A winter holiday in the Cantal with the family works perfectly well without spending the week on the pistes. A good February week looks like this: a morning of snowshoeing on the Planèze, a detour to the hot springs of Chaudes-Aigues, a cellar that smells of raw milk, a bowling alley when the snow turns to slush. This is mid-altitude mountain country, summit at 1,855 m, with a real winter climate. Here is where to put down your bags, and what to do depending on the weather, outdoors and indoors.
The answer in 30 seconds
| Your profile | Where to stay | Your days | The smart move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little ones (ages 3 to 8) | Murat or Pailherols | Groomed toboggan run, Font d'Alagnon snow greenway (voie blanche), Maison de la Faune | Snow in the morning, indoors in the afternoon |
| Teenagers | Saint-Flour or Salers | Snowshoeing at Prat de Bouc, laser game, escape game, cheese cellars | Let them choose the rainy-day outing |
| Without a car | Murat or Saint-Flour (train stations) | Museums on foot, walks from the village | A taxi for the snow day |
| Tight budget | Village gîte (self-catering cottage) or B&B room | Font d'Alagnon, Marcenat, Saint-Bonnet cooperative, Source du Par | Picnic and toboggan in the boot |
February 2027: the dates to know before booking
The 2027 winter school holidays come in three waves. Zone C leaves first, from Saturday 6 to Monday 22 February. Zone A, the Cantal's zone (Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Bordeaux, Limoges, Grenoble, Dijon, Besançon, Poitiers), runs from Saturday 13 February to Monday 1 March. Zone B brings up the rear, from Saturday 20 February to Monday 8 March.
If you can choose, the first week of February or the first week of March are quieter on the ski areas.
The Cantal in winter, what to expect
We're not going to sell you guaranteed snow. February here is often three winters in the same week: clear blue sky at 1,400 m, fog above 1,000 m, a thaw that turns the snow to slush. Hence this guide: a plan A outdoors and a plan B indoors, every day. And wind on the plateaux, always: hat, neck warmer, mittens rather than gloves, spare shoes in the boot.
Roads, snow chains and the Loi Montagne
From 1 November to 31 March, the winter equipment requirement applies across the whole of the Cantal's road network (prefectural order no. 2021-1221 of 9 September 2021): winter tyres with the alpine symbol, or chains (or snow socks) in the boot, ready to fit on at least two drive wheels. Tyres marked only “M+S” have not been accepted since 1 November 2024.
The département clears snow well, but the minor roads to the perched villages freeze overnight. The smart move: check the Conseil départemental's road information when you wake up, then set off after 09:30.
You can't drive up the Puy Mary
The question we get asked most. No, you won't be driving up to the Pas de Peyrol in February: the Cantal's highest road pass closes with the first snows, during November, and reopens after snow clearance, in late April or early May depending on snow cover (in 2026, on 29 April). All the access roads are closed.
The Puy Mary is therefore reached on foot, by properly equipped walkers only (avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe), or admired from below: our guide to climbing the Puy Mary details the access routes season by season. In the mountains, slides or avalanches are possible: don't take risks. As a family, stick to the waymarked routes of the Le Claux Nordic area, just below.
Where to stay as a family: six villages
Six bases, six atmospheres: choose according to the children's ages, whether you have a car and how much you want snow.
Murat remains the most practical base: a train station, a village with shops, the Rocher de Bonnevie and its basalt columns above the rooftops, Prat de Bouc and the Font d'Alagnon snow greenway for snow days. Gîtes and B&B rooms in the village centre: our pick with young children, or without a car.
Salers, at 950 m, doesn't cheat in winter: black volcanic stone, lauze (stone slab) roofs, a wind that slips between the turrets. Very beautiful under snow, and much quieter than in August. As for accommodation, the Le Bailliage hotel-restaurant and spa closes in winter: in 2025-2026, from Sunday 16 November 2025 to Friday 6 February 2026 inclusive. Its heated swimming pool is outdoors and only opens from June to September.
Saint-Flour is two towns in one: the upper town on its rock, with the cathedral and the museums, the lower town along the Ander. A train station, a bowling alley and a laser game on site, Garabit a quarter of an hour away. To sleep: hotels in town, or the Hôtel Le Bout du Monde, in the Ander gorges ten minutes from Saint-Flour, open all year, with a free covered, heated swimming pool for its guests.
Pailherols, in the Carladès, offers a Nordic area on the edge of the village and a groomed toboggan run. In the centre of the village, the Auberge des Montagnes has been handed down for five generations: indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, hammam, billiards, climbing wall. In 2026, it opened from 4 April to 24 October, then from 19 to 31 December: not in February.
Thiézac is a valley village with a proper family walk: beyond the hamlet of Lasmolineries, up on the heights, the Faillitoux waterfall drops 41 m, with basalt columns at its foot and open access. The waymarked loop is 4.5 km, allow 1 hour 30. It depends on the weather and the snow, and a fairly steep descent through woodland comes before the waterfall.
Chaudes-Aigues, right down in the south, is not the most practical base for getting to the snow. But if your holiday revolves around hot water, this is the place. Our page on the winter season in the Cantal brings together the listings that are open this quarter.
Snow days: snowshoeing, tobogganing, sled dogs
Prat de Bouc, the big family area
The Col de Prat de Bouc (1,392 m), below the Plomb du Cantal, the highest point at 1,855 m, is our favourite Nordic area with children. The area spreads on both sides of the Plomb: 44 km of cross-country trails, 38 km of snowshoe routes including a 0.8 km forest circuit for little ones, and a secure toboggan run.
In 2025-2026, the area opened every day from 09:00 to 17:00 depending on snow cover, from Saturday 20 December 2025 to Sunday 22 March 2026. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are paid, at 2025-2026 rates: €9.50 for an adult cross-country day, €42.50 for five days, €3 for a snowshoe session from age 16. The toboggan run and the groomed pedestrian trail are open access. Equipment hire on site. Arrive early: the car park fills up.
Without a car, it was doable in 2026: during the winter holidays, from Saturday 7 February to Sunday 8 March, a shuttle went up to the pass every day, with two return trips from Le Lioran (stops at Laveissière, Murat, Albepierre), at €1.70 a journey.
Font d'Alagnon, the free loop for little ones
At Le Lioran, 800 m below the centre of the resort, Font d'Alagnon is the valley's snow greenway (voie blanche): 3.5 km with open access, multi-activity (cross-country skiing, walking, snowshoeing), 110 m of elevation gain, a one-hour loop. Start at the second car park, after the bridge on the right; a free shuttle goes down there from the resort. The obvious outing for a first day with 4 to 7-year-olds: you walk in boots, you turn back when the grumbling starts, and you pay nothing.
Pailherols, the groomed toboggan run
The Pailherols Nordic area offers four cross-country trails (4.7, 7.4, 11 and 12.2 km), two snowshoe routes of 6 and 7 km, and above all a groomed, secure toboggan run, which is rare. For snowshoeing, the fee was €3 a session for an adult and €1.50 per child aged 5 to 15 in winter 2024-2025. Les Flocons Verts hire out equipment in the village. Season from late December to early March depending on snow (2024-2025: 21 December to 8 March).
The Cézallier and the Haut-Cantal
To the north, two wilder options. At Marcenat, the Cantal Cézallier Nordic area offers three cross-country courses of 3, 5 and 8 km, free in winter 2024-2025, with a lodge that opens on request for equipment hire. The wind is bracing, children love it: it's flat.
At Le Claux, the Haut-Cantal area stretches between Lascourt (1,200 m) and the Col de Serre (1,309 m): more than 50 km of combined routes, cross-country and snowshoeing, open from 09:00 to 17:00, with equipment hire at the Col de Serre. Access is paid: €10 for an adult cross-country day, €5 for ages 6 to 16, €3 for an adult snowshoe day (2024-2025 rates). For sled dogs, head for Lascourt: Nordicateam offers one-hour introductory sessions, including time with the pack, of which about twenty minutes is a ride, by sled or wheeled kart when snow is lacking. Allow €50 for an adult and €30 for a child aged 6 to 12 (2026-2027 rates). Everything is booked in advance. During the winter holidays, it is open every day except Tuesday.
And if the children want to ski?
We wrote a whole guide for that: skiing in the Cantal, with the pistes, lift passes and children's lessons. Note that the Nordic area at Prat de Bouc connects with the alpine ski area: you can mix the two in a day.
Grey days: hot baths, ice rink, museums, cheese dairies, bowling
Chaudes-Aigues, hot water in the open air
Start with the free stuff. The Source du Par comes out at 82 °C in an alley of the village: it is the hottest spring in mainland France. The village taps several others. The Église Saint-Martin-Saint-Blaise is heated through the floor, the wash-house is fed by a hot spring, and yes, at the Source du Par you can cook an egg in 15 minutes.
Then, the pools. The thermal leisure centre reopened on 22 October 2025, after a closure that had lasted since 2018: thermal lagoon, cold pool, jacuzzi, geysers, sauna, hammam. Three rules before promising a swim: children admitted from age 6, ages 6 to 15 on Wednesday and Saturday only, closed on Thursday. 2026 prices: €19 or €21 for an adult depending on the slot, €11 or €13 per child, €49 or €56 for the family package.
On the calendar side, the centre paused in winter 2025-2026: it reopened on Saturday 7 February 2026, and its season runs until Sunday 3 January 2027.
The ice rink, for the end of an afternoon
The ice rink is at Le Lioran resort, open from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 21 March 2027. From Saturday 6 February to Sunday 7 March 2027, sessions run from 10:00 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 15:30 and from 15:45 to 17:45, with an evening session on Wednesday from 21:00 to 23:00. Allow €6.80 for an adult, €4.80 for ages 5 to 11, €3.70 for skates, no reservation.
Three museums that work with children
The Maison de la Faune, in Murat, occupies four floors of a 16th-century hôtel particulier (townhouse): 800 mammals and birds mounted in recreated habitats, 8,000 insects and butterflies. Adult €5, child €3, free for the youngest.
The Musée de la Haute-Auvergne, in Saint-Flour, occupies the former episcopal palace. €5 admission, €7.50 for the joint ticket with the Musée Alfred-Douët, free for under-18s and, for everyone, on the first Sunday of the month. Out of season, it only opens in the afternoon, a few days a week.
The Maison de la Salers, in Saint-Bonnet-de-Salers, tells the story of the red cow with lyre-shaped horns: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 for the visit, tasting included (cheese, charcuterie, biscuit, drink). Adult €7, ages 8 to 18 €4.50, free under 8, from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. It opens every day from the February holidays to 11 November, and again during the Christmas holidays.
Cheese dairies that run in winter
Two free visits, five minutes from each other. The dairy cooperative of Saint-Bonnet-de-Salers has made raw-milk cantal since 1956: a 19-minute film, a viewing corridor over the workshops and a maturing cellar, free tasting, then the shop. In 2026, it opens Monday to Friday and on Saturday morning, closed on Sunday.
The Cave de Salers, at Les Prés des Faure, matures salers and lets you taste the five AOPs (protected designations of origin) of Auvergne. It opens all year, with a free self-guided visit, with tasting. With children, the piece “for the road” is unlikely to make it to the car.
Bowling, laser game, escape game
In Saint-Flour, Le 108 has eight bowling lanes with raisable barriers and a ball ramp for little ones, plus a bar, billiards and table football. During the winter holidays: 14:00 to 19:00 on Monday and Tuesday, 14:00 to midnight from Wednesday to Sunday. Allow €5 a game, €1.50 for shoes.
At Roffiac, five minutes away, Arena City adds laser game (from €8), escape game, karaoke, axe throwing and racing simulators, every day during zone A school holidays (Wednesday to Sunday the rest of the year): the place for teenagers. Near Aurillac, the Ytrac bowling alley has eight regulation lanes and a laser game, at €6.50 a game all day during school holidays, plus €2 for shoes.
Garabit and Saint-Flour under the snow
The Garabit Viaduct is worth the detour especially in the depths of winter: the red arch that came out of Gustave Eiffel's workshops, set above the white Truyère, is the very image of winter in the Cantal. Built from 1880 to 1884 to plans by the engineer Léon Boyer, 565 m long, 122 m above the riverbed (about 95 m above the lake since the Grandval dam, in 1959). Classified as a historic monument on 18 October 2017, and a candidate for World Heritage status: the process is under way.
Fifteen minutes separate Garabit from Saint-Flour. Go up to the upper town in the late afternoon: the Place d'Armes, the dark basalt cathedral, the wind of the Planèze. If you're extending your trip elsewhere in the region, our guide to Auvergne with the family takes over.
Frequently asked questions
The FAQ
Can you go up the Puy Mary by car during the winter holidays?
No. The access roads to the Pas de Peyrol are closed in winter and reopen gradually after snow clearance, in spring: in 2026, the Salers to Murat road reopened on Wednesday 29 April. In winter, the Puy Mary is reached on foot, well equipped, or admired from the valleys.
What to do in the Cantal in winter without skiing?
Snowshoeing and tobogganing on the Nordic areas of Prat de Bouc, Pailherols and Le Claux, cross-country skiing from Marcenat, sled dogs at Lascourt, ice rink, hot springs at Chaudes-Aigues (the pools of the thermal leisure centre paused in winter 2025-2026 and reopened on 7 February 2026), Maison de la Faune in Murat, the Saint-Flour museums, cheese cellars around Salers, bowling, laser game, and the Garabit Viaduct under the snow.
Do you need snow chains to go to the Cantal in winter?
From 1 November to 31 March, the whole of the Cantal's road network is subject to the winter equipment requirement: winter tyres with the alpine symbol, or chains (or snow socks) on board, ready to fit on at least two drive wheels. Tyres marked only “M+S” have not been enough since November 2024.
Can children go to the baths at Chaudes-Aigues?
At the thermal leisure centre, children aged 6 to 15 are only admitted on Wednesday and Saturday, and the centre closes on Thursday. Water-awareness sessions for ages 2 to 5 only take place outside school holidays. For the open season from Saturday 7 February 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027: €11 or €13 per child depending on the slot, €49 or €56 for the family package (two adults, two children). The Source du Par, for its part, can be seen free all year.
When are the 2027 winter holidays for the Clermont-Ferrand school district (académie)?
Clermont-Ferrand is in zone A: end of classes on Saturday 13 February 2027, return on Monday 1 March. Zone C is off from 6 to 22 February, zone B from 20 February to 8 March. From Saturday 13 to Sunday 28 February 2027, at least two zones are on holiday at the same time, and all three on the weekend of 20 and 21 February.
