Horse riding holidays Europe

Andorra does not currently have its own airport and there are no regular  commercial flights within its borders. However, Barcelona airport is around 2.5 hours away from Andorra and Toulouse airport is around 2 hours and 40 minutes away.

Andorra has cold, crisp winters and sunny, mild spring’s and summer’s. With this in mind, sunbathing is certainly an appealing way to spend a warm day in Andorra. Andorra has a high altitude, roughly 1,000–2,500 m and the sun can feel more intense than at sea level. When sunbathing this means you can both tan and burn more quickly. The air in Andorra is clean and dry making it more comfortable for longer periods and in the summer temps often sit anywhere between 20-30°C. June to September are ideal months for enjoying the countries uniquue medittaranean alpine climate.

Yes, English is spoken throughout Andorra but is not the countries main language. The native language in Andorra is Catalan. Due to the countries vast tourist industry, you will be fine speaking English in hotels and resorts as well as with ski and mountain guides. In fact, most tourist facing roles are guaranteed to be able to converse in English. You may struggle to have a conversation in English in smaller establishments such as boutique local cafes, in rural villages or with elderly residents.

Yes, people do speak French in Andorra and it is one of the most currently spoken languages across the country due to its close proximity to France. Many Andorrans are billingual or trilingual and there is a strong French influence due to the countries border and also the presence of a French co-prince. However, Catalan is the countries only official language.

Yes, Spanish is very widely used across Andorra and part of daily life across the country. Of all the languages, Spanish is the most useful to ‘get by’ in Andorra if you don’t know any Catalan.

Andorra uses the euro for currency despite not being part of the EU. Cash and card are widely accepted, even in rural areas and prices are listed in euros in advertising. ATMs dispense euros and for those coming from a eurozone, there is no need to exhange money.

You should always carry your passport on you when visiting Andorra, however, being stopped and checked at the border is not actually very common. To visit Andorra, you must legally visit either France or Spain first and as a result, border checks are rare.

Andorra is an attractive destination for duty free shopping due to the country’s unique VAT (IGI) structure. The VAT in Andorra is only around 4.5%, much lower than France’s rate of 20% and Spain’s 21% tax. Generally, shops advertise savings of roughly 15-25% on perfumes, cosmetics, electronics and designer goods. Alcohol and tobacco are also much cheaper in Andorra than other neighbouring regions.

Businesses in Andorra have less tax to pay than other countries in Europe. As a result, some of this saving can be passed on to consumers. With this in mind, eating out is often cheaper than France and Spain and fuel is notably cheaper in Andorra too. Set lunch menus menú del día can be particularly good value and public transport and parking is very reasonably priced when it comes to European rates.