2 Guests
Filters More Filters

Countries

Lapland

Ski Areas

Ski Resorts

No matches found

Region

Airport

No matches found

Pra Loup Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • 180km Espace Lumière ski area
  • Sunny skiing
  • Southern Alps

Great for

  • Families
  • Quiet ski holidays

Ski Holidays in Pra Loup

Not France’s best known resort, but nonetheless one of the biggest and best in the Southern Alps. Pra has a gloriously sunny 180km ski area, shared with Foux d’Allos.

  • Flight Time
  • 1h 45m
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Geneva, Grenoble
  • Chambery, Lyon
  • Time zone
  • GMT + 1 hour
  • Language
  • French
  • Currency
  • Euros
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Pra Loup Stats

Top Altitude
2600m
Bottom Altitude
1500m
Resort Altitude
1600m
Total Piste
180km / 80 pistes
Longest Run
Slope Orientation
Vertical Drop
Skiable Vertical
Night Skiing
No
Glacier Skiing
No

Pra Loup forms one half of the Espace Lumière ski area - the other belonging to Val d’Allos. Named for the gorgeously sunny nature of the mountains (thanks to the nearness of the Mediterranean) the Lumière has 180km of pistes in the hilly and forested Ubaye and Allos Valleys.

Known as the Queen of the Southern Alps, this is one of the biggest ski resorts in the region – divided between the bases of 1500 and 1600, with a shuttle bus running between them.

The first village you reach is 1500 (sometimes called Molanès), a quiet and traditional settlement where new builds have been carefully constructed to match the old ones.

2km up the valley and surrounded by larch forest, 1600 is the main hub of activity, with shops in a commercial gallery and all manner of bars and restaurants. The architecture’s a lot more modern over here, with tall blocks in the centre and chalets scattered around the edges.

Both villages are served by ski lifts – 1500 has the Telecabine Molanes while The Telemix de la Clappe and Telecabine de Costebelle lifts provide access to the slopes from 1600. You can ski back to 1600 on red and blue runs, but to get home to 1500 you’ll need to take the ski lift or shuttle.

The resort opened in the sixties, and quickly rose in popularity as a wintery escape for snow lovers living in Marseille and Toulon. Before being a ski destination, it was a collection of tiddly hamlets built by monks and farmers – in 1500 you’ll find pretty Les Molanès with its ancient bell tower.

Location-wise, the city of Barcelonnette is ten minutes away, with shuttle bus links from both bases. Marseille-Provence (226km, 2-hour drive) and Nice côte d'Azur (158km, 3 hours 10 mins) are the closest airports, and the nearest rail station is Gap (72km, 1 hour 20) for those travelling by rail.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Pra Loup Transfer Times

Marseille-Provence 2 hours
Nice côte d'Azur 3 hours 10

The nearest airport to Pra Loup is Marseille Provence at 250 km or about 4 hours by car

What's the ski area like in Pra Loup?

There’s a choice between getting a pass for the Pra Loup area alone (covering 100km of slopes) and the Espace Lumière pass with opens up an extra 80km.

Which other ski resorts are near to Pra Loup?

The nearest ski resorts to Pra Loup include Val d'Allos, Vars, Les Orres.

Ski Area Facts

LocationAlpes de Haute Provence, France
Established
Downhill180km / 80 pistes
Lift Pass€196 (adult 6 day)

Beginner Slopes

38 runs

Intermediate Skiing

34 runs

Advance & Expert Terrain

8 runs

Snowboarding Trails

180km / 80 pistes100%

What is Pra Loup like for Beginner skiers?

Learners can get to grips with their snowploughs on the Clapiers and Sorbiers slopes near 1600, or head up on the Clappe and Costebelle lifts for shorter and easier beginner runs above 2000m. The Bergeries-Chemin du Bull and Clappe pistes take you back to the base station when you’re blue-run ready, while confidence-boosting favourites include the Marmottes from 2500m and Peguieou from 2479m.

What is Pra Loup like for Intermediate skiers?

Red piste skiers can really roam here, with runs streaming from every lift station. We love the Serre de l’Homme on Gimmette and the Quartiers-Chemin des Agneliers on the other side where you can really build up a rhythm on the wide stretches before dipping into the trees. The Pouret chair and Sources du Verdon run provide access into the Val d’Allos sector, where plenty more pistes can be conquered.

What is Pra Loup like for Advanced skiers?

Some of the most challenging runs in the area lie in the Vallon du Pouret and up at Le Lac. There’s also the Surf run in Gimette, which is left ungroomed on good snow days

What is Pra Loup like for snowboarding?

There’s also a snowpark for freestylers, who have blue and red level kickers, boxes and rails as well as a big air bag.

What is Pra Loup like for off-piste skiing?

. A mountain guide will be able to show you the best freeriding in the area and the DVA Park runs avalanche awareness courses on certain days of the week.

What is Pra Loup like for cross country skiing?

There are 18km of trails, of which 4km are suitable for first timers.

Pra Loup Restaurants

For food, nab one of the outdoor tables at Le Coq Noir for a pizza at the foot of the ski slopes, or grab a burger at La Pause. Le Down Hill is a good option for groups, with a range of Savoyard, European and American dishes

Pra Loup Après Ski

1600 has the biggest après ski scene, with snooker tables at Le Piege a Loup and a traditional pubby environment at Edouard’s. Le Loup Blanc’s popular for good wines and nibbles, while New Gray’s has a gorgeous sun terrace with loungers where you can bask in the Mediterranean sunshine.

Pra Loup Activites for Non-skiers

You’ll find oodles of other activities to get stuck into, from relaxing at the Loup Blanc and Marmotel spas to bowling, pool, table football and video games at Bowling du Bachelard. There’s an outdoor ice rink in 1600 while snowshoeing and snowscooting are other fun things to try.

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

Pra Loup 1600 has a long open fronted shopping mall with an excellent selection of shops selling a wide range of goods. Unlike at most resorts, these include a wiude range of shops selling traditional, local food, drink and other products - generally run by local people rather than chain stores. There are however several sports equipment and clothing outlets. There are also a few more shops in Pra Loup 1500 coveruing the essentials.

Best Time to Visit Pra Loup

This isn’t the most snow sure ski area in France, but with top heights of 2600m it tends to do a good job at holding onto the snow. A number of the pistes, including red Quartiers and Lac and the blue Peguieou and Clappe have snowmaking, to provide an extra layer of whiteness whenever needed.

What's Pra Loup like at Christmas?

Fairy lights are usually everywhere over Christmas in Pra Loup, and there may well be an appearance of a certain, white bearded fellow...

What's Pra Loup like in the New Year?

Fireworks welcome in the New Year in Pra Loup, when we’ve seen a brilliant family atmosphere and gorgeously sunny skies even in the midst of winter.

What's Pra Loup like in Half-Term?

You’ll usually ski some of the best snow of the season during Half Term in Pra Loup, and for families, the offerings are excellent.

What's Pra Loup like at Easter?

If the snow holds out,Easter in Pra Loup is a brilliant combination of winter sports and Mediterranean sunshine.

Pra Loup Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Pra Loup snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Pra Loup snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Pra Loup snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Current snow depth at top
    N/A
  • Alternate Text
  • Current snow depth at base
    N/A

Pra deservedly gained the Famille Plus label in 2006, for its warm welcome and the excellent offerings on and off the slopes for children.

For tots too small to ski, the Chalet halte garderie provides day-care for 6 month to 6 year olds on a half or full day basis. Meanwhile, those ready to clip into their bindings will love the Piou Piou club with its rope tow, magic carpets and fun features – you’ll find them in 1600 and 1500 (at Clos du Serre), to make the ski school run easy wherever you’re staying.

Teens will love evenings in the Bowling du Bachelard, where activities besides bowling include table football, video games and watching sports on big screens. If your youngsters are taller than 1.25m, take them to the Snake Gliss for a terrific 5km ride down the mountain. There are two sledding areas near the bottom of the pistes in 1600, with another at the Molanès cable car top station.

This is the slightly livelier half of the Espace Lumiere – not St Anton by any stretch, but with some decent bars to spend evenings together in. Make Edouard’s your local for the week, or spend the night challenging each other to pool at Le Piege. The bowling centre has oodles of activities from games tables to screens showing live sports, making it a great base for group activities – if you’re not already zooming down the mountain on the Snake Glisse.

With a good sized ski area at your fingertips, there’s enough to explore for each level of skier or snowboarder. Non skiers can wander around the two Pra Loup villages and the town of Barcelonnette, or spend all week in the Marmotel and Loup Blanc wellness centres…

Pra Loup
Reviews
no Reviews yet
be the First to
Write a Review

Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Pra Loup

Maximum and minimum adult Pra Loup lift pass prices ranged from €196 to €196 for 6 days access to the Pra Loup ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Pra Loup holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price €33 - €33 €39 - €39 €33 - €33
6 Day Price €167 - €167 €196 - €196 €167 - €167
Age Range 5 - 17 26 - 64 65+

Getting to Pra Loup

Most of our ski holidays to Pra Loup packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Pra Loup from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Pra Loup from the UK?

Flights from London take about 1h 45m to Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery, Lyon. This table shows approximate transfer times to Pra Loup from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Marseille Provence 250 km 4 hours
Lyon St Exupery 290 km 5 hours

How long does it take to drive to Pra Loup from the UK?

Browse our self-drive ski holidays which include your car channel crossing, or go choose accom-only and book your car ferry or tunnel later.

How long is the transfer from nearest France train station to Pra Loup?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Pra Loup transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Gap 80 km 1 hour 20 minutes

Pra Loup Maps

Pra Loup piste map
Click to Enlarge
Regional map
Click to Enlarge
Town Map
Click to Enlarge

Going to Pra Loup under your own steam

For independant travel to France, compare accommodation only with Pra Loup self-drive packages which include Eurotunnel or ferry.

Accomm-Only & Self-Drive

See driving directions to and from Pra Loup in France.

Enter your start location and click "Get Directions" to view the route:

Pra Loup Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Pra Loup ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

Enquire

Similar Ski Resorts to Pra Loup in France


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

tta tta

© 2025 SNO Group Ltd • company no. 5995288 • VAT no. 946 9394 63 SNO, Apsley House, 176 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 2SH.

Enquire
← online or call ↴
020 7770 6888
more
  • add new list