Road trip to Andorra
I visited the country of 🇦🇩 Andorra with my friends from October 7 to 9, 2019. In this 3-part post, I share here how we drive into the country, some visa matters, where we stayed, and some of my initial impressions on this small country with a big heart. This is day one.
Day 1 of 3
Starting in Spain
10:00 am. The 5 of us take off in our rented minivan. We drive north from Baga, Spain to Porta, South France, then go back south to our destination: Andorra. The whole drive took around 3 hours, which included a gas stop in Baga, a photo stop at the Spanish-French border at Puigcerda, and another photo stop at Porta, France.
Crossing through France
You might wonder (or not) why we traversed from Spain to France to go into Andorra, when the latter is just right above Spain. We did it for no other reason than to see as much of the Pyreenees mountains range as we could!
Driving is the most common and easiest means to get there. Andorra has no international airports or commercial flights. The way is mountainous but the roads are all concrete and well-maintained. We barely encounter any traffic in and out of the country, much thanks to the off-peak season (October, early Autumn).
Entering Andorra
11:00 am. The panoramic drive into Andorra would have to be the 2nd most memorable part of my visit. The mountains warmly greet you with open arms as you cruise along the highways. One can’t help but wonder how lovely these snow sports-famous peaks look like when they turn white in wintertime.
12:00 pm. We slow down at two border control checkpoints: (1) the French border control (where nothing really happened, I don’t think they care!), and (2) the Andorran border control. I could spot that those ahead of us are not asked to step out of their cars. None of us really has a clear picture of how the border-crossing here happens so we are ill at ease. We know enough to ready our passports and open them at the page where our Schengen visas are.
As it turns out, we are not even asked to stop nor get out of the car. They do not check our passports.
The guard at the toll merely gives Cali (who was the driver then) a friendly nod and lets us pass. With that, we are now inside the country of Andorra! We are excited to have made it. But Andorra seems to pay us no mind. 😂
Do you need a visa to get into Andorra?
No, but you do need a Schengen visa. Andorra is not a Schengen state, but to get into Andorra, you need to pass through Spain or France, which are Schengen states.
For the record, of the 5 of us, 3 were Filipino multiple-entry Schengen visa holders including me, 1 European PR, and 1 American citizen.
The multiple-entry Schengen visa type, to be exact, will formally allow you to re-enter the Schengen states of Spain or France upon leaving Andorra.
I say formally because our experience is nobody asked for our passports upon entering the Andorran border or entering the Spanish border.
As a non-expert on visas, my advice is to follow the rules and apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa. Maybe we got lucky that no one checked our passports. It must be because autumn is off-peak season so security was relaxed. If you have a different experience, please comment below. I would love to hear about it.
The only direct interaction we had with border controls was 2 days later when we were leaving Andorra. There was a mandatory car inspection for any liquor, perfumes, or luxury items bought from Andorra, only because there is an imposed limit to what you can buy. I’ll share about that experience soon.
So far, we have established that no one in Europe cares about us. I love Europe, haha!
Now on to the tourists spots!
Església de Sant Serni de Canillo
12:30 pm. We spot this stone bell tower from a kilometer away while driving along Andorra’s main highway (read: there really is only one or two main roads!). We discover this spot to be the Església de Sant Serni de Canillo, a church that’s pretty famous in the area. It stands atop a mound and is itself surrounded by lush greens and craggy hills. After a few snaps, we head back to the car and drive to the one place we actually planned to see that day. Note: The church’s information center was closed on a Monday.
Mirador Roc Del Quer
1:00 pm. After some (a lot) of wrong turns and switchbacks that Waze seems to love getting us into, we climb up the Mirador Roc Del Quer viewpoint. This viewpoint is the mother of all viewpoints, which is why it also takes the #1 spot of my most memorable experiences in Andorra.
The main deck extends from a slopey hill and has a walkable ledge suspended at a 500 m height (from the road, not sea level, I read). The surprise comes when as you step closer to the edge of the deck and find that you’re actually partly standing on glass. Looking below, you see cars and pedestrians going about their day.
A life-size, bronze sculpture of a man sits at the edge of the deck. I thought it was really smart of them to put him there. Like, eff it, let’s put a man here and call the tourists. You’ll get the full experience of the height and the widest panoramic views from the edge.
The views are unbelievable. Schedule your visit on a clear day. Cool temps (14º – 18º) are to be expected up here. Wearing a windbreaker can help you endure the pounding winds and can buy you more time to appreciate the views a little longer. We spend about an hour here.
I cannot stress this enough – do not skip this one!
Tip 1: you will find free parking right outside the Mirador entrance. Don’t be like us; we parked 500 meters away thinking there wouldn’t be parking nearby.
Tip 2: Wear comfortable clothes. Wouldn’t advise short skirts due to the wind conditions up there.
First meal in Andorra: McDonald’s at an outlet shopping strip 😂
2:00 pm. We drive for about 15 mins to the nearest McDonald’s in Avinguda Meritxell in Andorra la Vella, the capital of Andorra. Sooo… McDonald’s. Cali and I have a thing where we try the McDonald’s in every country we visit. Lots of friends at home do it; it’s always interesting to exchange notes when you’re back home. I am happy to report that the taste and shape of McDonald’s nuggets are exactly the same as the ones from home.
The area happens to be the central outlet shopping district and is one of the busiest areas downtown. Everywhere is drivable within minutes in this country. Foreigners could easily make a day trip drive into Andorra to do some off-season, tax-free shopping.
I have consciously excluded shopping from my lifestyle, so I have nothing to share on that front. We did see familiar brands like The North Face, Salomon, Zara, Pandora. Did not see if it is actually cheaper here than in neighboring European states.
‘dat Andorra la Vella city lyf
It seems like everyone gets around by car, bus, or bike. There are no trains or subways. We never got to try Uber or see if it even works there. It looks like a city where people with an active lifestyle would consider retiring in.
It is also. Very. Clean.
Tourism is noticeably the main lifeline of the country. Hotels, ski resorts, and sporting goods shops are a common sight in every corner. More small groceries and butchers than super malls. There are gyms, dance studios, cinemas, and almost every cuisine you can imagine. For such a compact capital, and one that is at a higher altitude than most, Andorra la Vella is well equipped with the necessities and whims of urban life.
Pinned between France and Spain, Andorra has windows into the best of both cultures. Catalan and French are widely-spoken, but there is more inclination toward Catalan. English is common.
Finding an Airbnb in Encamp, Andorra
3:00 pm. We chose to book an Airbnb outside the capital so we can take in more of the countryside. While hotels are common here, Airbnb was the more sensible choice for us because of our group size and needs. We needed a kitchen to cook in, a living room to chill and drink in, and a washing machine and a dryer. Our host, Marc, was an outrageously nice guy who accommodated all our questions about Andorra. You just don’t get that kind of personal connection with hotels.
One of the bedrooms even has roof windows!
Bonus: a trip to the grocer!
5:00 pm. We take advantage of the abundance of local livelihood and plan a visit to nearby grocers and meatshops. To our dismay, the first meatshop we go to ran out of meat. Meat supply starts to get lower later in the day, apparently. We visit a second meatshop and find what we need! It was nice to experience a little bit of the local routine, away from tourists like us.
Dining out in Andorra is at the typical European price range. It starts at 15 – 25 €/person/meal, and that’s with bottled water or soda, no desserts or wine. Knowing this, we do a bit of balanced dining out and cooking. Breakfasts are always cooked. We dine out for lunch, and only dine out for dinner once. I will write about where we ate in my next post.
8:00 pm. Here is our cooked dinner: steak, potatoes, wine, and veggies.
First day is a wrap! We will visit more tourists spots in the next 2 days. I can’t wait to write about them. For now, bed calls y’alls.
Stay safe, stay indoors (for now)!
– K
