A French spa town over the border
The Val d'Aran is the one Spanish valley that drains north into France, which puts Bagnères-de-Luchon within easy reach — an elegant French spa town about an hour away over the border, and the natural full-day trip if you want a change of country.
Luchon is all thermal baths, tree-lined avenues and cafés — a genteel Pyrenean resort with a very different feel from the ski villages of the Aran.
How to do it from Baqueira
It's a self-drive over the border via the lower Aran and the Portillon pass, about an hour each way. Bring what you need to cross into France for the day, and give it a full day to make the drive worthwhile.
What to see
The thermal baths, the town's spa-era architecture and avenues, and the cafés — a relaxed day on the French side of the mountains before the drive back into the Aran.
