Pal/Arinsal - Vallnord

Pal/Arinsal - Vallnord: reviews

• chris (25 March 2009)

  Easy skiing that is best suited to beginners / early intermediates, advanced skiers will exhaust the place in a couple of days. Excellent value for money here compared to French resorts, however, quality of food and accommodation here is low. hotels here give you an inferior set menu which disappointed us and others we talked to. The snow turns to crud by midday but it is better for longer in Pal and Arcalis (forty minutes by bus). Afternoon lessons would be a nightmare. Our experience of the ski school was disappointing with large groups and instructors of the follow-me variety more interested in partying and pulling than doing any work. This fits with the knock it out for the tourists style of the resort. Good instructors would probably not want to work here, there seems to be a lack of monitoring and supervision of the trainers which they can get away with because of the large number of beginners who don’t know any better. On the plus side the resort is Brit friendly and very welcoming, this place is best suited to someone who wants a cheap holiday but I will not be going back.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (09 March 2009)

  Just got back from a week in Arinsal. We stayed in the hotel St. Gothard. We got quite a good deal last minute, about 40% discount. Hotel and food were excellent but about a 10 to 15 minute walk up the hill to the town. During the day the free ski bus stops outside the hotel and takes about 2 minutes. My wife was in the advanced beginners ski school which was excellent. By the end of the week she was skiing all of the blues and some easy reds in Arinsal and Pal. Prices are not too bad but the poor exchange rate (nearly 1:1) made it quite expensive £17 for 4 drinks. A pint of beer is about 3.50 Euros and shorts about 5 Euros. All in all we had an excellent holiday. The only bad point is there are some big groups of lads so this could be a problem if you are in there hotel.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (25 November 2007)

  Pal/Arinsal has more than enough ski runs for beginners and intermediates, advanced skiers may find themselves a little limited, although there are some very nice off-piste runs amongst the trees. The runs are always well groomed and the area has great artificial snowmaking capabilities to ensure that the snow on the piste is always good (even last year - 06/07). Almost all of the runs are wide and tree-lined, with spectacular scenic views of the surrounding valleys. The lifts are quick and every year become a bit more modernized. There are also speedy cable cars linking the different areas together. All in all, good fun and plenty to do for a week of skiing... oh, and very reasonably priced.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (15 March 2007)

  We stayed at Hotel Coma Pedrosa a 2 star hotel with First Choice. To be quite honest we didn't know what to expect, but were really surprised at the quality of the hotel. The rooms were newly furnished & painted, it was clean and the staff were really friendly. Amelio was great laugh and they love it if you try to speak a bit of Spanish. The hotel was only approx 140ft from the gondola. The ski hire was cheap, more so if you book on line for the Esport Rossell, for boots and skis it cost £31.00. I bought some Salomen Skis and Boots in Amadeus shop just off by the top of the Gondola and it cost me £200 for both. The slopes are well kept even though there is a lack of snow. You can cross over to Pal via a Gondola and chair lift but the chair lift was closed when we stayed there so instead we caught the local bus service to Pal. Ideally this resort is best when theres plenty of snow ,but all our party had a great time and would recommend going back. The apres ski is great if you can keep awake and the free toasties with your beer go down well. Most bars provide them. Stay at Coma Pedrosa Hotel for an enjoyable cheap stay and say Hi to Amelio from us.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (26 February 2007)

  We were a party of 8 and stayed in Arinsal from 18th -25th February 2007. I'd recommend the Princesa Park Hotel - nice rooms, a huge variety of food served buffet style,helpful staff and very close to the gondola too.

  It snowed the day before we arrived and again on the following Friday and Saturday. During the week we had some fantastic weather, which all added up to a mixture of snow conditions,generally hard or nice squeaky stuff in the mornings and softer snow in the afternoons. Although the resort was busy,the lift system was efficient and so not too much queueing.

  Our party was mixed and there was something for everyone. Our two experts found more at Pal, I think, and were able to get there and back via the lift system. The rest of us were happy with the long blue runs at Arinsal and my daughters enjoyed their lessons. They made fantastic progress with their instructor. .

  All in all it was a great week and after all the doom and gloom about the snow, it was fine,helped along by snow cannons!

  Andorra is the place to buy your ski equipment. Two of our party bought ski boots for bargain prices, but the hire equipment was good quality too.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (05 February 2007)

  Just back from a week in Arinsal. As someone who was just a beginner really when I arrived, although had been skiing once before (just no lessons), I could not recommend this place highly enough.

  The ski school was excellent, and I would definitely return for some more individual lessons (a bargain if you fancy more intense teaching than in a group) if I went back.

  It didn't snow while we were there, and the slopes did tend to become slushy in the afternoon in places, but there was plenty to keep someone like me occupied.

  There's also a bus over to Pal or Arcalis, for those with more technical ability and confidence who wanted to try something new.

  The apres ski was also friendly and affordable, with a good choice of restaurants and bars for the evening (Refugi del Fondue and Surf were our favourites).

  Had such a fantastic time!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 January 2007)

  Just back from week in Arinsal 21st - 28th Jan. Went with First Choice and stayed half board at the Xalet (Chalet) Verdue Hotel which was ideal, really friendly helpful staff, nice rooms, and although not exactly Michelin star quality, the food wasn't bad. The trip on the gondola in the morning to get to the ski area isn’t really ideal, but being able to leave equipment in lockers overnight helps considerably. Arinsal and the linked resorts of Pal and Arcalis have been suffering from a lack of snow and the conditions on Monday were very icy. Luckily it snowed overnight Tuesday and for the next couple of days making conditions tolerable. For anyone other than a complete beginner the runs at Arinsal soon become tedious but the trip to Pal is well worth it. Unfortunately it was impossible to get there via the lift system due to conditions so we had to go on a bus trip to La Masanna and get the big gondola up to the ski area, free with the lift pass. We took a Taxi back which was 6 Euro. Pal was in much better condition than Arinsal and the runs are longer and more of a challenge. Après in Arinsal is excellent, with friendly bar staff, loads of promotions and freebies, and superb prices, just don’t fall foul of the spirit measures which are huge and could (did!) floor the unwary. Worth a mention is the Xalet restaurant just over from the gondola station on the main street, not the cheapest place to eat, but the food is superb, a great place for a special occasion or a wee treat. Hopefully not a place anyone will have to visit but two of our party ended up in the medical centre at Arinsal, and their care and treatment were exemplary. Getting back down the gondola in a full leg plaster did prove something of a challenge however! All in all you can’t beat Arinsal for value and I would have no hesitation in returning but would leave it for a late deal to ensure good conditions.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• laurie Fraenkel (05 March 2006)

  We had a lovely week skiing for three families of mixed ability but the accomodation ay the Solana hotel is extremely mediocre. The en-suites are so small that you cannot close the door to use the toilet. The older section is sub modern standard and what they describe as "superior" rooms are really just the minimum you would expect. Yes I have been to Andorra before, twice, and been happy. This time I was unimpressed!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Carolyn Pescod (17 February 2006)

  I returned from Arinsal on 5/2/2006 and thought it was a perfect resort for the beginner and intermediate skier/snowboarder. For the more advanced skier use the lift pass to go to Pal and Arcalis. I was a complete beginner at the beginning of the week but thanks to the excellent ski school (all teachers speak fluent English) was able to comfortably ski the red run at the end of the week. On Saturday they run a 2 hour learn to snowboard session - a couple of people in my group did this and they said again the teaching was excellent. All the runs (except the blue road run) are very wide making them easy to ski. The road run was getting a little icy especially at the bottom. The green run (which all the runs seem to run into) gets very busy especially in the afternoons so you need to keep aware of what is happening around you. The cafe by the nursery slopes gets extremely busy at lunch time but is good for a quick lunch ie toastie, burger etc, and good value considering where you are, just try to avoid the lunch time rush. If you want a more relaxed lunch then at the bottom of the gondala you will find quiet restaurants doing pizzas etc. There are loads of pubs for apres ski offering different free snacks. I personally liked Rocky Mountain - at the bottom of the chair lift - at the top of the Arinsal road, or take a free 'Rocky Mountain' bus from the bottom of the gondala up the village. Alternatively a taxi to Rocky Mountain from the gondala costs about 3 euros. I stayed in the Princessa Park/Diana Park hotel which has a spa - fee payable - but is open to anyone. The hotel also had live music every night we were there in the different bars to suit most tastes. The 70's night is a good night out if you are in a group and all age groups seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was a supermarket about 5 minutes walk from the gondala to get basic stuff. The only down side to the resort is the long transfer from the airport especially when the roads are closed into Andorra due to snow fall - it took us about 8 hours plus - so take a good book and food for the journey. In my view though it was worth it and would definately recommend Arinsal to anyone who wants to learn to ski or snowboard.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Andy Leach (05 February 2006)

  Have just returned from Arinsal. On the day we flew out they had very heavy snow which disrupted our travel arrangements meaning a diverted flight and an extra 10 hours travelling. This is a hazard of taking a ski holiday I guess. I took my two children who had only ever done a few days dry slope skiing. I told them the disruption to the journey would be worthwhile as the snow would be great. This proved to be true. We had fantastic conditions all week. The runs are well maintained. The resort is slightly geared to intermediate skiiers. The ski school is very well organised and split people by their ability. Classes averaged approx. 12 per class. All instructors I met spoke excellent English. The hire equipemt was very good and also collecting your equipment was again well organised with minimal queueing. We never waited more than 5 minutes for any lift. The town is lively. Not cheap but not expensive either. Eating on the mounting slightly expensive but not outrageous. Would thoroughly recommend the resort. Would maybe try Arcalis next year based on feedback from others in Arinsal. Don't hesitate to try Arinsal it is a great venue.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• J Harman (17 January 2006)

  The Snowboarding school was brilliant, an instructor who spoke near perfect english who was very experienced and very patient. There aren't too many runs down the mountain as such somebody who already knows how to Ski / Board may find them boring. However you can use the lift pass to get into Pal and Arcalis as well, although this obviously requires some travelling. The range of restaurants on the slopes varies from Chinese to Mexican but they are situated at different points and depending on how fit you are feeling take a bit of a trek / ride to get too. The main cafe's at the complex are OK but nothing to write home about. Arinsal itself is spread out along one main road, the gondola is in the centre of the village quite close to the Princessa hotel, there is a two man chair lift near the Crest Hotel and the Rocky Mountain bar which if you are further up the village is a better bet than the gondola (less busy and much more pleasant to travel in). There are quite a few Ski / Board shops and restaurants in the village, the food in the restaurants is very nice but its not as cheap as some make out, expect to pay the same sort of prices you would in a UK pub. The night life is pretty good, the best bar in my opinion being Quo Vadis, they have a guy who spends his day filiming the slopes and it gets played back in the evenings so you can see yourself pull off a trick or bin it in style. El Cau is also pretty good, with free toasties with every drink between 4 and 6pm. Accomodation wise we stayed in the Velvet Apartments, we had several complaints about the accomodation, the first being that you couldnt use the oven properly as it tripped the electrics out! The second being the fact that it is so far from the village centre (nearly 2 miles), there is little to no public transport so unless you hire a car dont stay at the Velvet! Also if you are self catering the choice of supermarkets is limited, meat is hard to find and things you take for granted in the UK (crisps and baked beans) are expensive. These are the observations of a first timer so I didnt really know what to expect, I did enjoy my stay but i am not sure whether i would go back, if i did it would be to see the people that work there again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• andy marchi (09 January 2006)

  As an intermeadiate skier I found a enough to keep me entertained for a week. Both of my children made tremendous progress in the excellent ski school. The locals showed great hospitality. I would strongly recommend this resort to anyone with a family.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• John Duffy (20 February 2004)

  If you are a beginner, appreciate stunning scenery, friendly atmosphere for a fair price then Arinsal if definitely for you! This was our first ski holiday and all in all, we had a fantastic time. We will go back to Andorra next year but perhaps try another resort as the nursery slopes are very crowded and all the blue/red runs lead right into where your trying to learn how to ski which is not nice for anyone. Ski school was great fun and we met some great people and learnt a hell of a lot. If flying to Toulouse bring sandwiches/drink for the transfer as you will be ripped off like never before at the half way coach stop at Tarascon. We have all said it before but the reps trips are truly awful, especially the 70's night, very tacky and total waste of money. Bar Cisco and Café Gourmet are by far the best restaurants in town, the food and service is very impressive. The cafes on the slopes serve slop so get the gondola down at lunch time, much nicer. The scenery is beautiful and there is a relaxed, friendly feel about the whole place which I am glad to say does not include the 18-30's crowd! Quo Vadis & X Bar provide the best entertainment on the après ski front, if you do go have a great time, we did!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Rachel McKean (04 October 2003)

  We have been to Arinsal in March 02 and Feb 03 and we are returning again in Feb 04. The resort is geared towards beginners and early intermediates, however, as my partner and I are past that stage now, we intend to return every year due to the relaxed, friendly & fun loving atmosphere. There is no waiting for the lifts even in half term, the snow is excellent and the holiday-makers & locals alike make this the ideal place for a relaxed holiday, or for beginners to start. Arinsal itself is small but enough for a different bar every night of the week (and some). The instructors have excellent English and really help the beginner quickly progress. A must for any skier, and with it being so cheap people on a budget will love it!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• R Hankin (16 April 2003)

  Arinsal was a small & boring little resort, the ski slopes pathetic. Adding to the gloom was the black rock of the pyrennes. the valleys very narrows and the bare. The local people seemed blazesand treated the "tourist" as a morron ready to be fleaced. Do they not realise that there are other ski resorts in the world? far superior to theirs? The "club hotel" we stayed in was run by "Crystal holidays" we had not realised that "club hotel" was a euphemism for "English ghetto" what a pity to be in Andorra and not interact with locals as well as holiday makers from other nationalities. Perhaps that was why the local disliked the "club hotel" residents? All in all not a happy place to be. Yours. R Hankin.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.

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