Malaga to Gibraltar Day Trip

[Wandering Writer]

Has anyone tried a day trip from Malaga to Gibraltar? We have Gibraltar on the bucket list but every time we've come close, the port was canceled. We may have an opportunity this October cruise when we stop in Malaga. Just curious to know if anyone has done made the day trip.

[VMax1700]

We have done it several times, but only with our own car.  It is a 90 minute drive in perfect conditions and if traffic is bad it can take a lot longer.  You really need to park in La Linea and walk across as parking on the rock is difficult.  Also you lose a lot of time in the customs line both directions.  Remember you are leaving the EU and entering UK Territory.

I am sure there are coach tours to Gib from Malaga, and there is a bus to La Linea https://www.avanzabus.com/ bus timings are not really suitable for day trips from the port.

[John Bull]

We've done the same as @VMax1700 several times. There's plenty of parking within a 5 minute walk of the border.

But to the 90+ minutes each-way drive-time add the time taken to collect & return the car, time taken to park & cross the border & return, plus a healthy 60 minutes wiggle-time for delays heading back to the ship, you'll lose mebbe six hours of you day. So depending on your ship's disembarkation time & back-on-board time, I guess you'll have only a couple of hours in Gib.

Taxi tours of the upper Rock (90 - 120 minutes) will be available at the border, but either it'll be expensive to have a taxi for yourselves (just two of you?) or it'll be pot-luck how long it takes to share (total four in a taxi, 6 - 8 in a van). You'll probably want the taxi to drop you back at the border, altho if you're ahead of the clock you could get dropped at Casemates Square (northern end of Main Street) for a beer or snack, or a quick look at the town then take a bus or taxi from there to the border.

If you port in Cadiz the routine would be the same, travel time would be 2 x 20 minutes quicker, but IMHO because of ships' time in port it's not really worthwhile from either.

 

There are stacks of day-trips by coach (bus) which pick up from resort towns (and mebbe Malaga) all along the Costa Del Sol, but they probably leave too early & they certainly return way too late for usual ships' times in Malaga.

 

A car+driver would trim the time taken in Malaga but it would be expensive, and because time taken to cross the border by car can be a nightmare you'd still need a taxi or van in Gib.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[Wandering Writer]

Thanks for your replies. We've found a Viator tour that will pick up from the pier. Our only concern is making it back in time for sailing. We've decided to pack overnight clothes in our backpacks and if worst comes to worst and we don't make it back in time, we'll have to overnight and catch the ship at the next port. It may be a little expensive at that point but we don't know when we might have the opportunity again. A little adventure is good for the soul. :-)

[VMax1700]

58 minutes ago, Wandering Writer said:

Thanks for your replies. We've found a Viator tour that will pick up from the pier. Our only concern is making it back in time for sailing. We've decided to pack overnight clothes in our backpacks and if worst comes to worst and we don't make it back in time, we'll have to overnight and catch the ship at the next port. It may be a little expensive at that point but we don't know when we might have the opportunity again. A little adventure is good for the soul. 🙂

Where is the next port?

 

[Wandering Writer]

Our next port is Las Palmas so we'd have to spend a night in Malaga, fly to Las Palmas and spend a night there waiting for the ship to arrive.