Andorra, worth a visit or avoid?

[ebbo]

Worst driving I've ever seen in Andorra but the roads in and out of the top are terrific

 

[Gecko]

Watch out for the French Gendarmes on the road up to Andorra. I got a €90 on the spot fine there for overtaking a car that was desperately struggling to get up the mountain.... they sit and wait and just collect cash

 

[Simon W]

Don't shorten it. The stretch east from Puigcerda to Ribes is one of the best stretches of the N260 - not to be missed if at all possible. It will be a long day - so make sure you spend the day riding, not sitting in cafes... that's what slows things down most. Keep the stops short - 15 mins not half an hour (or longer) - and it'll be an easily manageable day. And a great day's ride.

 

[stolzy]

Watch out for the French Gendarmes on the road up to Andorra. I got a €90 on the spot fine there for overtaking a car that was desperately struggling to get up the mountain.... they sit and wait and just collect cash

You got fined for overtaking a car (I presume on solid white line) - what has that got to do with collecting cash?

 

[J.R.]

Well not to be wishing to swim against the tide but......I liked it!!! Been a couple of times, and last time (three years ago mind, it could have turned to shit since ) I had a great time in a top hotel, with her indoors along, and we found some interesting shopping and a couple of nice eateries. I must have been the happy pig.........

 

[Hman]

Well not to be wishing to swim against the tide but......I liked it!!! Been a couple of times, and last time (three years ago mind, it could have turned to shit since ) I had a great time in a top hotel, with her indoors along, and we found some interesting shopping and a couple of nice eateries. I must have been the happy pig.........

+1........... we always have a good time there, chillin out for a few days before movin on

 

[Bumpkin]

Thanks again for your replies.

We're not staying in Andorra, not taking wives that need appeasing with trip to the shops. Lunch stop at a café or restaurant will be an indulgence if there's time but on a day like this (long riding day) it will probably be bread, ham and cheese with water by the roadside that we'll pick up early morning when passing though a convenient town.

Have a meeting at my riding buddies business premises tomorrow morning and we're then having lunch and discussing our plans. I'll be voting for the southerly route and missing Andorra all together, in part due to what's been said here.

 

[Flipfly]

There are better roads with less traffic, but if you've never been it's worth going just to say you have.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

It's a dump.

 

[Mr K]

There's a bike shop called "Motocard" and their prices used to be very reasonable if you were after kit or a new tyre: www.motocard.com/

When we were there one of the guys spotted a bargain priced camera and bought 10 which he flogged on his return home.

Don't know if there are still bargains to be had, but it is essentially all duty free.

 

[jetjock]

There's a bike shop called "Motocard" and their prices used to be very reasonable if you were after kit or a new tyre: www.motocard.com/

Yep I've used them a few times for intercomms and clothing etc and they are good .

 

[Myke Rocks]

Actually it's not.

Don't know if there are still bargains to be had, but it is essentially all duty free.

In Andorra, the only taxation is 5% on all imported goods. Therefore, prices should be around 15% lower than UK. For people working there, no income tax, no deductions. What you earn gross is what you get. The worst thing about buying something in Andorra is that the locals will never put a pricetag on anything. You have to go in and ask.
Re. Andorra La Vella, it's anything but. Heat, noise, traffic jams, pollution. As you move out of the city, it becomes more pleasant.
We usually stay in La Massana, about 5 minutes drive from the city and very civilised.

As a teetotal person who has never bought or smoked a cigarette nor used an illegal substance in his life, I never take anything out of any country, never mind Andorra, I do not care if I am stopped or not by Police/Customs, but I have been with many others who have been stopped leaving Andorra and searched. Other aquaintances have taken panniers full of things like cigarettes out of Andorra, to pay for their trip there. I always travel about 5 minutes away from them for the first 30km or so after exit.
One never ceases to be amazed at what is available over the counter in the country. Things that generate an automatic jail sentence here. Guns, Mace, tazers, you name it, you can buy it there with no questions asked.
One aquaintance had a pub in Claremorris in the west of Ireland. He brought home a can of Mace. One night at around 1.30 in the morning, he was trying to get his customers out and they were refusing to leave. He took out the can of mace, and sprayed it for a second or so into the blades of a circulating fan on the wall. 3 minutes later, every victim in the pub was in the street, along with the staff!

There are only 2 roads out of Andorra, one South towards Urgeles, and another northeast into France, or so we are led to believe.
If you wish to take a crazy route out of the country, one goes to the village of Bixessarri (Southwest of Andorra la Vella) and sets the satnav for Os de Civis, one ends up in Spain by very back roads.Next plot is Burg, then Llavasori. You now join the road a few km north of Sort.

Myke

 

[Mr K]

In Andorra, the only taxation is 5% on all imported goods. Therefore, prices should be around 15% lower than UK. For people working there, no income tax, no deductions. What you earn gross is what you get. The worst thing about buying something in Andorra is that the locals will never put a pricetag on anything. You have to go in and ask.
Re. Andorra La Vella, it's anything but. Heat, noise, traffic jams, pollution. As you move out of the city, it becomes more pleasant.
We usually stay in La Massana, about 5 minutes drive from the city and very civilised.

As a teetotal person who has never bought or smoked a cigarette nor used an illegal substance in his life, I never take anything out of any country, never mind Andorra, I do not care if I am stopped or not by Police/Customs, but I have been with many others who have been stopped leaving Andorra and searched. Other aquaintances have taken panniers full of things like cigarettes out of Andorra, to pay for their trip there. I always travel about 5 minutes away from them for the first 30km or so after exit.
One never ceases to be amazed at what is available over the counter in the country. Things that generate an automatic jail sentence here. Guns, Mace, tazers, you name it, you can buy it there with no questions asked.
One aquaintance had a pub in Claremorris in the west of Ireland. He brought home a can of Mace. One night at around 1.30 in the morning, he was trying to get his customers out and they were refusing to leave. He took out the can of mace, and sprayed it for a second or so into the blades of a circulating fan on the wall. 3 minuts later, every victim in th epub was in the street, along with the staff!

There are only 2 roads out of Andorra, one South towards Urgeles, and another northeast into France, or so we are led to believe.
If you wish to take a crazy route out of the country, one goes to the village of Bixessarri (Southwest of Andorra la Vella) and sets the satnav for Os de Civis, one ends up in Spain by very back roads.Next plot is Burg, then Llavasori. You now join the road a few km north of Sort.

Myke

When we were trail riding, in the hills we came across Spanish Police check-points with spike strips looking for folks smuggling cigarettes....and for those of us paying 20% VAT and 17%(?) income tax...it looks fairly duty free..

 

[shauny]

I rode into pas de le cassa from france lots of traffic but got up no problem. Stopped for some lunch then headed down other side to spain and the roads were FAB. But then again I ski and board there so I like the place.