Les Orres vs Praloup: which should you book?
For a quiet, budget family week, book Les Orres. It is a sunny, tree lined, family friendly resort above the Serre Poncon lake with gentle terrain, easy lifts and very reasonable prices. Book Praloup if you want more terrain and variety, because it links with La Foux d'Allos to form the larger Espace Lumiere area above Barcelonnette. Both are friendly, sunny, good value southern French Alps resorts, so this comes down to a calm budget base against a bigger linked playground.
Last reviewed June 2026
The short answer
Les Orres wins for a quiet, budget friendly family week with gentle tree lined runs. Praloup wins for more terrain and variety thanks to its link with La Foux d'Allos in the Espace Lumiere. Both are sunny and good value.
Les Orres and Praloup are two likeable, sunny family resorts in the southern French Alps that rarely make international lists, which is part of their appeal. I have skied both with children, and both deliver a relaxed, affordable week. Les Orres is the quieter, smaller, more wooded of the two, perched above a lake. Praloup is a little larger and links to a neighbor for a bigger area. Your call is calm and cheap against size and variety.
The numbers side by side
| Les Orres | Praloup | |
|---|---|---|
| Resort altitude | Around 1,650 to 1,800 m, tree lined | Around 1,600 to 1,800 m, sunny |
| Ski area | Around 100 km of pistes | Around 180 km linked, the Espace Lumiere |
| Linked resort | Standalone, self contained | Links with La Foux d'Allos |
| Village style | Quiet, wooded, low key | Larger, sunny, above Barcelonnette |
| Best for | Quiet budget family weeks | Families wanting more terrain |
| Nearest airport | Turin or Marseille, roughly 2.5 hours | Nice or Turin, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours |
The skiing
Praloup has the larger area. On its own it is a respectable resort, but the link to La Foux d'Allos creates the Espace Lumiere, with around 180 km of sunny, varied pistes that suit families and improving intermediates. Les Orres offers around 100 km of mostly gentle to intermediate, partly tree lined runs, plenty for a relaxed family week but smaller. Winner: Praloup for terrain, Les Orres for an easy, contained area.
The village
Both are sunny and unpretentious rather than picture postcard. Les Orres is the quieter, more wooded village with a calm, residential feel that families with young children appreciate. Praloup is a little larger and busier, spread across sunny slopes above the market town of Barcelonnette. Winner: a tie, each fits a different mood.
Cost
Both are among the best value resorts in the French Alps, and most family weeks land in the under $2,000 to $4,000 per person range, with Les Orres often the cheaper of the two. Self catering apartments keep family costs down at both, and lift passes are modest compared with the famous resorts. Winner: Les Orres, narrowly, for the tightest budgets.
Families and beginners
Both are genuinely family friendly, and this is close. Les Orres wins for the youngest and for nervous families, with quiet, gentle, partly tree lined slopes and a compact, easy layout. Praloup wins for families with mixed abilities who want more terrain to grow into across the Espace Lumiere. Winner: Les Orres for calm and very young children, Praloup for variety.
Apres and evenings
Neither is a party resort, and both are quiet, family focused in the evening. Praloup has a little more choice of restaurants and bars given its larger size and the nearby town of Barcelonnette. Les Orres is the calmer, more low key option after the lifts close. Winner: Praloup, narrowly, for evening choice.
Access
Both are mountain road transfers of broadly similar length. Les Orres is roughly two and a half hours from Turin or Marseille. Praloup is roughly two and a half to three hours from Nice or Turin, up the valley past Barcelonnette. Allow extra time after fresh snow on either route. Winner: a tie.
The verdict
Book Les Orres for a quiet, affordable family week on gentle, partly tree lined slopes, ideal for young children and tighter budgets. Book Praloup for more terrain and variety thanks to its link with La Foux d'Allos in the Espace Lumiere, while still keeping costs sensible. Both are sunny, friendly and good value.
For more in this region, see the best ski resorts in the southern French Alps, the best budget resorts in the Alps, or compare Praloup with Risoul and Les Orres with Montgenevre.
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Common questions
Which is better for families, Les Orres or Praloup?
Both are family friendly. Les Orres suits the youngest children and tight budgets with quiet, gentle, partly tree lined slopes, while Praloup suits mixed ability families wanting more terrain across the Espace Lumiere.
Does Praloup link with another resort?
Yes. Praloup links with La Foux d'Allos to form the Espace Lumiere, with around 180 km of sunny pistes, which gives families more variety than Les Orres on its own.
How big is the skiing at Les Orres?
Les Orres has around 100 km of mostly gentle to intermediate, partly tree lined pistes, which is plenty for a relaxed family week though smaller than the linked Espace Lumiere.
Which is cheaper?
Both are excellent value, but Les Orres is often the cheaper of the two, with most family weeks in the under $2,000 to $4,000 per person range and modest lift pass prices at both.
How far are they from an airport?
Les Orres is roughly two and a half hours from Turin or Marseille. Praloup is roughly two and a half to three hours from Nice or Turin, up the valley past Barcelonnette.
Which has the quieter village?
Les Orres, clearly. It is a calm, wooded, residential village that suits families with young children, while Praloup is a little larger and busier with more evening choice.