Church of St Coloma, Andorra la Vella

Church of St Coloma, outside Andorra la Vella.

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London to Andorra La Vella by train

A French count and a Spanish bishop disagreed over who should rule a small rural enclave high up in the Pyrenees.  They decided to rule jointly, and the result was the Principality of Andorra, the only country in the world whose official language is Catalan.  Today it's no longer rural - its spectacular scenery is home to more ski resorts and duty-free perfumeries than you can shake a stick at.

Andorra has no rail station or airport, but it's easy to get there by Eurostar from London to Paris, Intercités de Nuit overnight train from Paris to l'Hospitalet près l'Andorre (the station closest to Andorra) and then by road through the Pyrenees into Andorra la Vella.  Alternatively, you can travel by train to Toulouse then take a bus from Toulouse station to Andorra la Vella.  This page explains how...

small bullet point  London to Andorra La Vella by train

small bullet point  Andorra to Barcelona

small bullet point  Useful country information

small bullet point  Hotels & accommodation in Andorra

small bullet point  General European train travel information

small bullet point  Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs


Useful country information

Bus operator in Andorra:

There are no trains in Andorra, but buses link it with France & Spain. 

Buses France-Andorra:  www.andorrabus.com.

Buses Toulouse-Andorra:  www.andorrabybus.com

Buses Barcelona-Andorra: www.autocarsnadal.com.

 

To check train times and fares in France and book online: www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. To check for any disruption affecting trains in France (SNCF website, in French only), www.sncf.com/fr/horaires-info-trafic.  Eurostar times & fares

 

Railpasses:

Beginner's guide to European railpasses    Buy a rail pass online

 

Time zone:

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October).

 

Dialling code:

 

+376

 

Currency:

£1 = approx 1.15 euros  Check current exchange rates

 

Tourist information:

www.andorra.ad  Tripadvisor Andorra page  Hotels & accommodation

 

Page last updated:

2 January 2023. Train times valid 11 Dec 2022 to 9 Dec 2023.

 

London to Andorra La Vella

There are no trains in Andorra, the closest railway station is l'Hospitalet près l'Andorre, a little station in France on the scenic local line from Toulouse towards Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees.  An Intercité de Nuit overnight train links Paris with l'Hospitalet every night all year round.  Sadly, the bus from l'Hospitalet to Andorra ceased in 2019, but you can take a taxi, a very scenic ride.  Alternatively, you can get off the night train in Toulouse and take a bus to Andorra from there, this takes longer but avoids the expense of a taxi.  If you'd prefer daytime trains to a sleeper, see option 2, which suggests taking Eurostar to Paris, a daytime TGV high-speed train to Toulouse then a scheduled bus to Andorra.

Option 1, by overnight train

London ► Andorra (by taxi from l'Hospitalet)

London ► Andorra (by bus from Toulouse)

Andorra ► London (by taxi to l'Hospitalet)

Andorra ► London (by bus to Toulouse)

How much does it cost?

 1.  London to Paris

 by Eurostar:

 From £52 one-way, £78 return 2nd class.

 From £115 one-way, £199 return 1st class.  Child fares 

 

 2. Paris to Toulouse or

 l'Hospitalet:

In a 2nd class

reclining seat:

In a 2nd class

6-berth couchette:

In a 1st class

4-berth couchette:

 One-way fares from:

€20

€35

€65

 

 3. Toulouse or l'Hospitalet 

 to Andorra:

 The bus from Toulouse to Andorra costs €36 each way.

 For taxi cost from L'Hospitalet to Andorra, see the advice above.

How to buy tickets

  Buy train tickets to Italy at Raileurope.com

Or buy at Thetrainline.com

Or buy at eurostar.com & sncf-connect.com...

How to buy tickets by phone

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar...

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras (45-minute minimum in Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam) as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More information about Eurostar including check-in procedureSt Pancras station guide Gare du Nord station guideHow to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

Eurostar e320   Eurostar e320 first class seats

A Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.

 

1st class:  Standard Premier or Business Premier.

Eurostar e320 2nd class   Eurostar e320 cafe-bar

Standard class seats.  Larger photo.

 

One of two cafe-bars, in cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Paris to Toulouse or l'Hospitalet by Intercité de Nuit:  Watch the Intercités de Nuit video

The train has air-conditioned couchette cars and a reclining seats car.  Couchettes are flat padded bunks, each provided with a clean pillow and (on these French overnight trains) a special lightweight sleeping-bag, a welcome change from the traditional sheet and blanket.  2nd class couchettes have 6 bunks per compartment (upper, middle and lower on each side of the compartment), 1st class couchettes have 4 bunks (upper and lower each side).  There are washrooms and toilets at the end of the corridor.

Each couchette passenger gets a small bottle of mineral water, earplugs (if you really feel you need them), and tissues.  There's a security lock on the door which cannot be opened from outside, and staff are on hand if you need them.  Only passengers with tickets and reservations are allowed on board, and there are minimal stops between midnight and 06:00 to ensure a safe and smooth journey through the night.  Men and women share the same compartments in couchettes, as you don't normally fully undress, but on French night trains, women travelling alone can ask for a place in a ladies-only compartment.  The train also has reclining seats, but a couchette allows you to sleep properly and is recommended.

Intercite de nuit overnight train in Paris

Intercité de nuit sleeper train at Paris Gare d'AusterlitzMore information about Intercités de Nuit Watch the videoPhoto courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

InterCite de Nuit 1st class couchette, 4-berth   InterCite de Nuit 2nd class couchette, 6-berth   French couchette car corridor

1st class 4-berth couchettes, as recently refurbished.  Courtesy of @Bristol_Phil.  Photo in 2nd class courtesy Dan Chester.

 

2nd class 6-berth couchettes

 

Couchette car corridor.  Courtesy Dan Chester.

InterCite de Nuit 2nd class upper berth couchettes   InterCite de Nuit couchette

Upper berths, 2nd class, showing compartment lighting & temperature controls above door.  Courtesy of Dan Chester.

 

Each couchette is provided with pillow, lightweight sleeping bag, bottled water & kit with ear plugs and eye mask.

The castle at Foix

If you choose to go via l'Hospitalet, you stay on the sleeper train as it climbs into the Pyrenees south of Toulouse.  This is Foix, between Toulouse & l'Hospitalet.  The castle is on the right just south of the station.

Mountains in the Pyrenees

Beyond Foix, the sleeper train climbs higher into the mountains...

Mountain   l'Hospitalet station

...and arrives at l'Hospitalet-pres-l'Andorre station, pictured above right...

3.  Take road transport to Andorra...

If you choose to go via l'Hospitalet, travel to Andorra by taxi.  If you choose to go via Toulouse, Toulouse to Andorra by bus...

Bus station next to Toulouse Matabiau station   Bus station next to Toulouse Matabiau station

Toulouse to Andorra bus at bus stand 15.  Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

 

Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt.  Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

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Option 2, by daytime trains

This option runs daily all year round except Christmas Day.  You can travel from London to Andorra in a single day if you like.

London ► Andorra

Andorra ► London

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar...

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras (45-minute minimum in Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam) as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More information about Eurostar including check-in procedureSt Pancras station guide Gare du Nord station guideHow to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

Eurostar e320   Eurostar e320 first class seats

A Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.

 

1st class:  Standard Premier or Business Premier.

Eurostar e320 2nd class   Eurostar e320 cafe-bar

Standard class seats.  Larger photo.

 

One of two cafe-bars, in cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2.  Paris to Toulouse by TGV...

Most Paris-Toulouse TGVs are double-deck TGV Duplex, most with the Océane interior shown below, 1st & 2nd class, cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye, for the train to San Sebastian

This is a TGV Duplex at Paris Montparnasse... Click the images below for larger photos...

TGV Océane cafe-bar   TGV Océane 2nd class seats

TGV Océane cafe-bar, upper deck car 4 (or 14)

 

TGV Océane 2nd class...

TGV Océane 1st class seats   TGV Océane 1st class seat   TGV Océane 1st class drop-down table

TGV Océane 1st class.  An innovation on TGV Océane, all 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel, or can be rotated to make a face-to-face group of 2 or 4 seats.  The drop-down tables open to reveal USB & 2-pin power sockets.

3.  Toulouse to Andorra by bus...

Bus station next to Toulouse Matabiau station   Bus station next to Toulouse Matabiau station

Toulouse to Andorra bus at bus stand 15.  Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

 

Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt.  Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

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Moving on from Andorra

Andorra to Barcelona

 
 

The Petit Train Jaune from Perpignan/Villefranche to Latour de Carol...

There are regular buses between Andorra and Barcelona Sants station taking around 3h15, see www.autocarsnadal.com and buy tickets at www.andorradirectbus.es.  There are also competing Alsa & Eurolines buses which you can book at Omio.com.

If you don't mind paying for a taxi between Andorra and Latour de Carol (there's now no bus service), there are also trains from Latour de Carol to Barcelona, you can look up times at rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris.  Latour de Carol is listed as La Tor de Querol-Enveig, the main station in Barcelona is Barcelona Sants.  These are local trains, 2nd class only, fare around €12, pay on the train.

Andorra to Perpignan:  Le petit train jaune

If you don't mind paying for a taxi between Andorra and Latour de Carol (there's now no bus service), the scenic narrow gauge petit train jaune runs from Latour de Carol through the Pyrenees once or twice daily in winter, much more frequently in summer, connecting with a standard gauge service at Villefranche at the eastern end of the line into Perpignan.  This makes for a very scenic and interesting alternative route into/out of Andorra.  The petit train jaune is run by the French national train operator SNCF, so train times, fares and online ticketing for the petit train jaune can all be done through www.thetrainline.com.  For info of the Petit Train Jaune, see www.ter.sncf.com/occitanie/decouvrir/le-train-jaune (let me know when they change this yet again!)  For train times between London and Perpignan, see the London to France page.

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European Rail Timetable & maps

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineTraveller's Railway Map of Europe - buy onlineThe European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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Find hotels in Andorra

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com

www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0.

Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

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Travel insurance & VPN

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Confused.com logo

Always take out travel insurance...

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I use an annual policy myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection.

UK flag  You can use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Curve card

Curve card saves foreign transaction fees...

Banks often give a poor exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I use a Curve Blue card myself - I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank...

With tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes now often held digitally on your mobile phone, it's vital to keep it charged.  I recommend carrying an Anker powerbank which can recharge your phone several times over if you can't get to a power outlet when you're on the move.  I never travel without one.

 


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