Driving from Barcelona to Andorra

A snowHead

Hi,

We are going to Andorra on January 21st 2017 and are thining of hiring some cars to get us there and back from Barcelona airport
Has anyone done the drive before? How difficult are the roads?
A possible complication is that we dont land at Barcelona until 9pm so wont arrive in Andorra until around midnight and so how likely is it that the roads will be snowed over? I have asked the hire companies about snow chains and some of them hire them so that is OK.

I have asked a bus company about a private transfer and they can do it at that time for 10 people so presumably they arent expecting the roads to be too bad if a minibus can make the journey

Any personal experiences?

Thanks

A snowHead

Never done it myself but FWIW I would go with a minibus transfer. The last thing I would want arriving at 9pm (assuming it is on time) is car hire faff and by the time you get away I bet you don't get to your accommodation till after midnight. I certainly wouldn't want to be putting on snow chains if it became necessary. I would be looking for the easiest option that would get me to resort relaxed and good to go the following morning

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The route into Andorra from Spain is less likely to be a problem than from France.
When I looked at the cost of getting myself and my daughter from Barc to Soldeu, it was marginally cheaper to hire a small car for the week compared to two bus fares plus the convenience of having wheels for the week.

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I drove to up the Spanish side of that border at the end of the season a couple of years ago in a hire car. I ended up following the plough in 15cms of fresh, but it was all an easy drive. I took an evening in Barcelona, then drove up at 05:00 the next morning. The return trip I made in the evening after riding.

I did not have snow chains which I suspect made me technically illegal for the last section - there were signs for maybe the last 10kms. My care was front wheel drive and perfectly fine, with care. If I'd had issues then I'd have simply waited for the plough.

I don't know the bit from the sign which points across to "Andorra" of course, all of which I suppose is going to be high altitude too.

I'd say it's easier than many places I've driven in Europe or North America in similar vehicles. If you have chains, then you'd be fine and you probably won't need them. They keep those roads clear because the hills on the Spanish side are not "resorts", so people *have* to be able to drive there or they won't sell any tickets.

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You'd be lucky to get there for midnight. Make sure you know where you're going - Barcelona airport's "on the wrong side" of the city. Personally I'd rather I drove than pay someone to drive me, but each to their own.

One thing I noticed there was that the car rental people tried to add extra insurances which would have doubled their cost, despite me pre-paying for the thing.
It's a hard sell, so my advice would be to book precisely what you want, and then don't let them try to scare you into paying more. They're paid commission...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I've got two trip to Andorra planned for 2017.

First trip just two of us and we're staying in Soldeu so getting bus transfer. I used these in the summer very efficient and take you to the door http://www.andorrabybus.com/en

Second trip is family of 4 so I'm hiring a car, we're staying in Anyos just outside La Vella. Hire cars from Barcelona won't have winter tyres so I will be hiring or buying chains on route, and hoping I won't need them. When looking for prices check if insurance includes Andorra (Non-EU) becuase many don't or its a chargeable extra, I know its included with Enterprise. Also don't forget to factor in parking costs, parking can be a pain in ass in Andorra, most hotels charge about €10 per night and if you drive to a resort each day you looking at another €5 per day. I wouldn't like to arrive late at night, as suggested above maybe stay in Barcelona over night if you can. I managed to get early flights out and late home, I wouldn't like to do it the other way.

We arrive on the 28th, give me a high 5 in the airport as we pass!

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Never done the Barca to Andorra drive but Mini bus all the way for me. The driver of the mini bus will have lots of mountain driving experience and will have driven the route lots so will know it well and know where problems and/or hold up's might happen.
The driver will have put chains on and off lots and will have all the other kit. Head torch, shovel, gloves, etc if needed.
In the dark late at night on the wrong side of the road in a snow storm with your party squeezed into two hire cars with ski bags protruding over the heads sounds like it could be a bit stressful if you are unlucky (or lucky) enough to have a blizzard/snow storm blow in.
Let the driver do the work and get wet bum/knee's in -10 Celsius if the chains need to go on.
If you were maybe arriving at 9am in the morning then it would not be so imperative to 'get a move on' but 9 at night makes me think mini bus.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hmm,

At odds somewhat to the above, but I did it last summer and it was a pretty sporty road, as in good fun, tight and twisty. My route would have been a nightmare on unploughed roads without winter tyres/chains... My route was 'shortest for fast car' on satnav, so there may be a better route for winter.

For a frame of reference, I've driven over 5k miles in the Alps in winter, plus over 15yrs up North in winter.

After all it is free

Or.. Arrive, pick up the car and stay at a cheap hotel near the airport. Get up early and do the drive in daylight in a much more relaxed state.

We used Sun Transfers last year. It cost 12 of us in a mini coach £44 each return, dropped and picked up at the door. Novotel bus is cheap and does the job as well.

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@fredbob, Did the drive in April and it was very simple on really fantastic roads, the return journey at 4am was a little problematic leaving Pas de la Casa and was the first time I've had to use snow chains but once we had reached the tunnel to Soldeu I could remove them, we passed the transfer bus which was using chains and was picking people up. I bought these for 18 euros the day before as the storm was expected for a few days prior.

They really make an effort to keep the roads clear at all times so I wouldn't worry and just keep your eye open on the weather for travel days. A friend of mine used the transfer company as he had to travel at a different time to us and said it was good, but quite lengthy - over 3.5hrs iirc they also had to travel during potentially treacherous road conditions and it was fine.

Car hire is very cheap and easy from Barcelona but the transfer will be easier for you to manage a group.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@fredbob, I tried to do it once flying to Girona rather than Barcelona. Just as we were leaving home to go to the airport the car hire company, Avis, texted us and cancelled the booking. A frantic series of emails later a freind walked into a bar in Soldeau and found someone prepared to drive to the airport and collect us.

The roads are fine.

snow reports

Did it last year, got snowchains from the hire place at Barca (Avis) and headed off in the evening, stopped at a supermarket for supplies and went straight there. No problems whatsoever, but the weather was good and snow chains weren't needed that weekend

There was quite a lot of traffic going through the tunnels on the way home on the Sunday as a lot of people who'd come over for the weekend from Barcelona were all heading back.

Apart from that, was great, we'll be doing the same again this season

@athersT where did you get the chains from? in Andorra? They were great value

Which route did you take to Barcelona? all the way through Andorra or in and out of France? The route through France is shortest but I'm wondering which is the easiest

You know it makes sense.

@fredbob, I bought them from a shop in Pas de la Casa on their "high street" they were readily available in many shops in sizes for all cars. We took the route all through Spain avoiding all the tolls on the outgoing journey and all through Spain taking toll roads on returning. Both were easy but outgoing was cheaper and beautiful.

The chains were only required to get from the "side streets" onto the main roads as at 4AM during a heavy snow storm they hadn't been cleared yet. Will have a look through my pictures at lunchtime and see if there are any I can upload.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Did it last Easter, driving to Arinsal, it was relatively straight forward, compared to some Alpine passes I've encountered.
One thing, I would ensure that the hire car depot is based at the terminal and not a bus journey away. I had a bad experience during the Euro's this year, we rented with Sol E Mar at Barcelona airport, by the time we got a shuttle bus to the rental depot and waited in the queue 3 hours were wasted, whereas at Easter we were on the road within 30 mins of landing.

A snowHead

The local minibuses take the route Barcelona airport-Igualada-Calaf-Ponts-Seu d'Urgell-Andorra la Vella. It's a very easy and picturesque route, though you won't see anything if you are going at night! Be awar there are a lot of speed cameras on the route these days, and they will send you a fine and chase you for payment if you go even a fraction over the limit, and the speed limit seems to just change at random. The other route, straight up north (which is the way a satnav would take you) and then through Puigcerda is the most sick-inducing bendy twisty route going, and there are frequent toll booths on the straight bits, and always a traffic jam at la Molina. It is never as easy a route as it looks on paper.

Wrt snow chains, in 16 years of going there we have only ever needed them twice. They generally keep the roads open and in great condition, but if you happen to be driving during one of the big dumps they will put the police out there to stop anyone without chains or snow tyres.

One more thing to be aware of is that if you get a diesel car at Barcelona, top it up with local diesel when you arrive in resort - local diesel has an additive that makes it less likely to freeze. Petrol car would be better choice. Also check that the car hire company will let you take a car into Andorra - not all of them do. (I've seen friends fall foul of this one.)

A snowHead

Oh, and 247snowman - you have more faith in the minibus drivers than I do! (And I write as someone who used to catch the Barcelona- Andorra minibus on a weekly basis! It was always an exciting ride.)

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I last did this 10 years ago, but from memory two things stick in the mind - back then Andorra went to bed a 9pm, I was driving back to Perpignan and I remember frantically searching for open petrol station which after I paid physically switched the lights off as I jumped back in the car! Second thing was at the time it seemed Dick Turpin himself was running the toll booths on the Spainish toll roads, so you might need real money and not a card too.

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It is the same as every other European mountain transfer.

A flat part, a steady climb, a short steeper climb, and you're there.

Millions of people have done it for the past 100 years.

If it snows, have some fun sliding sideways round the switchbacks.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

for a group of 10 I'd be looking at these guys for transfers.

https://www.andorraresorts.com/transfers/

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@fredbob, The drive isn't too taxing and the car hire places are situated just outside the main terminal.

Be careful when hiring that the hire company allow you to take the car to Andorra. We booked through Holiday Autos and although our paperwork said we could, the car hire company (FireFly IIRC) would not let us take the car. We ended up having to walk up to Hertz and rent another car. it was still pretty cheap...so double check after making your booking.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hi All,
Some really helpful info but does anyone know where the best place to check the Barcelona to Andorra road conditions.

Maybe a link???

Cheers Del

After all it is free

Use Google maps for Spain traffic conditions and http://mobilitat.ad for Andorra. Also recommend not going via C16 it's the busiest and costs 30€ in tolls each way. Go via A2 -> C14.

Indeed, Google Maps, or http://transit.gencat.cat/ca/informacio_viaria/estat_del_transit/mapa_continu_mct/ for Catalonia

Help!!

Driving from Barcelona to Andorra

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