The French Pyrenees are home to several world-class ski resorts and renowned for their friendly, traditional atmosphere and spectacular natural beauty, but it’s less well known that they also get great snow, often better than the Alps, thanks to moist air blowing in from the Atlantic. Last season depths peaked at 3.5m in February at 2,300m.
There’s a wide choice of ski resorts here, including traditional villages, purpose-built resorts and spa centres. These provide skiing for all standards on the piste, plus exciting terrain parks and off-piste freeride opportunities for advanced skiers and boarders. But whichever you choose, for sheer value for money the French Pyrenees are hard to beat, with their world-class skiing, unparalleled hospitality and abundant skiing opportunities.
Credit – Cauterets
Cauterets is one of the region’s best-known resorts, with its classic architecture and location in the heart of the French Pyrenees National Park. It’s a spa resort with a great ski area and an enviable snowfall record, plus lots to do off the slopes.
Grand Tourmalet – located at the foot of the famed Pic du Midi de Bigorre – is the largest ski area in the French Pyrenees, with over 100km of runs. Stay in the traditional Pyrenean village of Barèges or the purpose-built ski-in/ski-out La Mongie.
Peyragudes is the most high-tech resort in the French Pyrenees and boasts a brand-new spa. The slopes run east–west, so you can ski all day in the sun.
Compact Saint-Lary, meanwhile, features all the amenities of a large resort and boasts a ‘Family Plus’ label as well as another great spa.
Peyragudes
Easy to reach from UK airports, with BA, easyJet and Ryanair flying into Tarbes Lourdes, Toulouse and Carcassonne, the French Pyrenees are great for a short break or long weekend as well as full weeks.
Every month Erna Low are giving away a fabulous skiing holiday at a French Pyrenean resort – visit the website for details.
Erna Low offer French Pyrenees ski holidays from £23 per person/per night. 020 7590 1703; ernalow.co.uk/french-pyrenees