Ski Properties: Better in the Alps or in the Pyrenees?

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- What lucky future owners you are! Not only do you have the opportunity to buy a French property in a ski resort, but you have two different areas to choose from: the Alps and the Pyrenees.  There are also less well-known resorts throughout France including The Massif Central, the Jura and the Vosges. There is even one in Corsica but the two main rivals are the Alps and the Pyrenees. French people are proud of their superb mountains. They are a great holiday place (in summer and in winter), and also provides some of the most interesting race moments for any fan of the Tour de France. The Col du Tourmalet, Font Romeu, the Mont Ventoux and the famous Alpe d’Huez represent some of the most legendary against the clock bike races of the Tour. The mountains are synonymous with leisure, making them an attractive place for anyone to live.

The resorts themselves

The French Pyrenees may not have the glitzy image, or the hundreds of kilometres of ski runs of the Alps, nevertheless, they do offer good quality skiing in an authentic French environment at affordable prices. Beginners and intermediate skiers will love the long winding slopes found in the Pyrenees and even expert skiers will find a number of challenging slopes here. You can find the main ski areas of the French Pyrenees in Midi-Pyrenees and South of Languedoc-Roussillon in the Pyrenees Orientales.

Prices

Property prices in the Pyrenees are about half that of the more exclusive resorts in the Alps and prices for studio apartments start at just €85,000 Still, you can easily pick up a studio for €160,000 in Les Arcs as resale properties have never been better value. You won’t find any chalets in the Pyrenees as they are typically and traditionally situated in the French Alps. Luxurious properties in the Pyrenees remain rare but do exist near the resorts.

In general, property is cheaper in lower altitude resorts but global warming may well impact on snow fall in the long-term.

The atmosphere

The atmosphere is undoubtedly different in comparison with the Alps and people buy in the Pyrenees for  its charming authentic ambience. Indeed you’ll be welcomed warmly and feel instantly at home. Most people say you can ski just as well as in the Alps with great quality snow to boot.

But the British have been coming to the Alps to ski since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his experiences in the mountains a century ago.The Alps aren’t all about the posh atmosphere, they also offer the  highest peak -the Mont Blanc – and moreover, three quarters of French ski resorts are based here

Would you prefer the more family-oriented resorts of the Pyrenees or the glitzy resorts of the Alps? It’s up to you to decide…

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Sextant Properties is a network of 160 offices in France.
We offer more than 7000 old stone houses and villa for sale, we also offer 200 new build and Leaseback properties in France.