Hotel del Lago
Why we like it: Spa hotel beside Puigcerdà lake, 100 m from the centre: indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi free for guests, suites with fireplaces and two car parks.
From €123
View details
Duration2 nights
From Barcelona1 h 45 by car (estimated)
Day lift pass€49 La Molina · €53 Masella
Best timeJanuary · February · March
Budget€260–420 pp
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving in Puigcerdà on Friday night, skiing on Saturday at Masella, with a night on the floodlit piste, and on Sunday at La Molina or on snowshoes. Both resorts are 20 or 25 minutes from the town.
Friday
- 120:00Arrival in Puigcerdà
From Barcelona, the C-16 and the Cadí tunnel; an hour and three quarters. Dinner at La Borda del Ceretà, on Camí de l'Antiga Farinera: broth with galets and pilota and tiró amb naps. Book by phone.
Saturday
- 109:00Masella
Twenty minutes to Pla de Masella. Online lift pass, €53, or with the night supplement, €13.50 more. Rental from €28. In the morning, the blues; in the afternoon, the reds from La Tosa.
- 218:00Night skiing
If the resort's calendar allows, thirteen floodlit pistes down to La Pleta, 10 km. Then back to the hotel spa.
Sunday
- 109:00La Molina or snowshoes
At La Molina, €49 lift pass, lunch at the foot of Pista Llarga at El Tirol and a gondola up to La Tosa. If it is a Rutes Pirineus Sunday, snowshoeing to the Estany de l'Orri from the Lles Nordic centre, 8 km with a guide, from €47.90.
- 216:30Drive back
Via the Cadí tunnel. Leave before five or after seven to dodge the queue.
The Cerdanya is Barcelona's weekend skiing: an hour and three quarters to Puigcerdà through the Cadí tunnel, two big resorts on the same mountain and a town with hotels, restaurants and a train. This plan splits two days between Masella, with its night piste, and La Molina, or swaps the second day of skiing for a snowshoe outing.
Masella or La Molina?
| Resort | Km | For whom | 2026-27 adult lift pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masella | 74 km · 65 pistes | Blues and reds; night skiing | €53 online |
| La Molina | 71 km · 67 pistes | Beginners, gondola, snowpark | €49 online |
| Alp2500 | Both, via La Tosa | Those who want to cross over | €57 |
Where to sleep?
In Puigcerdà, which is 20 minutes from Masella and 25 from La Molina. The Hotel del Lago, beside the lake and a hundred metres from the centre, has a spa with an indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi, and rooms with fireplaces from €123 according to its website. With children, the Hotel del Prado has a playground and a family duplex. If you prefer to ski out, the Hotel Adserà is at the foot of Pista Llarga, in La Molina.
Without a car
The Rodalies R3 reaches La Molina and Puigcerdà. With the Skitren package, train and lift pass go together and La Molina's internal bus is free; for Masella you will need a taxi from Puigcerdà.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Cerdanya, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cerdanya
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Cerdanya by car, from resort to resort
With a car, you sleep in Puigcerdà and change resort according to the day: Masella is about 20 minutes away, La Molina 25 and the Nordic stations of Aransa and Lles half an hour. The budget includes a day lift pass, food and a shared hotel.
110–190 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel del Lago, with a…
- Getting aroundFrom Barcelona, C-16 and the…
- Where to eatEl Tirol, at the foot…
- ServicesEight car parks at La…
Where to sleep
- Hotel del Lago, with a spa, beside Puigcerdà lake
- Hotel del Prado, family-run, on the road out towards Llívia
- Hotel Adserà, at the foot of the slopes at La Molina
Getting around
- From Barcelona, C-16 and the Cadí tunnel (toll), 1 h 30 to Masella
- Without the toll, over the Collada de Toses, about 2 h
- Bring chains or winter tyres from December to March
Where to eat
- El Tirol, at the foot of Pista Llarga, with grill and raclette
- La Borda del Ceretà, Cerdanya cooking in Puigcerdà
Services
- Eight car parks at La Molina, from P1 at the gondola to P8
- Regional tourist office on the N-260
To the snow on the R3 train
The Cerdanya is one of the few ski areas you can reach easily without a car from Barcelona: the Rodalies R3 stops at La Molina and ends at Puigcerdà. The Skitren combines train and lift pass, and a bus from the station takes you up to the slopes.
90–160 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Adserà, in La Molina…
- Getting aroundRodalies R3 from Barcelona through…
- Where to eatEl Tirol, next to the…
- ServicesSkitren package, at Renfe (900…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Adserà, in La Molina, with the internal bus at the door of the slopes
- Hotel del Lago, in the centre of Puigcerdà
- Hotel del Prado, five minutes from the centre of Puigcerdà
Getting around
- Rodalies R3 from Barcelona through Vic and Ripoll
- La Molina internal bus, from the station to Pista Llarga: €5, free with the Skitren
- For Masella or Aransa from Puigcerdà, a taxi
Where to eat
- El Tirol, next to the Pista Llarga stop
- Niu de l'Àliga, up top by gondola
Services
- Skitren package, at Renfe (900 410 041) and Rodalies
- La Molina resort rental: ski €25, snowshoes €15.50
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel
Hotel del Prado
Why we like it: Family hotel five minutes from the centre of Puigcerdà, on the Llívia road: garden with playground, sauna, pool from June to October, Catalan restaurant and dogs welcome.
Hotel Adserà
Why we like it: The La Molina hotel that Pere Adserà built in 1934, still run by his family: 40 rooms, ski storage, sauna, kids' club, summer pool and the El Tirol bar on Pista Llarga.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Puigcerdà | Hotel with spa, restaurants and the train | 20–25 min to the pistes |
| La Molina | Ski straight out, R3 train | At the foot of the piste |
| Lles and Aransa | Nordic skiing and snowshoeing | 30 min from Puigcerdà |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cerdanya
El Tirol Snow Bar
What to order: the Cerdanya trinxat with butifarra de perol or the grilled Bellver butifarra; in the cold, the raclette menu
La Borda del Ceretà
What to order: the Borda broth with galets and pilota and, as a second course, the tiró amb naps, the duck with Guils turnips and Puigcerdà pears
Restaurant Niu de l'Àliga
What to order: a mountain spoon dish to warm up at the summit
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Buy the lift passes online: at both resorts the ticket office charges €3 more per person.
We'd skip it
The December long weekend and Easter if you want quiet pistes and easy parking.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Barcelona to Puigcerdà?
Around an hour and three quarters through the Cadí tunnel.
How much does a ski weekend in the Cerdanya cost?
With two lift passes, rental, two shared hotel nights and meals, from €260 to €420 per person.
Can I ski at night?
Yes, at Masella, with the night pass (€27) or the supplement on the day pass.
What do I do if someone doesn't ski?
The gondola up to La Tosa, guided snowshoeing at Lles or Aransa and the Hotel del Lago spa.