See our Travel section
for a list of tour operators offering packages to Arinsal. If you would prefer to
travel here independently see our Flight
Planner and transfer bus timetable, and if you want to rent a car from the
airport and drive here take a look at the Fly-Drive
page. The nearest airports are Barcelona, Girona and Toulouse, and the transfer
usually takes about three and a half to four hours. There are no airports or
railway stations inside Andorra itself, so you have to arrive by bus, car, cycle,
or on foot.
Where can I stay?
There are many hotels in Arinsal, as well as a few holiday appartments and chalets. See our Accommodation section for details. Close to Arinsal you can also stay in the nearby towns of Erts and La Massana.
The Resort
Why should I go to Arinsal?
Arinsal is quite possibly the friendliest ski town you will ever visit. Many visitors return year after year because of this, and likewise the rate of staff turnover is much lower than in a typical Alpine resort. The ski area is ideal for beginners and intermediates and the ski/snowboard school employs a large number of native English speaking instructors.
Isn't Arinsal a bit small?
It is small, yes, but for those of us that work here, or return on holiday year after year, that is a large part of the charm. In terms of skiing, there is plenty here for beginners while more advanced skiers can explore the linked area of Pal via the cable car, and of course nearby Arcalis offers the best terrain in Andorra for the competent skier. All three areas are included in the same lift pass and each has its own distinct character.
Where can I go out at night?
That depends on what you are looking for. Take a look at our bar and restaurant listings
and What's
On guide.
Arinsal has something to suit most tastes - authentic mountain cuisine, lively
apres ski bars, Italian, Mexican, Oriental, and Argentinian restaurants, or Ibiza
DJs playing until 4am.
What can I do if I don't ski?
In Arinsal itself the options are a little limited although the hotels, particularly the Princessa Parc have a range of facilities from Gymns to Saunas to Bowling Alleys. However Andorra is a small country and the capital, Andorra La Vella is easily reached by bus or taxi. Once there you can relax in the Caldea spa complex (one of the largest in Europe) or shop (duty free) till you drop.
What language(s) so they speak in Andorra?
The official language here is Catalan, which is also widely spoken throughout Catalunia from here to Barcelona. Spanish is very widely spoken and most native Andorrans also speak French. In Arinsal itself the vast majority of people you will meet speak good English, and the ski school will ensure that you can have lessons in English.
What are the duty free limits?
Since Andorra is not part of the EU, the following duty free limits apply when entering France or Spain:
Products
Quantitative limits
Milk powder
2,5 kg
Condensed milk
3,0 kg
Fresh milk
6,0 kg
Butter
1,0 kg
Cheese
4,0 kg
Sugar and confectionery
5,0 kg
Meat
5,0 kg
Tobacco products:
Cigarettes
or
Cigarillos (cigars weighing no more than 3 g each)
or
Cigars
or
smoking tobacco
300 items
150 items
75 items
400 g
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages:
distilled beverages and spirituous beverages having an alcoholic strength by volume of more than 22 % vol; undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80 % vol or more
1,5 litres total
or
spirituous distilled beverages, aperitifs based on wine or alcohol, taffia, sake or similar beverages with an alcoholic strength by volume not exeeding 22 % vol, sparkling wine, dessert wine
3,0 litres total
and
still wine
5,0 litres total
Perfume
and
toilet water
75 grams
3/8 litres
Coffee
or
extracts and essences of coffee
1,0 kg
400 grams
Tea
or
extracts and essences of tea
200 grams
80 grams
Who runs Andorra?
From 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel). In 1993 the country adopted its first written constitution tranforming it into a parlimentary democracy, but retaining the titular heads of state (Currently French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC and Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA.
I you are a beginner lessons are essential. Tackling even the smallest of the ski lifts requires the skills to control your speed and direction. Attmpting to ski without proper instruction is dangerous and will seriously reduce the likelihood of you having an enjoyable holiday. If you have skied before, obviously it is up to you whether to take lessons or not. There is always the option of private lessons for an hour or two tune up if you would prefer not to be in ski school for the whole week (see below). Skiing is a sport where there is always more to learn, and where learning is always rewarding. Personally I would always recommend taking a lesson now and again for a tune up, and to find new sensations.
Group lessons or private lessons - what's the difference?
Group lessons here consist of 15 hours over five days. You will be skiing with a group of people in the same situation as you, learning together. The camaraderie of the group always makes for a memorable experience, and this is definitely the most enjoyable way to learn to ski. The timescale allows you to develop your technique over a longer period, and allows the instructor to present a wider range of material.
Private lessons are usually for an hour or two, although it is up to you how long to book for. You can choose the time, the instructor, the subject of the lesson, and whether to take the lesson by yourself or with friends, partners or children. The instructor is able to tailor the lesson to your precise needs, and devise exercises aimed specifically at you. This is the fastest way to improve your skiing. Private lessons are useful for a general tune-up, learning a specific technique, correcting a fault or moving past a plateau. They are also useful to augment group lessons, either because you feel you are progressing too slowly, or because you want to take your skiing a bit further.
Note: the next three questions relate to group lessons only.
Which class should I go in?
If you are a complete beginner then obviously you should join the beginner class. If you have skied at all before, even if only for a few hours, or if it was several years ago, you will quickly get bored in a beginner class as you realise you know more than you think. If you are happy to go up a chairlift and ski down a blue run then join the intermediate class. Anybody who has skied before but does not feel ready for the intermediate class should join the 'Dry-Slopers' or advanced beginner class.
Children's classes (for children under 12) are an exception to this. Children who have skied a little before should stay with the beginner group unless they are ready for the intermediate group. There is no children's Dry-Sloper group since children tend to be split into ability levels early on in the lesson.
All classes except beginners participate in a ski-off before being placed in groups of similar ability level.
I skied 20 years ago - should I go into the beginner class?
No, definitely not! You will find you remember more than you think and will find the first day of the beginner class very slow. Join the 'Dry-Slopers' or advanced beginner group where you will be put in a class with people of similar ability.
I am a good skier, where should I go?
Join the intermediate group where you will be put in a class with people of similar ability. The top level intermediate classes here would be considered advanced in many places, and will cover advanced techniques such as carving, short radius, steep narrow black runs etc. The intructors taking the top level intermediates tend to be those whith the highest qualifications and many seasons of experience of teaching high level skiing.
I've skied for a few weeks but my girlfriend/boyfriend is a beginner - can we be in the same class?
No. You'll be bored and (s)he won't thank you for being around making it look easy. Nor will the rest of the beginner group want you around. If you really must ski together, book a private lesson together but to be honest you are better off letting him/her learn with others of similar ability.
Do the instructors speak good English?
In a word, yes. Around a third of the instructors here are native English speakers and other nationalities have to speak a good level of English before they are allowed to teach English groups. Lessons are also available in a wide range of other languages including Catalan, Czech, Hebrew and Russian.
Are the instructors qualified?
Yes. In order to obtain a work permit to teach skiing in Andorra an instructor must demonstrate they have a qualification equivalent to the Andorran Nivell 1. In practice, for an instructor following the British (BASI) system, this means a week's foundation course, 70 hours of work experience, a two week exam and a week long Andorran upgrade course. This is a minimum - many instructors are much more highly qualified than this - and passing the examination part requires a very competent level of skiing before taking the course.
Skiing
What is this carving thing?
Basically, carving means setting the ski on it's edge, pressing on it and using the shape of the ski to make a turn without skidding. The idea isn't new - it was invented around 150 years ago in Norway - but modern ski designs developed over the last decade or so make the technique a lot easier. Carving is now within reach of intermediate to advanced skiers where before it was the province of the expert.
Should I ski or snowboard, which is easier?
It is entirely up to you. Some people take to skiing more naturally, others to snowboarding. As a ski instructor I would recomend skiing, but the snowboard instructors would disagree of course. You won't know which suits you best until you have tried both.
Should I teach my husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend to ski/board?
Only if you want a divorce. Book them into ski school and you will both enjoy your holiday a lot more. By all means ski together, but after he or she has learnt the basics.
What's the best age to learn to ski?
The age you are now! It's never too late, but if you haven't started yet you're missing out. If you are thinking of putting the kids into ski school however, don't push them too hard too young - you don't want to put them off. Children younger than six usually don't have the strength to hold a snowplough, which is the reason the Creche and Snowgarden are available for the younger ones.
How do I do a parallel turn?
Practice a lot, or take some lessons. Remember though that parallel turning is just one step on the road to being an expert skier, it's more of a beginning than an ending.
Where do moguls come from?
Moguls, or bumps, are formed when a number of skiers make tight turns in the same area, pushing the snow into lumps. It becomes easier to ski between the lumps than over them, so more skiers follow the same lines and the hollows between the bumps get deeper. Eventually a field of fairly close bumps and troughs forms. In some places, and for competitions, the moguls are made using piste machines to ensure they are regular in shape. The only reason most pistes are not mogul fields is that they are groomed every night to flatten out the lumps.
How do they make artificial snow?
At it's simplest, the snow machine sprays a fine mist of water into the air which freezes before it lands. Obviously this will only work when the air temperature is sub-zero which is one reason why more snowmaking is done at night. Because it has less time in the air than natural snow, artuficial snow can lack the fluffy consistency of fresh powder snow, but it is hard to distiguish the two after they have been groomed or skied over. Snow machines line the main runs here and at other resorts, and can provide good skiing on piste even with no natural snow at all.
