, so we'd recommend thinking about some key questions before you try it :

Possible advantages of staying with us:

• To reduce cost. Your accomodation with us will cost much less than similar accomodation in a resort.
• For a short break or weekend. We are happy to offer a daily rate for Winter bookings, and can be much more flexible than the resorts which usually specify Saturday to Saturday bookings.
• You want to try out different resorts. It's much easier to sample the different resorts when you're starting from the valley.
• You don't want to be in the middle of the ski resort nightlife. By staying with us you can 'escape' at the end of the day and be assured of a quiet night.
• Not everyone in the group wants to ski every day. By staying with us, part of the group can head off up the mountain to ski, while the others visit Carcassonne, Toulouse or other attractions in the area.
• Quality food is important to you. There is a much better range of restaurants in our nearby towns than in the ski resorts.

Possible disadvantages of staying with us:

• You prefer to ski 'from the door'. If you do, then the journeys to and from the resorts are likely to become tedious and it may be worth the extra cost of staying in the resort.
• You are an expert who does not want to ski the same slope twice. The Pyrenees does not have a resort to rival the large Alpine ski centres, so you WILL need to travel to a different resort every day, and again, the journeys may become tedious.

What are the facilities in the Pyrenees?

The high season for Winter Sports in the Pyrenees is from Christmas to the end of February, and the low season is all other times between 1 December and 21 April. However, some resorts also include weekends, public holidays and school holidays as high season so do check the details for each resort to get accurate information.

All resorts will have a ski school, and most will have an English speaking instructor but it's advisable to book in advance.

Most of the resorts offer baby and child minding, again, it's always advisable to book these in advance. In most cases they also offer 'snow garden' introductory sessions for children aged from 3 - 6yrs.

Resorts

Les Monts d'Olmes (30 minutes (30km) to the slopes)

Our local ski-resort, Mont d'Olmes has 23km of piste set out in a bowl of the Pyrenees near the Montsegur monastry. The resort is excellent for anyone starting out in the sport, or for a family of mixed ability who want to ski together for a couple of days in a well-defined area. Monts d'Olmes has a full ski school, with some English speaking instructors, and the prices are significantly cheaper than Alpine resorts (for example a full-day adult midweek lift pass costs 16 Euros, and hire of skis, boots and sticks is 13 Euros for the day). We would not recommend this resort to experienced skiiers and snowboarders for more than a day or two, but it's good for a day to get back into the sport after a few years layoff.
Link to the Monts d'Olmes site (in French only)

Lunch at the bottom of the slope at Ax les Thermes!

Ax les Thermes (1 hour (70km) to the slopes)

Ax is one of the best resorts in the Pyrenees, now linking three separate areas - Bonascre, Saquet and Campels. Ax has over 75km of piste, and provides a full range of facilities - from gentle introductory slopes adjoining the village of Bonascre at 1400m, to the glacial valleys and raw nature of Campels at 2400m, there are 5 Green, 6 Blue, 10 Red and 2 Black runs.

There are over 20 lifts, including a cable car to take you from the valley to 1800m, and there is plenty of scope for all levels and ages to enjoy the snow! Ax welcomes family groups and is a member of the 'Les p'tits Montagnards' scheme (French ski resorts for families and children) - there are even special 'baby' draglifts!
Link to the Ax ski site (in French only)
Click on the ski france site (in English) for details of the Les p'tits Montagnards scheme.

Guzet (90 mins (100km) to the slopes)

In the mountains between Foix and St Girons, Guzet is a resort which is not well known outside the local skiing enthusiasts. This is a shame as the skiing ranges from 1400 - 2100m, now with 14 lifts (for 2003-2004) and the 40km of slopes suits a range of family abilities. There are 4 Green, 8 Blue, 11 Red and 5 Black runs.

There is little nightlife or apres ski at Guzet, but several restaurants are available for lunch stops. There is also a resident ski school with over 20 instructors.
Link to the Guzet ski site (in French only)

Les Angles (90 minutes (85km) to the slopes)

Les Angles has 50km of piste, from 1600m - 2400m, 2 black, 16 red, 5 blue and 6 green runs. 16 lifts and plenty of snow cannons in case of warm weather. Les Angles is better for more experienced skiers, and has a resonable nightlife.
Link to Les Angles (in French only)

Font Romeu (2 hours (120km) to the slopes)

1800m up in the Pyrenees, Font Romeu has 54km of piste, 6 black, 8 red, 11 blue and 15 green runs. 28 lifts and plenty of snow cannons in case of warm weather. Up to date details of the resort and snow conditions are on their website.
Link to Font-Romeu (in French only)

Andorra

In recent years Andorra has invested £52m to create a sophisticated lift network which is now a match for many Alpine resorts.

Andorra is suited to beginner through intermediate skiers, and a joint lift pass is available which allows skiing five days out of any six across all the Andorran resorts.
Link to Ski Andorra (in English)

Pas de la Casa (90 minutes (99km) to the slopes)

Pas de la Casa is the most popular resort in Andorra with more than 100 km of piste and 31 lifts - and (in)famous nightlife!

The slopes range from 2000-2600m and there are 8 Green, 11 Blue, 23 Red and 13 Black runs. Casa has 1 Gondala lift, 14 chair lifts, 12 drag lifts and 4 mini lifts, as well as 180 instructors and 8 bars and restaurants. There is also a custom snowpark and mogul stadium. For very young children, there are two snow playgrounds and a nursery.

A day pass for Pas de la Casa only costs €27 in the low season and €29.50 in the high season.
Link to Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig (in English)

Soldeu / El Tarter (100 minutes (110km) to the slopes)

This combined resort is the most popular family destination in Andorra with good skiing, scenery and architecture. Soldeu is especially good for beginners, with a significant number of English speaking instructors.

The area has 28 lifts, slopes from 1700-2600m 14 Green, 16 Blue, 11 Red and 11 Black runs, 2 Gondala lifts, 12 chair lifts, 9 drag lifts, 5 mini lifts, and 4 rope lifts! with 250 instructors and 8 bars and restaurants. For very young children, there are 3 nurseries and 3 snow playgrounds
Link to Soldeu-El Tarter (in English (just!))

Pal / Arinsal (2.5 hours (140km) to the slopes)

Pal is aimed at the younger market, with vibrant bars and nightlife.

The resort has 63 km of piste and 25 lifts, including a half pipe. Slopes range from 1500-2600m, with 4 Green, 16 Blue, 16 Red and 5 Black runs, 2 Gondala/cable car lifts, 11 chair lifts, 12 drag lifts and 5 mini lifts. Pal has 140 instructors and 11 bars and restaurants. For very young children, there are 2 nurseries and 2 snow playgrounds
Link to Pal-Arinsal (in English)