ANDORRA
Andorra Travel Planner & Heavy Traffic Calendar
As a land-locked country, traffic can be an important part of your experience in Andorra. Find out here what to avoid when you are planning your trips in and out of the country.
Spanish Holidays + Andorran Traffic
Wait! What do Spanish Holidays have to do with Andorran Traffic?
They are two separate countries after all, aren't they?
As Expat Services specialists we get this question a lot, and the answer is yes, they are two separate countries. There is a catch though, the Principality of Andorra is nestled within the French and Andorran borders and, since Andorra is a popular scenic destination for city dwellers, long weekends and major holidays in our neighboring countries can seriously affect our local traffic as well.
This article aims at explaining the dates when Andorra becomes most congested due to Spanish traffic so you can plan your trips ahead of time knowing you will be safe traffic-wise.
- The border Andorra shares with Spain tends to get crowded on weekends, especially on long weekends, and even more so during the ski season December to April. Traffic lines to cross INTO the country usually start on a Friday, or whichever day the holiday falls on, mostly in the afternoon, after 2-3pm and they will last until the evening, until around 9-10pm, so, if having to drive into Andorra on a Friday or beginning of a long weekend, try to avoid those time frames.
- Saturday mornings are also a popular day to visit the country for those who stay only for the day, or could not make it on Friday. So best avoid the border for INCOMING traffic on Saturdays, 11am until 2pm.
- As far as LEAVING the country on a Sunday, or whenever the long holiday is ending for Spain, the usual time for Spanish visitors to start heading down south of the border is 2pm, and the outgoing lines can last well into 8-9pm in the evening. So, again, when planning your trip OUT of the country, try and avoid those times to save yourself a good hour or two of sitting in traffic.
Find below the Travel Planner calendar which highlights the specific dates within 2025 with heavier traffic expected in Andorra, as well as the explanations and tips on when to enter and leave the country.
Extended Spanish Holidays
Spain has several holidays that lead to major traffic restrictions in Andorra.
See which dates to watch out for.
Christmas, New Year, and King's Day Combo
The beginning of every year is always a very busy time for Andorra. The Ski season is in full swing by then, and many people will take advantage of their Christmas holidays to visit the country and enjoy the snow. From December 22nd until January 7th, or whichever is the first working day after January 6th, King’s Day, you can expect to find heavy traffic around the whole country of Andorra, but especially the southern border, downtown, and the northern parishes with access to the ski resorts. It helps to travel early in the day to avoid the crowds if you can manage. Ski slopes open at 9am.
White Week or Carnaval
Sometime in February, this year 2023 specifically from February 17th until the 28th, Spaniards have a long weekend of Carnaval, or Mardi Gras. Many Spaniards and other Europeans take the opportunity to drive to the slopes and enjoy the snow capped mountains of Andorra, as we are still in full ski season. It is a popular time of the year to ski as well, although not usually as crowded as the Christmas Holidays. If you a are a resident planning to do any traveling then, please keep in mind that Andorra will likely be more crowded than usual during those dates. Not just the streets, but the slopes as well. On the other hand, it does not usually get out of hand and skiing is still pleasurable and not overcrowded, particularly in Grandvalira, the biggest ski domain in the Pyrenees, and recently ranked the best resort in Southern Europe.
Easter Holidays
The last Spanish holiday in the year where Andorra tends to get more visitors that looking to ski is the Easter Holidays. Easter does not fall on a specific set of dates as Christmas does, so it will vary every year. On 2023, the Easter Holidays for Spaniards will be from March 31st until April 9th. During those dates, all Andorran ski resorts usually still have plenty of snow and they become a popular destination for those who want to make the most of the season. These dates also become popular downtown for other visitors who focus more on shopping and on enjoying hiking the country with the beginning of Springtime.
First of May and Pentecost
This year 2023 will have two more long weekends in Spain in late April and late May. The first one is May Day, the second, Pentecost. Please keep those in mind if traveling in and out of the country. As with regular weekends, traffic is expected to be slow getting into the country from 2pm on the afternoon when the long holiday starts, and until 8pm when leaving the country on the last day of the holiday.
October 12th Spanish National Day
Being a National Holiday in the whole of Spain, October 12th tends to create a good opportunity for Spaniards to visit other places around Europe. Andorra is one of such places, and this year 2023, being that the holiday falls on a Thursday, you can expect heavy traffic locally from Wednesday 11th in the afternoon and evening, until Sunday the 15th.
Summer Vacation
Andorra is also a popular destination in Augst, more and more so as more people are discovering how beautiful the country is in the summer months, and how it feels significantly cooler and more comfortable than the extreme heat that can frequently affect Spain during summer. When you plan your trips in and out of Andorra in August, try to avoid the weekends, but especially the beginning of the month, the end of the month, and the weekend around the 15th as many people start, or end, their holidays then.
'Purisima' and Constitution Day
The second week of December in Andorra is known to be one of the most problematic traffic wise in the entire year. Spaniards have two holidays in a row, December 6th, Spanish Constitution Day, and December 8th, Saint Inmaculada, la ‘Purisima’, in what is known as ‘El Puente de la Purisima’. On that week, Spaniards can take just a couple of days off from work, and turn them into practically 10 days of vacation. Andorra has already experienced heavy snowfalls by then, and so, being the very first time of the year when slopes are open again for the season, avid skiers are eager to flock to the mountains to go back to the snow and kick start the season. Expect very heavy traffic all over the country on any of the days, and try and avoid if at all possible even local trips downtown, in anticipation for problems even finding free parking spots. The holidays in 2023 will fall closer to just one of the weekends, so it should not be as bad as 2021 or 2022, but do plan accordingly when getting in and out of the country. In 2022, the Purissima holidays will span from December 2nd to December 11th. In 2023, the heavier traffic days will be December 5th, to December 8th.
Mobilitat.Ad
Lastly, when in doubt about whether traffic is heavy in any specific areas, the Andorran Government provides real-time webcams throughout the country that can be viewed online from your computer or phone to help you decide whether it is safe to venture out. The link for the cameras is:
https://www.mobilitat.ad/totes-les-cameres
Safe Travels!