Gibraltar taxi tour

[Wayfairers]

Has anyone recently taken a taxi tour of Gibraltar that included the usual things on the rock and Europa point? How much do they typically charge for the tour?

[John Bull]

Has anyone recently taken a taxi tour of Gibraltar that included the usual things on the rock and Europa point? How much do they typically charge for the tour?

 

The standard upper Rock tour includes St Michael's Cave, the apes' den and the Great Seige tunnel/galleries, then back down to either the town (Casemates Square) or the ship. About 90 mins to 2 hours. Long time since, now it'll be around $25 pp for 4 in a taxi or 8 - 10 in a van (but take a more-recent visitor's figure rather than mine).

 

Europa Point doesn't figure on the standard tour - you can add it (at the end, unless you're away super-early before St Michael's opens) in a circular tour around the base of the Rock, taking about 15 mins plus a five-min stop at Europa Point & perhaps a stop on the Med side at Catalan Bay. Only a guess, but mebbe an extra $10 - $15 pp in a full vehicle.

 

JB :)

[hkto]

In 2009 taxi van was 20 GBP pp, cable car was 8 GBP r/t pp. Europa point can be reached by local bus (0,60 GBP). We didn't take taxi. There no parking on top; they barely move there and passengers may end up breathing exhaust fumes from previous van.

 

[John Bull]

Jeez, hkto, you've got a big camera :D

[hkto]

No, it's my mistake; resolution is not high; I should've reduced the picture size.

[Wayfairers]

Thanks for the info everyone and the picture hkto!

 

How much time is needed for the bus to/from Europa Point? I'm thinking actual time at the lookout point would be about 15 minutes - is that right? We are in port noon-6pm. This is our first visit to Gibraltar and I'm thinking Europa Point would be secondary to seeing everyone on the rock - is that right?

[hkto]

Bus is now free. #2 goes to Europa Point. I don't remember how long does the ride take; I think around 10 min. Walk from ship to cable car is about 30 min

 

http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/images/stories/PDF/pressoffice/officialnotices/2011/93-2011.pdf

[John Bull]

Thanks for the info everyone and the picture hkto!

 

How much time is needed for the bus to/from Europa Point? I'm thinking actual time at the lookout point would be about 15 minutes - is that right? We are in port noon-6pm. This is our first visit to Gibraltar and I'm thinking Europa Point would be secondary to seeing everyone on the rock - is that right?

 

Can't help re bus, but you're right - put Europa Point down near the bottom of your list. By bus if you have the time, by taxi if you don't. Or scrub round it.

 

BTW, taxi includes admission to St Michael's Cave & Seige Tunnels, so cost is about the same as cable car. Cable car involves a lot more walking, but does include the summit, not accessible to taxis.

 

With a noon arrival, you may find horrendous lines for the cablecar.

I'd recommend trying to share a taxi to cablecar bottom station, with a view to sticking with the taxi to go up the Rock if the cablecar line is long - many folk have had to abandon plans to go up due to long lines.

 

JB :)

[Wayfairers]

The good news is we are the only cruise ship in Gibraltar that day.... shouldn't that help the cable car line?

[John Bull]

The good news is we are the only cruise ship in Gibraltar that day.... shouldn't that help the cable car line?

 

Yes, it certainly will. :)

 

But bear in mind that each day during the season (vaguely April - September) thousands cross the frontier, mainly in coaches, on day-trips from the resorts of the Costa del Sol - and they'll all arrive before you.

If you flip thro previous threads on the subject, you'll find that folk who get to the bottom cable-car station before about 10am tend to say "Lines? What lines?", whereas many later arrivals stand in line for way over an hour or give up.

 

Add to that, the cablecar doesn't operate in moderately windy conditions.

 

Apart from saving a walk of 30 mins or more, taking a taxi from ship to the bottom station allows you to keep your options open, and that 5 - 10 min ride will cost peanuts. By all means then take the cablecar if its looking good, but if its not the bottom station is only 1/2 mile or so beyond the road up the Rock so you can stay in the cab & get the driver to give you the regular Rock tour - and he probably wont charge a penny extra for going via the cablecar station.

As my last post, cost is about the same either way, but taxi will be more expensive unless you can get together a taxi-full of folk with the same plan on the ship or pier (or, come to think of it, if the cablecar line is long, invite folk from the back of the line to join you - you'd probably be overwhelmed with offers)

Well worth hedging your bets.

 

If you take the cablecar, no need to worry about lines to come back down - tends not to be a problem unless the service is suspended (pun intended :rolleyes:), but take it all the way to the top first, & call in at the middle station on your way back down

 

There's pros & cons for cablecar vs taxi - taxi is simpler & more reliable & involves little or no walking, and traffic lines (normally only at the apes den & sometimes St Michael's caves) aren't a problem - you simply walk up the line to the attraction & your taxi catches you up. You're not rushed, drivers give you just the right amount of time at each of the 3 stops.

Cable car goes to the summit, taxis don't. Significant only because by taxi you don't see the Mediterranean side.

But cable car involves a 10 min walk to the Cave & a fair hike (most don't bother) to the Great Seige Galleries, with awesome vertical views over the airport, isthmus & mainland.

 

I'd strongly recommend either taking a taxi or van up the Rock, or at least as far as the cablecar station.

 

As always, just MHO

 

JB :)

[Wayfairers]

We will be there in mid-Nov so hopefully the bussed in tourists will be few.

 

John Bull - really appreciate YHO (your humble opinion)!!! Thanks for the information and for taking the time to answer all my questions.

 

Is it possible to catch the cable car to the top from the point the taxis have to stop? We've ridden several cable cars and that wouldn't be the highlight of the trip.

[Wayfairers]

At this point thinking about putting together a group on the ship, taking a taxi to see the rock and talking to the taxi driver about Europa point and either using taxi or riding the bus to Europa point ($$ and time will make the decision). Sound like a good plan?

 

How many people do they normally put in a taxi?

[John Bull]

At this point thinking about putting together a group on the ship, taking a taxi to see the rock and talking to the taxi driver about Europa point and either using taxi or riding the bus to Europa point ($$ and time will make the decision). Sound like a good plan?

 

How many people do they normally put in a taxi?

 

Four to a taxi, mebbe plus a tot. There's also a choice of vans, probably taking 8 to 10, mebbe 12.

Rock tour price is pretty-well set in stone & includes admissions. Talk to the driver about Europa Point, he'll probably suggest a circ tour of the base of the Rock, which makes sense, ending up on Main Street for a bite, a pint, shopping, & a few minor sights. They usually drop at the bottom (northern) end of main street at Casemates Square, but consider getting dropped at the little Trafalgar cemetery at the top (southern) end, then walking thro the shops & sights you'll be heading toward your ship. From the bottom/Castemates Sq its 15 min walk, or bus, or taxi, back to the ship.

 

Just a by-the-by. The apes (strictly they're actually monkeys) are fed all sorts of crap junk-food by visitors, whatever food they happen to have with them :(. Drivers often carry fruit etc but there's no reason you can't raid the buffet for fruit before you go ashore.:)

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

Is it possible to catch the cable car to the top from the point the taxis have to stop? We've ridden several cable cars and that wouldn't be the highlight of the trip.

 

 

errr, no.

That'd be at the midway station.

I'm pretty certain you can only buy tickets at the bottom (seen threads saying because of that it's not poss to walk up & cablecar back). Plus (see my earlier post) folk stay on the cable-car to the top, so prospects are that from the mid-station you couldn't get a space on an ascending cablecar for most of the day.

Also, your taxi won't wait at the mid-station for you to come back down & you can't get another taxi at that point.

Realistically, you choose the one or the other.

 

From recollection, there's only a grubby little cafe at the top, plus of course the views. In a taxi, Atlantic-side you'll be way high enough anyway & plenty of photo-ops at St Ms and at the apes den - see hkpo's photo. No view Med-side, though you'll get a great north view and a bit of a side-on Med view from the Great Seige galleries, and the Med side at sealevel if you circuit the base of Rock when going to Europa Point.

 

Near Europa Point is/was a gate in the sea wall, where they used to roll scrap cars into the sea, "Italian Job" style. I suspect that's now a thing of the past.:D

 

JB :)