Hotel Magic Andorra, Andorra la Vella

Advantages: cheaper and quieter than the Alps
Disadvantages: long transfer

...in Andorra.. A car is recommended as we experienced long waits for the ski bus. Last year we stayed at the bottom of the red bubble in La Massana - Hotel Magic - can definitely recommend it - lovely 4* star hotel, large rooms with free broadband, really good choice of food and a handy location. Pal is on your doorstep, it's a short drive to both Arcalis and Andorra la Vella. With the right conditions Pal is a great resort with decent runs, loads of mad off piste, trees etc.. but then there is Arcalis.. it's about a 15 minute drive away, Arcalis is the highest resort in Andorra and as there are no hotels there it is mostly local people in the know who go there, or those brave enough to wait for a ski bus. It can be busy with lots of Spanish at weekends, go during the week and you will have untouched powder on every run ! The piste's are good... Read review

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Advantages: Scenery, perfect for a winter holiday
Disadvantages: Longevity is low due to small size of country and lack of alternative activities

...I found it quiet and there more foreigners from further a field (UK, Ireland, USA, Germany etc). Another main reason for visiting is the duty free shopping in the capital (Andorra La Vella). There is a superb range of shops (electrical goods, perfumes, cloths, food, tobacco, alcohol etc), but be careful to compare the prices to your own countries prices as I didn't find it as cheap as perceived by others. Other activities include ice skating, the Spa's (sauna, massage etc) after a bruising days skiing. The nightlife was adequate and friendly, but if you want some heavy tunes try elsewhere. The food wasn't amazing, but neither disgusting and catered for many tastes. Asian and European cuisine is available, the best food I had was at an Indian place run by a British couple. --- PRICE --- Although good value, it was not as cheap... Read review

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Advantages: cheap everything, great nightlife.
Disadvantages: not such good snow or terrain as the Alps.

...The individual resorts in Andorra, to my mind, are not big enough to have the necessary terrain to entertain a good skier/snowboarder for a week. Most people have covered the resort where they are staying in a couple of days, and from this point on, unless the snow conditions are exceptional, the world-beating apres-ski comes to play an increasingly large part in the trip. And so what if it does? ;-) Well, there is an alternative, which is to stay in the centrally-located capital, Andorra La Vella, and hire a car to drive to the resorts. Sure, it's more expensive to buy day passes than weekly ones, but if you decide to take a couple of days away from the slopes (no great loss if the weather is bad) you will be onto a winner. Car hire is cheap in Andorra, it is probably one of the cheapest places in Europe to hire the 4wd you will need... Read review

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