The principality of Andorra is small and mountainous and is located in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain.
International transport hubs are not available in the country, to get to any of the ski resorts you should be prepared for a fairly lengthy transfer from France or Spain.
Andorra’s Skiing.
As a very small country, many people would class the whole of Andorra as a ski resort. Indeed, many of the resorts offer a hotel pick-up service anywhere within the country.
With its low tax status, the ski resorts used to be cheap and cheerful winter holiday destinations. This attracted a young, mainly British crowd looking to ski during the day and party at night in the duty-free bars and clubs.
As Andorra has moved up market over the years, so have the prices. Soldeu, arguably the main ski resort, in now as expensive as many of the higher profile Alpine resorts.
Overview of Andorra.
- Capital: Andorra la Vella.
- Land area: 181 square miles.
- Population: 76,000.
- Telephone: The international dialing code is +376.
- Mobile/Data: Check your service provider, it is not in the EU roaming zone.
- Time: Central European Time Zone (CET), 1 or 2 hours ahead of GMT/UTC.
- Languages: Catalan. English is widely spoken, as are French and Spanish.
- Driving: On the right.
- Visas: Andorra is not a member of the EU but EU citizens do not require a visa.
- Currency: The Euro, credit and debit cards are as widely accepted as in any other European country.
- Tipping: Some restaurants include a service charge of between 10% and 15%. Where there isn’t a service charge it is usual to leave a similar amount. In coffee shops it is common to leave a little change. Taxi drivers usually expect 10% of the fare.
Skiing in Andorra.
All skiing in Andorra is covered by just two ski areas comprising 11 ski resorts. The Grandvalira Ski Pass includes access to Arcalis, Canillo, El Peretol, El Tarter, Encamp, Grandvilira, Grau Roig, Pas de la Casa and Soldeu. Vallnord is the region, and ski pass, which covers the Pal and Arinsal ski resorts from a base at La Massana.
