FC Lusitans v West Ham United – Travel Advice

Advice for fans making the trip to Andorra for our UEFA Europa League first qualifying round second leg tie

Introduction

West Ham United would like to thank the Club’s loyal supporters for following the team to Andorra for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round second leg tie with FC Lusitans.

The Club is rightly proud of its fans and would ask that you uphold the Hammers’ reputation by respecting local customs, amenities and cultures.

Fixture information

FC Lusitans v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League first qualifying round second leg, Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella, Thursday 9 July 2015, 7.30pm CET (6.30pm BST)

Stadium information

The Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella is situated on the main CG1 road, the Avinguda de Salou, 22, AD 500 – Andorra la Vella, west of the town centre.

The stadium has an all-seated capacity of around 1,100 fans, a grass pitch and has hosted a number of senior international matches in recent years, with Andorra hosting the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Slaven Bilic’s Croatia.

The stadium is only accessible from one side – the Avinguda de Salou – and supporters should be aware that potentially fast-moving traffic will be passing. Police will control this traffic flow before the match and plan to close the road for a period after the final whistle.

On entering the stadium, fans will be ticket checked and be searched by security staff for any prohibited items before being allowed through a security gate granting access to the visiting supporters’ seated area behind the goal.

Flags and banners are welcome, but not those on sticks, but may be checked prior to entry. Please bear in mind that flags of an overtly political, sectarian or religious nature will not be permitted and may be confiscated.

West Ham United stewards will be travelling to Andorra and will be present at the stadium to assist supporters.

Toilet and catering facilities will be available inside the stadium. However, UEFA regulations stipulate that alcohol will NOT be on sale inside the stadium.

Any fans without tickets will NOT be granted access and will be removed from the stadium area by police.

Getting to Andorra La Vella

The Club is not arranging any official travel to Andorra.
 
By plane…
Andorra is a remote principality perched high in the Pyrenean mountains and therefore it is not easy to get to. The easiest and ‘quickest’ way to reach Andorra is by flying to north eastern Spain (Barcelona via Easyjet or British Airways) or southern France (Toulouse via Easyjet, British Airways or Perpignan via Ryanair). From all three, it is about a three-hour drive by hire car. You do not need an international driving licence to drive in Andorra if you are visiting solely for the match.
 
Fans driving from Barcelona should take the B22, C32 and B20 to junction nine, where you join the E9/C16 road for 72 miles. The remaining part of the trip on single carriageway roads – N260, N145, CG1, CG3 A. Drivers taking this route have to pay four tolls totalling €21.
 
From Toulouse, you need to skirt the city’s west edge, take the E80/A620 toll road before heading south down the E9. At L’Hospitalet-pres-l’Andorre, turn left onto the N22. You will travel through the Tunel d'Envalira into Andorra (a toll road) before joining the CG2 and CG1 to Andorra La Vella.
 
If you fly into Perpginan, you will be on the road for a little longer, as the D614, D117, D107, D222 and D613 are all slow roads until you pick up the N22 at L’Hospitalet-pres-l’Andorre, then follow the route as above.
 
If you do not want to hire your own vehicle, you can take an express bus service from the airports in Barcelona, Girona and Toulouse Airports, as well as the town of L’Hospitalet-pres-l’Andorre.
 
By train…
Even though Andorra itself has no railway station, travelling by train is possibly easier than flying and driving! You can take the train from London via Paris to L’Hospitalet-pres-l’Andorre – the gateway to Andorra. From there, it is a spectacular bus ride up through the mountains to Andorra la Vella. For more information, please visit Seat61.com.

Andorra La Vella

Andorra La Vella (population 22,500) is the capital of the Principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenean mountain range between France and Spain.

The town has many hotels, bars and restaurants, all within a fairly concentrated area.

Supporters should note that drinking alcohol on the streets is not permitted. The Andorran police have told the Club that West Ham United fans will be made very welcome in Andorra la Vella, but that anyone causing trouble can expect to be arrested and detained for 48 hours. Supporters should also note that UEFA rules ban the sale of alcoholic drinks within the ground.
 
Among the many local cultural attractions, are the Casa de la Vall – the parliament building, which was built in 1580 – and the 12th-century Sant Esteve Church with its fine carved woodwork.
 
With its tax-free status, Andorra is also popular with shoppers.
 

General information

The official language of Andorra is Catalan, while Spanish and French are also widely spoken.
The currency of Andorra is the Euro.
Andorra is on Central European Time (CET), one hour ahead of British Summer Time (BST).
 
Crime
Street crime is rare in Andorra, but you should take care of your personal belongings. Don’t keep money and valuables all in one place.

Emergency contacts
You may telephone the Emergency Services on the following numbers:
112 – General Emergencies / Mountain Rescue
118 – Ambulance/Fire Brigade
110 – Police
116 – Medical Emergency Service

Passports
Passports or copies of your passport should be carried with you at all times for identification purposes if required by the authorities.

British Embassy Contact Details
British Consulate-General Edifico Torre de Barcelona, Avenida Diagonal 477 – 13, 08036 Barcelona
Email – [email protected]
Telephone – 902 109 356 (if calling from within Spain)/+34 91 334 2194 (International/alternative number)
Fax – +34 933 666 221
For further FCO advice regarding a visit to Andorra, please click here.