Poster: A snowHead
|
A friend is taking the SO to Barcelona before Christmas. Anyone got experience of travelling time to Andorra?
In particular, is a day trip possible? If the conditions allow, (it is mid Dec ) he may put it on the agenda as a surprise.
TomTom reports about 3 hrs and 125 miles, but sometimes these can be wrong.
Only there a few days, so time is at a premium.
Wasnt going to consider ski-ing but she got the idea they were off to Switzerland or Austria so trying to add this in as a special day out.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
snafu, it's about the same if a bit more from Barcelona as it is from Toulouse side to say Pas. Day trip is possible, pretty accurate if the weather is good, expect it to take longer if its bad.
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
We did this 2 years ago, travelling Sunday to Sunday.
Outbound was fine - about 2.5-2.75 hrs airport to Soldeu, travelling late afternoon. On the way back we were spending the Sunday night in Barcelona, so skied at La Masella in Spain on the way back (fairly decent ski area by the way).
We left the ski area about 5pm and arrived in Barcelona at about midnight - the most miserable driving experience of my life. Turns out that there are about 2 main roads (both mainly single carriageway though dual near Barcelona) from the mountains and it's apparently like that every Sunday in the ski season. So much for our leisurely night out in Barcelona - I was so knackered it was straight to bed.
Great trip though! We skied all the areas of Andorra (Soldeu, Pas de la Casa (these 2 are linked); Pal & Arinsal (ditto re linked); & Arcalis plus a small French resort called Porte de Puymorens - plus Spanish area mentioned above.
Well worth doing - but only if you can avoid return travel on a Sunday afternoon in the main season. I imagine that - if the skiing is open before Christmas - it could well be fine on a Sunday as it will be ultra-low season at that time.
Taking everything into account, a day trip is definitely feasible.
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
If you get a good run it is possible to get from Andorra to Barcelona airport in about 2.5 hours.
A big thing to consider here is that it is the run up to christmas. As there is only one road in and out of Andorra, this can get quite busy around the Duanes/borders with all the spanish coming up to get cheap pressies. This can increase the journey to Barca by anything up to 3 hours!! In the run up to christmas this can be everyday, but at other times, it generally just the weekends.
Other resorts that you consider in Spain which would be easier to get to and of a decent size are the likes of La Molina (about 2hrs from barca), Port Aine (about 3hours) and Cerdagne Puigmal/Puigcerda (about 2hrs).
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Another option might be Font Romeu/ Pyrennes 2000. It's French Catalan area, so not as cheap as Andorra, but nothing like Alps prices.
It was full of day trippers from Barcelona at the weekends when I went last February... iirc, about 2 hours drive from Barcelona airport (travelled Saturdays, didn't hit any jams).
(looked for map and found this list of ski resorts near Barcelona instead, which might be useful .. http://www.barcelonayellow.com/component/option,com_mtree/task,listcats/cat_id,160/Itemid,26/ )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|