Resort height: 1800m
The mountains
Soldeu has always been a great destination for beginners to skiing, for two reasons. First, there's a flat plateau half-way up the mountain that's heaven-sent for first-time skiers to practice on. And second, the ski school is run by an Englishman and employs lots of English-speaking ski instructors. Brits in particular find Soldeu a real home-from-home.
Recently, however, Soldeu has also become an interesting ski resort for intermediates, thanks to the decision to join forces with its neighbour, Pas de la Casa. Between them, they now offer 193km pistes, spread over the rolling terrain of the Pyrenees.
Soldeu doesn't offer the most difficult skiing in the world - the Pyrenees aren't as high or as spiky as the Alps, and lack really long hell-for-leather runs. But then, for the vast majority of the skiing public, that's all part of the appeal. There's a blue and red piste down almost every ski slope, so you can build the challenge over the course of the week - and provided the snow's in good nick (not always a given in Andorra), you should have a ball. Freestylers will be glad to know Soldeu has a highly-rated terrain park, too.
Getting there
Slodeu is a three-hour transfer from Toulouse airport - and similar distance from Barcelona, though it can take longer at the weekends, when the tour operators' buses back up on the winding roads.
Rating: 
8/10
Après-ski
Andorra has a bit of a bargain-basement reputation in skiing circles, and it's true, the nightlife over in Pas de la Casa does get a bit “Barmy Army” at times. In Soldeu, it's much more balanced, with a mix of pubs, unpretentious but comfortable bars, and clubs. Some of the restaurants in Soldeu are top-drawer too, especially Cort del Popaire, set inside an old Andorran bar and lit by a roaring fire - in which they grill their superb meat. Borda de l'Horto, a 20-minute walk down the road towards the neighbouring village of El Tarter, is also good and specialises in the local cuisine which is rich in fish as well as mountain produce such as goat's cheese and lamb.
Rating: 
6/10
Non-skiers
Spas are the thing in Soldeu - and a visit to either the multi-floored Sport Wellness Mountain Spa, or in the vast Caldea complex in Escales-Engordany is a must. But Soldeu lacks a natural focus, and isn't a very satisfying place to hang out when everyone else is on the slopes. You should either head down the mountain, into the capital, Andorra La Vella, or up it, to try your hand at dog-sledding, snow-mobiling or snow-shoeing.
Rating: 8/10
Cost of living
It's not quite as cheap as it used to be - and Soldeu is self-consciously trying to drag itself upmarket. But given the quality of the restaurants and accommodation, it's still good value. The shopping is duty-free, too.
Rating: 
5/10
Attractiveness of the resort
Individually, the buildings in the resort are attractive, but given they're strung out alongside the road to the border (which mercifully is very quiet at night), they don't exactly add up to the kind of mountain village most of us have in mind when we book a ski holiday. The mountain scenery is a little underpowered compared to the Alps, too.
