Andorra travel guide In summer, clamber up canyons around the town of Canillo, go ice-skating at Palau de Gel, potter around pretty mountain villages, cast a line in the river, wallow in thermal waters or hike along Andorra's many well-marked trails. For skiers, Andorra offers the best in the Pyrennes. Starting from 2,600m, there are vertical drops of up to 1000m and runs of several kilometres over open slopes and groomed pistes. Beginners and experts are both well catered for and lift costs are low compared with the Alps.
Have some 'me, me, me!' time
Soak in the thermal waters of Caldea Escaldes, Engordany, one of Europe’s largest spa complexes
Discover the joys of a free lunch
The annual Esculdella on January 20th (Land of the Last Free Lunch)
Take to the slopes
The snowfields of Grandvalira boast 192km of runs and a combined lift system
Andorra is a 12-month destination with skiing in winter and great hiking the rest of the year. It has a typical mountain climate; warm in summer with temperatures dropping in the evening. Winter days are usually sunny but cool. April and November are changeable.
There are no international airports in Andorra. Nearest airports are Barcelona (BCN) - 225km, Toulouse (TLS) - 180km, Girona (GRO) - 195km or Lleida (ILD) - 94km.
The roads from Barcelona are usually the clearest in winter months: From France, the Puymorens tunnel at L'Hospitalet avoids the climb over the Envalira pass. Plans are afoot for an airport just outside Andorra La Vella but so far a completion date hasn't been set.
There are no trains in Andorra. Daily buses run from L’Hospitalet station in France and from Latour de Carol on the French/Spanish border.
Regular buses connect Barcelona, Girona, Toulouse, Zaragoza and Madrid with Andorra.
Once inside the country, Andorra's small size means it's easy to get around. A good bus network connects the main towns and if you decide to drive, petrol is a lot cheaper than in the rest of Europe.
Note that the regular stream of bargain-hunters from Spain and France make for frequent traffic jams in Andorra la Vella, especially at weekends. To avoid them, park in the open-air car park north of the bus station to avoid you and the car getting overheated.
Cheap options are tricky to find and low on charm. To add insult to injury, prices get even steeper during July and August and between December and March.
Camping is a solution as there are plenty of well-located sites, while walkers can stay for free at one of Andorra's many mountain refuges (refugis). Ask at tourist offices for an accommodation list (Guia d’Allotjaments Turístics) and a free map of the refuges (Mapa de Refugi I Grans Recorreguts).
Food is mainly Catalan fare with a heavy emphasis on meat and cheese. Carn a la brasa (beef, lamb or pork grilled over an open fire) and truita (fresh river trout) are firm favourites.
Typical Andorran dishes are trinxat, a cabbage, potato and bacon cake and escudella, a chicken, sausage and meatball stew. Vegetarians should stock up on the pa amb tomàquet (bread with olive oil, garlic and tomato) as veggie dishes are hard to find in Andorra.
Travel insurance is essential, as the European Health Insurance Scheme does not cover Andorra. If you have an accident, you'll need to pay the medical fees and apply for reimbursement from your insurance company. Spanish, French and Portuguese nationals are covered under a reciprocal agreement.
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