Andorra fills a corner of the Pyrenees between Spain and France, and nearly everyone arrives by road: skiers heading for Grandvalira or Pal Arinsal in winter, shoppers drawn to the lower taxes of Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany, and walkers in summer. The country is not in the EU and sits outside its Roam Like at Home area, so a Spanish, French or other European SIM pays its operator's roaming rates as soon as it joins the Andorran network.
Key facts for Andorra
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Andorra Telecom (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: ambulance 116; police 110; fire 118; 112 for mountain rescue and other emergencies
- Embassies: Spain and France in Andorra; the UK and the US cover it from Barcelona
Getting there
Andorra has no airport of its own. The closest is Andorra–La Seu d'Urgell, just across the Spanish border, with flights to a handful of Spanish cities, and most international visitors fly into Barcelona or Toulouse and continue by bus or hire car. There is no railway either: the nearest stations are L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre in France and Lleida in Spain.
Andorra is not part of the Schengen area, so you leave it on the way in and enter it again on the way out through Spain or France. Travellers who need a Schengen visa should make sure it allows at least two entries. Hotels and tourist apartments register every overnight guest with the police, and customs officers check what you take home: they can impound excess tobacco together with the vehicle carrying it.
Crossing the border with your phone
Whether you drive up from La Seu d'Urgell in Spain or come over from France at Pas de la Casa, your phone hands over from a Spanish or French network to Andorra Telecom. From that point an EU plan is roaming outside the regulated area, and data is billed at whatever your operator charges for Andorra. Check that price before the trip, or switch off data roaming on your home SIM and use a plan that covers the country. A Europe plan includes Andorra along with Spain, France and Portugal, so the border makes no difference to it.
Skiing, hiking and the weather
Much of Andorra lies between 900 and more than 2,000 metres, and altitude sickness is possible in parts of the country. Avalanches are most likely from December to March, so read the avalanche bulletin before skiing off-piste or touring. From May to September thunderstorms build quickly over the peaks, and heavy rain or a fast thaw in spring and autumn can bring floods, landslides and rockfalls. Mountain rescue answers on 112.
On high trails and in quiet side valleys the signal can be patchy, so download offline maps before setting out. A free Wi-Fi network, Andorra Wi-Fi, covers the main shopping streets and the ski areas, a handy backup in town.
Roads and getting around
From 1 November to 15 May, cars must have winter tyres or carry snow chains. Drink-driving can mean a fine of up to 600 euros, a two-month driving ban and the impounding of the car, and US guidance warns that a driver over the limit can be taken straight to jail. Buses link most towns every 20 to 60 minutes, and taxis, including shared ones to Barcelona, are easy to book.
Money, rules and healthcare
The currency is the euro, and cards are widely accepted, but other currencies usually are not. Drinking alcohol in the street is illegal, and drug laws are strict: bringing in cannabis or CBD products is an offence even for medical use. The EHIC and the UK's GHIC are not valid in Andorra and you pay for medical care, so travel with insurance that covers skiing if you plan to ski.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM installed at home avoids roaming charges at the border. A Europe plan suits a trip that also takes in Spain or France, and an Andorra plan covers a stay in the country alone. Keep your usual SIM for calls, texts and bank codes, with its data roaming switched off.
Andorra Telecom sells prepaid SIM cards at its official points of sale, and its prepaid plans are also available as an eSIM.
Consular protection: who to call in Andorra
- Call 116 for an ambulance, 110 for the police and 118 for the fire service. 112 reaches mountain rescue and the emergency services.
- Spain and France have embassies in Andorra and Portugal has a consulate; many other countries, including Germany, Italy and the UK, have honorary consuls. The British and US consulates general in Barcelona cover Andorra.
- EU citizens whose country has no embassy or consulate in Andorra can go to the embassy of any other EU country, such as Spain or France, which must help them on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Catalan is the official language, and Spanish and French are widely understood.
Questions travellers ask about Andorra
Does my Spanish or French plan work in Andorra?
Only on roaming at your operator's own rates, because Andorra is outside Roam Like at Home. Check the price or turn off data roaming before you cross.
Do I need a passport?
Take a valid passport, or a national identity card if you are an EU citizen: you leave the Schengen area when you enter Andorra and come back into it when you leave.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Andorra?
Andorra Telecom, with 4G and 5G where available.
Is my EHIC valid in Andorra?
No. The EHIC and the GHIC are not accepted and you pay for any medical care, so take out travel insurance before you go.
The short version
Install the eSIM before leaving home, turn off data roaming on your usual SIM at the border, carry your passport or EU identity card, read the avalanche bulletin, fit winter tyres or chains between November and mid-May, and save 112 and 116.
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