Europe has some amazing winter resorts. Most people automatically head to the Alps, but it’s absolutely worth keeping an open mind for other mountain ranges, especially if you like things a bit more relaxed and authentic.

Enter the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees offer a more rugged, wild-feeling alternative to the Alps, with smaller villages, friendlier price tags, and proper mountain character. You can ride powder in the morning and end the day soaking in thermal pools or lingering over a hearty dinner in a stone-built village.

Last summer I was already in the area and those rock formations really stunned me – not at all what I expected. So I was seriously looking forward to coming back in winter, checking out the pistes and conditions with a snowboard under my feet.

Here is an overview:

Why go? Authentic charm, generally lower prices than many big-name Alpine resorts, and the chance to experience different valleys and vibes in one trip.

Must do: Spend a day snowboarding or skiing the Pic du Midi area or Saint-Lary-Soulan, then unwind in one of the thermal baths that the region is famous for.

Pro tip: Renting a car makes it much easier to hop between valleys, ski areas and villages, but in winter you’ll want winter tyres or snow chains – mountain passes here can get properly snowy.

On this trip I rode the areas around Pic du Midi (Grand Tourmalet), plus Vallée du Louron, Saint-Lary-Soulan and Piau Engaly / Peyragudes.

If you want to plan your own route through the French Pyrenees, the official destination site pyrenees-holiday.com is a really useful hub for ideas, maps and current info.

Arrival in the French Pyrenees

Usually I pack my car and drive 8–9 hours into the Alps, with the whole car swallowed by snowboard gear….

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