Smell the cool mountain air, hike and ramble, cycle, eat and drink local cuisine, meander around the local markets whilst staying in a comfortable mountain lodge at Airotel Pyrénées Campsite in Luz-St-Sauveur in the Pyrénées with Eurocamp……..check out my photos and diary from our recent stay, and see what there is to do in this beautiful area of France which is the perfect location for all the family. 

Comfort and Adventure for all the Family

Just a few months ago, at the end of May, we all made our way down to Luz-St-Sauveur in the Pyrénées, where we stayed in a beautiful Mountain Lodge with Eurocamp; the whole booking process with them was easy and straightforward, and they even booked our ferry tickets for us too, as part of the complete Eurocamp holiday process. Although there were comfortable looking holiday homes and safari rents on offer in the camp site we were staying at, as well as pitches for independent camping, as there was four of us in our family group, we chose to stay in one of the beautiful wooden mountain lodges. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, these mountain lodges are exclusive to Airotel Pyrénées, and made for very stylish and cosy accommodation with amazing views of the surrounding mountains and alpine countryside. They come fully-equipped with everything you need to make your stay as comfortable as possible, including under-floor heating, a dish washer, cooker, fridge-freezer, microwave and all the necessary outdoor garden furniture for relaxed outdoor living, including a charcoal barbecue. I have listed the details of the campsite and the lodges below, as well as some information on where to go and what to see in this simply stunning part of France. The booking process, as I mentioned before, was very simple, and with that in mind, please do read right to the end of my article, where I’ve shared a fact sheet on how to book and go. Karen

Disclaimer: Myself and 3 members of my family were the guests of Eurocamp at the Airotel Pyrénées Campsite in Luz-St-Sauveur; all ferry transport, accommodation, “welcome packs” and linen and towels were included in the stay, and I was not asked to write a favourable review. All views and opinions are my own, and are totally unbiased. 

Airotel Pyrénées Campsite Mountain Lodge Configuration:

These lodges are rented out in the winter ski season too, so they are well insulated and well equipped. Features comprise:

Open plan living room with sofa, table and chairs
3 bedrooms (1 is an open mezzanine with bunk)
Fully fitted kitchen with dishwasher, electric hob and microwave
Electric heating and under-floor heating
2 bathrooms & 1 WC
Garden furniture
Charcoal BBQ

In addition to the basic rental cost, you can add bed linen and towel hire as listed below:

Duvet Linen Pack containing duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and towels: £22.50 for a double pack (or £26.00 in Avant and Azure accommodation) and £16.50 for a single pack.

A double duvet linen pack includes:
1 double sheet, 1 double duvet cover, 2 pillowcases and 2 bath towels.

A single duvet linen pack includes:
1 single sheet, 1 duvet cover, 1 pillowcase and 1 bath towel.

(Cot linen is available for hire too)

Welcome, Essentials and Toiletries Packs:

Starting from just £4, you can pre-book one of Eurocamp’s Welcome packs which will be waiting in your accommodation. I pre-booked the Welcome Pack and the Essentials Pack and found that they more than got us in to the accommodation, and it was handy to know that no matter what time we arrived, there were the essentials for a cup of tea and some cleaning products. There are three packs and they comprise:

Essentials Pack: £4

Box of matches
Cleaning sponge
Dish cloth
Tea towel
Bin Liner
Washing up liquid (125ml)
All purpose cleaner (125ml)
Soap

Welcome Pack: £12

Fairtrade Filter coffee
Fairtrade tea
Sugar
Creamer
2 x Jam (30g each)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper (8 sachets each)
2 x bottles of water (500ml each)
2 x bottles of orange juice (200ml each)
Crisps (45g)
Biscuits
Red wine (18.7cl)
White wine (18.7cl)

Toiletries Pack: £4

Shower gel (50ml x 2)
Shampoo (50ml)
Conditioner (50ml)
Soap (15g)

About the lodges:

The lodges are very well equipped and there are two shower rooms, which is very handy; the upstairs bedrooms are adequate, but the mezzanine one may prove to be noisy if the rest of the party is still up when you are in bed! There is adequate room for dining, but the bench style sofa is very high and hard, and is not suitable for sitting down for a long time, and it only seats 3 to 4 people. It’s all geared around outdoor living in the summer and a day on the slopes during the ski season. Having said that, the lodges are cosy and practical, with an open wardrobe and hanging area, as well as a separate WC. The fridge/freezer is a nice size, and there is a full-sized oven and hob with microwaves, toaster, kettle and filter coffee maker. There is a TV, but only in French, there’s no satellite or sky television, not that you will have time to view it! Overall, we thought that the lodge was very comfortable with lots of place for storage and a very well equipped kitchen for general cooking. The beds were a little harder than I am used to, and I do like a firm bed, but they were comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep after a busy day out on the mountains. Outside there was a good selection of garden furniture including sun loungers and little charcoal barbecue but you DO need to buy the charcoal.

About Airotel Pyrénées Campsite:

Situated next to a stunning National Park and the historic town of Luz St Sauveur, the area is superb for road cycling enthusiasts, as well as ramblers and hikers. We know and love this part of the Pyrénées very well, and enjoy walks in the area, as well as visiting the local markets. How to get there: you can fly into Lourdes airport, pick up a car and get ready to discover the surrounding area, or you can drive down from the western ferry port of St Malo, as we did. When you’re not exploring on foot or by bike, you can enjoy one of the parc’s three pool complexes or relax in a small spa that has a Jacuzzi and sauna. The nearby town of Luz St Sauveur is charming, and a short 20 minute walk away, there are is a great selection of restaurants, bars and shops in the town, and the weekly market is fascinating. There are only 137 Pitches in the parc, making it a small and intimate parc which has friendly hosts to greet you and a lovely atmosphere. There’s free wi-fi, although it is a little patchy in places, and the parc has small shop and local take away too.

Out and About:

At an altitude of 711m, Luz-Saint-Sauveur is inside one of the most beautiful valleys of the Hautes-Pyrénées. Close to the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Col du Tourmalet, Luz allows hikers to encounter the best of the mountain.
It is also a haven for skiers in winter with the ski resort of Luz Ardiden. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is a village which has kept its picturesque character and charm, whilst preserving its traditions. Places and things to see and do include:

Pic du Midi Observatory
Pic du Midi Observatory is a great place to go to get spectacular panoramic views of the Pyrénées – don’t forget your camera and warm clothes even if it’s sunny though!

Luz St Saveur
The town of Luz St Saveur is a real gem and is just 1 km from the parc. It is an attractive mountain resort and spa town with great shops and restaurants. We walked up to the town every night for a meal and drink, and the town has some wonderful artisan food shops selling local produce.

Grottes de Betharram
The Grottes de Betharram must be seen whilst you are staying at this campsite. They are some of the most beautiful caves in the world with five different storeys stacked on top of one another like a house. Visitors explore on a little train, by boat and also by foot.

Parc Animalier des Pyrénées
In 10 hectares of parkland in nearby Argeles Gazost, there are bears, wolves, lynx, otters and lots more Pyrénéan wildlife for you to see living in semi-freedom. It is a really memorable place, and we all enjoyed it more than the children probably did!

BARÈGES

This beautiful mountain village has riverside walks with a 17th century spa; situated in the valley of the Bastan on the former “Route of the Pyrénées” on the western side of the Col du Tourmalet, it’s a great place to go walking and hiking, as well as skiing in the winter.

Local Markets:

There are lots of local markets in the area, as well as some fabulous artisan shops that sell local produce; we never had to worry about lunch, as we bought a variety of picnic items every day, such as baguettes, cheese and saucisson and enjoyed eating out in the mountains every day.

Once you have booked your Eurocamp holiday, you can add to your booking and keep on top of things with your own My Eurocamp page; here you can add ferry and Eurotunnel travel to your booking; Download or print documents that you will need before you depart; Make payments, either in instalments or as a one-off lump sum; Add or amend your ‘extras’, such as bed linen, beach towels …etc and let the parc know your estimated time of arrival if you have not booked your travel arrangements with them. I found the company very easy to deal with and our travel arrangements went like clock work!

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