In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Andorra has no railway, and from Barcelona there are two ways to do it in a day. A coach tour takes 12 hours, goes through France first, and leaves 75 minutes to 2½ hours in Andorra la Vella. The Direct Bus from Barcelona Sants takes about 3 hours each way, costs from €31.50 one way, and lets you choose your own hours in Andorra, but has no French stop. Take your passport: Andorra is outside the EU and the Schengen area. Or book a tour: the guided day trip to Andorra, France and Spainad is from £60.73 (GetYourGuide, 30 September 2026) and puts the transport, a guide and a fortress town in one booking; the small-group three-countries tourad is from £66.30 and crosses the Port d’Envalira, which the operator gives as the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees, at 2,408 m.
Tour or bus
Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price on 30 September 2026, converted at the ECB rate of 29 September 2026 (€1 = £0.857). The bus fares are Direct Bus’s own, read on 30 September 2026.
| Price | On the road | In Andorra la Vella | What decides it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided day trip | From £60.73 (about €70.85) | About 7¾ hours | 2½ hours | Commentary in English and Spanish; a stop in a French fortress town |
| Small-group three-countries tour | From £66.30 (about €77.35) | About 6 hours | 75 minutes | English only, at most 34 people; crosses the high pass |
| Direct Bus | From €31.50 one way (£27.00); about €54 return | About 6 hours | Your choice: the 8:15 out and 20:15 back gives about 9 hours | No guide and no French stop; buy the ticket before you go |
The tours take longer to get there than the bus because they go through France on the way: by the guided trip’s own itinerary the coach is on the road for 4½ hours before it reaches Andorra la Vella, against about 3 hours on the direct bus.
Tours from Barcelona
Both tours are booked through GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Neither price includes food, drink or tips.
Guided day trip to Andorra, France and Spain
From £60.73 · 4.6 stars from 2,921 reviews · 12 hours · English and Spanish · meets at Estació de França
From Barcelona: Guided Day Trip to Andorra, France and Spainad, run by Amigo Tours Spain, meets at the main entrance of Estació de França, at Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera 6. The listing’s timed itinerary is:
- 3 hours on the coach to Mont-Louis, a fortress town in the French Pyrenees built to Vauban’s designs, where you get 65 minutes on foot and a guided walk.
- 5 minutes at the Circ de Pessons viewpoint in Andorra, above the glacial lakes at Grau Roig.
- 1½ hours on the coach to Andorra la Vella, where the guide covers the Casa de la Vall, the 12th-century church of Sant Esteve and the Dalí clock sculpture, then you have 2½ hours free on Avinguda Meritxell.
- 3¼ hours back to Barcelona.
The operator says the route can change with weather or road conditions, but the tour always includes Andorra and a village on the French border, and Mont-Louis can be swapped for another. It is not suited to wheelchair users or to visitors with reduced mobility.
The gatehouse of the citadel at Mont-Louis. Photo: MOSSOT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Three-countries small-group tour
From £66.30 · 4.6 stars from 3,036 reviews · 12 hours · English only · maximum 34 people
Barcelona: Three Countries Andorra, France & Spain Day Tourad, run by Explore Catalunya, meets at Carrer del Palau de la Música 1 and finishes at the Arc de Triomf. It goes the other way round, in this order:
- Bagà, a medieval village under the Cadí-Moixeró mountains, about 1½ hours from Barcelona, with 45 minutes in its square and church.
- The Cadí tunnel into France, then the Carrefour supermarket at Ur, with 20 to 25 minutes to buy French wine, cheese and pâté.
- Latour-de-Carol, a French border village, for 35 minutes.
- The Port d’Envalira, the mountain road into Andorra instead of the tunnel, at 2,408 m, which the listing calls the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees.
- Andorra la Vella, with 75 minutes in the timed itinerary (the description says two hours) for shops and lunch. The operator lists an Andorran passport stamp as included.
- The road home: the coach enters Andorra from France and leaves it for Spain, so you cross the whole country, then about 3 hours back to Barcelona in the listing’s timings.
GetYourGuide’s summary of recent reviews says some travellers on both tours wanted more time in Andorra.
The road between Pas de la Casa and the Port d’Envalira. Photo: Traumrune, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
A Pyrenees tour that stays in Catalonia
From £91.80 · 4.8 stars from 222 reviews · 11 hours
From Barcelona: Pyrenees Mountains Day Tourad stays in Catalonia: it visits the market town of Vic, a stone-built mountain village and a high mountain valley, and needs no passport.
By bus
Direct Bus from Barcelona Sants
Sants station, Carrer Viriat · from €31.50 one way · about 3 hours · eight departures a day from Sants, 6:15 to 23:45
Direct Bus runs from Barcelona Sants, and from the airport’s T1 and T2, to Andorra la Vella bus station on Carrer de la Cúria, with one stop at Sant Julià de Lòria, just over the border. There is no change of bus, the seats recline, and there is wi-fi and charging. Buses leave Sants at 6:15, 8:15, 11:45, 13:45, 15:45, 18:15, 20:45 and 23:45, and leave Andorra la Vella at 6:15, 8:15, 10:45, 13:15, 15:15, 17:45, 20:15 and 22:15 (andorradirectbus.es, 30 September 2026). The operator quotes about 3 hours from Sants and 3½ from the airport, and the timetable is the same at weekends.
- Fares: from €31.50 one way from Sants and €35 from the airport; a return ticket is 14% cheaper, so about €54 for the return (rates).
- Paying: by card online or in the app, or in cash at the ticket offices at Sants and Andorra bus station; you cannot pay on the bus.
- Arrive early: the operator asks for 30 minutes before departure. A missed bus needs a new ticket.
- Luggage: two pieces a person besides hand luggage.
The scheduled coaches from Estació del Nord run through the Cadí tunnel and are operated by Alsa; busandorra.com, the site of Andorra’s bus station, lists that service beside Direct Bus.
Is it worth it
Compare the hours, not the price:
- On a tour, about 6 to 8 hours of a 12-hour day are on the coach, and Andorra la Vella gets between 75 minutes and 2½ hours. The France stop and the drive over the mountains are what you are paying for.
- On the bus, the 8:15 from Sants and the 20:15 back give about nine hours in Andorra for around €54 a person. There is no French stop.
- In Andorra la Vella, the shopping street is the Avinguda Meritxell, part of a 1.5 km “Shopping Mile” that continues into Escaldes-Engordany; shops there stay open until 8 pm from Sunday to Thursday and until 9 pm on Friday and Saturday (visitandorra.com). Caldea, the thermal spa in Escaldes-Engordany, opens every day except 25 December and the renovation closures its timetable page lists. A spa visit needs the longer stay the bus allows.
Andorra la Vella from the hillside above the town. Photo: Fernando Prada Sanroman, Wikimedia Commons.
Montserrat and Girona and Figueres give more for less time on the road. Andorra suits anyone who wants the mountains and the shops.
Passports, ID and customs
- British passport: GOV.UK says to follow the Schengen rules for Andorra. The passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, with an expiry date at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (gov.uk, 30 September 2026). You do not need a visa for Andorra.
- Getting in: Andorra can only be reached through Spain or France, and you must meet the entry rules of the Schengen country you pass through. Andorra itself is neither in the EU nor in the Schengen area.
- EU citizens: a passport or a national ID card is enough, in and out (visitandorra.com, 30 September 2026).
- If you need a Schengen visa: it must allow at least two entries, because entering Andorra means leaving the Schengen area.
- Children: an adult travelling alone with children should carry a copy of any custody documents or written authorisation from the other parent (GOV.UK).
- What you can bring back: the Andorran government’s limits per adult are 1.5 litres of spirits over 22% ABV, 300 cigarettes and other goods worth up to €900. Under-17s have no alcohol or tobacco allowance. The borders and customs are open 24 hours a day. GOV.UK warns that Spain and France have strict rules on tobacco exported from Andorra, and may impound excess amounts.
Andorra is one of several day trips from Barcelona; the same page compares Sitges, Tarragona, the Costa Brava and the cava towns. For what to book before you fly, see what to book before you go in Barcelona.
Common questions
Is a day trip to Andorra from Barcelona worth it?
Only if the drive and the mountains are the point. A coach tour is 12 hours, about six to eight of them on the road, with 75 minutes to 2½ hours in Andorra la Vella. For more time in Andorra itself, take the direct bus from Sants instead: about 3 hours each way, from €31.50 one way, and you choose your own hours there.
How do you get from Barcelona to Andorra?
There is no train. Direct Bus runs from Barcelona Sants and the airport to Andorra la Vella bus station in about 3 hours from Sants, with eight departures a day from 6:15 to 23:45. The other way is a coach tour, which goes via France and takes about 4½ hours each way on the operator's own itinerary.
Do you need a passport for Andorra from Barcelona?
Yes. Andorra is outside the EU and the Schengen area, and you reach it through Spain or France. For a British passport, GOV.UK asks for one issued less than 10 years before you arrive with at least 3 months left after the day you leave the Schengen area. No visa is needed for Andorra. EU citizens can use a national ID card.
What do the three-countries tours from Barcelona include?
The coach, a guide, a stop in France and time in Andorra la Vella. Food, drink and tips are not included. Both tours listed on this page say to bring a passport.
What can you bring back from Andorra?
The Andorran government's limits per adult are 1.5 litres of spirits over 22% ABV, 300 cigarettes and other goods worth up to €900. Under-17s have no alcohol or tobacco allowance. GOV.UK warns that Spain and France can impound excess tobacco and the vehicle carrying it.
