Your step-by-step guide to Half Term

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Ski school group in Andorra

Half term holidays are nearly here! Half term is traditionally one of the busiest weeks of the season with hundreds of families choosing to spend their well-earnt break on the snowy slopes of Grandvalira and Vallnord. There’s no need to stress, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know so that your holiday is memorable for all the right reasons.

Updated: January 2024

Step 1: Arrive!

Depending on where you’re travelling to and from, the journey to resort will take around four hours so make sure you’ve got plenty to keep the kids (and yourselves!) entertained – whether that’s reading a good book or watching a film on your tablet/phone. There isn’t a scheduled toilet break, but you can ask the driver for a toilet stop if required.

Not sure where the transfer meeting points are? Watch our series of videos to find out where the pick-up locations are at Barcelona and Toulouse airport.

Unsure what time transfer you should book? Read our handy guide to transfer questions.

Other than that, there’s not much you need to do – just simply sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!


Step 2: Collect your lift passes and lesson tickets

Grandvalira
Collecting your lift passes and lesson tickets couldn’t be easier – simply download/save or print your Andorra Resorts voucher and take to the kiosks in the gondola station (Soldeu, El Tarter, Encamp or Canillo), or to the Lift Pass & Ski School building (Pas de la Casa). The kiosks are open from 8:45am and close promptly at 4pm.

For more details on collecting lift passes and lesson tickets in Grandvalira, read this blog.

Pal-Arinsal
If you’re staying in Arinsal, take your vouchers to our office where our in-resort reps, Jasmine, Esther or Steve, will exchange these for your lift passes and lesson tickets. Our office is conveniently located in the St Moritz building, 100 metres from the gondola (see map here), and we’re open for arrivals every day from 8:30am to 10:30am and 6pm to 8pm.

Extended Hours – February 2024

Saturday 10th & 17th, Sunday 11th & 18th, and Monday 12th – our Arinsal office will be open for lift pass & lessons collection with extended hours from 08:30-12:00 and from 16:00-20:00.

Click here to find our office location

Step 3: Collect your equipment

Now it’s time to look the part and feel the part! Take your equipment voucher to the hire shop and the rentals team will get you kitted up and ready to hit the slopes.

Read our top tips for hiring equipment so you can prepare and keep the time spent collecting your equipment to a minimum.

Here’s all the key info you need about our hire shops:

Soldeu – Sports Calbo

  • Location: downstairs in the gondola station (see map here).
  • Opening times: Every day: 8:30am – 6pm
  • Collect from: 3pm the day before your first day on the slopes.

El Tarter – Nordic Esports

  • Location: at the base of the slopes in El Tarter, next to Hotel Nordic (see map here).
  • Opening times:
    • Monday to Saturday: 8:30am – 7.30pm
    • Sunday: 08:30am – 8pm.
  • Collect from: 4pm the day before your first day on the slopes.

Pas de la Casa – Pic Negre, Shusski, and Rentaski (choice of 8 shops)

  • Location: See our map here with all the shops marked on.
  • Opening times: 8:30am – 8pm every day.
  • Collect from: 4pm the day before you hit the slopes

St Moritz (Arinsal)

  • Location: There are three St Moritz shops to choose from. The one in resort is just 100 metres from the gondola and in the same building as our office. There’s also a hire shop at the top of the gondola, or by the Ushuaia Hotel. (See map here.)
  • Opening times:
    • St Moritz in resort: 8:30am – 8pm every day (collect from 5pm the day before)
    • St Moritz at the top of the gondola: 8:45am – 5:00pm every day (collect between 3pm and 4:15pm the day before).
    • St Moritz by Crest Hotel – 8:45am –8pm every day (collect from 4pm the day before)

Ski instructor and class
Step 4: Check in for Ski School

How much time should I allow to get to my lessons?

We recommend that you check in at ski school half an hour before your lessons are due to start, and make sure that you’re waiting at your meeting point 15 minutes before.

How do I check in for Ski School?

Grandvalira

In a hurry? During half-term, the queue for the gondolas in Soldeu, El Tarter and Pas de la Casa can get pretty busy. If you’re an advanced beginner or intermediate skier/snowboarder, then you can take the TSD4 Soldeu chairlift or TSD4 El Tarter chairlift up to the mountain to avoid queuing.

In Pas de la Casa, you can take the TSD4 Pas de la Casa or TSD6 Font Negre chairlift to the top of the mountain and then ride into Ski School via the black Jordi Angles run and blue Flexta run, or you can walk up to Ski School via the road which runs parallel to the gondola line (takes around 5-10 minutes)

Arinsal

First you need to collect your lesson ticket from our office in resort and take the gondola up to Ski School.

Private lessons meet outside the school office by a row of numbered discs (we will tell you which disc when we give you your ticket).

For weekday group lessons, go to the top of the gondola/six-man chair, turn to your right and go along the flat area to find the flag/sign with your ability level.  For weekend group lessons you need to go into the school office (at the bottom of the nursery slopes) 30 minutes before your lesson start time to be allocated to your instructor.

NEW FOR 2024: On Mondays, if you have children (6-11 years) starting group lessons, you can check them in up to 1 hour before the lesson start time. The location for this is halfway-up the metal staircase leading to the beginner slopes. Note that this is check-in, and not drop off. Drop off is 10 minutes before the start of the lesson. All children’s weekday group lessons will start and end at this meeting point.

Pal (La Massana)

Exchange your voucher for your lesson tickets at the ticket windows at the bottom of the gondola at the same time as you collect your lift passes.  Then make your way up the gondola – the ski school is at the top by the nursery slopes – you should be at the school 30 minutes before the start time of your lessons.

Step 5: Enjoy the slopes!

Enough said. The rest is over to you!

Looking for activities to keep all the family entertained off the slopes?

Check out our blog for our recommendations for family activities in Andorra. Or, if you fancy trying something new then why not try cross-country skiing in Andorra?

If you’re staying in Pas de la Casa then you can make use of the swimming pool, gym, kid’s soft play area (free), roof-top jacuzzi, saunas and steam rooms. Find out more here.

Still need to book your ski extras and/or transfers for your half-term ski holiday? It’s not too late!

Click on the links below to book now: