Andorra is a very small country, with a surface of only 468km², and which can be located between France and Spain, in the Pyrenees mountains.
When it comes to its economy, 80% of its GDP is represented by the tourism industry, with over 9 million tourists visiting Andorra annually.
Even though it is a small country, Andorra comes with a lot of wonderful sights – cities and villages that display feats of architecture, not to mention the entire mountainous region the country is located in.
Now, as with every other country, it is time to ask the following question – is Andorra safe to visit? No matter how beautiful a country may be, we have to always make sure that it is safe before we visit it!
Highest Risks You Expose Yourself to When Visiting Andorra
Overall Risk in Andorra: LOW
In terms of overall safety and of how safe is Andorra for tourists, we have only good news for you – in short, the overall risk of any dangers in Andorra is relatively low, meaning that you don’t have to worry about more serious cases of a crime other than petty one.
Moreover, even when it comes to petty crime, the rates are quite low as well – however, there have been reports of an increased number of rapes and robberies in the past year, these taking place especially in bars and nightclubs.
Pickpocketing and Theft Risk: LOW
As mentioned before, the petty crime that involves robbery and such is not that common in this country – however, our Andorra safety guide recommends you always keep an eye on your surroundings.
Moreover, it is essential that you keep your belongings and valuables in a safe place and that you take care when handling money or important documents, such as your passport and such.
Scams Risk: LOW to MEDIUM
While there have been no scam reports recently, it is important that you are aware of the country’s current situation – namely, you have to be aware of the fact that Andorra’s biggest crime is the traffic of illegal substances.
In this respect, some tourists might be tempted to buy some of these substances and they might, instead, end up scammed. One of our Andorra safety travel tips is to never buy any kind of an item outside of a store or of an established stall.
Kidnapping Risk: LOW to MEDIUM
Once again, there have been no significant reports in order to take kidnapping into account – however, our Andorra safety guide marks this type of incident with a medium risk because of the popularity, so to say, of the date rape, GHB, and liquid ecstasy drugs.
Obviously, these drugs have other goals in mind – but the situation might always go out of control and a tourist might get kidnapped.
In order to avoid being kidnapped or any other inconvenient situations, we recommend you to stick to your drink only, never let it out of your sight, and never accept drinks from strangers – it’s common knowledge that those who spike drinks do so in clubs and bars, especially after their targets have had a couple of cocktails in that night.
Rape Risk: MEDIUM to HIGH
As mentioned before, this is the single largest problem of Andorra – helped by the traffic of illegal substances, more and more individuals take upon spiking people’s drink in clubs and bars, after which they proceed to rob them and whatnot.
Moreover, you don’t have to pay attention only to your drink, as we’ve stated before – another one of our Andorra safety travel tips recommends you drink responsibly, especially given the country’s issues at the moment.
Having more than enough glasses on board means that you will be less vigilant, less aware of the surrounding environment, and less in control – in short, prone to being drugged, robbed, kidnapped, and raped.
Terrorism Risk: LOW
At the moment, there are no threats of terrorism targeted at Andorra – moreover, there have been no previous notable incidents that should make tourists/ travelers worry.
As a haven between two countries, so to say, Andorra comes with a lot of opportunities in terms of sightseeing and exploration – naturally, if you stick only to these two activities, you won’t come across any type of issues.
However, our Andorra safety guide recommends that you get informed beforehand and get to know what to do in case of a terrorist attack – you’ll want to avoid crowded places and leave the area that seems suspicious as soon as possible so that you have just enough time to reach the local authorities and give them a report of what happened.
Risks for Women Traveling Alone: HIGH
Well, you might have already guessed this risk rating – so, is Andorra safe for solo women travelers? Naturally, the answer is no, but it kind of depends on the situation you put yourself in.
For example, if you stick to sightseeing, traveling, and such during the day, you won’t have any problems – but if you decide to go clubbing one night, things may get dangerous in a split second.
In short, if you want to keep yourself completely safe from any of Andorra’s major problems, as a solo women traveler, we recommend you travel and explore only during the day, and also frequent places that are a bit crowded/ busy so that you always have people around that might help you in case something happens.
Risks for People Traveling with Children: LOW
Obviously, if you are going to travel with your children, it is very likely that you will stay away from any sorts of drinks and from bars/ clubs as well – which is a very good thing to do in Andorra.
But, remember that over 9 million tourists visit the country annually – how safe is Andorra for tourists that travel with their children? Well, very safe if you keep an eye on them at all times.
You’ll want your children to be under surveillance, so to say, at all times. This is why we recommend you do not travel alone if you plan to take your children with you as well – you should have at least one friend with you so that you can swap places, whenever one of you gets tired or wants to take some pictures, for example.
Natural Disaster Risk: LOW
When it comes to natural disasters, the only events to have ever influenced the country’s Average Annual Loss are the earthquakes – however, they are not common and, as you know, occur randomly most of the time.
In this respect, there is no serious natural disaster you should worry about when visiting the country – still, our Andorra safety guide recommends you keep an eye on the weather report before you leave for the day so that you are not caught in a storm, rain, or such.
List of Vaccines You Need When Visiting Andorra
It doesn’t matter the areas of the country that you plan to visit – be them caves filled with bats or calm mountaintops -, you should always visit your doctor with at least 4 to 6 weeks before leaving the country so that he/ she can give you a detailed insight into the vaccines you need to take before visiting a certain country.
Here is the list for Andorra:
- Routine Vaccines
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies
Concluding Remarks: Is Andorra Safe to Visit?
The answer in this country’s case is quite short and on point – if you are not a party man/ woman, then Andorra is safe enough for you to visit. On the other hand, if you do enjoy a fair share of partying and drinking every night, then we advise you to consider our Andorra safety travel tips, as things may happen without you being aware of them happening in this country.
Moreover, as a rule of thumb for Andorra – if you ever suspect that something is not ok with your drink, then you are probably right, and you should stop drinking it and head straight away towards a safe place, such as a taxi that would take you to your hotel or your group of friends.
