Set right on the French/Andorran border in the east of Andorra, Pas de la Casa ski resort is an ideal winter package holiday for 16-25 year olds on a tight budget. The skiing itself, which covers the linked areas of Grau Roig and Soldeu, is the largest in the Pyrenees, with 100kms of pistes. It caters mostly to easy cruising, while boarders are much in evidence on the slopes.

Pas de la Casa, while not the most charming of Alpine resort towns, does a good job of catering mainly to young British and French skiers. There are all sorts of accommodation options (9,000 beds), from apartments to hotels, most of which you can ski to. On-piste restaurants are better in Grau Roig, and tax-free bargains and plenty of cheap alcohol make the après-ski extremely lively.

Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig ski resort boasts 55 runs totalling 100kms of pistes, with a longest single run of 2kms. Slopes are mainly intermediate and advanced and more than 30kms of runs have snowmaking guns. Thirty lifts, including 14 chairlifts, 15 surface lifts, and a cable car, have a total lift capacity for 47,435 people per hour. There are ski kindergartens in Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig.

Alternatively, nearby Soldeu ski resort has a greater number of beginner slopes. Away from the slopes, La Vella is Europe’s highest capital city and the largest shopping centre in the Pyrenees, where you will find excellent bargains in its duty-free stores. Sights worth visiting include a fine 12th century church and the Casa de la Vall, the ancient seat of government.

The ski season runs from December to the end of April, with cheaper rates offered at the beginning of the season to the Christmas holidays, mid-January and April. The best way to get here is to fly to either Toulouse, or Barcelona, and hire a car from the airports, or take the regular scheduled bus to Pas de la Casa.