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Private jet charter in Andorra

Nobody can fly a private jet from London straight into Andorra, and every booking for the Principality begins from that fact. Private Jets UK plans these trips around two decisions: the airport where the aircraft lands and clears the border, and the last stretch from there, which is done by car or, when the route is open, by helicopter. Our customers have access to 6,500 jets of all types and configurations available for rent. We will help you choose the best option based on your needs and objectives. Our catalog contains the models from the largest manufacturers: Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pilatus, HondaJet, etc. We have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you favourable flight conditions and a high level of service. Our experts will manage the organization of your flight - starting with paperwork, agreements, etc., and ending with a transfer and meeting at the airport. Our company provides a full range of business aviation and concierge services. Andorra covers only 468 square kilometres and its capital stands at 1,023 metres, the highest capital in Europe, so the choice is never about distance on the map. It is about the Pyrenees, the border posts and the hours at which each airfield around the country will take you.

 

private jet charter

 

At your request, the aviation consultants of Private Jets UK will help you choose the jet with the suitable technical parameters (production year, flight hours, and home base). The cost of the private jet charter to Andorra depends on many factors, such as the model of the business jet, the number of passengers, departure and destination airports, type of flight, duration of parking, additional services, etc. Therefore, we calculate the price of each order individually taking into account your wishes. You can use an online calculator to get an instant charter quote. Please indicate your real contact details to get the final calculation.

You can calculate the cost of your flight in several ways:

  • using an online calculator on the website (however, it shows only the approximate price);
  • via Messenger (WhatsApp or Telegram);
  • by landline or cell phone;
  • via e-mail (jets@private-jets.co.uk).

 

 

 

Please note that the above-mentioned price is indicative only. It is calculated on this basis: a departure from Biggin Hill, a Cessna Citation CJ3+ nonstop to Toulouse-Blagnac, the main business aviation gateway for Andorra, and two passengers aboard. The drive or helicopter transfer from the airport into Andorra is not included. If you want to get a personal quote, just fill out the online booking form below. Our aviation consultant will make the calculation within 20 minutes, and then contact you to specify the details of the flight.

 

How long does it take to fly to Andorra?

Andorra keeps Central European time, one hour ahead of Britain all year, because the clocks change on the same weekends. There is no sector from Britain to Andorra itself, so the figures below run from British airfields to Toulouse-Blagnac, gate to gate, with the taxi and the approach included, and the last line adds the road:

Biggin Hill, Citation CJ3+
nonstop to Toulouse, 484 nautical miles with the routing allowance, almost the same from Farnborough, Gatwick and Southampton
about 1 h 45 min
Luton, Phenom 300E
nonstop, 520 nautical miles
about 1 h 40 min
Southampton, Citation XLS+
nonstop, 471 nautical miles, the shortest of the regular British departures
about 1 h 40 min
Manchester, Citation XLS+
nonstop, 625 nautical miles
about 2 h
Glasgow, Challenger 350
nonstop, 799 nautical miles, the longest of the regular British departures
about 2 h 20 min
Toulouse to Andorra la Vella
about 190 km by road over the Envalira pass and tunnel; published driving times run from roughly two and a quarter hours to three, longer when the snow is down
about 2.5 to 3 h by car
Barcelona to Andorra la Vella
about 200 km by road on the Spanish side; most sources give around three hours, and up to four on a winter weekend when the border queues build
about 3 h by car

A Friday morning on the slopes, or the same day in the capital

Take off from Biggin Hill at eight and the CJ3+ is on the ground at Blagnac a little before eleven on the local clock, with the car waiting at the business aviation terminal. Allow half an hour for the border formalities and the transfer, and the party is in Soldeu or Andorra la Vella in the early afternoon. That is a long day but a workable one, which a morning on scheduled flights cannot match.

The weak point is the road, not the flight. In winter the French-side road over the Envalira pass is cleared less often than the Spanish side and is sometimes closed by avalanches, so we keep a second plan ready: the Spanish side by car from Barcelona or Lleida, or the helicopter when it is available.

Scheduled flight or private jet: where the aircraft earns its price

– There is no airline service from Britain to Andorra. The only scheduled flights at the airfield of La Seu d'Urgell are listed to Madrid and Palma, so a traveller by ticket flies to Barcelona or Toulouse and takes a bus of about three hours;

– The aircraft wins when a family travels with ski equipment, when the group is four or more, when arrival and departure days do not match the airline timetable, or when the stay is short and a night in a gateway city would take a third of it.

The exact flight time depends on the model of the business jet, as well as the speed of the tail or head wind. Our consultant will make a detailed calculation of the flight time for the chosen business jet.

 

private jet rental

 

Prices for the private jet flights to Andorra

Typical private jet prices from Britain to the gateway that serves Andorra best, cheapest first. Every row is a nonstop flight to Toulouse-Blagnac, which is the nearest airport with a full business aviation terminal and round-the-clock customs. The price follows the sector length and the cabin, and the table shows it plainly:

Route Aircraft Price, one way
Biggin Hill - Toulouse
484 nm / 896 km, nonstop
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
from £7,350
Farnborough - Toulouse
486 nm / 900 km, nonstop
Phenom 300E
up to 7 passengers
from £7,450
London City - Toulouse
495 nm / 917 km, nonstop
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
from £7,500
London Luton - Toulouse
520 nm / 963 km, nonstop
Phenom 300E
up to 7 passengers
from £7,850
Cardiff - Toulouse
524 nm / 970 km, nonstop
Phenom 300E
up to 7 passengers
from £7,900
Southampton - Toulouse
471 nm / 872 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £8,950
Bristol - Toulouse
514 nm / 952 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £9,600
Birmingham - Toulouse
566 nm / 1,048 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £10,350
Manchester - Toulouse
625 nm / 1,158 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £11,200
Leeds Bradford - Toulouse
651 nm / 1,206 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £11,550
Newcastle - Toulouse
723 nm / 1,339 km, nonstop
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
from £12,600
Edinburgh - Toulouse
792 nm / 1,467 km, nonstop
Challenger 350
up to 8 passengers
from £16,900
Glasgow - Toulouse
799 nm / 1,480 km, nonstop
Challenger 350
up to 8 passengers
from £17,000

 

Two things worth knowing about these figures

– Toulouse sets the title price because it is the shortest flight from Britain, not because it is the only choice. From Biggin Hill the same Citation CJ3+ costs about £8,100 to Perpignan, £8,700 to Lleida-Alguaire, £8,700 to Girona, and £9,100 to Barcelona. A gateway on the Spanish side is the better fit when the party is going to Sant Julià de Lòria or La Massana, or when snow has closed the French road;

– The quote covers the flight only. The ground handler's fee at the gateway is added, and the transfer into Andorra is priced separately, whether it is a car, a minibus or a helicopter. Weekends in the ski season and the days around the regional festivals sell out first, which can lift the price, so we ask for the dates as early as possible.

 

Private jet flights within Andorra and to its neighbours

There are no flights inside the Principality for a fixed-wing aircraft to sell. It has no airport of its own, and the nearest airfield, La Seu d'Urgell, sits in Spain. What clients ask for are the hops from the gateway to the neighbouring airports, the positioning of an aircraft to the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, and the longer sectors that continue to the Riviera, the Alps or the Balearics. The table uses Toulouse as the base:

Route Aircraft Flight time Price, one way
Toulouse - Carcassonne
50 nm / 93 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 8 passengers
about 40 min from £3,100
Toulouse - Andorra-La Seu d'Urgell
80 nm / 148 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 8 passengers
about 50 min from £3,100
Toulouse - Perpignan
88 nm / 163 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 8 passengers
about 50 min from £3,100
Toulouse - Barcelona
149 nm / 276 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 50 min from £5,300
Toulouse - Lleida-Alguaire
125 nm / 232 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 50 min from £5,300
Toulouse - Nice
264 nm / 489 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 1 h 10 min from £5,300
Toulouse - Palma
263 nm / 487 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 1 h 10 min from £5,300
Toulouse - Madrid
301 nm / 557 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 1 h 15 min from £5,300
Toulouse - Paris Le Bourget
336 nm / 622 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 6 passengers
about 1 h 20 min from £5,600
Toulouse - Zurich
395 nm / 732 km
Phenom 300E
up to 7 passengers
about 1 h 25 min from £6,400
Toulouse - Geneva
266 nm / 493 km
Citation XLS+
up to 8 passengers
about 1 h 05 min from £6,800
Toulouse - Lisbon
578 nm / 1,070 km
Phenom 300E
up to 7 passengers
about 1 h 45 min from £8,500

 

Two things worth knowing about these sectors

– Lleida-Alguaire and Barcelona cost the same on a Citation CJ3+ as Nice, Palma or Madrid, although the flights are shorter, because the minimum charge decides. The PC-12 sector to La Seu is the only one in the table that ends near Andorra, and it is a turboprop job for a small group: the airfield has a 1,267 m runway, no customs, and an operator note that limits the largest aircraft to the size of an ATR 42;

– Geneva, Nice, Paris Le Bourget, Palma, Madrid, Zurich and Lisbon are the second ring: a ski week continued in the Alps, a few days on the Riviera or in Mallorca, or a business stop on the way home. Each is priced for the aircraft shown and changes with the cabin.

 

We can arrange the flights from any cities in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and European countries. Due to a large database of available business jets, we can help you find an optimal jet and crew. If you have any questions about the departure or the flight itself, you can ask them using the form below:

 

 

 

Prices depending on the type of business jet

We can clearly show the high dependence of the cost of the flight, on the type of aircraft - we have collected approximate data, at the price of 1 flight hour, for various types of business jets:

Turbopropsfrom £850/h
Small jet£1,700 - 2,500/h
Light jet£2,100 - 3,000/h
Medium-sized jet (Citation XLS+, Hawker 800XP)£3,000 - 3,700/h
Large medium-class jet (Challenger 300)£4,600 - 5,500/h
Large jet (Legacy 600)£4,900 - 5,800/h
Long-haul jet (Global 5000, G550, Falcon 7X)£5,800 - 8,800/h
Business linersfrom £10,300/h

 

Prices for private jet flights

 

The cost per hour indicated in the table is preliminary and does not constitute an offer or a commercial offer. Exact prices are available from the managers of the company.

 

Online Calculator

If you want to make an urgent calculation of the cost of a private plane flight, use our online calculator. Just fill in all the fields of the form with a note that you are interested in a specific model of the aircraft and get the final price. NB! - the figures are sent to you by email or messenger, please carefully fill in the contact details to get the calculation.

All our calculations are as transparent as possible for you. After receiving the request, we will prepare a beautiful offer - where the costs and the final price will be clearly described. The exact price is agreed in advance and is written in the contract, so you can be sure of the final cost.

 

 

 

Private jets are ready to take off

Our database contains over 6,500 business jets (about 3,500 in Europe and 3,000 in the rest of the world) of different configurations and production years. The list of models is constantly updated. Unfortunately, we can't post a full list of available jets on our website due to confidentiality issues. Please contact the managers of the company for more accurate information. We will help you choose a suitable model taking into account your wishes. These are the typical choices for Andorra:

Light jets

The natural aircraft for a couple, a small family or two colleagues crossing to Toulouse, and the class behind the price in the title. The gateway runways are 3,000 metres or more, so length is never a constraint.

Cessna Citation CJ3+ · 7 seatsfrom £2,400/h
Embraer Phenom 300E · 8 seatsfrom £2,600/h
Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 · 8 seatsfrom £2,700/h
Cessna Citation M2 · 7 seatsfrom £2,200/h

Midsize

A ski group wants space for boots, bags and skis more than speed, and the baggage hold decides the choice. Five to eight people with winter luggage sit comfortably here, and the cabin is tall enough to stand in.

Cessna Citation XLS+ · 9 seatsfrom £3,100/h
Cessna Citation Latitude · 9 seatsfrom £3,900/h

Super-midsize and large

For a party of eight to twelve, or a family with staff and equipment for a week. Toulouse takes these aircraft without difficulty and Barcelona does too once a slot is agreed; only the road after landing needs a larger vehicle.

Embraer Praetor 600 · 9 seatsfrom £3,400/h
Bombardier Challenger 350 · 9 seatsfrom £4,000/h
Bombardier Challenger 605 · 12 seatsfrom £4,350/h
Embraer Legacy 650 · 13 seatsfrom £4,600/h

Heavy and ultra-long range

For a group that continues from Andorra to another continent, or an owner whose own heavy jet lands at Toulouse or Barcelona. The mountain strip at La Seu is far too small for this class.

Dassault Falcon 900LX · 12 seatsfrom £5,400/h
Bombardier Global 6000 · 13 seatsfrom £6,400/h
Gulfstream G550 · 16 seatsfrom £6,700/h
Gulfstream G650ER · 14 seatsfrom £7,700/h

Turboprops

The only fixed-wing aircraft that the short strip at La Seu d'Urgell suits among our regular types, once the border has been cleared elsewhere. Not for the crossing from Britain, where a jet is faster.

Pilatus PC-12 NGX · 9 seatsfrom £1,400/h
Beechcraft King Air 350 · 9 seatsfrom £1,650/h

 

online private jet directory

 

For an Andorra booking the nearest suitable aircraft is often not in Britain. An aircraft that has just dropped one party in the Pyrenees, or one based at a nearby airfield in France or Spain, may be free to fly another home. We look at the whole map before a number is sent.

 

How to book a private jet?

You can book a private jet flight to Andorra in 6 easy steps:

  1. Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
  2. Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
  3. Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
  4. Signing of the contract.
  5. Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
  6. Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.

In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.

 

How to rent a business jet with a crew

5 main stages:

  • Sending an application

  • Clarification of details and search for options

  • Preparation and coordination of optimal options

  • Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.

  • Departure on the route.

 

Business aviation airports for Andorra

Andorra has no airport, and the airports around it each answer a different problem: the one with the best terminal, the one on the Spanish side of the range, the one closest to the border and the one that cannot take a flight from Britain at all. The table sets them side by side. Hours that come from the aeronautical publications are in UTC unless the entry says otherwise, and the road distances come from published driving guides, so the times on the day will differ:

Airport Ground How it operates
Toulouse-Blagnac
TLS / LFBO
Blagnac, 3.6 NM (about 6.7 km) west-north-west of Toulouse, 499 ft above sea level; about 126 km in a straight line and about 190 km by road from Andorra la Vella The gateway we plan for most jets from Britain. Two parallel runways, 14L/32R of 3,025 m with ILS category I and 14R/32L of 3,503 m with category III on 14R. The French aeronautical publication lists administration, customs, police and air traffic services as open round the clock. Handling by a licensed agent is compulsory, and Jetex runs the business aviation terminal with an executive lounge, a crew lounge and meeting rooms; commercial listings show no slot requirement. A heated hangar of 2,400 square metres is listed, and night noise limits apply from 22:00 to 06:00 local time to aircraft that do not meet the Chapter 3 standard
Barcelona-El Prat
BCN / LEBL
about 15 km south-west of Barcelona; about 142 km in a straight line and about 200 km by road from Andorra la Vella The choice for the Spanish side. Three runways of 3,743, 2,660 and 2,528 m. A general aviation terminal with customs and immigration is described as open round the clock, with about 40 stands, and a slot is needed for every movement, so the request goes in with the booking. A handler in the general aviation terminal meets the aircraft; at peak times stands can run short and Girona becomes the fallback. It is the airport most travellers to Andorra use, with scheduled coach transfers
Perpignan-Rivesaltes
PGF / LFMP
2 NM north-west of Perpignan, 144 ft above sea level; about 113 km in a straight line from Andorra la Vella A quiet airport close to the Pyrenees. The runway to use is 15/33, of 2,500 by 45 m, with an ILS on 33; the second runway is 1,085 m and closed to jets. Customs work in set hours, with notice of 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours at weekends and public holidays, sent to the customs office and the operator, and a flight arriving from outside Schengen must park on the commercial apron. There is no business aviation terminal in the publication; the aerodrome operator handles traffic, and fuel (Jet A1) is supplied by TotalEnergies. Heavy bird concentrations are listed from mid-September to early February
Lleida-Alguaire
ILD / LEDA
16 km north-west of Lleida, 351 m above sea level; about 119 km in a straight line and about 155 km by road from Andorra la Vella The nearest airport with a long runway on the Spanish side. One runway, 13/31, of 2,500 by 61 m, with ILS category I on 31. Customs and immigration are available with 48 hours' notice, and so are fuelling (Jet A-1) and handling outside the published hours, which are short: in UTC, 06:00 to 18:00 for visual and 07:00 to 17:00 for instrument traffic. Aircraft up to code D are accepted, up to the size of a Boeing 757-300. There is no business aviation terminal in the publication, so a handler and a car are arranged separately
Girona-Costa Brava
GRO / LEGE
12.5 km south-west of Girona; about 122 km in a straight line from Andorra la Vella A fallback for Barcelona, and with Reus, farther south, one of the two airports that the Andorran press names for passengers from outside Schengen who want to fly on by helicopter. One runway of 2,400 by 45 m; the aerodrome is open round the clock with customs and immigration, and handling is compulsory. A slot request goes in through the airport's coordination office about three hours ahead. The handlers listed include Universal Aviation and ExecuJet, each with a lounge
Andorra-La Seu d'Urgell
LEU / LESU
3.8 km south-west of La Seu d'Urgell in Spain, 802 m above sea level; 12 km from the border, about 20 km in a straight line and about 27 km by road from Andorra la Vella The closest runway to Andorra and not a gateway. One asphalt runway, 03/21, of 1,267 by 28 m. The publication lists no customs and no immigration, so a flight from Britain must clear Schengen at another airport first. Use by the public needs 24 hours' notice, and so do handling and pressure refuelling. The infrastructure is limited to an ATR 42 at most, wingspans above 17 m are restricted to one apron route, and operations on a runway with snow, slush, frost or ice are prohibited. It suits a light turboprop or a small jet coming from a Schengen airport in good weather, with vultures and kites to watch for near the runway ends. The operator is Aeroports de Catalunya

 

Four rules settle most Andorra bookings before a quote goes out. The first three concern the border, the handler and the hours, and the fourth is the mountain itself:

The border: cleared outside Andorra

Neither Britain nor Andorra is in Schengen, and there is no passport or customs post for a private aircraft anywhere in the Principality. The passengers clear the border at the gateway in France or Spain and enter Andorra by road. The airfield at La Seu d'Urgell has no customs and no immigration listed, so it can only take an aircraft that has already cleared elsewhere.

The handler: a name at every gateway

At Toulouse the handling agent is compulsory, at Barcelona it sits in the general aviation terminal and at Girona it is compulsory too. At Perpignan and Lleida-Alguaire we arrange the agent and a car separately, because there is no dedicated terminal in the publications. We book the handler with the aircraft and confirm the border notices at the same time.

The hours: notice for customs, short days on the Spanish side

Perpignan wants 24 hours' notice for customs on weekdays and 48 at weekends, Lleida-Alguaire wants 48 hours and keeps short hours, and La Seu needs 24 hours for public use. A late return can be impossible there, and a gateway with round-the-clock customs such as Toulouse, Barcelona or Girona is the safer base for the last flight out.

The mountain: snow, wind and a short strip

The publication for La Seu urges extreme care in a wind above 20 knots and bars operations on a contaminated runway. On the road, snow is possible from November to April and winter tyres or chains are advised. We name an alternate gateway before the flight and plan the driver and the car for the winter, not the summer.

Which gateway for which journey

Toulouse is the best all-round gateway and the cheapest flight from Britain, with a proper terminal and customs at any hour, and the road from there reaches Pas de la Casa and Canillo first. Barcelona is the one for the Spanish side of the Principality and for Sant Julià de Lòria, at the cost of a slot and a longer drive. Perpignan is a quiet alternative with a runway long enough for any light or midsize jet, but customs there work to a timetable. La Seu d'Urgell is for the final hop of a small aircraft that has cleared elsewhere; it does not replace a gateway.

 

Arriving from Britain: passports, customs and what to carry

Andorra is neither in the European Union nor in Schengen, and it can only be entered through France or Spain. A private flight from London therefore arrives as a flight from outside Schengen at a French or Spanish airport, and the formalities are those of that country. Andorra adds a second, lighter layer on the road at the frontier:

Passports
British citizens do not need a visa for Andorra, but they must meet the Schengen rules to enter France or Spain: the passport must have been issued less than ten years before arrival and be valid for at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen area
every passenger, children included
Entry/Exit System
a photo and fingerprints are taken at the first entry to the Schengen area for a short stay, free of charge; the gateway airport is where it happens, not the mountain border
longer waits are possible; a private terminal keeps them short
Authorisation
British passport holders do not need a visa; where the EU's online ETIAS authorisation applies to a British passport on your date, we tell you before the offer, not on the apron
we check for your date
Children
an adult travelling alone with a child should carry custody papers or written permission from the other parent, which is the advice of the British government for Andorra
keep them in hand luggage
Goods and the road out
customs officers can check vehicles at the Andorran frontier; tobacco, alcohol and luxury goods bought in the Principality can be taxed above the allowance when you re-enter Spain or France, and excess tobacco can be seized together with the vehicle
declare when in doubt
Cash
a declaration is due if you carry cash or other bearer instruments worth ten thousand in the EU's own currency or more, about £8,500 at the rate we use, when you cross into or out of Spain or France
declare when in doubt

Aircraft paperwork and the way home

The aircraft brings its own file: a general declaration, a passenger manifest and the crew documents, which are sent to the handler before landing. A party carrying watches, jewellery, a work of art or commercial samples tells us at the booking stage, not on the apron.

Coming home is a flight into Britain from the gateway. A General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure. British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation, while most other nationalities do. A passenger who is not British should ask us about the visa and the authorisation for both ends of the journey.

 

passport and customs paperwork for a private jet flight

 

Which part of Andorra is closest to which airport

The country is a handful of valleys around the Valira rivers, and where you sleep decides the gateway. The distances below are straight-line figures from the capital, so allow much more on the winding mountain roads, which are the real measure:

Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany
the capital and the spa town along the river, at 1,023 m; shops, hotels, banks and the Caldea thermal spa; La Seu d'Urgell airfield is about 20 km away in a straight line and Toulouse about 126 km
the centre of the country
Sant Julià de Lòria
the southernmost parish on the Spanish border, about 5 km from the capital in a straight line; the first town reached from Spain
Barcelona, Lleida-Alguaire or La Seu
La Massana, Arinsal and Pal
the Vallnord side in the north-west; Arinsal is about 8 km from the capital and the heliport of La Caubella stands in the La Massana parish
Barcelona or Toulouse, then a car
Ordino and Arcalís
the northern valley, with the Ordino Arcalís ski area at the head of it, about 6 km to Ordino and about 15 km to Arcalís from the capital
Toulouse or Barcelona
Canillo, El Tarter and Soldeu
the Grandvalira side in the east; Canillo is about 9 km from the capital and Soldeu about 14 km
Toulouse, over the Envalira
Pas de la Casa
the border town on the French side, about 18 km from the capital in a straight line, at the foot of the Envalira pass, which rises to about 2,400 m
Toulouse or Perpignan

 

The Principality: skiing, banking and a country shared by two heads of state

Andorra is first a mountain resort. About eight million visitors arrive each year, tourism accounts for roughly 80 per cent of the economy, and the ski season usually runs from late November to early April. Grandvalira has more than 200 km of slopes on one pass, and Vallnord, with Pal, Arinsal and Arcalís, about 88 km. Private flights in winter are therefore often family and group trips that arrive on a Friday and leave on a Sunday.

The second kind of trip is financial. The financial and insurance sector contributes roughly a fifth of the economy, the currency is the same as in France and Spain, and the country is in a customs union with the European Union for industrial goods without being a member. Bankers, advisers and people who are considering moving to the Principality visit for a day of meetings and a property viewing, and a morning flight to Toulouse and a driver waiting at the terminal fit the diary better than a scheduled connection.

The third is the country itself. Andorra covers 468 square kilometres, has about 90,000 residents in seven parishes, and its highest point, Coma Pedrosa, rises to 2,942 m. Catalan is the only official language, and Spanish, French and Portuguese are widely used. The Caldea thermal spa in Escaldes-Engordany draws visitors in every season, and the old villages of the high valleys keep a calendar of local festivals that is worth planning around.

The head of state is shared. The two co-princes are the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France - an arrangement that goes back to the thirteenth century. For a private client the practical consequence is simple: whichever side you approach from, the formalities are those of France or Spain until the last few kilometres.

 

The Andorra year: ski winters, trail summers and village festivals

Andorra has two seasons that matter for private flying, and a quieter shoulder on either side. Winter is the big one, and summer is a smaller season for walkers, cyclists and runners:

December to February
the lifts of Grandvalira and Vallnord run, snow is possible on the roads from November to April and the Envalira pass is cleared less often on the French side; the escudelles of Sant Antoni are held on or near 17 January
the main ski months
March to May
late skiing in the higher areas, Carnival in Canillo, Encamp and Ordino in February or March, and the Canòlich festival in Sant Julià de Lòria on the last Saturday of May
skiing, then the thaw
June to August
Sant Joan bonfires around the solstice, a mountain trail running festival in June, the sheepdog competition in Canillo on the first Sunday of July, mountain biking at Pal Arinsal in summer and the capital's festival in early August
walkers, bikers and runners
September to November
Meritxell Day on 8 September, the Ordino festival on 16 September and the villages' autumn festivals, followed by a quiet period before the lifts reopen; the weeks around the first snow are the time to check the road
festivals and the quiet weeks

 

The Andorra calendar: festivals, races and the snow

The dated events are small in scale, but each fills the few hotels of its valley, and each pulls the flights toward the same gateway at the same hours:

Late November to early December
The ski lifts of Grandvalira and Vallnord open, with the season usually running until early April
17 January
The escudelles of Sant Antoni and Sant Sebastià, the traditional stews of the parishes, held on or near the day, and on 20 January in Sant Julià de Lòria
February or March
Carnival, with the Arlequins parade in Canillo, the Ball de l'Ossa in Encamp and a broth with carn d'olla in Ordino
Last Saturday of May
The Canòlich festival in Sant Julià de Lòria
June
The Sant Joan and Sant Pere bonfires around the summer solstice across the country, the Festa del Poble in Andorra la Vella on 24 June, and the mountain trail running festival that the UTMB organisers hold in the Principality
First Sunday of July
The International Sheepdog Competition in Canillo
First weekend of August
The Festa Major of Andorra la Vella, four days of concerts, parades with giants, folk dances, markets and children's races
8 September
Meritxell Day, the national day of the Principality
First week of December
L'última Ossa in the gardens of the Casa Areny-Plandolit museum in Ordino

What a festival or a snowfall does to a flight plan

Andorra's roads and hotels are small, and the gateways around it are not, so the peak shows up on the road and the beds first. The first and last weekends of the ski season, the festival days of the capital and any heavy snowfall are when a car is hardest to find and the border queues are longest. A request sent as soon as the dates are known gives the handler, the driver and the border officers time to line up.

 

business aviation

 

Flying to Andorra with a dog or a cat

A dog or cat travels in the cabin, and the paperwork has three parts: the European entry at the gateway airport, the short drive into Andorra and one appointment for the way home. The animal enters France or Spain, so the rules are those of the European Union, with a few points that belong to Andorra.

The one fact to read before you book

The animal must carry a 15-digit microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination, and be vaccinated against rabies from the age of 12 weeks, with 21 days to pass before it may travel. A pet passport issued in Great Britain is not accepted for entry, so a health certificate from an official vet is issued for the trip, within ten days before arrival. The animal arrives through a travellers' point of entry and is examined there. In France the animal is also declared to customs, and dogs of the Staffordshire, American Staffordshire (pit bull), mastiff and tosa types without a pedigree fall into a banned first category. More than five animals fall under the rules for commercial movements.

Andorra is treated as having an animal health status equivalent to the EU's, so when the requirements are met there is typically no second import check at the frontier. The Principality keeps a list of potentially dangerous breeds, for which a licence, insurance, a muzzle and a short lead are required in public, so an owner of an American bulldog, rottweiler or mastiff type should ask us first. Coming home is where the diary matters. A dog needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet no less than 24 and no more than 120 hours before it arrives in Great Britain, with the product, date and time entered in the document, and a cat does not. Andorra appears in the British government's table of listed countries, so the document for the return can be a pet passport, an animal health certificate or a Great Britain pet health certificate.

  • A microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination, not after;
  • A rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or later, at least 21 days old on the day of arrival and kept in date;
  • An official veterinary health certificate for each trip, issued no more than ten days before arrival at the gateway;
  • For a dog on the homeward leg, the tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before landing in Great Britain;
  • Not more than five animals per traveller.

Because the dog may spend several days in the mountains, the treatment is booked with a vet in Andorra la Vella or in the gateway city, timed to the return flight. We confirm in writing with the handler that the chosen gateway receives the animal at its border post before the date is fixed.

Requirements for birds, rabbits and the less usual species, along with the countries where the timeline runs to months, are set out on our flying with pets guide.

 

private flight with animals

 

Empty Legs

An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. Toulouse and the Spanish gateways see aircraft arrive full and leave empty all winter, because a ski party flies out on a Friday and home on a Sunday, and the aircraft either waits or goes back to its base.

Where Andorra empty legs come from

– Ski weekends: the aircraft that brings a group to the Pyrenees on a Friday often returns to Britain empty, and the flight back on the Monday is a common source;

– Festival and event weekends in the valleys, from the summer trail running to the capital's festival in August, when aircraft land full and leave empty a day or two later;

– Aircraft based in France and Spain that are positioned to a gateway for a client and need a way home or a fresh start.

A client who can offer a few days has a far better chance of a match, though the operator owns the date and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of empty legs on the Toulouse corridor follows:

Route Aircraft Capacity Whole aircraft
Toulouse - UK (London Biggin Hill)
nonstop
Citation CJ3+ 7 seats £3,100
Toulouse - UK (Farnborough)
nonstop
Phenom 300E 8 seats £3,150
UK (London City) - Toulouse
nonstop
Citation CJ3+ 7 seats £3,150
UK (London Luton) - Toulouse
nonstop
Phenom 300E 8 seats £3,300
Toulouse - UK (Bristol)
nonstop
Citation XLS+ 9 seats £4,050
UK (Birmingham) - Toulouse
nonstop
Citation XLS+ 9 seats £4,350
Toulouse - UK (Manchester)
nonstop
Citation XLS+ 9 seats £4,700
UK (Edinburgh) - Toulouse
nonstop
Challenger 350 9 seats £7,100

 

How to read those figures

– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Citation XLS+ from Manchester with eight aboard comes to about £600 a head;

– Leave the transfer out of the sum: the car or helicopter from the gateway into Andorra is paid separately.

 

empty legs

 

Helicopter charter

In the Pyrenees a helicopter is the tool for the last stretch, not for the crossing from Britain. It turns three hours of mountain road into under an hour. These are our estimates in a straight line at about 115 knots, with a few minutes for the start and the landing:

Toulouse to Andorra la Vella
from the gateway with a full terminal, in place of the drive over the Envalira
about 45 min
Barcelona to Andorra la Vella
from the Spanish side, in place of the road of about three hours
about 50 min
Girona to Andorra la Vella
the Girona fallback, one of the two airports named for passengers from outside Schengen
about 45 min
Perpignan to Andorra la Vella
the nearest of the French gateways in a straight line
about 40 min
La Seu d'Urgell to Andorra la Vella
the short hop from the Spanish airfield, which accepts helicopters up to the size of an A139
about 15 min
La Caubella to Soldeu
within the Principality, from the heliport in La Massana to the Grandvalira side
about 10 min

The heliport of La Caubella in the La Massana parish is described by the Andorran press as the national heliport. It is open round the clock, with a helipad of 100 by 20 m, a hangar for seven helicopters and a passenger terminal. Reference works also list helicopter sites at La Massana, Arinsal and Escaldes-Engordany and mention taxi flights on request from Barcelona, Lleida, Perpignan and Toulouse. We confirm the aircraft, the pad, the number of passengers and the baggage allowance for your date before the offer goes out.

Two points on Andorra rotary legs

International helicopter flights into Andorra need an approved border control point with police and customs staff, and the Andorran press reports that regular lines wait for it, with the rule that passengers from outside Schengen stop at Girona or Reus first. We therefore plan a British passenger to clear the border at the gateway before the helicopter leg, and we tell you before the offer which route is open for your date. At La Seu d'Urgell every helicopter must use the runway like other aircraft, and a landing at a hotel or a mountain site needs the landowner's permission and the authority's.

 

private helicopter flight

 

Flights from the UK to Andorra

Biggin Hill, Farnborough, London City and Luton send most of the traffic on this corridor, with Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester behind them and Scotland at the long end; the price table higher up covers thirteen of those pairings, all to Toulouse. Our clients have access to all airports of the UK and Europe. Due to the unique partnership conditions, we can offer our clients the best prices for business aviation services. Our experts will consult you on the availability of private jets in a particular city and help you choose the best option.

 

List of TOP 25 business aviation airports:

 
Airport Country ICAO IATA
London Heathrow Airport England EGLL LHR
 Birmingham Airport England EGBB BHX
London Gatwick England EGKK LGW
London City Airport England EGLC LCY
London Luton England EGGW LTN
Edinburgh Airport Scotland EGPH EDI
Leeds Airport England EGNM LBA
Manchester Airport England EGCC MAN
London Stansted England EGSS STN
Liverpool John Lennon Airport England EGGP LPL
Newcastle Airport England EGNT NCL
 Bristol Airport England EGGD BRS
Glasgow Airport Scotland EGPF GLA
 East Midlands Airport England EGNX EMA
 Southampton Airport England EGHI SOU
 Jersey Airport Channel Islands EGJJ JER
Cardiff International Airport Wales EGFF CWL
Inverness Airport Scotland EGPE INV
Bournemouth Airport England EGHH BOH
London Farnborough Airport England EGLF FAB
Oxford Airport England EGTK OXF
London Biggin Hill England EGKB BQH
Belfast Airport Northern Ireland EGAA BFS
Gibraltar Airport Gibraltar LXGB GIB
Aberdeen Airport Scotland EGPD ABZ

 

Andorra charters from the booking notes: six typical trips

Six typical jobs put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none describes one named client or date.

SOLDEU · A FRIDAY TO SUNDAY

A family of five with ski bags

Birmingham - Toulouse, Citation XLS+, about 1 h 50 min · 5 pax

The skis and boots filled the hold, so a midsize cabin was chosen over a light jet. A minibus waited at the terminal, and the return was fixed for the Sunday afternoon with a margin for the road over the pass.

ESCALDES · A SPA WEEKEND

Two friends and a booked treatment

Biggin Hill - Toulouse, Citation CJ3+, about 1 h 45 min · 2 pax

A morning departure put the pair at the thermal spa for the afternoon. The road took longer than the flight, so the car was booked from Blagnac and the return time agreed before the aircraft left.

A DAY OF MEETINGS · A BANK AND A PROPERTY

A couple and their adviser

London City - Toulouse, Citation CJ3+, about 1 h 45 min · 3 pax

The party flew out early, saw a bank and two apartments and flew back the same evening, a long day with a gateway chosen for round-the-clock customs.

SPANISH SIDE · A TRAIL RACE IN JUNE

A team of four and their gear

Luton - Barcelona, Phenom 300E, about 2 h · 4 pax

Barcelona was chosen because the team was staying near the Spanish frontier, and the slot was requested with the booking. The return left on the Monday.

WITH THE DOG · TAPEWORM FIRST

A couple and a spaniel on a long weekend

Bristol - Toulouse, Citation XLS+, about 1 h 45 min · 2 pax + dog

The certificate was dated six days before departure, the dog was presented at the border post on arrival, and a vet in Andorra la Vella gave the tapeworm treatment on the Friday afternoon, inside the window for the Sunday flight home.

EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE LAST LIFT

A flexible return to London

Toulouse - London Luton, Phenom 300E empty leg, about 1 h 40 min · 4 pax

The client gave us a window of two days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £3,300, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Monday departure.

 

Frequently asked questions about flying to Andorra

1How long does it take to fly to Andorra by private jet?

There is no airport in Andorra itself, so the flight is to a gateway. It takes about 1 hour 45 minutes from Biggin Hill to Toulouse in a Citation CJ3+, about 2 hours from Manchester in a Citation XLS+ and about 2 hours 20 minutes from Glasgow in a Challenger 350. The road from Toulouse to Andorra la Vella takes about two and a half to three hours, and Andorra is one hour ahead of Britain all year.

2How much does a private jet to Andorra cost?

From about £7,350 one way from Biggin Hill to Toulouse on a Citation CJ3+, the gateway we use for the title price. The same aircraft costs about £8,100 to Perpignan, £8,700 to Lleida-Alguaire and £9,100 to Barcelona. A Phenom 300E from Farnborough is about £7,450 and a Challenger 350 from Glasgow about £17,000. The transfer into Andorra is extra.

3Which airport do private jets use for Andorra?

Andorra has no airport. Most flights use Toulouse-Blagnac, with customs round the clock and a Jetex terminal, and Barcelona-El Prat for the Spanish side. Andorra-La Seu d'Urgell, about 12 km from the border, has a 1,267 m runway but no customs or immigration, so it cannot take a flight arriving directly from Britain. Perpignan, Lleida-Alguaire and Girona are the alternatives.

4What are the passport and customs rules for a private flight from Britain to Andorra?

British citizens do not need a visa for Andorra, but they enter through France or Spain and must meet the Schengen rules: a passport issued less than ten years before arrival and valid for three months after departure. Photos and fingerprints are taken at the gateway under the Entry/Exit System. Cash worth ten thousand in the EU's own currency or more must be declared at the frontier, and goods bought in Andorra are subject to allowances on the way back into Spain or France.

5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Andorra?

Yes. The animal needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given from 12 weeks and valid after 21 days, and an official health certificate issued within ten days before arrival at the French or Spanish gateway, where it is presented at the border post. A dog coming home needs a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before it lands in Great Britain, so we book a vet for the day before the flight.

6How early should I book a private jet to Andorra?

As soon as the dates are known. The weekends of the ski season and the festival days fill the hotels and the cars first, customs at Perpignan and Lleida-Alguaire need notice of one to two days, and Barcelona needs a slot for every movement. A helicopter leg also depends on the border arrangements for your date.

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