Andorra is a landlocked country in Europe, whose transport infrastructure is largely road-based.
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Andorra has no railways, although the line connecting Latour-de-Carol and Toulouse, which in turn connects to France's TGVs at Toulouse, runs within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of the Andorran border. Two stations in France are connected by bus to Andorra la Vella — L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (served by the SNCF) and Latour-de-Carol, served by both SNCF's line to Toulouse and Spain's (RENFE's) line to Barcelona.[1][2]
A new public transport system, "Metro Aeri", was proposed by the government in 2004, but has not been built. It would have been an elevated cable metro system that would glide above the city's river.[3]
Andorra has a network of roads, with a total length of 269 km (167 mi), of which 198 km (123 mi) are paved, leaving 71 km (44 mi) of unpaved road. The main road to the north (France) goes through the Envalira pass, which is 2,409 metres (7,904 ft) high but nevertheless open all year round as it has a tunnel as well. The two main roads out of Andorra la Vella are the CG-1 to the Spanish border, and the CG-2 to the French border via the Envalira Tunnel near Pas de la Casa.[4] In winter, the main roads in Andorra are usually quickly cleared of snow and remain accessible, but the main road out of Andorra on the French side (RN-20/22) is less frequently cleared and is sometimes closed by avalanches.[5] Other main roads out of Andorra la Vella are the CG-3 and CG-4 to Arcalis and Pal, respectively. Secondary roads and trails also cross the border but are sometimes closed in winter because of deep snows.
Bus services cover all metropolitan areas and many rural communities, with services on most major routes running half-hourly or more frequently during peak travel times. There are frequent long-distance bus services from Andorra to Barcelona and Barcelona Airport, and also to Toulouse and Toulouse Airport, in each case taking approximately 3 hours. Bus routes also serve Girona Airport and Portugal via Lleida. Bus services are mostly run by private companies, but some local ones are operated by the government. The private bus companies are Autocars Nadal, Camino Bus, Cooperativa Interurbana Andorrana, Eurolines, Hispano Andorrana, and Novatel.[6]
Buses, the principal means of mass transit, provide regular service to la Seu d'Urgell and Barcelona in Spain, and to Perpignan in France. Among several cable cars, the most important operates between Encamp and Engolasters Lake.
Andorra does not have any airports for fixed-wing aircraft. There are, however, three heliports— in Arinsal, La Massana, and Escaldes-Engordany—that provide commercial helicopter services. The nearest airports are at Perpignan, France (156 km from Andorra) and Lleida, Spain (160 km from Andorra). The largest nearby airports are at Toulouse, France (165 km from Andorra) and Barcelona, Spain (215 km from Andorra). There are hourly bus services from both Barcelona and Toulouse airports to Andorra.
An airfield at La Seu d'Urgell, 12 km from the Andorra–Spain border and 24 km from Andorra la Vella, is the site of a proposed new airport to serve Andorra and the Pyrenees.[7]
This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2000 edition".
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