Andorra

[Hoofhearted]

My son and I are hoping to visit Andorra around about Easter next year. the Man in Seat 61 provides some tips on how to get there, but it would appear that Andorra is now becoming a very difficult destination to reach. Anyway, we are planning on staying in Barcelona for a week or so, but our intention is to take the train from Barcelona to La Tour De Carol (?). From there it would appear that we have to take two taxis to the Andorran capitol. It would appear that bus services have now been cancelled along that route. We were wondering if anyone could offer some advice as to getting to/from Andorra, without having to use the bus service from Barcelona?

 

[Gloster]

There may be buses from Puigcerda.

 

[Farigiraf]

There is a direct bus from Barcelona Diagonal (There's a metro next to it) to Andorra la Vella https://andbus.net/
A bit pricy but still beats train+taxi+taxi

Oh sorry i totally missed the last part, If you want to ride trains then I suggest train to Lleida and bus from there? Unfortunately I think outside of a £££ taxi it's the only other option
-The 'Train Jaune' from latour de carol is definitely a must, views are similar to the West Highland line (of course when I rode on it the train broke down at Fontpedrouse)

 

[nwales58]

If you want to maximise train, bus Puigcerda - Seu d'Urgell is pretty frequent as is Seu-Andorra la Vella. Horribly slow though.

For scenery+train, how about one direction via Lleida and a day on the Lleida-Pobla de Segur line.

From the french side, Andbus seems to do Toulouse 3 times daily, rail station and airport, but no stops on the way which is presumably why seat61 does not mention them.

If you're trying to go via the Puymorens there are occasional coaches to Pas de la Case (for duty-free shopping). Transports Lieueres do Wednesday and Saturday from Ax and Mérens https://www.transportslieures.fr/#Pas These are excursions with a day return fare probably needing advance booking. Local bus down to Andorra la Vella if you want more than just setting your foot in country - see bus.ad

 

[AdamWW]

La Tour De Carol (?).

Yes, La Tour De Carol.

Or Latour-de-Carole-Enveitg

Or Lator de Querol

Or La Tor de Querol-Enveig

And probably other combinations.

Makes buying tickets from machines interesting.

 

[nwales58]

As the connections are useless, *Latour-de-Carol - Enveitg* would be imprinted in your mind during your 2 hour wait.

Words making up a name are usually hyphenated in french but not in catalan (or spanish).

Ah, but one timetable sheets use Latour de Carol-Enveitg although Ax-les-Thermes is correct on the same sheet. Another sheet uses Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg without the necessary additional spaces.

 

[AdamWW]

Words making up a name are usually hyphenated in french but not in catalan (or spanish).

I got caught out at a ticket machine by RENFE's inconsistency between La Tor and Lator.

As the connections are useless, *Latour-de-Carol - Enveitg* would be imprinted in your mind during your 2 hour wait.

Good point!

I enjoyed hanging around one evening between trains.

It wouldn't be so good as a regular occurance though.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Many thanks for the assistance that you've already provided. It's rather strange how Andorra seems to have become so inaccessible. You'd think they'd be busting a gut to encourage tourism. Having said that, being in the middle of a mountain range doesn't help!

 

[Farigiraf]

Many thanks for the assistance that you've already provided. It's rather strange how Andorra seems to have become so inaccessible. You'd think they'd be busting a gut to encourage tourism. Having said that, being in the middle of a mountain range doesn't help!

Would go a long way to invest a little in La Seu d'Urgell airport and establish reasonable connections even if it's in Spain

 

[nwales58]

Ahem.

Aeroport Andorra - La Seu d'Urgell

Andorra’s unique international gateway

aeroportandorralaseu.cat

Air Nostrum to/from Madrid Fridays and Sundays only at present. Don't know about other times of year or how long it will last.

VOR/DME only so no ops in low visibility so pretty useless for scheduled all year round.

 

[Watershed]

Seems impossible to book this through either the Air Nostrum or Iberia websites.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I take it the bus from La Hospitalet pres de l'Andorre (two stops before La Tour de Carol on the Toulouse line- effectively "Andorra Parkway") no longer runs then?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Many thanks for the assistance that you've already provided. It's rather strange how Andorra seems to have become so inaccessible. You'd think they'd be busting a gut to encourage tourism. Having said that, being in the middle of a mountain range doesn't help!

Andorra has little need for mass market tourism, it makes plenty by being a tax haven. As such the tourism it has is geared towards upmarket skiing whose clients have little interest in using public transport. As a rather small country it can "get away" with swimming against the wider European tide towards more sustainability.

 

[AdamWW]

Andorra has little need for mass market tourism, it makes plenty by being a tax haven. As such the tourism it has is geared towards upmarket skiing whose clients have little interest in using public transport. As a rather small country it can "get away" with swimming against the wider European tide towards more sustainability.

From: https://skiflightfree.org/new-train-service-proposed-to-create-link-to-andorra-ski-resorts/

New Train Service proposed to create link to Andorra ski resorts​

by SKIFLIGHTFREE on Jul 17, 2020 • 7:39 pm
In excellent news for skiers who enjoy travelling by train, a new study by the Andorran Chamber of Commerce is proposing a new railway line to Andorran ski resorts via Seu d’Urgell.
Currently it’s only possible to travel to Andorra by road from neighbouring countries. However, the idea of a simple rail connection is attractive as the country believes it would increase accessibility and increase the length of stay, as well as the obvious benefits in terms of reducing emissions and road congestions.

 

[nwales58]

liO (the region's public transport site) shows no bus routes in the Ariége valley south of Foix. All I know of is the shopping excursions to Pas de la Case as above. As it's France, covoiturage might work too.

The stuff in the news item is pie in the sky. Even by spanish standards.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yeah- having visited the country, any rail connection from whichever direction would be anything but "simple".

 

[class ep-09]

Yeah- having visited the country, any rail connection from whichever direction would be anything but "simple".

Who knows ?
Build a station closer to ski slopes and add cable car straight from the station .
Of course station would be on the “easy to build “ side of the mountains surrounding Andorra .

 

[nwales58]

It is fantasy. A chunk of my working life was evaluating these things. Demand admittedly is tricky as it would largely be generated by the scheme rather than existing. Costs are ludicrously optimistic (unless for a 19th century contour-hugging snail speed route built by slave labour). Anything skiing related under 2000m is close to unbankable nowadays.

People will drive between ski areas if the snow is bad enough where they are so a ski season bus route might just work. But at present there is not even demand to support a bus between Sort and Seu d'Urgell, there is a 1700m pass between two valleys at 800m. Bonaigua pass is 2000m. This is not rail territory.

Pity the tourist people are not pushing something achievable instead of wasting time trying for a feasibility study that will say No.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Who knows ?
Build a station closer to ski slopes and add cable car straight from the station .
Of course station would be on the “easy to build “ side of the mountains surrounding Andorra .

Not as familiar with the topography on the Spanish side, but on the French side there's a load of mountains in the way. There are already (at least) two suitable stations (one of which even has Andorra in the name) on the "easy to build" side of the mountains- which is er... in France!
The border in the East is along the ridge at the top of the mountains, to get into Andorra means going over (or under/through) those mountains.

I thought the "Malta Metro" was the wackiest or most unrealistic transport proposal by a micro-nation... but Andorra has just said "aguanta la meva cervesa!".

 

[dutchflyer]

As I am right now in Toulouse and this morning visited bus/train main gare=station/estacion: an Andorra bound bus was shown @ 11.00 (and again 15.00) and it turned up some 5 mins before as ANDbus, where as screens labelled it as Novatel. it was a midisized Mc-Bz with IndCar bodywork and AND signs. Just a very few pax on board and one just paid driver.
As I later found bus must then have started @ airport and the fare would be a very hefty 39€!
Interesting site of andbus: local fares in AND itself not free, but nearly as, for 10 or 20 cts. or 1€ for weekly or so. Claims to have a very modern fleet of some 60+ vehicles.
The mag BWW (Buses WorlWide) some time ago listed that the previous and run for >40 yrs normal link to a SNCF stop (NOT la Tour!!) was withdrawn-I guess last push done by covid.
In my quest to visit all EUR countries I also did the trip, probably pre 2000, out by bus in ES and back into FR then, but cannot remember much of it.
For those or poster, IF continuing into FR here, this Region LiO=Occitanie now offers rover tickets for its TER-local trains at 10€/day, MIN 2 days, max 5 or 7, BUT must be done via www. My quest at a normal station was met with a shrug and when lady realised I was a foreign visitor she explained she could not sell online offers on the spot.
In first whole weekend of the month, sat+sun, all single tickets are just 1€-but new ticket needed for train2 if change is done.
@nwales58: I also found a brand new transportmap of LiO-showing all regional trains + Buses (all flat fare of just 2€-whereas train can be 18/19 full fare on some lines parrallel- and this did show the odd busline south of Foix and north of La Tour-but not connecting these 2 and I bet probably only schoolruns.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Thanks one and all. Looks like we'll take the direct bus from/to Barcelona. Train doesn't seem feasible.

 

[Mojo]

Seems impossible to book this through either the Air Nostrum or Iberia websites.

Yes I found that too, even as a domestic flight from Madrid it wouldn’t let me. In the end decided to book a flight from London to Toulouse and hire a car.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Thanks one and all. Looks like we'll take the direct bus from/to Barcelona. Train doesn't seem feasible.

If it's any consolation, if the bus from Barcelona follows the road up the valley via Ripoll & Ribes de Freser (parallel to the R3 rail line to Puigcerda and Latour), then it certainly looked like a very picturesque route from the equally picturesque railway.

 

[AdamWW]

If it's any consolation, if the bus from Barcelona follows the road up the valley via Ripoll & Ribes de Freser (parallel to the R3 rail line to Puigcerda and Latour), then it certainly looked like a very picturesque route from the equally picturesque railway.

Looking at transport directions on Google Maps, it doesn't look as if it does go that way (which is indeed very scenic).

Possibly the way the bus goes is also good.

 

[nwales58]

Several routes, but non via Ripoll as far as I can see.
Fastest is via the Cadi tunnel and C-16. Some go via C-14 south from Seu d'Urgell via either Cardona or Ponts. Look at the services on Alsa or any other site showing intermediate stops, some stop once others have 30+ stops. For scenery, try both.