 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Guys,
A few friends and me are about to book a quick skiing holiday in March and have stumbled across Pas de la Casa. I've just got a few questions for people that have been before!
What will the snow be like between 13/03/14 - 17/03/14?
Will it still be lively between these dates?
What are the food / drink prices like?
General resort review?
Appreciate the help guys!
Tom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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March is probably the best month in the Pyrenees, with regular snowfall and sunny days. Pas (and Grandvalira in general) will still be in full swing. And at that time of year there will still be some decent shopping bargains - particularly clothing - in the ski shops. (The sales happen mid-season rather than end-of-season in Andorra.)
Food and drink prices are reasonable - and certainly much cheaper than in the mega-resorts in the Alps. Food on the mountain is so-so, but in Pas town there is a more sophisticated range of options. Pop by the Pyrenees thread in the Snow Reports forum on here before your trip and folks will give some specific suggestions.
Grandvalira is a large resort, with a certain fame for being good for intermediates... which means that the more challenging bits are left empty! It's not extreme skiing though, that's true.
Pas as a town is fugly. But it's got a bit of après going on. (The Pyrenees are a far cry from Austria though!) Snowheads who give the most positive reviews of the town tend to be young and looking for a bit of a party without breaking the bank, with some reasonable skiing thrown in.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just another another couple of questions.... What are the prices of boots like over there? I have an old pair that need upgrading and thought it might be a good idea to get them over there and take advantage of the no TAX! And what airport is the best to come from? Google says Toulouse is closer but most people seem to come from Barcelona?
Cheers
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Toulouse is better for Pas de la Casa (tbf have never done the trip from Spain) About 4 hrs I seem to remember inc a stop in Ax les Thermes for a comfort break. There is an outside thermal spring where you can dip you feet whilst eating your sarnie. 
Get into the capital Andorra La Vella to check out ski gear too. Local bus will take you there though don't remember them ever being very to timetable!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the reply!
The shared transfers don't really work very well with our flight times and the private transfers are crazy money! Might have to look at renting a car!
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| C1TPT wrote: |
| Just another another couple of questions.... What are the prices of boots like over there? I have an old pair that need upgrading and thought it might be a good idea to get them over there and take advantage of the no TAX! And what airport is the best to come from? Google says Toulouse is closer but most people seem to come from Barcelona |
VAT in Andorra is less than 5%, so you'll be saving approx 15% compared to the UK and Andorra's neighbours. But of course, the prices depend on the margin that any given shop tries to earn. In general though, the shops are competitive... and the sale discounts are excellent.
Indeed, I've heard that Toulouse is quicker for Pas in particular (since from Barcelona the buses enter from the Spanish side and force a change at Andorra la Vella). But I too get the impression that going via Barcelona is more common. Perhaps it's simply that there are more businesses working on the Barcelona side than on the Toulouse side.
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One reason for using Barcelona rather than Toulouse is the access....the road in from France is closed more often than the road in from Spain. It feels like the French authorities don't like clearing the roads for Andorra....in reality I think that the road up from Axe can be prone to avalanches...unlike the road in from Spain.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| C1TPT wrote: |
The shared transfers don't really work very well with our flight times and the private transfers are crazy money! Might have to look at renting a car! |
Not a bad idea - though if you go by the quicker route you'll have to pay €20 each way for the tunnels, and parking won't be fun unless it's included with your hotel.
But note that you can do Andorra from Barcelona by public transport, ie it's not obligatory to use a formal transfer. Check out http://www.andorrabybus.com/en and http://www.andorradirectbus.es/en/ , and then you'd use Andorra's internal public transport system (line L4) to get to Pas - there's one bus per hour up until about 8pm, and I believe there are night buses too. Maybe too much hassle? It does work though; I've done it once or twice myself.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 2-03-15 20:27; edited 1 time in total
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@C1TPT, 17/3 = St Patrick's Day, which is definitely one of the liveliest days/nights in Pas.
I second the info from @Pyremaniac, and would add that if you do decide to hire a car then note that in my experience the car hire desks at Toulouse generally always have a stock of snow chains, but hardly any at Barcelona do.
As for buying new boots - absolutely, Pas has loads of snowsports retail outlets and prices are genuinely very keen.
On the mountain, check out the Montmalus area over in the Grau Roig sector: couple of quiet & enjoyable runs (1 red, 1 black-ish) sheltered by trees there; also worth asking at the Grandvalira info desk in Pas about access to the Freeride Zone on Pic Blanc just above Pas de la Casa, the draglift that serves it is only open/accessible to officially-guided visitors, so it's worth booking their guides to take you up there especially if they'll take you into the off-piste hanging valley around the Coll des Isards.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anyone know anything about transfers from Barcelona Airport to Pas de la casa?
The private transfers are crazy expensive from the 'official' website (http://www.pasdelacasa-andorra.com/transfers.php) , but are half that price from some random companies on the internet... such as http://www.barcelona-andorra-taxis.com/quote.php .
If anyone has any tips that would be useful!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You could have a look at novatel transfers they run several busses from Barcelona Toulouse and girona on a daily basis.
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| TPilbeam wrote: |
| The private transfers are crazy expensive from the 'official' website (http://www.pasdelacasa-andorra.com/transfers.php) |
There's nothing "official" about that site; it's just a private business. (I know nothing about them, and make no comment about their services except that I've read occasional feedback on here, positive.)
Aside from tailor-made transfer services, the two more-or-less "public transport" coaches that I mentioned above do the run to Andorra - although I'm not sure if they go to Pas or whether you'd have to take local transport to connect from Andorra la Vella.
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FAQ
I was a bit worried about the skiing having too many easier runs but I'm sure there is enough there to satisfy us for the 3-4 days we are there
