Visiting Andorra, The Last Country in Europe For Us

Andorra was the last country in Europe for us to visit. The only way to get there is either through Spain or France. A 3-4-hour bus trip on a serpentine road was not tempting, nor travelling in Spain. We did it through Toulouse, France using Andbus. Now we can proudly say that we have been in all European countries and it took less than 20 years on the road!

Tiny tax free, ski and spa enclave

Andorra is much like San Marino, Monaco, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. There is plenty of nature, clean air and less people than in the rest of Europe. The capital city, Andorra La Vella, is like a giant airport with duty free shops selling cigarettes, alcohol, and cosmetics. The prices are more affordable than what we have seen anywhere else.

Besides shopping, people travel to Andorra for spas, downhill skiing and hiking. We went there to mail some postcards and escape the scorching heat of Cyprus. The experience was unique thanks to the Spanish service culture, second only to the former Soviet Union, and the tourist tax scam.

Tourist accommodation tax in Andorra

When you book an accommodation in Andorra, you are expected to pay a city tax (or tourist tax or accommodation tax) on top of the price. Normally in Europe businesses have to tell the final price instead of hiding taxes, tips and other fees like in the US to scam consumers.

We booked one spa hotel directly and they did a good job informing us about the total price. However, the places we took from booking services were the opposite. When booking, we were told that the price includes taxes and fees, but hotels charged us taxes when we checked out. It’s only a few euros which makes it even more stupid. Is it really worth the extra work of collecting the money and making visitors feel cheated?

If you want to pay the extra room tax in Andorra and book a room with breakfast, take veggies and other sugar-free things with you as breakfasts are catered for sugar junkies, and bread and croissant lovers.