Pas de la Casa is renowned for shopping and receives a huge number of day trippers and holidaymakers looking for bargains, particularly cigarettes, alcohol & perfume.
The currency of Andorra is the Euro. You can change money at most hotel receptions and at any of the banks as well as being able to take money out of cash machines in the town, and even up the mountain! Just watch out for the exchange rate at receptions though as they can be quite low!
Pas de la Casa is a shoppers paradise, due to it’s location on the French - Andorran border. Pas de la Casa is the first port of call for many bargain hunters looking to take advantage of Andorra’s low tax and duty free prices and because of this you will find a multitude of shops and supermarkets offering an array of goods, particularly alcohol (every kind you can imagine!) and cigarettes at low prices.
Almost every street in Pas de la Casa is filled with shops of some kind but most shops are to be found on or around Carrer de Sant Jordi, Avenida d’Encamp and Carrer Major. There are many well known perfumeries, such as Gala and Julia which have several branches around the town, jewellery shops, and for the dedicated followers of fashion amongst you some great clothes stores offering many well known brands such as Diesel, Mango, Roxy, Quicksilver and O’Neill to name just a few.
Electrical goods are also popular in Pas de la Casa and anyone looking to pick up a new digital camera or MP3 player for example will be spoilt for choice; again you can head to one of the large department stores such as Pyrenees or Hiper or choose from one of the many small independent outlets. If you haven’t already kitted yourself out in the latest ski, snowboard or sports gear for your trip then pop into one of the selection of sports shops including the large Olympia department store on Avenida d’Encamp.
Accessories for the slopes can be picked up in most sports and hire shops around town including Rentaski. Don’t forget to shop around to find the best price possible, especially if you are considering investing in something expensive such as your own ski or snowboard equipment as prices will vary from one shop to another.
Be sure to pack some extra spending money or your credit card for a stay in Pas de la Casa, but beware you do not exceed your luggage allowance or duty free limits, or it could end up being an expensive trip home!
For more extensive shopping opportunities you might want to pay a visit to Andorra la Vella, the capital city. If you want to go, there are a couple of options:
Firstly is public transport. Buses depart from Església de Sant Pere on the main roundabout at the bottom of the village, and pick you up on Av. Meritxell in Andorra la Vella for the return. See timetable below for further details.
Second option is a taxi. They work pretty much the same as anywhere else, hotel receptions will usually call one for you, or you can flag one down if you see one. The official price set by the government is €1.12 per km during the daytime (07:00 - 21:00) additional supplements apply at night, during public holidays, for journeys outside of Andorra and for larger items of luggage. Taxis generally cannot be prebooked in Andorra, therefore you just have to wait for it to arrive.
Once you're in Andorra la Vella, you will find a huge array of shops selling mainly electrical goods, jewellery, perfume, alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco, all at duty free prices! In 2007 a sales tax was introduced which is currently 4.5%, but prices are still fairly low. A top tip would be to do your homework before you go, however, to make sure that you are getting a bargain!
The bus service to Andorra la Vella is operated by two companies - Hispano Andorrana and Cooperativa Interurbana Andorrana. It costs €6.10 each way from Pas de la Casa to Andorra la Vella and the line number is L4. Tickets are single tickets and are bought on the bus. The bus stop in Pas de la Casa is at Església de Sant Pere on the main roundabout at the bottom of the village. The bus stop to return is on Av. Mertixell in the centre of Andorra la Vella.
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Andorra has customs on both the French and Spanish borders with regular vehicle searches carried out. The main duty free allowances, as per the Andorran government in October 2015 are:
For more information please visit the official customs website of Andorra.
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