Blog

• Days: 3 days, from Friday afternoon to Sunday
• Populations visiteds: Portè-Puymorens
• Overnight places: Parking at the foot of the slopes of the Le Vignole sector of the Portè Puymorens ski resort. All areas can be found https://www.park4night.com/
• Total spends of the getaway approx: 92 Euros in total (40 € approx. gasoline (with AC heating expense included round trip from St Pere de Vilamajor (Bcn) to Portè) passing through the Collado de Tosas N-260 there is no Tolls / Ski passes 1/2 day an adult and a child: 28 + 24/0 € Overnight areas).
• Summary of visits and activities carried out:
  • Bearing. Puymorens (2 nights)
    • Skiing at the free cable rope
    • Sledding on the free toboggan run (no tapestry, climb on foot)
    • Games in the park- free access chiquipark too
    • Skiing on green and blue slopes with a half-day ski pass, perfect for a child starting 6 years.
• Best of this getaway
  • Have a free play area for the little ones with a toboggan run, a park-chiquipark and a beginner's trail with a rope.
  • The pass in Portè is one of the cheapest in the area (only Eyne beats it cheaply and Vallter 2000 is in first place of the cheap ones) and it has a half-day pass that is more than enough for the kids.
  • Being able to sleep at the foot of the slopes.
• Worst of this getaway
  • The 3 hours until reaching Portè, where an hour passes through the collada de tossas.
  • The microclimate of Portè, which is great on the one hand, because that way there is always snow… but you hardly see the sun and the temperatures are extremely low (we reached -12 at night).
  • The noise of the slopes at night, with the machines treading snow on the slopes and with the cannons making snow toooodaaa at night ... luck of the plugs that we always carry in the car!
    

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TIPS FOR THIS GETAWAY

• General:
  • If you are starting out in Portè-Puymorens skiing in the Le Vignole sector, it is perfect since there is a free access area with a ski-rope run. If you are already a little more advanced there are good green and blue slopes with a ski pass at a good price. In addition, there is always good snow in Portè due to its cold microclimate.
  • If you want to save about 40 Euros of toll from Olesa and the Cadí tunnel, go along the c-17 and then the N-260 (Collada de Tosas). In our case it was only 10 more minutes and for the savings it was worth it. There are curves and it is a mountain road so if you go through the Tosas pass, always be careful. And in winter he wears winter chains or wheels.
  • Plan in advance what you are going to ski to take a 1/2 day, 1, 2 or 3 day ski pass that is more expensive than buying it daily, if applicable. Also in Portè there is a family ski pass. Here are the prices for this 2019 in Portè, compared to other ski resorts near Barcelona:

• • If you want to take classes, there is a ski school with teachers who speak Catalan and Spanish without problems.
  • At the foot of the slopes of Vignole de Portè you will also find a restaurant, a cafeteria and a material rental shop, which also sells second-hand material if you are interested. And on Saturdays there is a stand that sells cheeses and sausages from La Cerdanya that are very good, especially the Bull de Rovellons yum how delicious!
  • 15 minutes from the slopes you have the thermal baths of Dorres, where after skiing you can have a swim in some natural hot water and outdoors at a very good price (5 euros adult, 3,5 children from 3 to 11 years old and free children) of 3). This time we couldn't go, but other times we have gone and it's great!

• Specific if you travel with children:
  • • In Portè there is a Snow Garden, for the little ones.
    • For those of you who don't like skiing, at La vignole de Portè station you can also enjoy the snow in a free sledding area, where there is no conveyor mat, but you will have to go up on foot.
    • For the little ones who want to start skiing, in Porté there is the free run with a rope, but for children under 6 I would not recommend it, because the rope is quite high, my 6 already had a hard time at first. Perhaps for this, the debutants' track of Font Romeu is better, which is also free and has a tapestry and a drag, much easier for them.
    • If you like to ski, you will know that the equipment for the little ones is expensive, we apart from buying the clothes in the lidl when the ski goes out which is great, we buy second hand skis and boots in Puigcerdà, in all the sports stores Ski equipment sell second-hand equipment for children and adults. It is a very good option, since every year you take the old equipment and only for € 30, which would already cost you the set-up, they change you to new equipment of their size and with the set-up done. A great option.
    • Making an igloo based on making the snow with bricks first is a great game to do with the kids in the snow.

• Specific if you travel with dogs:
  • Watch out in the parking lot with your dog, the boy at the sausage stand has two dogs that he lets loose.
  • Bring your updated dog card, you are in France, they can ask you for it and rabies is mandatory.
  • Remember to point your phone on your dog's collar, outside of Spain the chip will be difficult to locate.

• Specific if you travel with a motorhome:
  • The N-260 (Collada de Tosas) is full of curves for an hour, so we recommend that after 30 minutes you take a detour along the La Molina Alp road, just in front of the La Collada hotel, a road with fewer curves and more entertaining. You will do a few more kilometers but it will take the same and it will be better for the stomachs lol
  • If you are an AC of more than 3m high, remember that you will not be able to take the road parallel to the collada de tosas since there is a tunnel that you do not pass.
  • Wear winter chains or wheels, we find the way up to Le Vignole snowy on the way out on Friday. Michellin's easy grip chains are very quick to put on and efficient, they do not give us commission lol but it is worth the truth and that is why I recommend them, that is 130 € each, they cost us two for our car.
  • Remember with the cold always put the heating on and leave it even when you leave, also you see putting the water heater so that the water does not freeze.
  • Climb the mountain roads at the time of car up and down the descents, do not complicate yourself, the roads are very narrow.
  • Park away from the snow cannons, in case they are running all night ... they are torture behind the restaurant and building they are less heard, although the air hits more.
  • In the parking lot you have garbage and to recycle. Recycling does not cost anything.
  • We strongly advise you to take a special GPS for a motorhome or truck to put your AC measurements, in these mountain areas you go much more relaxed, it is a rest.

Other related articles that may interest you about snow breaks and skiing

1. El Capcir, Nordic space for relaxation
2. Font-Romeu, 10 snow getaway for families
3. Weekend getaway to the Eyne and Llo Valley, French Cerdanya, with children and dog
4. Puigcerdà and Gorges del Segre (in Llo), to be equipped for the ski season.
5. 10 reasons to try classic cross-country skiing. For a novice
6. Vall de Lord and Vall de La Vansa: Snow and ski bridge (alpine and Nordic) with children and dog in Port del Compte i Tuixent- La Vansa
7. A sled + a harness + a super papa or mama = a snowshoe route with little ones as a Pirena supertrail
8. 1 route proposal and 10 tips to get started with family snowshoeing
9. Trineistic rackets! A super fun route finished with a cable car ride
10. Portè-Puymorens, learning to ski on free slopes in the Pyrenees, is with a toboggan run and a chiquipark included!
11. Winter tires, we put new shoes on Kucavana!

THE GETAWAY IN DETAIL DAY BY DAY IN PHOTOS