Andorra and Ax les Thermes France

Travelled: 145km Andorra, Ax les Thermes France

Stay: 3x Domaines - free Aire   42.70063, 1.81192 

The day started with blue skies and sunshine, so as we headed up into the mountains to go into Andorra we had some lovely vistas along the way. We were told by a couple in the Aire last night that just over the border in Andorra, the town Pas de la Casa, has great tax free shopping and a ski resort. The French love to come to buy cheap alcohol and cigarettes. You do need to be careful not to go over the custom limits as they do stop you at the border going back into France.

So after a bit of shopping we returned to Bluey and we were a bit dismayed that it appeared we had a parking fine. We found the parking inspector and she explained that we were just given a warning as we should have parked in the designated Motorhome parking area. Phew..all the savings on our tax free alcohol would have been for naught! 

So we high tailed it out of there and ventured further into Andorra. We drove over the pass Port D'Envalira at 2408 alt. The lowest part in Andorra is just under 900m alt. just near the border of Spain. Anyway, we drove down (to 1200m alt.) through a couple of towns that were ski resorts and did stop to have a look at the shops. Fuel is also cheaper so we filled up Bluey. 

Then over the pass again and back into France back down to 750m alt. in Ax les Thermes but then staying in the Aire at 1400m alt. So a bit a of altitude changes today. And yes we were stopped at the border but we got through..we were good and kept to the limits (2 litres of alcohol each). 

We had a walk around Ax les Thermes, which is a town designed around its 63 thermal springs. There are various thermal baths establishments and a casino. 

We headed out of town up to the ski resort, 3X Domaines. This is where the 8th stage of the Tour de France finishes.