Most Andorra-in-winter guides assume you’re there to ski. We weren’t. A few weeks before Christmas, around 2016, we drove up from Barcelona with Damian, who was about 3, and Marc, who was still a baby. The plan was snow, a sledge, and somewhere warm to come back to. Nobody skied, and it was one of our best winter weekends.
So this is the guide for families with babies, toddlers or kids who don’t ski yet: what we did, where we stayed, and what to know before you drive up in winter.
Quick answers
- Is Andorra worth it in winter without skiing? Yes, if you want snow with small kids. Sledding alone filled our weekend.
- Where to stay? We rented a whole apartment in Encamp. With a baby, a kitchen and a door between you and the sleeping child is everything.
- The drive: it took us 4–5 hours in weekend traffic, against about 3 normally. Go on a weekday or leave very early.
- Car rules: from 1 November to 15 May you need winter tyres or chains in the car.
Short on time? Where to stay in Andorra in winter
An apartment in Encamp – a kitchen and a separate bedroom beat a hotel room with a baby.
Hotel Piolets Soldeu Centre – 4-star with a pool and a soft-play room, by the gondola. We didn’t stay here.
Hotel Nordic – El Tarter, indoor pool, bowling and a games room. We didn’t stay here.
What we did: sledding with a toddler and a baby
We spent our days doing the simplest winter thing there is: finding a gentle, open slope away from the ski runs and sledding with Damian while Marc, still a baby, stayed bundled up with whichever of us wasn’t on the slope. You can bring your own sledges or rent them locally at reasonable prices.
What I learned with a 3-year-old: a short, gentle slope beats a long, steep one. They want to go again and again, and it’s you who walks back up each time. Our sledding safety tips cover what to check before a small child goes down.
Other snow activities for kids who don’t ski
We kept it simple, but if your kids are a bit older, Andorra’s resorts run organised sledding and snow areas. We haven’t tried these, so check ages and prices before you go:
- Snake Gliss (Grandvalira, Soldeu sector): a chain of sledges led by an instructor down ski slopes, from age 3.
- Magic Gliss (Mon(t) Magic Family Park, Canillo): a toboggan run of 555 m, from age 3.
- Adventure Fun Zone (Pal sector): sledding and tubing tracks with a conveyor belt back up.
- Naturland (Sant Julià de Lòria): Nordic sledges and a Kids’ Space for ages 3–6.
All of these are paid. A free slope near your accommodation does the job for a toddler.
Where to stay in Andorra in winter with small kids
We stayed in a whole apartment in Encamp for a very reasonable price, and I’d do the same again with a baby. Here’s the hotel-industry view on why:
- Encamp is central. It sits between Andorra la Vella and the big ski villages, and it has its own gondola up to Grandvalira if part of the family does ski.
- Apartments solve naps and dinners. With a baby, you eat when the baby lets you, not when the restaurant opens.
- Soldeu and El Tarter are better if you want a hotel with a pool. That’s worth it on a day when it’s too cold to stay outside.
Andorra la Vella in winter
We spent only a few hours in the capital on the way in. It’s shops and traffic, and a few hours was enough for us.
Driving to Andorra in winter
- Winter tyres or chains: from 1 November to 15 May you must have winter tyres (with the snowflake or M+S marking) or carry chains. Fines run from about €180.
- Snow phases: roads go through yellow, orange, red and black alerts. On red, chains are mandatory for everyone.
- Time it: our drive took 4–5 hours in weekend traffic. Leaving on a Friday night or a weekday makes a huge difference.
- The way home: the border at Sant Julià can take 30–60 minutes on Sunday afternoons.
Routes, tolls and the bus option are in our guide to getting from Barcelona to Andorra.
What to pack for Andorra in winter with a baby
- A one-piece snowsuit and mittens on a string. A baby’s gloves never stay on.
- A carrier rather than a stroller. Snowy pavements and stroller wheels don’t mix.
- Sun cream and sunglasses. Mountain sun on snow burns even in December.
- A passport or ID card for everyone, the baby included. There’s a customs border.
If your kids ski
We haven’t skied in Andorra, so for that, go to our comparison of skiing near Barcelona with kids, or to La Molina with kids.
Andorra in summer, which we loved even more: Andorra with kids.
Planning a winter weekend? See apartments in Encamp →
Andorra in winter with kids: FAQ
Is Andorra worth visiting in winter if you don’t ski?
Yes, with small kids. We went with a toddler and a baby, didn’t ski at all, and filled the weekend with sledding and snow.
Where can kids go sledding in Andorra?
On any gentle, open slope away from the ski runs, or at paid areas such as Snake Gliss in Grandvalira, Magic Gliss in Canillo, the Pal sector’s Adventure Fun Zone and Naturland.
Where should families stay in Andorra in winter?
We rented an apartment in Encamp, which is central and practical with a baby. For a hotel with a pool, look at Soldeu or El Tarter.
Do you need winter tyres to drive to Andorra?
Yes. From 1 November to 15 May you need winter tyres or chains in the car.
How long is the drive from Barcelona to Andorra in winter?
About 3 hours normally. Ours took 4–5 hours because of weekend traffic.
