There are few places, in my opinion, more spectacular than the Pyrenees mountain range. When I was living in Herault, I was fortunate enough to be able to view the Pyrenees from the French side, the Spanish side, and in Andorra – one of the world’s smallest countries. And boy, what a view!
Visiting Andorra is particularly beautiful in November, especially if you’re trying to get to Pas de la Casa – one of Andorra’s most famous towns – which is particularly excellent for skiing / snowboarding. If you go in December, January, February time, the roads are particularly treacherous, and you will be in a lot of trouble trying to drive up or down the mountainous road without snow tyres. In November, there is still a lot of snow, but the blizzards are fewer and the roads are normally passable.
The drive up the mountains to Andorra – from the south of France – is breathtaking, especially when there is a lot of snow around:
The shopping in Pas de la Casa, Andorra, is amazing. There are so many shops and everything you buy is tax free. I must admit, I did all my Christmas shopping there when I went in November. So many different types of technology, alcohol, clothes and food.
There are so many little restaurants and cafes where you can enjoy anything from a simple snack or a hot chocolate to a full blown eight-course meal.
Almost everyone indigenous to Andorra seems to speak French, Spanish and English which is particularly helpful when you’re trying to communicate with waiters, shop owners, ski instructors.
I know I keep mentioning it, but the views are amazing. Here are another couple of photos I took with my phone camera:
It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive to Pas de la Casa from Narbonne – which isn’t really long at all. The only difficulty would arise if there was snow on the roads – then it may take a little longer!
If you’re looking for a day trip or a short stay, or even looking for some winter sports, Andorra is the perfect place to go. During the winter, villa rental is not very expensive at all and if you were staying a 2 hour drive from Andorra, you could certainly have a very cheap (comparatively) skiing holiday.
My impressions of Andorra – from the three visits I’ve had there – were excellent and I would recommend anyone to visit whether it be during the summer or the winter.
Please be sure to comment if you have any questions! I’d be more than happy to help out a fellow-traveller!
If you’re looking for accommodation near Andorra, please visit this link:
