 Poster: A snowHead
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Just returned from our first ski trip to Luchon following a visit in the summer resulting in buying an apartment.
Firstly I have skied several seasons and instructed but now have a young family and my criteria for a skiing holiday does not necessarily lure me to St Anton/Ischgl party towns etc any more.
We wanted to buy a place which had excellent summer and winter tourism but unfortunately due to a mis-print on my winning lottery ticket, did not have the funds to buy in the alps. The Pyrenees offered much better value for money and I resided myself to the fact that there would be skiing compromises for myself.
The first thing that strikes you is that Luchon is a Spa Town with a ski lift going up the mountain as opposed to a resort. As such you get good quality shops, restaurants and bars. The town is very popular with French and Spanish tourists so après ski can either be Beers, Cocktails or Tapas and wine. This variation is a refreshing change at times. Luchon is even more popular in the summer and is a long running Tour de France town with stages starting, finishing and/or passing through most years.
With regards to the skiing, despite various locals telling me that the skiing was excellent, I was not expecting too much.
The Superbagneres ski area is only 35Km in total but little or non of this is wasted on tracks. The skiing is in 3 main areas and is connected well via runs with the exception on 1 lift that takes you over a valley (again not wasting kms on tracks). The pistes have reasonable length and the "steepest pitches" on all the runs left you with a feeling that they had definitely earned their rating. Compared to other resorts in Italy especially, every run was under-graded by at least 1 level - the blacks were not open but they were not for the faint hearted.
Off Piste, you could see everything and the whole mountain was skiable thus creating a much larger ski area than the on piste total. As with anywhere, your opinion of the skiing will always be tainted by the snow conditions, but in the 4 days we skied in Superbagneres, we had powder, spring conditions (over new year - but the same across Europe) and perfect piste. Great fun ski area for a few days (if experienced) or the whole week if just starting out.
The benefit is that a 20 minute drive or via ski bus (€7) you can ski Peyragudes. This resort has fantastic snow conditions over its 45km, but again due to the fact that the skiing is all in one area, there is endless off piste which is all visible. Some excellent runs for the less experienced on the Peyrasourdes side and epic runs like the Vallee Blanche "itinery" run on the Agudes side. Brilliant skiing but the actual resort is not really a big enough to get British tourists to actually stay there.
Slopes at both areas are very lightly used, not busy and very few queues. Little light on restaurants (2 peyragudes and several in Superbagneres by the top of the main lift but only 1 other at altitude) but the towns/villages all have good options. Far cheaper than the Alpes with a beer costing €2.80 and main course €11 up the mountain and plenty of snack options
Due to the snow conditions in the local resorts we did not even bother with Baqueria Beret in Spain (1hr 15 drive) which again is a hidden gem.
Our group consisted of Wife, 4 1/2 year old, myself and 2 friends (one of whom has skied seasons and owns in the alps) and all of us came away rating the skiing very highly and the town/atmosphere even higher. Plenty for non/limited skiers due to the Spa and pool. We did not use the ski school but it has an excellent reputation.
Apartment has 2 double bedrooms and a separate bunk bed room (+ sofa bed) so easily accommodated 5 of us. Private parking, Real home from home feel right in the centre of town. If interested in Luchon, drop me an email at ronmaycock@taoresourcing.com and we can discuss.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hey Ron - interesting report (and not too shameless on pimping the apartment 
How do you get to Luchon from Yorkshire?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry not logged on for a while. Yorkshire to Luchon in the summer is easiest via flights from LBA to Toulouse (jet2). Car hire in Toulouse and 1& 1/2 hour drive. (flat and about 3 roads)
Winter is a different thing as there are no cost effective flights from the North. Ryan air do Stanstead to Lourdes (1,10mins drive) but this goes early am so need hotel at Airport.
Have drive down from Calais, however trying the Hull Zeebrugge option as it says only 15 minutes longer once on the continent (10hr,15 mins from Zeebrugge to Luchon) and the nights accommodation is on the ferry. Long way for 1 to drive but easy with 2 sharing. Benefit will be hitting Paris around late am hence no rush hour traffic. Tolls about €175 return but worth getting a Sanef tolling widget to go through the auto toll lanes.
Looked at train but the cost is most impacted by the channel crossing and Yorkshire to London. Have not priced up the shuttle and drive to Paris to get the Auto train for the car and a train for passangers.
There are trains from Toulouse to Luchon all year round if you don't want to hire a car.
Hope this helps
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ron maycock, Sounds good. How is the lift infrastructure and snow making? Is Baqueira an easy drive (any scary roads?) and can it be on the same ski pass?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Tom W, It's not on the same pass. In terms of driving I'm pretty sure you have to go over a pass so in bad weather it could be an issue - that said I've not driven myself but have spent a lot of time on the Spanish side.
When we've driven down we've tended to overnight, Either North of Paris or in Limoges depending on when we start. I budget about £600 return based on cheap ferry tickets & rooms.
ron maycock, Thanks for the report. I've been tempted for quite a while to look at Luchon as somewhere to buy. Could you answer a couple of quick questions - is there a ski bus that runs about the town ? Also how much for a typical beer in Luchon ? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi - Again not logged on for a while. Yes there is a ski bus running throughout the winter with stops located here and there. Beers cost about €5 and this is the same up or down the mountain. Wine not expensive and neither is the food.
Great place to buy and with every visit glad we have. Like it so much that we have taken the apartment out of rental circulation as we want it for ourselves.
For Buying, the nearer to the centre of town the more important parking is (there is some free parking along the Casino Park but this does fill up. If you are a little further out then you will get more for your money but personal choice was right in the centre of things.
Re the travel to Baqueira - The direct road goes over the Col De Portillon. This route apparently has only been shut for about 3 days in the last 10 years - The road in cleared regularly if needed. (A good indication is that there are not any Aire des Chaines" or police checks to stop your advance without snow chains)
Generally easy but if the road was not clear you can go out to Cierp Gaud/St Beat and head around. Takes 15 minutes longer but not up and over.
Generally the roads are in the valleys and not up the side of a mountain like in the Alps.
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Just back from a great trip to Peyragudes.
Stayed in Luchon which is highly recommended. Lively little French spa town. Would recommend this more than staying up the mountain.
Pretty decent set of pistes, majority of lifts are fairly good, only a few old ones which are a bit slow, however fewer people waiting to get on them speeds that process up.
Lovely run know as the Vallee Blanche from top to bottom. You could spend ages on this if you so wished going up and down. Only issue is it is a bus from the bottom which takes 5 minutes back to the ski lifts. Girlfriend didn't like this. Didn't bother me.
Not the biggest selection of on mountain restaurants and it's largely crappy tray food. Some nice Sandwiches bought in Luchon were a much better lunch, but it was glorious sunshine so eating in the hills was a decent idea. If it was -10 it would have not been so nice.
Great for a long weekend for the experienced skier. A novice could easily do a week there.
Highly recommended and will be back.
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