It was my first time in the Pyrenees in the winter… Naturally, having been born in Lyon, mountains to me mean the Alps… So I was especially thrilled to discover this mountain range in January 2018, which I ultimately knew very little about.
Plus, during our stay in January 2018, the resort was celebrating its 60th anniversary with a festive program all season long, making it the ideal time to visit. We were invited by Links Communication and the Saint-Lary Tourist Office.
This account and the photos are from our January 2018 trip. I have updated the practical information to help you plan your getaway; the prices of the dishes we tasted remain those from our trip.
For the 2026-2027 winter season, Altiservice announces a tentative opening from December 4, 2026, to March 29, 2027, subject to snow conditions.
At an altitude of 830 meters and just 20 km from the Spanish border in the Aure Valley, the charming Pyrenean village of Saint-Lary Soulan provides access to a ski area with 100 km of slopes, spread across Pla d’Adet, Espiaube, and the Portet valley.
Table of Contents
Practical Information
_
Lift Passes
Reference points from our 2018 trip: the old rates below are no longer applicable for the upcoming season.
- Beginner pass at €30.50 / day or Grand Pla d’Adet pass at €35 / day or Grand Domaine pass (100 km of slopes) at €42 / day
- 2-day pass €84 / 6-day pass €221
During our 2018 stay, the My Alti card allowed you to reduce the price of lift passes. Here are the formulas offered back then:
- My Alti Club €30 for the season and 20% off ski days
- My Alti Classique €5 for the season and 10% off ski days
2026-2027 Winter Rates: the adult day pass is announced at €54.70 and the reduced rate at €48.70 until March 12, 2027. From March 13 to March 29, 2027, the announced spring rates drop to €41 and €36.50. The reduced rate applies to ages 5-17, students aged 18-29, and seniors aged 65-74. For other durations and current offers, please check the official Saint-Lary ticketing service.
The good deal: if you plan to ski again, check out the Skizam card, featuring a €40 membership (€15 for renewal for a 2025-2026 member), discounts of 20% to 30% on day passes, and free days depending on the number of days skied. Compare this with a resort pass depending on your itinerary!
_
Getting There
For our trip, we took a flight between Paris and Toulouse, then drove to the resort. If you are coming by train, the nearest station is Lannemezan, with a liO 963 bus connection to the Ardoune parking lot in Saint-Lary-Soulan. From Toulouse, the driving route goes via the A64, exit 16, and the RD 929. To organize connections and transfers from the airports of Toulouse, Tarbes-Lourdes, or Pau, check the tourism office access information.
_
The Saint-Lary Tourist Office
It’s the perfect place to get all the information about the resort. The tourist office welcomes you year-round; its hours change depending on the season, so be sure to check them before you drop by.
37 rue Vincent Mir 65170 Saint-Lary Soulan
What to do in Saint-Lary?
As usual, I’m offering a small selection of ideas for activities, visits, and things to do (whether you hit the slopes or not) to make the most of the resort and your stay.
_
Strolling through the village of Saint-Lary-Soulan
This little mountain village is also well worth a stroll and taking the time to wander around, if only to enjoy its weekend market or discover its beautiful stone heritage.
A little higher up in the village, I also recommend taking a look at the Saint-Pierre de Soulan parish church, which is a lovely Romanesque church built right into the rock and remodeled in the 17th century. Plus, right next door, there is also a charming old washhouse.
_
Skiing the area to explore the resort
During this 2018 trip, since we had gotten back into the swing of things the previous year, we skied on our own without an instructor on the lovely Saint-Lary ski area, and it was truly delightful.
During our 2018 stay, the domain advertised 56 slopes and three freestyle areas, and the resort held the Famille Plus label. To choose your slopes and find out which areas are open during your stay, consult the map and information for the ski area.
_
Try out Snoocing
This rental shop is located right at the foot of the ski slopes, which is super convenient. Since the favorite photographer and I are always curious about new adventures, we decided to test out Snooc for you—the “illegitimate child of skiing and sledding” (as our instructor put it).
During our 2018 stay, this brand-new activity in the region (Snooc actually comes from the Alps) was still very fringe, and as a result, everyone looked at us rather strangely during this little intro session, which was quite funny…
The principle is simple: sitting on a seat equipped with shock absorbers, you glide while trying to control your trajectory. To turn, you pivot your upper torso; to stop, you perform a minor drift. What’s super great is that you don’t need any special technical knowledge to do Snooc, making it suitable for a wide audience, from kids to adults… Plus, you quickly catch on, and the descents rapidly become a lot of fun, delivering quite a few good thrills. In short, I highly recommend giving the experience a try!
Résidence la glisse
Le Pla d’Adet 65170 Saint-Lary
In 2018: departure from the Adet chairlift for 2 “discovery” sessions, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM and from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. For a new intro session, contact the shop to confirm Snooc availability and time slots.
Rental prices noted in 2018: €10 for 1 hour and €29 for 1 day.
1-hour Discovery Pass for the Adet chairlift in 2018: €16 (ages 12 to 64) and €12 at the reduced rate (child, senior, student). These former prices should be reconfirmed with the provider.
_
Go snowshoeing with a guide
I love snowshoeing! I discovered it back in 2017 if you remember when I went to Chamonix.
I find it’s truly another way to appreciate the mountains in winter, to immerse oneself in the snowy landscapes and get closer to nature. And even though snowshoe hiking itself doesn’t require any specific practical knowledge, depending on the route, it does require a decent level of fitness (though you don’t need to be an athlete, mind you!).
Since the favorite photographer had never been snowshoeing before, we tried a half-day outing with the Saint-Lary Mountain Sports Office, which is pretty great, I think, for discovering the activity.
9 Rue de Soulan, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
Prices for our 2018 outing: €27 per adult and €22 per child under 12 for a half-day. The Mountain Sports Office website now lists half-day snowshoe outings starting from €36; details and availability to be checked when booking.
_
Relaxation at Espace Sensoria Rio and the Nuxe Spa
This establishment is the ideal place for a moment of wellness and relaxation after or before a ski session, as well as for those who do not ski.
On the Espace Sensoria side, the venue recreates Spanish canyons with waterfalls, geysers, underwater jets, a jacuzzi, sauna, hammam… It is very well done and is a very fun and pleasant place with natural spring water at 32°C.
14 rue de Soulan, thermal park, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
Price of our visit in 2018: €16 per adult and €10 per child under 12. For summer and autumn 2026, ValVital lists €19 per adult and €12 for ages 4-12 outside of holidays, or €21 and €15 on weekends and during school holidays; €4 for ages 6 months-3 years.
Our 2018 entry was limited to 2 hours. Since summer 2026, ValVital offers unlimited entry. Opening announced until November 1, 2026, with closures on Tuesdays and Thursdays from August 31 to October 31. For the following winter, check the updated conditions. The Mercure Nuxe Spa is a separate establishment, located at 18 rue de Soulan.
_
Visit the Maison du Patrimoine
This cultural spot, which opened in 2017, is well worth a detour for lovers of knowledge and regional cultures like us.
This is a great place to discover Pyrenean heritage and rural life through an interactive, playful visit to several museum spaces, including, during our 2018 visit, a temporary exhibition about snow. The exhibitions change: I suggest checking the Maison du Patrimoine program for your stay.
41 rue Vincent Mir, place de l’Office de Tourisme, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
Rates listed for 2026: €5 per adult and €3 per child. Free admission is announced on the first Sunday of each month; check the conditions with the museum.
Opening hours vary with the season and school holidays; check the tourist office listing.
Food and great spots in Saint-Lary
The area has some lovely local specialties to discover and good produce to enjoy.
Below are the places I had the chance to try during our visit: a hotel, a few restaurants, and shops for bringing home delicious souvenirs.
_
Where to stay in Saint-Lary? Hôtel Mir and La Pergola
This family hotel is right in the heart of Saint-Lary and also offers a wonderful view of the mountains.
Our room
Our room was at the back of the residence, in a separate two-story building, so it was nice and quiet. We were also lucky enough to have a small balcony overlooking the surrounding mountains, which is always lovely when you open the curtains in the morning…
Breakfast
Breakfast is served as a buffet in the hotel’s restaurant dining room. The fire in the fireplace in the middle of the room is also especially welcome in winter.
Restaurant La Pergola
The hotel’s restaurant, La Pergola, serves original dishes made with local produce in a charming, welcoming setting.
Restaurant prices during our 2018 stay: lunch menu from €13. Check the current menu before booking.
Hôtel Mir / Restaurant La Pergola
25 rue Vincent Mir, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
Rate noted in 2018: double room from €78 per night. Current prices depend on your dates and choice of room; check with the hotel.
_
Restaurant l’Authentique
This restaurant, which looks like a mountain chalet, is in Vignec, a small village next to Saint-Lary where there are fewer people if you feel like escaping the resort’s bustle for a while.
In the kitchen, chef Laurent Auriau offers a menu of local produce, foie gras and duck terrines, black pork from Bigorre, fresh fish from mountain streams, and the valley’s cheese specialties.
Try:
- L’Authentique’s Aurois burger, named after the people of the Aure Valley in the heart of the Pyrenees (€14)
- Garbure royale, a typical regional soup with vegetables, duck leg and pork knuckle (€16)
Restaurant l’Authentique
2 rue principale 65170 Vignec
For opening hours and the current menu, check L’Authentique’s website. The dishes and prices mentioned above are from our 2018 meal.
_
Refuge de l’Oule
This lovely, friendly mountain refuge at 1,820 m is accessible to skiers and pedestrians by chairlift, and at lunchtime it has a cheerful summer-camp atmosphere. Do bear in mind that the crowds can mean a good half-hour wait, depending on when you arrive.
During our lunch in 2018, chef Lionel Dabat prepared quality food on site using local produce. The prices below are those from that meal.
Try:
- Garbure royale again, this time with duck drumettes (€16)
- The house blueberry tart (€5)
It’s also in a beautiful spot, with Lac de l’Oule right next door, where I recommend a stroll before or after lunch.
65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
_
Raclette night at the Mercure hotel
During our 2018 stay, this four-star hotel and its restaurant, La Mangeoire, offered lovely all-you-can-eat raclette evenings that we tried with my favorite photographer. The hotel has a Nuxe Spa; if you would like a buffet evening, check the program for your travel dates.
It’s served as a buffet, and you help yourself to cheese and charcuterie. All the products were good quality, and I have to say we really enjoyed it!
Hotel Mercure Saint Lary Sensoria
18 Rue de Soulan, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
_
Restaurant l’ICC Izard Café Central
This restaurant in the heart of the village serves fairly classic food in a modern, cozy setting. During our 2018 meal, I particularly enjoyed the Pyrenean trout fillet with truffled beurre blanc (€16). I suggest checking the current menu to see whether it is still available.
59 rue Vincent Mir 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
_
La Ferme Vignécoise, Maison Coustalat
This artisan cannery in the Upper Aure Valley has belonged to the Coustalat family for over 30 years and offers absolutely exceptional Porc Noir de Bigorre products. It’s a must for bringing home some local specialties!
The good deal: in 2018, we spotted a free visit to the Bigorre black-pig farm on Wednesdays at 5 pm, without booking. Contact the farm to find out what visits are available during your stay.
400 route de Saint-Lary-Soulan, 65170 Vignec
Confirm opening hours and visit dates with the farm: 05 62 39 48 09.
_
Maison du Gâteau à la Broche
At the Maison du Gâteau à la Broche, you can discover how this traditional spit cake is made, taste it, and of course buy one to take home in your suitcase…
29 Rue des Fougères, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
The shop’s opening days vary with the season: I suggest checking its listing before visiting, rather than counting on it being open every day.
_
La Grange ô Traditions
This delicatessen sells local Pyrenean products, and during our visit we even found cider from the valley (similar to Basque Country ciders), made by the owner. Definitely worth trying!
29 rue des Fougères, 65170 Saint-Lary-Soulan
What to pack for a ski trip?
The hassle when you go skiing and/or to the mountains is that there is always some very specific gear to bring along, which, generally speaking, you only use for that…
_
The perfect ski outfit
- A bobble hat, of course (in the photos I’m wearing a Pipolaki hat, and oddly enough my dad recognized the brand straight away from my Instagram posts…). Then again, this hat is so pretty !!!!!
- A ski outfit: I had a Volcom outfit with a lovely warm purple parka that I love (I even took it to Canada), the floral Casco Down Puff Jacket underneath (Snow 2017/18 collection), and black trousers.
- For ski equipment, either you have your own if you are a real fan, or you do what we amateurs do and hire it locally… We went to InterSport Saint Lary, because the shop is right next to the gondola departure, which is super handy (opposite the car park).
Our video of this stay in Saint-Lary
Our video for the blog (by Nicolas Diolez, my favorite photographer) takes you along on our Pyrenean getaway.
_
Thank you to Links Communication, Manu and the Saint-Lary Tourist Office for the invitation and warm welcome!
For more ideas for mountain trips, you can also read about my ski weekend in Valloire and my getaway to Andorra.
I hope all this has inspired you to discover or rediscover Saint-Lary. If you have your own favorite places in this Pyrenean mountain destination, feel free to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are copyrighted; the photographer’s permission is required before any use
