 Poster: A snowHead
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Been to El Tarter 4x already, very VERY tempted to sneak in 5 days before Christmas (we drive up from Lisbon). We are all double jabbed.
Based on others’ previous experience, am I likely to encounter Covid-related difficulties? Being turned back at the border, banned from entering with a British passport, needing a PCR test result, last minute country lockdown? Apartments, lift passes etc refuse to refund following last minute cancellation due to new Govt action?
If I want to cut out that border uncertainty we could go to Baqueira, but I’ve never been there so I lose a bit of time sorting out ski hire etc.
Many thanks!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 30-11-21 7:32; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not many Andorra fans here huh?  Anyway here’s my feedback if it helps others, for example those who might be redirected from Austria:
I found an apartment with Pierre et Vacances that has free cancellation up to 3 days before arrival, that’s good enough for me in current uncertain circumstances.
Booked it, they then sent me a message:
We want to inform you what the Andorran Government requires when you visit the country in relation to COVID19.
Tourists over 6 years old who spend 3 or more nights in Andorra must have one of the following certificates:
a) Vaccination certificate confirming that a COVID-19 vaccine has been received.
b) Diagnostic certificate indicating the negative result of a diagnostic test for detection of SARS-CoV-2 by TMA, PCR taken 72 hours before arrival or antigen test made 48 hours before check in.
c) Certificate of recovery from COVID-19 (valid from day 11 to 180 from the first positive PCR).
These documents must be original and written in Catalan, Spanish, French or English and may be on paper or electronic.
These rules DO NOT apply to tourists residing in Portugal, France or Spain or travelers who come from countries identified as "green".
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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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@Orange200, thanks for posting. Pas is on my list for a mid December trip (didn't want to book it too far in advance but seeing snow in the current forecast is helping). I want to decide as late as possible.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Useful information @Orange200.
I'm going out to Soldeu at the beginning of December for 11 weeks covid permitting....
I think Andorra will remain open as they need the income after the last couple of seasons....
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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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I was in Andorra in August, absolutely no problems at the border, or anywhere else. Some bars and restaurants may ask for vaccination passport though. Going again mid-December.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hmm, I see a Snowheads meet forming
That’s what P&V sent me, hope it’s accurate! I will update this thread if I hear more.
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@Orange200, I saw that on the Andorran gov site but elsewhere, it's just appeared that if you're entering from Spain or France, you've had to go through their testing so effectively, if you're good to go in France or Spain, no hassles entering Andorra. Does that make sense?
I've just booked Arinsal on the strength of this; we have an unvaccinated 12yo and a 6yo... youngest travels with no issues, me and the missus are both double-jabbed, but the 12yo will have to do a test before entering France and then one to get back into France on the way home. seemed the least amount of hassle of any European ski country...
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@Orange200, sorry just seen this. I live in Andorra - only moved here in the summer so I’m not an expert yet!
No problems at all crossing the border. If you’re in France/Spain and you’ve met their requirements that’s good enough for getting into Andorra.
COVID numbers are increasing quite rapidly at the moment. The govt have introduced some extra restrictions, but at this stage they’re relatively minor. Masks pretty much anywhere indoors in public - including lifts - most people walk around the streets wearing theirs anyway. Restrictions on the numbers at tables at bars and restaurants - I think it’s 10. The biggest change, and it’s caused some grumbling amongst some, is that you need to have a COVID pass to get into bars, restaurants and quite possibly ski lifts - I’ll check that. I used my normal NHS one earlier today and there was no problem. A colleague used her NHS pass and it didn’t work, and another who has a pass from UAE has struggled to get in anywhere this weekend.
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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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This was emailed to me from someone who translates govt updates from Catalan…
New Prevention Measures to Curb the Spread of COVID-19.
As from Wednesday, 24th November, 2021
Increase in Covid certificate controlled access to venues. With the increase in diagnosed cases both in Andorra and nearby, Joan Martínez Benazet has announced an extension to the establishments and events in which access control must be carried out.
Certificates must now be shown to access: nightlife venues, bars, restaurants and cafes, spas, cultural and sports facilities - including museums, libraries, cinemas and gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons, hotels and tourist accommodation, games rooms, social and health centres and manor houses.
Outdoor events: Certificates must also be presented at outdoor events for more than 1,000 people and indoors for more than 100.
Specifically in the nightlife sector, attendees must have had a rapid negative antigen test performed in the last 12 hours.
Optional control access: In the case of indoor sporting events for up to 100 people, access control using a COVID certificate will be optional. However, if carried out, athletes will be able to compete without masks.
For the rest of the sectors and activities, it will not be necessary for it to be carried out..
Capacity Percentages for Different venues/events:
• The Government Procedures Service (at the Govern) is limited to 50%;
• Nightlife and gambling halls: 60%;
• Sports activities: 70% indoors and 100% outdoors;
• Indoor cultural events 70% and in spas 70%.
• Playgrounds located indoors: 50%
Dining: the maximum number of diners per table is 10 inside and 20 outside.
To increase this number all attendees must have an antigen test (TRA) done in the last 12 hours.
• Workplaces: for the moment masks are mandatory in all cases.
• Indoor spaces: masks must always be worn.
• Online working is prescribed whenever the type of work allows.
• Face-to-face meetings are still limited to 10 people.
If COVID-certified access control is performed on all attendees, compliance with the security distance may be ignored.
Visits to residential care homes: security protocols have also been increased for visits to health centres/residential care. In addition to accessing them with the COVID certificate, visitors will have to undergo an antigen test at the centre, which will be provided by the Ministry of Health.
For overnight home stays, follow-up tests will be conducted once the residents return to their centre. In addition, periodic screenings are maintained for both residents and staff.
Restaurant-related measures will take effect from this Friday.
The rest will be applicable from Monday.
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Well, that's the end of my Andorran trip so. Might write to them letting them know this, assume the dollar is going to be much missed this year.
What a load of nonsense lads, seriously. Its all getting a bit strange. Antigen testing a 6 year old? Will you ever  off.
Beginning to look like to US for me so.
Anyone know the story for Scandinavia?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@8611, where are you travelling from? It also says…
“These rules DO NOT apply to tourists residing in Portugal, France or Spain or travelers who come from countries identified as "green".”
As for testing a 6yo, I’ve seen loads have it done. It’s water off a ducks back for them!
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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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Ireland.
But I presume they don't mean pissed in an Irish Bar on Paddy's day Green....
I doubt any country in Europe will be regarded as green in Covid terms this Winter.
Its funny I had backed Andorra because they actually opened last year and Spain has been relatively liberal, until recent times at least.
Was aiming for Easter. Maybe it'll all have melted away by Easter.
I'm sorry I just think its absolutely ridiculous. People can't live like this, the virus isn't going anywhere. There's nothing riding over the prairie to rescue us. It's pointless trying to stop it, just immensely damaging.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks, that's a little better.
I think I'd still better hang on a bit before booking though.
Ugh.
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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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@8611, put it like this, until 3 weeks ago we were having a handful of cases per week. Last week there were 400. It’s changing really quickly.
That said the rules on entering the country haven’t changed for a while.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yeah. I think it'll have calmed down a bit by Easter and the resorts, like last year, will be anxious to recoup some losses
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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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@8611, they’re getting geared up for a full opening. Fingers crossed.
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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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@hammerite, many thanks for the on the ground updates!
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
What a load of nonsense lads, seriously. Its all getting a bit strange. Antigen testing a 6 year old? Will you ever off.
Anyone know the story for Scandinavia? |
Well, from the NL perspective this is not so strange, insteads, seems the logical thing to do.
Consider that the situation in other countries may be quite different from that in the UK.
I don't know about Scandinavia. I can only speak for the NL.
Since yesterday 1700, we are in kind of lockdown because the situation is getting out of hand.
Rapidly nearing "code black" where triage in the hospitals is required. Already all critical plannable care (ie chemotherapy, heart surgery etc) is stopped.
Government and their advisory council had really really difficult discussions, about closing the primary schools or not. For the first time in 20 months they were openly divided.
Problem is children in primary schools are the #1 source of infections.
School children most often don't get as ill as adults. But they do infect the adults. Therefore you need to break the chain of infections.
In the NL school children now test twice per week. Even if not ill.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Only just seen that 6yo and up need testing.... our 12yo needs a 24hr test for us to fly to France (which should count towards getting into Andorra?), and now the 6yo needs to have a test to get into Andorra. Add in Bojo's insistence on a PCR for all of us on return - which just happen to have gone up in price - and our holiday is going stratospheric in terms of costs.
I'm stressing out now. Feeling like I was stupid to believe that a ski holiday would happen this year. Three weeks to go and I suppose anything can happen....
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@Specialman, this might help…
WHERE CAN I REQUEST A SARS-COV-2 TEST?
Regardless of their nationality or place of residence, any visitor or tourist who is in the Principality of Andorra and needs to have a TMA diagnostic test to detect possible SARS-CoV-2 infection, can request that a test be performed at an Andorran Health Care Service (SAAS) facility.
The public price for this service is €40 (including tax) for each TMA test conducted. The person requesting the test will receive a full report of the result by e-mail within 24 hours. To request a test, call (+376) 821 955 and book an appointment.
There are also private labs in the country that offer PCR diagnostic tests.
The result will be sent within 24 hours.
Info from… https://visitandorra.com/en/covid-19-in-andorra/faq-if-you-re-spending-a-few-days-in-andorra/
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| hammerite wrote: |
| @Specialman, this might help… |
Thanks. 
I reckon I'm overthinking things at the moment, getting wound up by the possibility of it all falling through and falling foul of a loophole where I lose several thousand funds. Think I just need two take a chill pill and relax for the next few weeks...
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
| .....What a load of nonsense lads, seriously. Its all getting a bit strange. Antigen testing a 6 year old? Will you ever off. ... |
Just looked on the Andorran website and there's no mention of 6yos needing to present a test, maybe I'm looking at the wrong website though :
DO I HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY HEALTH CERTIFICATES TO ENTER ANDORRA?
Andorra, like most of the countries in its environment applies a series of protocols for people visiting the country. Citizens of the European Union and assimilated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, the United Kingdom, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican) are exempt from having and/or presenting any health certificate.
Anyone aged twelve (12) or over entering Andorra from a country other than the European Union or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, the United Kingdom, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican must have a valid certificate (point 3) and present it when requested to do so by the authorities. In the case of those aged twelve (12) or over arriving in Andorra who have stayed ten (10) or more consecutive nights in one or more of these areas just before arriving in Andorra, they are not required to have and/or present any health certificate.
And Crystal's updated info says:
Do I need to take a test to travel to Andorra via France?
Children aged 11 and under don’t need to provide a negative test result as long as they’re travelling with a fully vaccinated adult.
All getting a bit confusing....
TBF to Crystal, they have sent out an email saying anyone travelling on or before the 19th December is entitled to fee-free change of holiday if they don't feel comfortable with the changes to incoming/outgoing testing.
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@Specialman, yeah the link I posted above said that. I think @Orange200, got the info from Pierre et Vacances, so it might not be accurate.
Here’s more info about how the Grandvalira are dealing with things at the moment. Assuming they’ve kept the website up to date… https://www.grandvalira.com/en/prevention-measures-against-covid-19
In other news, they’re opening up Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig a few days early. Both will be open tomorrow. Encouraging news.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Vallnord opens on Friday as well too.
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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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Arcalis to open on Wednesday. 
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| hammerite wrote: |
In other news, they’re opening up Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig a few days early. Both will be open tomorrow. Encouraging news. |
Webcam was showing people skiing and boarding at Pas yesterday already, lift running. Didn’t seem to be Patrollers
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You know it makes sense.
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@Orange200, yes, they seemed to have been running one lift since Saturday, but only for a limited time each day. People were driving up (and back down) with skis on their roofs, but none of this was advertised (I looked quite hard!) so no idea!
Now they’ve advertised it and the lifts/pistes are showing as open on the website.
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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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Anyway, the snow looks good, with plenty more forecast over the next week. Looks like a good start to the season following what was a warm and very dry autumn.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Covid update from the Govern tonight. As I understand it (from translating the PowerPoint from Catalan to English on Google Translate).
Covid pass required to use the lifts at ski stations. No details on age etc…
Masks required outdoors in urban areas (most people here wear them anyway).
Nightclubs shut (might quieten down Swansea uni ski club).
Covid pass needed to get into restaurants and bars. Max group size 6 indoors.
10 outdoors (good luck on that one after about 4pm or at any time when it’s not sunny brrrrr).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@hammerite, seems easy enough so far, especially regarding under-16s not needing testing.
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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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@Specialman, yes. They’re desperate to get the season started and keep it going.
Interestingly, they say to reserve table at restaurants for lunch to make sure. I’ve not skied here for a long time, I only moved here in the summer, but I remember a reasonable number of fast food style restaurants on the Grandvalira. Not sure if that’s still the case. Might have to carry some sandwiches with me on Saturday just in case!
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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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I hope everyone flying in is coming via Barcelona now tests are required from to enter France.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I am been googling Spain covid entry restrictions every five minutes...
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| pieman666 wrote: |
| I am been googling Spain covid entry restrictions every five minutes... |
I’m doing it quite regularly too. I’d like to go home for a few days over Christmas and then come back here to ski before I have to go back to work. If things get stricter in the U.K. or Spain introduce some hoops to jump through, then I’ll have to stay here in Andorra.
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So no additional requirements via Spain (Barcelona) other than double jabbed pass?
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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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| pieman666 wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, you need to complete https://www.spth.gob.es/ putting the airport address as where you are staying. |
Brilliant
Many thanks
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FAQ
