Andorra blew every expectation I had. A small town masquerading as a capital city, nestled in the mountains? That it certainly was – and I don’t think I appreciated just how beautiful that would make it. By the time I left, I wondered if Andorra La Vella is indeed Europe’s most scenic capital?
And after becoming fatigued with city breaks, it was just the type of “city break” I needed.
To get to Andorra, I needed to fly to either Barcelona or Toulouse. With flights to Toulouse ending in September, this made Barcelona the key option, and meant I could do it in a weekend trip. Unfortunately Ryanair’s insane pricing made me recoil and reconsider, and I struggled to find a weekend that would work and that I was free. Eventually, I found a very cheap outbound flight for early November, which is about the latest I wanted to take the trip before winter hit.
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(Andorra is a brilliant winter destination – a pal from work has been there for skiing, but that’s not my scene at all.)
The return flight? £250.
Hahahahahahahahaha.
Clearly it wasn’t going to work. I had a rethink, and found another cheap flight returning on the Monday night. From Madrid. A city I’d never been to before, so I could take a morning train and then spend the day there before my flight. With one day left of annual leave, using it to explore a new city sounded like a plan, and I quickly booked it.
(Before realising I was ACTUALLY meant to be busy that weekend! The second trip in a row I had done that. Sigh!)
And so it was that I found myself back in Barcelona after 13 years. I headed out for tapas as soon as I arrived, and then gave myself a couple of hours in the morning to go and see how the Sagrada Familia is getting on (due to be completed in 2026 apparently!) before heading straight up to Andorra.
It’s roughly a 3 hour bus ride to Andorra La Vella from Barcelona, with several departures and various bus companies running the route. I chose Alsa as they leave from the main Barcelona bus station – Andbus goes from the airport and Directbus runs from Sants train station.
What I didn’t realise was just how scenic this bus journey would be! I mean, it makes sense; we were skirting around the Pyrenees, after all.
It’s one of the best journeys I’ve ever done, in fact! I immediately regretted booking a return bus after dark… and that ended up being one of my worst bus journeys of all time – more on that later…!
I had just over 24 hours in Andorra, so here’s everything I got up to!
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Introduction to Andorra La Vella
From the bus station, I decided to walk along the river towards the “centre”, which I would say is the Salvador Dali clock with the view of the Andorra La Vella sign on the bridge opposite. I actually don’t think it’s the centre of town at all – it’s the *end* of the town, really, as most of what is beyond that is Les Escaldes.
If you know anything about Andorra already, you’ll notice a glaringly obvious omission from this post – the Caldea spa in Les Escaldes. I really considered doing this, and The Travel Architect sang its praises, but it’s really expensive compared to other spas, and the clincher for me: my anxiety got the better of me. I managed a Finnish sauna solo, but I am really bad at doing things like this on my own!
TIP: Get 10% off entrance to the Caldea spa with code WELCOME.
This walk settled me in quite nicely, and I sat for quite some time people-watching and grabbing some public wifi to let people know I’d arrived after I’d abruptly stopped messaging them on the journey.
So one thing to note: if you’re from the UK, a lot of providers don’t include mobile data in Andorra! This came as quite a surprise to me as I assumed it would be the same as neighbouring Spain and France.
Eventually, it was getting to check-in time, so I started slowly meandering up towards my hostel/hotel/guesthouse/whatever it was.
It was then that I realised just what makes Andorra popular with the Spaniards.
Tax-free shopping in Andorra
It was like San Marino all over again! Shops full to the brim with tax-free alcohol and cigarettes at absurd prices, as well as knives, samurai swords, Funko pops and other pop culture collectibles (I found these weren’t actually that cheap), electronics, perfumes, skincare, watches, and luxury handbags.
It’s like airport duty-free on steroids. I can tell you for a fact that you cannot get a litre bottle of Morgans Spiced rum for under 10€ in an airport. In Andorra, you can.
Cue immediate regrets of not booking a checked bag!
I am actually fascinated by how they are able to do this. Is it that airports are duty free but not TAX free? Is Andorra both? It’s just nuts!
Here are some of the most amazing and bizarre things I spotted:
After some browsing, and eyeing up a massive queue for a burger place and wondering why it was so popular, I headed for my hotel and saved my purchases for the following day.
I did end up buying a LOT of chocolate (including… some cannabis chocolate, because that looks interesting) as well as a heap of Haribo for my friend at work. I actually had to really stuff it all into my bag, because I was NOT prepared for buying anything on this trip!
Read more: A Day Trip Guide: San Marino From Bologna
There wasn’t a lot I wanted to do in the way of sightseeing, but my hotel was in a lovely area full of charming alleyways and pretty brick buildings.
It’s also a 30 second walk from Casa de la Vall, which used to be the government building. It feels like it was the government building centuries ago! But they only stopped using it in 2011.
This along with Sant Esteve d’Andorra, the church pictured above, are probably the two main attractions in Andorra La Vella apart from the Caldea spa.
I have to admit I didn’t go into either, because in a place like this I was more focused on what to do outdoors.
Canal Rec del Sola walk
After recharging a bit, I wanted to do a walk. This tiny but mighty town offers a lot in the scenery stakes, so I needed a fix of pretty views, so I decided to start off light with an easy walk: the Rec Del Sola along an irrigation canal above the town.
…it is very easy, once you get UP to the path. I chose probably the steepest possible path to get there, but the upside was that I met many, many, many cats, which meant I got to stop several times.
Even so, it wasn’t long at all before I was up there and faced with some absolutely phenomenal views. I turned right and ended up following it all the way to the end, where you then have to walk down through a residential estate to get back into the town centre.
In all honesty, I don’t think it’s worth going all the way to that end. However I loved this walk so much that I did it again the following day, going the other way!
There’s a section between these two points (between the arrows) which is just phenomenal, and if you want to do a quick part of the path, I can confidently say this is the best part to do.
The following day, I took the second path up (the one behind Sushi and Gong that isn’t showing as a path on Google Maps for some reason) and turned left so that I could walk that section again, and then carried on right to the end that side. Instead of coming down from there, I walked back again as far as the path I’d started on the day before (where I’ve circled).
There’s no brilliant view at this end either; it’s just a dead end. All the views are all the way along the rest of the path. Just incredible!
There’s another hike I wanted to do, on the other side of the town, called Mirador del Roc de Palomera (the red route). A proper hike, however there’s limited information online about it, and from a map I couldn’t see where the trailhead would be. I didn’t feel like using my limited time faffing about walking through an industrial estate, so that’s why I decided to do the canal walk again!
And to be honest, I’m not complaining.
Dinner at Smash Hiro
I’ve got to admit I wasn’t too fussed where I ate in Andorra. There are lots of average looking restaurants, and a few nice ones that didn’t really jump out at me. Lots closed in the afternoon and didn’t reopen until 7pm, or one I was eyeing up was even 9pm. Needless to say, I didn’t eat there.
I decided I wanted something uncomplicated, so I went to see what the fuss was about with this burger place, because there had been a massive queue throughout the day.
I got here for re-opening time so I was the second person in. And holy crap. Burgers the size of your face is what this place is about.
I was almost tempted by the biscoff bacon milkshake… but I resisted the monstrosity.
It’s also a really cool theme, with lots of gaming decor and also a retro Back To The Future wall. WELL worth going!
Stay at Hostal Cisco de Sans
This place looked cute and quirky, and even better, it was under £50! Even though it has “hostal” in the name, it’s not a hostel – in fact, I’ve learned since that “hostal” in Spain is usually more like a guesthouse, or a cheap version of a hotel. Like many places these days, I didn’t meet a single person while I was there; my key was in my room when I arrived, and I left it in the room on departure.
I was in a single room with a private bathroom, with rustic wooden beams and exposed brick walls. I loved it! Would definitely stay there again.
Oh, and the corridor walls outside my room had an awesome suitcase decor!
It’s also in a really charming part of town, a short walk from the main streets and close to the walk I did. Not that anywhere in Andorra La Vella is far, but it’s just a really nice area in some alleyways with restaurants, pubs, a church and a viewpoint.
This is a really cosy place and I highly recommend staying here.
Book the Hostal Cisco de Sans here!
Day 2 – the day of everything taking forever
Day 2 began excellently. I’d woken up after a phenomenal sleep, jumped in the shower, went for my second amazing walk, came back, packed and checked out. I only had a small backpack with me, so didn’t even need to leave my bags – in fact, I kind of needed it for my shopping anyway.
I decided to take a wander through the part of the town I hadn’t explored yet and get all my shopping done before lunch.
Oh, and spot me in this photo:
A disappointing lunch at Barri Antic – but do go for a drink!
Round the corner from where I was staying, I’d passed this buzzing pub on the way back the night before. It’s also a hostel, and I’d been looking at staying there, but in all honesty I’m glad I didn’t because this place was BUSY and it was loud. A brilliant atmosphere though, and if I was more in the mood then I would have stopped for a drink.
Instead, I decided to go there for lunch the next day.
…Christ. I found a table in the back room, where it was all bike themed and my table top was made from a bike wheel. Very funky. The friendly girl took my order, but they were out of the Andorran stew that I wanted. About 10 minutes later, she came over to apologise that there would be a delay.
“That’s alright,” I smiled. “I’m not in a hurry.”
It’s a good thing I wasn’t, because AN HOUR LATER, my food finally arrived. My food being four mediocre croquettes and a simple plate of vegetable rice. I’d ordered a second drink, which meant I’d be here even longer.
I should have come here before my shopping; I get that I had come at a busy time. But more than an hour for a very simple dish?! Did the chef have a siesta? For the second time in my life, I asked if I could get some money off the bill, and she said no HAHAHAHAHA.
I moved through to the main room with my drink now that it was quieter. It IS a cool place. The staff were lovely, despite everything. I just maybe wouldn’t recommend eating there…!
Incidentally, someone ordered the same thing as me after I moved through to the other room, and it took less than ten minutes. I wouldn’t have even been bothered about the quality of the food if that had been the case!
From there, it was only a five minute walk back to the station.
The bus journey from hell
Oh boy.
Regular readers of the blog will know that I’ve had the worst luck with public transport over the past few years. This was no exception.
From the moment I queued for the bus, it was chaos. Firstly, there were two Alsa buses next to each other, but only one queue. One was the direct bus to Barcelona, which I was booked on, and the other made several stops.
Five minutes before departure, an announcement was made in Spanish, and loads of people from the queue ran to the other bus. Zero movement at the one I was meant to be on, and no staff around to ask. I asked someone next to me in the queue and he said this was definitely the right bus; the other one takes longer.
Five minutes after the departure time, our doors opened! And then closed again.
Another few minutes passed and they opened again, and we began boarding. Phew. We ended up leaving around 15 minutes late, but at least we were on our way.
It would be around 20 minutes to the border, and I had messaged Ash to tell him he wouldn’t hear from me until I was back in Spain.
…ten minutes into the journey, we hit gridlock traffic. It had been a long weekend in Spain for All Saints Day, and the entire population was now trying to get home from Andorra.
It took AN HOUR AND A HALF to do that ten minute journey. Hooooooly fuck.
And I had no internet. (I know, first world problems!)
When we finally got back to Spain, I loaded Google Maps to see how long it would take from there. There had been a crash on our route back to Barcelona and it was adding an unknown time, but at least half an hour. The driver obviously knew this as he took the alternative route.
…where there were roadworks. And then another crash. I looked on in despair as we carried on down a road that said it would take another 2 hours and 8 minutes, while turning off to a different road would take 1 hour 34 minutes. Half an hour being added on at every turn.
The 3 hour bus journey ended up taking over 5. It was awful.
The only thing I will say is that the coach was fancy AF! There was an ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM. It was like a flight! There were big comfy leather seats, a little cubby to put bits and pieces – it was lovely.
At one point I took my headphones off just in time to hear some older ladies playing videos loudly, and a young guy turning round and literally YELLING at them in Spanish to shut the f*ck up. The people are finally fighting back against this highest level of inconsiderate, selfish behaviour!!! Yaaaassss!
That’s about the only redeeming feature of the journey, though. I had possibly been going to meet a friend in Barcelona that evening, and thank God we hadn’t been able to arrange anything. I finally checked into my hostel at 11pm, and skipped dinner. I actually passed a Scottish-themed steakhouse!
Anyway, if you’ve read my last post, you’ll know that Barcelona is possibly my least favourite European city. I couldn’t really put my finger on it, other than the fact I’m just not a fan of big cities in general. It just takes so long to get ANYWHERE. And all the walking made me realise one thing – I HATE that every junction has that inset bit so you have to walk around to the crossing every time. It might be the worst city in Europe for pedestrians.
So, the trip didn’t go perfectly. But I can honestly say I really enjoyed Andorra! Far, far more than I thought I would.
In fact, early November was the perfect time to go too, as it was still clinging on to the embers of autumn. I loved it! Absolutely in my element, and here’s the real surprise: this was kind of a tick-box visit, which I feel somewhat guilty saying, but it’s part of my mission to see every country in Europe. And it’s reminded me of why that’s more than just a tick-box exercise; because I would go back to Andorra in a heartbeat!
I also had a great time in Madrid, which I’ll write about next.
Andorra & Barcelona on a budget
Here’s a full breakdown of what I spent on this trip, because I was really impressed by how little it cost me.
Outbound flight – Friday 17:30. £45
Stay Barcelona – Safestay Hostel. £13
Bus to Andorra Saturday 10:30 > 13:45. 31€
Stay Andorra – Hostal Cisco de Sans. £47
Bus to Barcelona Sunday 17:15 > 20:15. 5€
Stay Barcelona – Generator Hostel. £18
Train to Madrid 08:55. 32€ (plus 5€ for seat selection)
Return flight Monday 21:20. 42€
Total cost: £215
Generator Hostel was miles better than Safestay, but the huge advantage of Safestay was arriving late-ish at night and being able to get the A2 bus directly to Plaza de Catalunya, just a five minute walk from the hostel. Safestay is also a 30 second walk from one of Gaudi’s most famous buildings!
In the morning, I walked to the bus station via Sagrada Familia, which took 50 minutes altogether. Generator is only about 15 minutes from Sagrada Familia.
Then the advantage on the way back through was that Generator is a five minute walk from Diagonal station, which is only five minutes on the line 5 metro to Barcelona Sants train station, where I needed to be for the train to Madrid. However I ended up walking back to Sagrada Familia, mostly because I’d forgotten to take a photo of Gulliver! I could then jump on the same line at the station there, just 2 stops further up the line.
So one thing I will say is that the public transport in Barcelona is great. There you go. Credit where credit is due. I also had amazing tapas on my first night at Ciutat Comtal, which was almost enough to make me want to return just for food. And then in the morning, I stopped at this incredible bakery on the way to the cathedral called Crois Spazio Bar. I could imagine staying in Barcelona for a week and going to this bakery every day just to get a different croissant. I got two for the bus to Andorra!
So there we go. Three positive things about Barcelona!
That’s more than I could say about Milan. 😉
Overall, this is a brilliant weekend away. Flights to Barcelona are generally plentiful from the UK, meaning I could have easily done a Friday night flight out and a Sunday night flight back, if the price wasn’t so high. Just over 24 hours in Andorra La Vella was perfect.
10/10, would recommend!
Read about more tiny countries in Europe:
⭐ A Day Trip Guide: San Marino From Bologna
⭐ Monaco On A Budget: A Cheap Day Out From Nice
⭐ Let’s Go To Luxembourg: An Underrated European City Break
(Just Liechtenstein to go – I’ve also been to the Vatican)
And some other scenic places:
⭐ Milan & Lake Como: Two Days In Northern Italy
⭐ Slovenia: Loving Ljubljana & Visiting Lake Bled In March
⭐ Road Tripping The Icefields Parkway In Autumn
⭐ A Day Trip To Mount Sunday: Discovering Edoras
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Thanks for the shoutout! How did I miss that walk with the cats?! I kinda get why you didn’t want to go to the spa alone. I’ve only ever done things like that with the Husband. It’d be ok alone, but much more fun with another person. I’m glad you enjoyed it – sounds like you liked Andorra more than I did. Clearly you’ll have no trouble returning with someone (Ash?) and doing Caldea.
Haha I couldn’t believe how many cats there were on that path. It felt like the Balkans or something. I feel like your main issue was that car…!
Wow, what a fantastic and detailed write-up of Andorra La Vella! It sounds like the perfect mix of a scenic escape and a quirky, tax-free shopping haven.
The travel mishaps definitely add to the adventure, though that return bus journey sounds brutal. At least you got to experience a luxury coach (even if it didn’t make up for the delays!).
Thanks for sharing this—it’s made me seriously consider adding Andorra to my travel list! Looking forward to reading about your time in Madrid. 😊
Thanks! I seem to get my fair share of mishaps…!
Haha, well, mishaps make for the best travel stories! At least they keep things interesting. 😆 Can’t wait to hear what adventures (or misadventures) you had in Madrid!
Looks like a really nice city with beautiful location!that was a horrible, long return bus trio
Ugh I definitely got unlucky with that bus journey. The one to Andorra was amazing!
I love that you can walk above the city for different views. I’ll have to add Andorra to the list, but maybe not by bus from Barcelona 😊 Maggie
It’s definitely worth going! I have to say I got really unlucky with that bus – it’s only because the Friday was All Saints Day so it was a long weekend for Spain (which I didn’t realise until I got there!), and it seems the entire population was trying to leave on the Sunday evening! I should have got an earlier bus to enjoy the scenery again…
I’ve never made it out to Andorra, despite having been to Barcelona and Toulouse several times. It looks so rustic and lovely, and it’s incredible that there’s this micro-nation between two powerhouse countries! The bus ride back to Spain sounded like hell, but thankfully, you made it back eventually! Thanks for sharing, Clazz 🙂
I mean it’s quite a way from both cities, so it’s not like it’s an obvious side trip from those. Rustic is a good way to describe it, and that’s what I liked about it too!
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Andorra, but it looks lovely and well worth seeking out. The views across the city are beautiful. The bus ride back to Barcelona sounds like a nightmare, but good on the young guy who yelled at the women playing videos. I wish I was that brave!
Haha he was proper shouting at her! I have no idea what he was saying, mind. 😂 I always wish I could say something too, it’s the worst behaviour.
I have been several times to Andorra for shopping but never visited it properly. Thanks for this virtual visit.
i have meant to visit Andorra for quite a while now. but i think this is the first time I’ve seen photos from it! Thanks for sharing looks rather nice!
Yeah a lot of photos I’d seen were just in the town itself which weren’t the most enticing – I was quite taken aback by how beautiful it was!
I don’t know why but it made me chuckle where you said “go and see how the Sagrada Familia is getting on” as if it was just some casual thing rather than a building that has taken forever to finish! Haha.
Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed Andorra! It looks really pretty and somewhere worth visiting, most people I’ve heard that have gone have gone during the Winter so it’s nice to see it a bit earlier with Autumn weather.
Also do you save the best mishaps for the solo adventures? It sounds like you had another stressful departure trying to get back to Barcelona! Hopefully Ash doesn’t miss out on all the fun when you travel together!
Hahaha I’m glad someone appreciates my humour. 😉
You say that but all my worst mishaps have been with friends! Wait til you read about Paris!!! So yes, Ash does manage to miss out on it all. 🤣
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