gibraltar town to boat

[tellyaddict]

Hello

Its my first time cruising this year and after all the great advice on this website when we go to Gibraltar we are intending to do a tour on our own with one of the local taxis. However as well as the tour we want to do some shopping in town and my questions are :

 

If we get dropped off in town after the tour, how far is the walk back to the port for us, and is it possible for a group of people of varying degrees of fitness.

Is it well signposted for a group of people who get very easily lost!!

If it isnt that practical a walk how easy is it to get a bus/ taxi back and how much does that cost approx?

 

thank you so much

 

claire

[John Bull]

Hi Clare,

 

Most folk get dropped at Casemates Square and walk up & back thro' the shops etc of Main Street. From Casemates Sq its about a 15 min walk back to the ship, all on level ground but quite boring. Very simple, & you'll see your ship when you leave the Square, there's very few high buildings.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Casemates+Square&daddr=Unknown+road&geocode=FamFJwIdXFGu_w%3BFXSUJwIdhCOu_w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=18&dirflg=w&doflg=ptm&sll=36.143914,-5.352997&sspn=0.001793,0.003347&ie=UTF8&ll=36.145343,-5.353464&spn=0.001793,0.003347&t=h&z=18

 

Consider asking your taxi/van driver to drop you at the top (south end) of Main Street by the Trafalgar cemetery, then you can walk down Main Street to Casemates Sq, & continue to the ship after a beer & a rest.

 

Sorry can't help with buses or taxis (ask your tour taxi driver where you can get a bus or taxi back?)

 

John Bull :)

[Keith1010]

Hello

Its my first time cruising this year and after all the great advice on this website when we go to Gibraltar we are intending to do a tour on our own with one of the local taxis. However as well as the tour we want to do some shopping in town and my questions are :

 

If we get dropped off in town after the tour, how far is the walk back to the port for us, and is it possible for a group of people of varying degrees of fitness.

Is it well signposted for a group of people who get very easily lost!!

If it isnt that practical a walk how easy is it to get a bus/ taxi back and how much does that cost approx?

 

thank you so much

 

claire

 

Claire, for someone who is a walker the walk is about 15 minutes as John noted. If they are not in good shape make it 30 minutes. I would say it is about a mile. It is easy to find but you could take a taxi back.

 

Keith

[tellyaddict]

thank you both for your help !!!

[tellyaddict]

thanks to both of you !!!

[ollienbertsmum]

It is about 1km from casemates to the ship. If the weather is hot it may be worth taking a taxi. There is usually a shuttle service from just outside the square.

 

Not so long ago there must have been a big ship in because there was quite a long queue for the shuttle. I tried encouraging some of the folk at the back of the queue that the walk was not far, but I got some funny looks - unsolicited advisors do look a bit like the village weirdo:D.

 

If you are worried about what direction you are going in ask a local. Once you are on the road towards the port you really cannot go wrong. Enjoy Gibraltar, as long as the weather is nice and it is not windy it is lovely. The upper rock is spectacular so your taxi tour should be great

[Hlitner]

There is also a large supermarket that sits off a side street between town and the port. We love to stop at this place and stock-up on things like Coke Light, wine (if on a ship that allows us to bring wine aboard), and other incidentals.

 

Hank

[rebeccalouiseagain]

There is a shuttle from the ship for a fee of 5 Euros per person and I think this is for a roundtrip. It isn't very far.

 

The main walking promenade goes on for about 1/2- mile and its a pretty good place for shopping but nothing really interesting there.

 

I would strongly recommend a ship sponsored tour. We were talked into doing a tour by one of the vendors there in the shopping area. It was two adults and three kids and cost $100. The entire drive he said he'd been up all night because his wife had a baby. Well, I certainly didn't feel safe with someone up all night (assuming it was true) and I think he was trying to get "congratulatory" tips. He took us to see the Barbary Apes and nothing else memorable and it was only 45 minutes, which was fine by me at that point. Then he was supposed to drop me and my son back off at the ship and he was mad that he had to do this (as agreed to upfront). When we got back to the ship he flipped me off!!! I guess because I didn't tip him. Ugh! He didn't deserve a tip and the other couple I rode with had already given him a tip. So... do a tour.

[Lolotte]

We walked all day. Took the funicular to the top of the mountain and then walked back down to the ship while we saw the sights. Had a fantastic day.

[Hlitner]

We walked all day. Took the funicular to the top of the mountain and then walked back down to the ship while we saw the sights. Had a fantastic day.

 

That is our favorite way of doing this port. We normally walk from the ship into town, stop for a morning cafe au lait. Then its on to the cable car which we take up to the top station. From there its a wonderful walk down to the mid-station with some amazing views, caves, etc. At the mid-station we usually take the cable car back to town and then walk to a nice cafe for a snack, beer, etc. Then finally its back to the ship after a short stop at the supermarket to grab some Coke Lite for our cabin. It has become almost a routine for us whenever we are in this port and always a fun day with some decent walking exercise.

 

Hank

[ollienbertsmum]

That is our favorite way of doing this port. We normally walk from the ship into town, stop for a morning cafe au lait. Then its on to the cable car which we take up to the top station. From there its a wonderful walk down to the mid-station with some amazing views, caves, etc. At the mid-station we usually take the cable car back to town and then walk to a nice cafe for a snack, beer, etc. Then finally its back to the ship after a short stop at the supermarket to grab some Coke Lite for our cabin. It has become almost a routine for us whenever we are in this port and always a fun day with some decent walking exercise.

 

Hank

 

Hank if you are reasonably fit and you have been up the rock a few times I suggest doing the Mediterranean Steps. It has to be a nice day - not like today, we have had wind and rubbish pouring rain. Ask the taxi driver to take you up to Jews Gate - they will hate you for it, they would want the whole tour, I think that they have to take you as long as they are not a 'city service' taxi. If you have to get out at the old Casino then it is another 20 minutes trek up to the start of the steps, this does not make it impossible. When I walk the steps I start from my house which is actually almost sea level and adds about 45 minutes to the trip. On steps just behind the pay station you start the route of the Med steps. It is marked, not brilliantly but you cannot get lost because you are following a route around the back of the rock. It is a 40 minute trek up steps. It is a brilliant work out, make sure you take your mobile phone in case of emergency, but it is really safe. The steps have been updated recently. You have to walk down from the top of the rock, the whole experience is about 90 minutes. Then go in search of a good long beer and feel very proud of yourself. I have attached piccys of a walk I did in February.

[moyaroo]

On the way back to the ship I recall seeing a sign that had been turned around so that when you were about 50 meters from the ship there was a sign with and arrow pointing to the ship but labeled "Town" I guess you had to be there . . .