Arinsal FAQs.

Andorra is a tiny landlocked country between France and Spain, governed as a co-principality. There's no airport in the country — most visitors fly into Toulouse, Girona or Barcelona and take a transfer of three to four hours up into the mountains (longer if the weather's bad).

Andorra is one hour ahead of UK time — the same as France and Spain.

Andorra uses the standard two-pin European socket. If you've forgotten an adaptor, you'll find them on sale at the Sant Moritz supermarket in the centre of Arinsal.

Mountain weather changes fast — sunny and cold one minute, snowing the next. Andorra has an excellent snow record overall, but forecasts are most reliable in the few days before your trip, so check then rather than weeks in advance.

Arinsal has a friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere with lots of repeat visitors. The skiing covers Pal-Arinsal — two linked sectors with a cable car between them — and the Nord Pass also gets you across to Ordino-Arcalís, so you're skiing three sectors on a single lift pass. There's terrain for every level, from the gentle Pal nursery slopes through to off-piste lines for the more experienced.

We're the team behind the three resort sites — Arinsal.co.uk, Soldeu.com and Pasdelacasa.com — all under the Andorra Resorts umbrella. See our About page for the full story.

It comes down to preference and budget. Group lessons are sociable and you'll meet other skiers at a similar level; private lessons tend to get you progressing faster, especially as a beginner. Both are bookable through us.

Yes — depending on your group size we'll either get you group-lesson pricing for the whole party or arrange a private instructor for a smaller group. Send us an enquiry with your party size and ability mix and we'll come back with options.

No photo is needed.

More than you'd think for a small village. Take the gondola up as a pedestrian and have lunch on a mountain terrace, walk around the village, hire snowshoes, or jump on the bus to Ordino (25-30 minutes) to explore. Andorra la Vella has the Caldea thermal spa, museums and proper shopping — a great half-day trip away from the slopes.

Layers are the secret — the weather changes fast on the mountain. Bring base layers, a waterproof and windproof jacket, salopettes, ski socks, gloves, a hat or helmet, goggles and sunglasses. Our What to Wear guide goes into more detail.

Loads of seasonal options come up each year — hotels, bars and restaurants in the village, mountain operations on the slopes, and overseas tour operators all hire for the winter. Worth approaching businesses early in the autumn for the next season.