Travel from South Africa

What services to look for in a typical Andorra Ski package!

Andorra works mostly on a Sunday to Sunday program and a typical 7-night ski/snow holiday ‘package’ should include the following elements:

• Flights *

• Transfers (i.e. transport to & from the airport and resort)

• Accommodation for 7 nights

• Ski Pass for 6 days

• Ski Rental for 6 days (skis, boots, poles,/snowboard/helmet rental)

• Ski School for 5 days - lessons are essential for beginners

• Travel Insurance ** (With winter sports cover!)

* We don’t offer flight booking as it’s easier and cheaper for guests to book their own flights online. We recommend using booking sites such as Skyscanner.com, TravelStart.co.za and others to search for and compare fares before making bookings.

** Similarly, we don’t offer travel insurance as it’s a specialist service and best purchased directly from one of the many travel insurance companies in the country that you are resident. Remember to add winter sports activities to your travel insurance.

*** A note for guests coming from further afield:

Your outbound flights will probably depart on the Saturday (to arrive on Sunday morning) and the homeward flights will land on the Monday. This gives you a total itinerary of 9 nights. Please ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all these travel days.

Our approach! - If you book your flights and travel insurance, we'll take care of all your resort & transfer arrangements!

Flights

These should be booked to arrive on Sunday (morning if possible) and depart the following Sunday (afternoon or evening if possible). However if you are flying into Barcelona (recommended), there are 9 shuttles per day departing every 2 hours so am or pm is not essential - just recommended for your own comfort.

When exploring flight and airfare options, please remember to select flights that arrive at least 2 hours before your transfer departure time. This will allow sufficient time for any minor flight delays, customs & immigration, luggage collection and to locate your transfer departure point.

To ensure that the arrival & departure times of your proposed flight are synchronised with available group transfer options, please discuss these elements with your Ski Andorra Holidays travel advisor before booking your flights. You can also see the shuttle times on our website (See Transfers). Of course, private transfers can be booked to match any flight arrival & departure times

There are two main ‘gateway’ airports to consider when travelling to Andorra:

Barcelona (BCN) Spain - 9 shuttles per day departing every 2 hours

Toulouse - (TLS) France - 4 shuttles per day departing every 4 hours

Transfers

This is a term covering the transport options between your arrival airport and the resort. There are generally two types of transfers: group or seat-in-coach (SIC) transfers by coach/shuttle bus or private transfers by car or minivan. Group transfers are almost always the cheaper of the two, as the cost is shared between all the passengers.

There are regular SIC coach transfers between Barcelona and Toulouse airports and Andorra every day although Barcelona offers many more options.

Barcelona Airport Transfers

Toulouse Airport Transfers

Transfer times to Andorra: (Subject to snow and road conditions.)

The coach companies have designated meeting points at the airport. These details will be included in your transfer confirmation information.

Barcelona to Arinsal = approximately 4 hours

Toulouse to Pas de la Casa = approximately 2.5 hours

Where to stay?

Arinsal - (Vallnord Ski Area)

Arinsal & La Massana come under the ski area of Vallnord, which includes the ski areas of Pal and Arinsal.

The picturesque resort of Arinsal has a good choice of accommodation ranging from luxury spa hotels to very affordable apartments. There is something to suit all budgets. Arinsal has a great choice of bars and restaurants and is famous as not only being a small friendly family resort but also great for a lively apres-ski atmosphere.

La Massana is a popular resort with a "small town" feel. there are plenty of shops and restaurants here. The gondola is right in the centre, taking you to the slopes of Pal. Accommodation is varied from 4 star spa hotels to more budget-friendly 2 star hostels.

Soldeu & El Tarter - (Grandvalira Ski Area)

The resorts of Soldeu & El Tarter, nestled in the beautiful Vall d'Incles, form part of the Grandvalira ski area with 210km of pistes, which also includes the resorts of Pas de la Casa, Canillo and Encamp.

The two resorts sit side by side and have a very impressive selection of good quality accommodation at affordable prices. Many of the hotels offer after-ski relaxation in their wellness centres. The ski areas suit all levels with impressive facilities for the kids, beginners and advanced levels.

Pas de la Casa - (Grandvalira Ski Area)s

Pas de la Casa comes under the ski area of Grandvalira which consists of 210km of pistes that also links this resort to Soldeu and El Tarter.

There are a wide range of hotels and apartments to choose from to suit all budgets. Pas de la Casa is a very lively resort with a party atmosphere attracting a lot of younger skiers and boarders.

Encamp & Canillo - (Grandvalira Ski Area)

These two resorts, also forming part of the Grandvalira ski area, tend to be lesser known to many foreign skiers, however, they have all of the facilities of the major ski resorts with the added bonus of being small towns/villages with plenty of shops and amenities on your doorstep. Accommodation choices are varied to suit every budget and requirement.

All of the above resorts have fully qualified ski schools - offering lessons for beginners and experts alike. Kids programmes available in all resorts and most have kindergarten facilities for the very little ones.

Ski Passes

A Ski Pass, also known as a Lift Ticket or Lift Pass, is a skier’s ‘passport to ride’!

A seven night ski package will generally include a six day ski pass valid from the first Monday to the following Saturday. Remember, Sundays are travel days and the opportunities to ski are limited, particularly if one is arriving late and/or departing early. (See ski packages section)

It is a small RFID (radio frequency ID) embedded card which gives a skier access to the local ski lift network. They contain information like validity periods (e.g. per day, per week or for the season), child or adult, and which parts of the system a skier has access to. The card is attached to or inserted into the ski jacket and will be scanned (usually automatically) at each lift station.

Ski passes are often included in your holiday package, or you can buy individually if you prefer.

For more information on ski passes visit our lift pass section.

Ski Rental

TIP: Unless you are a regular skier (i.e. at least once a year) there is no need to buy this equipment - it's more expensive and they tend to date quickly!. And besides, the rental stock at most resort shops is generally less than a year old and in excellent condition.

Equipment – Refers to your skis and ski boots, snowboard and boots, poles and helmet. Most South Africans rent this equipment as part of their pre-paid holiday package or on arrival in resort.

Depending on your time of arrival in the resort you may be able to complete the fitting and rental on Sunday afternoon/evening. However, if arriving later on the Sunday this will happen at the prearranged rental shop on Monday morning before ski school starts.

For more information on Ski Rental options visit our rental section.

Ski Lockers

Lockers are located at most of the major lift/gondola stations in the resorts or at your accommodation. Most hotels have lockers to store your skis & boots which are usually free for guests, however if you prefer you can rent lockers right at the ski stations in all resorts.

Ski School

Whether you’re a novice or an off-piste powder pro, there's a level of instruction available to help you develop and refine your skills. Ski school is also a great way to meet like-minded people at a similar ski level, have fun skiing together and share hints and tips with your classmates.

Group Lessons – Conducted in small groups based on your skill level. They take place for minimum 3 up to 5 consecutive days - always starting on a Monday. Times may vary but usually follow MORNING is 10.00H-13.00H or AFTERNOON is 14.00H-17.00H.

Skiers who progress faster than their classmates are able to move up to more advanced classes during the week.

Private Lessons – Private lessons are a popular choice among regular skiers who need to improve their skills and iron out any bad habits that may have crept in on the previous trip. However, you will be getting one-on-one instruction so expect to pay a lot more than group lessons.

If you are travelling with a group of friends or family and you all ski at a similar level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), then private group lessons may be what you’re looking for. Again, class sizes will be limited to a maximum of 6 people. Adults and Children should be separate. This is because the children learn much faster than adults and so parents can hold the children’s progress back if they want to be in the same group. If you are a parent this is something that you will need to accept quickly. Your children will be much better than you very quickly !!

Packages for Kids

There are various packages available created for children between the ages of 3 to 11 years. The package includes 6 days equipment rental, 5 days ski school and a 6 day Lift Pass, all for one great price.

There are also special ski-school programmes for children (from 3 to 11 years) that offer lessons and activities for a full day programme should you prefer.

For more information on Ski School options see Ski school section.

Resort Guest Services

The Ski Andorra Holidays team is available 7 days a week for any questions, guidance or problems you may experience. Also after you have booked your stay with us – you will have a direct email and contact number (what’s app as well) for the Andorra Resort Manager who you can contact at any point before you arrive with as many questions as you want.

Your ski pack vouchers (i.e. Lift Pass, Ski equipment and Ski school) will be sent to you by email approximately 7 days before your departure.

Travel Insurance

Insurance is probably the last thing one wants to think about when planning an exciting snow holiday. However, comprehensive travel insurance is essential when travelling abroad, irrespective of the adventure.

A good travel insurance product will cover you in the event of delayed or cancelled flights, cancelled accommodation, lost luggage, any injuries or other medical emergencies, and repatriation if required, etc. As always some policies are better than others and T’s & C’s apply, so check those carefully!

It is very important to check that the policy you have chosen includes a winter or adventure sports extension that includes ski & snowboarding. This ensures that you will be covered in the event of an injury on the slopes.

Many short-term insurers offer travel insurance these days, so have a chat with your insurance company. There are also a number of specialist providers to consider too!

We hope you have found this guide useful however should you have any questions you can contact us.

We look forward to welcoming you all in Andorra