Where to go skiing, from Toulouse?!

Do you live in or around Toulouse ? Are photos of snow-covered resorts and mountains on the horizon making you want to put on your skis ? Head to the snow, starting from the Pink City!

Where to go skiing, quickly and not too far, from Toulouse?

The slopes, quick! To quickly reach the first resorts from Toulouse, it takes less than 2 hours. Let's go!

The Mourtis Station

Located in the Val d'Aran, just 1h30 from Toulouse (130 km), Le Mourtis is a very nice and family-friendly resort. It extends over 3 slopes, for skiing in the sun at almost any time of day. It is a nature resort in the heart of a 500 ha forest where bears and other Pyrenean animals live in peace. If you like freeriding and snowboarding, you will have a beautiful playground for the day or the weekend!

Le Mourtis offers 23 km of slopes for all levels spread over 19 runs (4 green, 5 blue, 7 red and 3 black). It is accessible by 10 ski lifts (1 chairlift, 10 ski lifts and 1 carpet lift).

The Ax Les 3 Domaines Resort

Ax les 3 Domaines is the easiest resort to access from Toulouse and with various means of individual or public transport. It is 1h30 from Toulouse, approximately 140 km. It is a resort with 3 independent ski areas (hence its name, isn't it?): the Bonascre, Saquet and Campels areas. From 1400 to 2400 m altitude, there is plenty to do on 80 km of slopes, spread over 36 runs (9 green, 10 blue, 10 red, 6 black). They are accessed via 19 ski lifts (2 cable cars, 6 chairlifts, 10 ski lifts and 1 carpet).

photo © alessandro / unsplash

The Guzet Station

Guzet is located in the Haut Couserans. It is a truly charming resort, with pretty little wooden chalets surrounded by conifers. It boasts a beautiful panorama and a rather picturesque and authentic setting. Guzet is 140 km from Toulouse, but it takes a little over 2 hours to get there.

Guzet offers 40 km of slopes, spread over 32 slopes, including 7 green, 10 blue, 9 red and 6 black. It is accessible by 15 ski lifts: 10 ski lifts, 4 chairlifts and 1 carpet lift.

© Number 1963 CC BY SA 3.0

The Saint-Lary Soulan Station

Saint-Lary is a resort with a proven reputation and very popular with families, both winter and summer. It is a real little village, with a lively life , numerous shops and lots of activities to do outside of skiing. Saint-Lary is 145 kilometers from Toulouse. You will get there in about 1 hour 45 minutes by car. The road is beautiful with pretty picturesque villages where you can stop.

On the slopes side, there are 102 km of descents available to you, with 56 slopes and 28 ski lifts (3 cabins, 10 chairlifts, 15 ski lifts).

Photo © St Lary Station

Piau-Engaly Station

The highest resort in the French Pyrenees is a 2-hour 20-minute drive from Toulouse (175 km) and only 25 minutes from Saint-Lary. It is a resort with natural snow, completely integrated into the magical mountain landscape. It is a car-free resort, where you can get around with a free shuttle.

Piau-Engaly offers 65 km of slopes for all levels spread over 39 runs (4 green, 19 blue, 11 red and 7 black). It is accessible by 8 ski lifts (5 chairlifts and 3 ski lifts).

Luchon-Superbagnères Station

The resort is about 1h30 from Toulouse, 160 km. It is easily accessible from the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon, with a cable car that takes you to the foot of the slopes. Luchon-Superbagnères is spread over 4 slopes, on perched plateaus with breathtaking views.
There are 32 km of slopes, on 28 pistes, with 13 ski lifts.

Peyragudes Station

Panorama, peaks over 3000 m, valleys and thrills at Peyragudes ! It is a popular resort, as it is easily accessible from Toulouse. It is 160 km (about 1 hour 50 minutes) from the pink city.

60 km of slopes spread over 51 descents (5 green, 22 blue, 20 red, 4 black). Plenty of fun for a whole weekend without getting bored with 17 lifts (9 chairlifts, 5 ski lifts, 2 carpet lifts, 1 rope).

Lake Genos-Loudenvielle_-Val-Louron-Peyragudes © Jean-Noël-HERRANZ

The nice resort when you like the mountains, but not downhill skiing: Beille

Beautiful, It is a paradise for snowshoes, cross-country skiing, Nordic walking, sledging... 1h30 from Toulouse, this plateau offers magnificent landscapes, peace and a guaranteed Zen atmosphere... The vegetation is special in this place where you can imagine yourself in a faraway Nordic country... It is a paradise for children, with diverse and varied activities such as building igloos and long sledging runs (with a mat so you don't get tired).

Photo © Lars-Ley / pexels

Good deals for cheap skiing from Toulouse

To save money on your trip to the ski resorts, you have several options:

• Fill the car with guests who share the travel costs, for example with BlaBlaCar and other carpooling sites. Obviously, if you're a family of 4 or 5, this won't work :)

• Learn about SkiRail , an offer proposed by SNCF and the Occitanie Region.

You can benefit from a return train ticket from Toulouse, a transfer to the ski lifts, a 1-day or 2-day pass for a very advantageous price !!

From Toulouse, you can go to:

• Ascou-Pailhères;
• Ax the 3 Domains;

• Beauty;
• Grandvalira;
• Guzet;
• Luchon /Superbagnère;
• Porte-Puymorens;
• Saint-Lary...

• Find out about taking a OuiBus : the SNCF subsidiary offers connections, only during the season, from Toulouse to three resorts in the Pyrenees: Saint-Lary, La Mongie and Ax les 3 Domaines. The prices are really good, but you should book in advance to benefit from the best rates.
• Check out Flixbus: another operator offering very affordable fares for daytime or weekend round-trip buses from Toulouse. You can travel to Saint-Lary.
• To get to Peyragudes, there is a bus connection, with an independent operator for 35 euros.

Top tips for saving money on a ski trip

For you students: remember to bring your card! You can benefit from sometimes very significant discounts, for packages, sometimes equipment rental or extra-ski activities. Ask your university . Some offer weekend breaks à la carte... The same goes for job seekers, large families... Bring your supporting documents to benefit from discounts!

If you are a CAF beneficiary, you can certainly benefit from VACAF participation, which means that part of your stay, including accommodation rental, is covered. Many organizations offer you the opportunity to use these subsidies, but this is not always clearly stated. Check the dedicated website and the desired accommodation or service for more information.

A simple tip if you 're going away for several days or a week : shop at home or prepare lunch boxes, at least for lunch. Enjoy restaurants in the evening to treat yourself and invest in a backpack to store supplies and have a snack on the slopes (taking your trash with you, of course). You'll also maximize the use of your ski pass!

Other tips in bulk:

• Share the ski instructor with friends or children from other families, if you need to learn or get back into shape!
• Rent your equipment directly in Toulouse, it's cheaper than at the bottom of the slopes (well, you then have to transport it...).
• Buy used equipment or rent it online.

The slopes are yours!

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