Cauterets is a great little resort ideal for a few days skiing, and when you want a change there are resorts such as Bareges/La Mongie and Luz Ardiden that are no more than 45 minutes drive away.

Cauterets has not been discovered by the Brits yet, but it is great to visit at all times of the year. It has a good snow record and this probably explains why there is a longer skiing season than most resorts in the Alps. In the summer it becomes one of the premier mountaineering centres of the Pyrenees and has some fabulous walking on its doorstep.

Cauterets itself is at under 1000m, but the main skiing area is served by a gondola that goes up to 1850m. There are a good mix of blue and red runs and some blacks. There is also a small skiing area that is a short bus-ride/drive away at Pont d'Espagne, but this is more suited to cross-country skiing.

The appeal of Cauterets is not just the skiing but the resort itself. It developed as a spa town where people came to take the waters, and it retains a charm that is missing in most French Alpine resorts. Lots of restaurants and bars, but probably not much to appeal to anyone looking for exciting nightlife.