 Poster: A snowHead
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off to Andorra at half term and wondering if anyone has found a reasonable roaming solution.
I previously found the chances of reaching a french network from Pas De La Casa pretty slim.
It looked like plusnet claim to but just don't deliver plus options for local sims are in the region of €30 too and may have to jump through hoops a bit to buy in the first place.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I usually use the free wifi in the restaurants having lunch. Other than that, I bought a pair of Motorola TLK80 to keep in touch with wife, which might seem a bit extreme but it's actually the cost of two penalty bills from the phone!
I would assume any solution would depend on your own mobile package?
I've never looked into buying an Andorran PAYG sim, maybe I should.
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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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BT used to but they don't now. I think the problem is that the Andorran mobile company gouge the price because they can so eventually the mobile companies notice and put the prices up accordingly. Also I don't think any of the UK providers support data in Andorra. The mountain WiFi which comes free with your ski pass in grandvillara works well and is available at the top of some lifts as well as restaurants. You need to have an account for the WiFi but easy enough to create before hand.
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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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Yeah the SIM is expensive and at the start of my season there I discovered that you could only buy it in from Andorra Telecom or whatever it's called, in Andorra la Vella.
So basically, not much of a solution. Like orange200, the rest of the time when I don't have a SIM I find that using cheap walkie-talkies from Decathlon is a decent alternative.
Whatever you do, don't accidentally leave your data connection on! I did so once after crossing the border and the bill was unpleasant. (I'm slightly ashamed to admit that, once back in Spain, I rang up my operator and claimed that I had been hiking in Spainnear the border and didn't expect to be switched to an Andorran provider, which they kindly accepted and refunded the charge. Not sure if that would work if you tried to do that with a provider from a non-bordering country though!)
My old car met its end in Andorra once. It was worth it, because my insurance would have charged me for getting it to the scrapyard had it happened in Spain, but because it happened abroad (although Andorra doesn't seem very "abroad" from Spain or France) it was free. I made up for that by paying €65 for the approx. 15 minutes of calls from my mobile getting everything sorted out 
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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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Ouch Pyremaniac expensive.
Apart from the cost worried if I'll connect at all if needed. Can't remember if T-Mobile or 3 connected at all. Then 9 yr old strained ligaments in a lesson and I only found out as I'd been shadowing both classes.
Then followed trying to stay in touch with Mum at home!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pretty much what everybody said. You need to but the SIM in Andorra la Vella itself. You need to take your passport and the address of the hotel / partment where you are staying. The cost for the SIM is €15 which you can then utilise as follows:
- €5 gets you 500MB of data for up to 7 days
- €2 gets your 100MB (I think) of data for up to 2 days
- €1 gets you 50MB of data for 24h.
One thing to note is that there is hardly any area in Andorra that is not covered by MobilAnd, so you are pretty much ensured of always getting 3G/4G whereever you are.
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Great info
Thank you
Frontera blanca appts on the snowfront are the in a 2g area just before nothing from any roaming network (wasn't just me then !)
Trip to LA Vella probably too much hassle. Probably have to get more walkie talkies and stay in the same valley as kids during lessons and rely on appt and resort wiFi the rest.
Surprisingly difficult to buy local access in an area with a large tourism income.
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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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Andorra's still gripped by a telecoms monopoly the likes of which other western European countries haven't seen for years (thank goodness). Damn fine fibre optic available over pretty much the entire country though... So at least the money was being spent usefully
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have an Irish Sim card with Eir and last week there was no extra roaming data charges in Andorra, much to my surprise!
Might be worth checking with your provider
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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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@mrvinegar, that’s a cracking deal. I’ve been looking through their website and it’s quite confusing but there just seems to be loads of variations. Alas they don’t send sims to England though.
Shame as that’s the best one I’ve seen so far.
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Sounds like your on to something, mrvinegar! I feel a moneysavingexpert moment coming on on this thread!
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You know it makes sense.
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Wow mrvinegar cracking deal, probably a bit late for this trip but will be watching keenly.
Wish I'd asked earlier I might have had time to give this a try, I guess would need registering in a handset in Ireland first.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^Can you update this thread when you get there and let me know what reception is like in the village? I can then look at alternatives re WiFi if I can't phone home.
Also an update at the same time re snow would be really great 
Have a good time
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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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Has anyone had any luck with data roaming in Andorra in the last year or so? My mobile is with Plusnet, who claim to cover Andorra in their free EU roaming, but am wondering if anyone has tried it.
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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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Haven’t looked since the above but a few emails to plusnet should clarify?
Do check data limits though. It seems data is really cheap in UK, I can tell you it’s really expensive in Portugal, so don’t expect a similar deal. Tip, download google or other maps offline before you get there. Ask me how I know...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A couple of years ago there was a person with a Plusnet connection in the hotel I was in and he got data ok. Sign up for the free WiFi which you get with the lift pass as that works at the top and bottom of most of the lifts and in the restaurants. WhatsApp works well with it.
I'm on Giffgaff and data doesn't work at all which is lucky as it's £5 a mb!
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I live in Andorra, and I managed to get a plusnet SIM card, roaming is working, but only at 3G speeds.
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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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They offer 5G, but only for Andorra Telecom customers, for foreign SIM cards 4g or 3g only. Now I have an Orange France SIM Card, and I have 4G, now definitely I ditch plusnet because of the 3G speeds.
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FAQ
