Skiing in the Pyrenees in March
 

I am planning a trip with my teenage daughter to Barcelona in March and thought it would be fun to add some skiing in the Pyrenees. I am finding the choices daunting! Because I speak a little French I am leaning toward a destination on the French side but will consider destinations in France and Spain. Can anyone recommend a good village/resort for families, beginner and intermediate skiing, relatively easy access, budget $ 200-300/night .... and are the chances good for snow at the end of March? Thanks!

Andorra comes to mind (especially Grand Valira). It is accessible by bus from Barcelona.

Thanks! Andorra looks like a great suggestion. I was looking around at hotels - does anyone have experience with any of the Sport Hotel properties?

There are organized bus tripsfrm barcelona to andorra and the fashionable Baquiera Beret ( near Viella) with hotel and forfaits included during the entire ski season.

I prefer Baquiera. Andorra can be a pain getting in and out, and the apres ski in Baquiera is fantastic.

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Baquiera is quite the place, at the far end of the valley. You can walk out of the AC Baqueira Hotel and onto the lift, skiing back to the hotel. Starting in 2011 you should be able to use or get Marriott Rewards when staying at most of the AC hotels. Baqueira should be one of them.

en.ac-hotels.com/141-AC_BAQUEIRA_Hotel_&_SPA.html

I am having difficulty finding information on transfers to Baquiera. One website with links to the bus schedule seems to be down. I did find on a Let's Go website something that indicates it is about 6 hours by bus from Barcelona (they do not list Toulouse travel info). Does that sound accurate? I could return to either Barcelona or Toulouse. If anyone can help with this piece of the puzzle would be very grateful. I have also emailed a request to one of the hotels.

You'll have to take the Alsa bus to Vielha and then a local bus from there to Baquiera. The trip from Barcelona to Vielha is less than 6 hours.

www.alsa.es

There is a regular bus service between Toulouse and Andorra as well as from Barcelona to Andorra.
http://www.hola-andorra.com/arinsal/...novatelgb.html
The bus leaves from Andorra la Vieilla bus station, makes a stop in front of the Tourist Office in Pas de la Cases, at Toulouse airport and at Toulouse train station.

Barcelona to Andorra is 4 hours, not 6.

You take a bus from barcelona to Vielha, then taxi or local bus to hotel.

However, I am fairly certain some ski club will have packages on the weekends. I am trying to find one for you. If I see anything will let you know.

You do NOT want to stay in Vielha. You need to stay up near ski area, although there is a ski bus that will take you around so you can enjoy some of the quaint village restaurants.

there are bus/hotel/forfait plans from barcelona to andorra in many agencies.
now to find one for baquiera.

Thanks everyone and thank you lincasanova for investigating the ski clubs. I did not think about that one (silly me!). The bus schedules are back on line this morning and it looks like about 5 1/2 hours to Vielha and then another 20-25 from there to Baqueira. Of course now that I have read about Baqueira and seen the hotels there that is where I want to go (the quaint villages and number of moderate slopes appeal to me) ... but trying to sort out the pros and cons with added travel time and limited time in the region. The hotel offered a transfer to Barcelona for 324 Euros.

The price of the private transfer sounds about right.

I would opt for bus/taxi.. bus will be about 30-40 euros. taxi another 15-20..i am guessing here.

If you go to baquiera.. you MUST go to our ex ski instructor Gustavo's restaurante. He and his wife remodeled an old stable and serve absolutely great food.

Gustavo y Mª Jose. Teléfono 973 642 419

There are some other quaint places in escuñau.. one of the villages about half way between the two .

we always have a car to be able to drive around to these places. This may be an interesting option for you in the end. I don't know how late the ski buses run. it is not like breckenridge or park city in that sense.

Thanks I will definitely give Gustavo's restaurante a try! Can cars be rented in Vielha, or are taxis readily available (upon request) in the villages? I am a little intimidated about driving myself from Barcelona with what I have read about hairpin turns and mountain passes ....

the road to baquiera is very easy. I am a scaredy cat and can do it. the worst thing are the catalan locals driving back and forth on the weekends.

I have sen taxis o car services. try the vielha oficina de turismo o baquiera's multi lingual staff i am sure will answer emails promptly.

Actually, very near ski lift area is La Borda.. a good place also. There are so many nice restaurants to go to. Luckily skiing all day one burns thousands of calories.

You can request an English speaking lesson. I highly recommend. it. you pass all the ski lines and get a good feel for the mountain(s) and where you want and DONT want to be. I am not sure if they have a free mountain tour like copper mountain. I doubt it.

Have fun. The week holding march 19 will be busy as it is a holiday in most or all of spain, or at least some areas.