Anyone been to Gibraltar recently?

[loopyloo33]

Can anyone tell me the approximate price for a taxi up to the top of the rock and down again?

[Alli Cruiser]

We are going to Gibraltar pre-cruise while staying in the Marbella area. If we got going early, is it possible to do Gibraltar then take the ferry from Algeciras to Morocco or is that too much in one day? Since we'd be so close to another continent, I'd like to experience it.

[John Bull]

We are going to Gibraltar pre-cruise while staying in the Marbella area. If we got going early, is it possible to do Gibraltar then take the ferry from Algeciras to Morocco or is that too much in one day? Since we'd be so close to another continent, I'd like to experience it.

 

I'd aim to find an extra day to do both. Or put one on the back-burner.

 

I doubt you could do justice to both in a day - but if you have a car & you're prepared to extend into the evening, yes, I think it's feasible because you are aided by Moroccan time being 2 hours behind Spanish/Gib time.

 

Aim to be at the Gib border about 8/8.30am, park on the Spanish side to avoid long border crossing delays either way with a car. There's plenty of pay-parking, either on-street or underground carpark.

Go though the border on foot & take the double-decker shuttle bus 10-min ride to Main Street, used to cost €1.

From Main Street, take a taxi up the Rock. Cost is about £15/£20 pp in a full vehicle - sharing is normal, though you can hog a taxi if you're prepared to pay the extra. This is for the standard Rock tour (see other posts in this thread), which lasts vaguely about 2 hours.

Aim to be parked at Algeciras Port by 2.30 at the latest for the 3pm ferry. Google reckons it at 14 miles/30 mins. So I guess you'd need to be on the shuttle-bus by 1pm, giving you an hour or two in town after your Rock tour. But check timings out with folks in Marbella.

Because of the time difference, the one hour ferry trip starting at 3pm gets you into Tangiers at 2pm.

Travelling independently you may well get hassled at Tangiers by wannabe guides - used to cost pennies, probably still does - they'll earn commissions from the places they take you :rolleyes: and they're very street-wise.Probably best to hire one, (they are registered, & carry a card with ID), provided you agree a small fee at the outset. They can be very informative & you won't be bothered by more wannabe guides.

By taking the 7pm return ferry you'll have a total of about 5 hours in Tangiers, and that's certainly enough for a flavour of the place.

Again because of the time difference, the 7pm ferry gets you back to Algeciras at 10pm

 

So I reckon it's surprisingly do-able, certainly worth digging deeper, but don't rely just on me.

 

Guessing you already know the ferry timings from Gib don't work out - even if its still running.

 

There's also the option of a ferry from Tarifa - super little moorish town, but the faster crossing is countered by the longer drive.

 

From both Algeciras & Tarifa its possible to get a very popular day tour with guide, tour of Tangiers by coach & on foot, plus lunch, for about the same price as a ferry ticket - you can even get that package starting with a coach from Marbella. Well-advertised on the Costa del Sol, might find details with google.And its a helluva lot less hassle than going independently. But of course its a full day.

 

John Bull

[Alli Cruiser]

John Bull,

 

Thank you very much. I believe we used your driving directions from Le Harve to Normandy last year on our British Isles cruise. They were a god send and I greatly appreciate your help. Once again, thank you for these practical suggestions. You saved us a ton of money as the ship tour would have been $1,200.00 US (four people) and we got the car and GPS for Euro 105.

 

We will have a car, we also will be a group of 4 (with our two teen-aged sons). Is it necessary to do a tour on Gibraltar or going by taxi as you described, is that the best way?

 

Regarding Tangier, we really don't have a problem getting a guide if that is safer. I will also look for the day tours as you mentioned. My older son went with a large group last year when he was doing a Spainish immersion program. They were hounded but he said most were nice "Best deal for students".

 

The ferry schedule makes sense now with the time change. I am just starting to do research. I was looking at the hotels in the Algeciras area and reading on tripadvisor that it was better to go either direction, either towards Cadiz or back towards Estepona not stay in that area. We haven't booked yet but are thinking about the Marriott in Estepona (attractive because of beach and large rooms for family). We would be staying there for several days. Do you think we would be okay driving back there at night after our long day or should we look for something closer. I have read there is a toll road that is in good condition.

 

Again, thank you for your help!

[John Bull]

John Bull,

 

Thank you very much. I believe we used your driving directions from Le Harve to Normandy last year on our British Isles cruise. They were a god send and I greatly appreciate your help. Once again, thank you for these practical suggestions. You saved us a ton of money as the ship tour would have been $1,200.00 US (four people) and we got the car and GPS for Euro 105.

 

We will have a car, we also will be a group of 4 (with our two teen-aged sons). Is it necessary to do a tour on Gibraltar or going by taxi as you described, is that the best way?

 

Regarding Tangier, we really don't have a problem getting a guide if that is safer. I will also look for the day tours as you mentioned. My older son went with a large group last year when he was doing a Spainish immersion program. They were hounded but he said most were nice "Best deal for students".

 

The ferry schedule makes sense now with the time change. I am just starting to do research. I was looking at the hotels in the Algeciras area and reading on tripadvisor that it was better to go either direction, either towards Cadiz or back towards Estepona not stay in that area. We haven't booked yet but are thinking about the Marriott in Estepona (attractive because of beach and large rooms for family). We would be staying there for several days. Do you think we would be okay driving back there at night after our long day or should we look for something closer. I have read there is a toll road that is in good condition.

 

Again, thank you for your help!

 

Certainly no need to book a full tour-company type of tour in Gib., very very few do. You can possibly pre-book a taxi for that upper Rock tour in advance if you wish - others on these boards have done so, they reckon the cost was about the same. And you could of course meet a pre-arranged taxi at the border crossing. Folk at your accommodation can help to arrange it, theres absolutely no fear that taxis will be booked-out even a few hours ahead. With four of you there's no need to worry about finding sharers.

You could even keep the driver for your entire time in Gib.

 

But don't be tempted to drive across the border. The roads on the upper Rock are public roads, but are not for faint-hearted drivers, the driver would have to stay with the vehicle, & the occasional private car can screw-up the taxi-drivers' unwritten conventions to avoid bottle-necking. And that's apart from the lines of cars waiting to cross the border, which could really spoil your day.

 

I've been to Tangiers both independently on the Algeciras ferry (10 yrs ago or more) and on a tour-inclusive deal on the Tarifa fast-jet (mebbe 3 or 4 yrs ago). There's pros & cons, you'll enjoy either route & either style. But my knowledge of the ferries is very very limited & possibly out-of-date. If you drive to Tarifa, be sure to stop at the viewpoint at the top of the hill past Algeciras, super panoramic views across the Straits to Morocco, which looks incredibly close.

Your lad is right, the young guide we had was great too, and he enjoyed practicing his english. No need to book one - if you go independently you just might get approached by one or two :D

You will also get hounded by kids & street-sellers, esp in the kasbah, its a fact of life. But they can't follow you into shops, cafes etc.

 

Accommodation near Algeciras? :eek:

It's a smelly oil & heavy industry town, a blot on the landsape.

 

There's stax of accommodation along the Costa del Sol from Malaga to seriously-wealthy Sotogrande. Wall-to-wall hotels in places, very heavily-developed. Broadly the further from Malaga the more up-market & less-densely developed the area - legacy of cheaper package holidays being closer to the airport.

Estepona is much quieter than Marbella, and a little closer to Gib, but the (part-toll) highway makes travel easy from anywhere along the coast.

 

Two other options:

 

Tarifa is a favourite of mine. On the unfashionable Costa de la Luz & a couple of miles off the old road to Cadiz, its a walled Moorish town with modern holiday developments creeping out one side along the coast. Much more laid-back than the bustling Costa del Sol, and a town rather than a sprawl. Fewer Brits but english still widely spoken. And of course it has the fast-jet, though I don't know the times.

 

La Linea is the border town with Gib. It's a holiday town, nearly all Spanish, with a beach & usual facilities, very pleasant & of course ultra-convenient. Not a foreigner's automatic choice, but if your stay is brief the convenience is worth considering.

Whereas if your stay is long enough, you'd be better to split Gib & Tangiers into seperate days.

 

Hope this helps - though probably it'll just add confusion :D

JB

[Alli Cruiser]

We will be staying four nights now so plenty of time to do Gibraltar in one day and Tangiers another.

 

Thanks for your help John Bull.

[John Bull]

We will be staying four nights now so plenty of time to do Gibraltar in one day and Tangiers another.

 

Thanks for your help John Bull.

 

Then I'd suggest that the ferry-inclusive Tangiers day tour is good value, cost us about €3 pp more than a ferry ticket (we were staying in Tarifa so walked to the port), can usually be booked with just a day or two's notice, various outlets in all towns probably even through your hotel.

 

And with 4 days, Estepona/Marbella is probably your best base.

But mebbe take the Tangiers tour from Tarifa rather than grubby Algeciras? You'll probably have the choice of coach or drive to the ferryport.

 

Have a great time

JB

[scubababy]

We were there in June. I love Gibraltar - love it!!

You can do alot of walking in Gibraltar - but I think you will miss a few things by walking and not hiring your own private van.

 

We got off the cruise ship shortly after we docked - which was early.

Our goal was to find our own driver and take us to the lighthouse, tunnels, caves, top of the rock, then drop us back in town to explore.

 

The first two drivers we found said it was too early. Wait an hour or so.

Well, we found a driver to take us around. We went to the lighthouse first which gives you an awesome view of Africa. It was a clear day, and fabulous pictures at this site. I don't think you can walk to this.

 

Then, we drove up to the top of the rock. I believe we may have been the first "tourist" up there. Not crowded, and got some great shots of the monkeys. It was "breakfast" time, and got some incredible video of the monkeys.

 

Then we did the tunnels and the caves. Got dropped back in town. Then we walked to view the 100 ton guns. Took about an hour to walk to & from.

 

Then, we ran around town, had a fabulous lunch in a pub, bought some beautiful crystal.

 

In my opinion, get a private driver early. Go explore for a few hours with your guide. Then hike/walk around as much as you want to on your own.

 

Patti

[loopyloo33]

Do you mind if I ask how much this was. Would love to do similar in Gibralter?

[Morgans]

Just returned from Gibraltar - mini buses and taxis from the ship to town (Casemates Square) cost £1.50 single (£3.00 return) or 2 euros (4 euros return.) These mini buses have been available on every call to Gibraltar that we have made with cruise ships. Taking them saves a lot of time as they provide a good drop off point at the end of Main Street.

Regular size buses tend not to be used as roads are becoming more congested and the mini buses tend to get up and down more quickly.

[scubababy]

If you were asking me about the cost of our private tour, it was 75.00 (I can't remember if it was euros or pounds!) for all 5 of us. We had to pay our own admission fees to the caves and the tunnels.

[MsCruiserT]

I was the person who started this thread, and now that I'm back from GIB I thought I would share some information for those arriving by cruise ship. This is based on what my husband and I did on our visit.

 

It was an overcast day when we arrived. We took the shuttle from the ship to Casemate square(same rate as Morgans posted above), then walked to the cable car. It took us about 25 minutes without stopping. Much to our dismay, the cable car was closed due to high winds, and this is something that happens quite often. A bunch of taxi drivers were hanging out at the cable car offering tours of the rock. At much as I was so adamant at not wanting a tour, at this point we had no choice b/c that was the only way up the rock. The other option was waiting it out and see if it opens later, but since we are there on a limited time we could not waste the time. The tour guys were Spanish and looked to me a little on the unofficial side although they all had ID tags. I can't remember exactly what we paid I think it was $24GBP per person. They gave out a bit of information during the drive but I'm sure it was not nearly as comprehensive as if you booked an official taxi driver or a proper tour. But again at this point we had no choice.

 

They took us to the Pillars of Hercules monument where there is a scenic spot for photos(unfortunately it was overcast so could not see much), St. Michael's Cave, then to see the monkeys at the top(also another photo op but again cloudy and couldn't see a thing). Then they took everyone back down to town. At that point we left the group and they dropped us off at the Great Siege Tunnels and we continued to explore on our own. We spent a good amount of time in the Great Siege Tunnels and we also took the WWII tunnels tour which was amazing too($8GBP per person and they do take credit cards). The normal route for the tour starts from the bottom and goes up to the top, but if you are already on the rock, you can take the tour in reverse and end up at the bottom. Otherwise they have a free shuttle that will take you back to your starting point.

 

We finished the tunnel tour and went to see the Moorish castle which is just steps down the hill. Then we walked all the way back down to town, through a series of streets with steps. A bit tough on your knees and back and not for the mobility challenged. Had lunch at an English pub on Main St. Ask first if you plan to use credit card, b/c the pub we ate at did not take them, even though it was a big establishment.

 

We noticed in the afternoon that the cable car was running. While we were on the Rock the clouds did clear and the wind died down which allowed it to open. So if you have a long stay in GIB and want to take a chance you can wait it out and see if the cable car opens later and just explore the town while you are waiting. It's not a guaranteed thing though.

 

If you do choose to take the cable car, be warned that there IS a lot of walking to get from place to place. Pillars of Hercules and St. Michael's Cave are at one end of the rock, the monkeys are in the middle, and the Great Siege Tunnels and WWII tunnels are at the other end. So exploring on foot is an option ONLY IF you are very fit, and have a lot of time.

 

Any questions you have feel free to ask, and I will try my best to answer you.