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 ski pass at Portè is one of the cheapest in the area (only Eyne is cheaper and Vallter 2000 is in first place for the cheapest) and it has a half-day pass which is more than enough for the little ones.
  • Being able to sleep at the foot of the slopes.
• Worst of this getaway
  • The 3 hours until reaching Portè, where one hour passes through the Tossas pass.
  • The microclimate of Portè, which is great, on the one hand, because there is always snow... but you hardly see the sun and the temperatures are very low (we reached -12 at night).
  • The noise of the slopes at night, with the snow groomers on the slopes and the snow cannons making snow all night long... thank goodness for the earplugs we always carry in the car!
    

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TIPS FOR THIS GETAWAY

• General:
  • If you are just starting out in skiing, Portè-Puymorens is perfect for skiing in the Le Vignole sector, as there is a free access area with a ropeway. If you are a little more advanced, there are good green and blue runs 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 ahead for your skiing trip to get a 1/2 day, 1, 2 or 3 day ski pass, which is cheaper than buying it daily, if applicable. Family ski passes are also available at Portè. Here are the 2019 prices for 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 Vignole de Portè slopes you will also find a restaurant, a café and a shop for equipment hire, which also sells second-hand equipment if you are interested. And on Saturdays there is a stall selling cheeses and sausages from Cerdanya which are delicious, especially the Bull de Rovellons, yum, how delicious!
  • Just 15 minutes from the slopes you will find the thermal baths of Dorres, where after skiing you can take a dip in some natural hot springs in the open air at a very good price (5 euros for adults, 3,5 for children aged 3 to 11 and free for children under 3). We couldn't go this time, but we have been there before and it's great!

• Specific if you travel with children:
  • • In Portè there is a Snow Garden, for the little ones.
    • For those who do not like skiing, at the La Vignole de Portè resort you can also enjoy the snow in a free sledging area, where there is no conveyor belt, but you will have to climb on foot.
    • For kids who want to start skiing, there is a free slope with a rope lift in Porté, but I wouldn't recommend it for children under 6 years old, because the rope is quite high, and my 6-year-old already had a hard time at the beginning. Perhaps the Font Romeu beginners' slope is better for them, which is also free and has a carpet and a cable car, which is 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 of Ski 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 dog's updated card, you are in France, they can ask for it and the rabies test 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 turn off onto 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 amount of time and it will be better for your stomach hehehe
  • If you are a motorhome over 3m tall, remember that you will not be able to take the road parallel to the Tosas pass, as there is a tunnel that you cannot pass through.
  • Bring chains or winter tyres, we found the road up to Le Vignole covered in snow on the way there on Friday. The Michellin easy grip chains are very quick to put on and efficient, they don't charge us any commission, hahaha, but they are worth it and that's why I recommend them, they are expensive, though, 130€ each for two they cost us 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 a torture behind the restaurant and building, they are heard less, although the wind is stronger.
  • 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.

THE GETAWAY IN DETAIL DAY BY DAY IN PHOTOS