Ski Holidays Andorra

In the 1980s Andorra gained a “Club 18-30” reputation and the unwelcome “Ibiza on ice” name tag stuck. Those days may well have long gone but Pas de La Casa on the French border has still retained a proportion of that reputation of a party town where the skiing comes after the partying. Other resorts such as Soldeu, Arinsal, El tarter and Pal are all more subdued but each with their own vibe and fun apres ski.

The skiing in Andorra is all high elevation but being further south in the Pyrenees skiers are best to avoid skiing in both early and late season, essentially plan around the dates of late December through to the end of March.

The skiing itself is best suited to beginners and intermediates but there are off-piste challenges for the more experienced skiers. In the main though the piste skiing is pretty tame when compared to the top tier resorts in the main Alpine nations. On the plus side Soldeu-El Tarter-Canillo-Encamp is now linked to Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig to offer a huge 210km of piste under the Grandvalira moniker. This ski region rivals in size many of the large European ski names and it is not to be sniffed at. Ok, let’s be honest, Andorra won’t earn you any dinner party bragging rights but in truth it is an ideal destination for many one and two week a season skiers. Having skied for 37 years and most seasons doing three weeks a year I would still go back for the experience.

Andorra isn’t exactly the most picturesque of ski countries, whilst the mountains themselves can be beautiful the ski villages tend to be a little rough around the edges. Much of that is to do with the local stone and traditional construction methods. Pas de la Casa has the sparse feel of an American/Mexican border town and the reality is that is what it is with day trippers having previously come across from France for tax free shopping. To compensate though Andorra offers excellent value for money and you get a high standard of accommodation for your money. Eating out and drinking is very cheap in this tax haven principality so going self-catering can be a really good idea for those wanting a varied dining experience.

Traditionally flights for access to Andorra operated in and out of Toulouse in France but increasingly Barcelona is being used as a gateway airport. For those organising travel themselves Barcelona can offer very cheap flights and car hire is competitively priced.
Join the party and ski Andorra.

Pas de la Casa, Andorra. Slightly bleak, this border village packs an apres ski punch.