Gibraltar - Port to cable car (and back)

Wow what a fantastic reply John thank you! In your experience then how does this compare to going by cable car or which would you recommend? I'd rather pay a little more for the reassurance that we shall be dropped off at the ship again as my biggest fear is getting lost and missing it! Can't remember how long our ship is docked here for, think it's only 12.00-18.00 so I'm planning being back onboard 1700hrs Thanks again for your reply!

I usually recommend the taxi tour, for several reasons

- the top cable-car station is close to the Apes Den, but St Michael's Cave is about a ten to fifteen minute walk and the same back again. And the Great Siege Tunnel / Galleries about 20 minutes in the opposite direction,. And 20 minutes back again, tho' most folk then walk down to the town from the Great Siege Tunnel cos it's quicker and easier than re-tracing their steps.

- the cable-car service is suspended (intentional pun ;)) in moderately high winds.

- There's no significant line for the cable-car before about 10am, but long lines can form later. And your ship's noon arrival time means that day-trippers who've come over the border by coach from the Costa del Sol resorts will be there at the same time. :(

The cable-car is for those who have plenty of time & energy, and who want to wander the Upper Rock at will.

Altho' you're only in port for half a day you should have time to take a taxi tour from the pier (you only pay for the seats you need, the taxi marshal arranges sharing) and have an hour or two after the tour for a beer / coffee and browse the shops & minor sights of Main Street.

As per O&B'sMum's post leave Casemates Square (northern end of Main Street, where the taxi tour drops you) at 4.45 to get back to the ship in good time for a 5.30pm back-on-board - the walk is about 20, mebbe 25 minutes. But also allow time to walk back down Main Street to Casemates Square - if you try to cut the corner & head to the pier from the other end of Main Street you just might go wrong.

JB :)

John,

Thank you for all the wonderful info! I have a question. If we take the taxi tour as you recommend, how could we then get to the museum and is it worth it?

John,

 

Thank you for all the wonderful info! I have a question. If we take the taxi tour as you recommend, how could we then get to the museum and is it worth it?

Hi Donna,

The Gib Museum is just a few yards off Main Street, in a little lane called Bomb House Lane opposite the cathedral and the Marks & Spencer store. It's about a ten minute walk up Main Street from where tour drivers drop their passengers at Casemates Square. If any in your party have walking difficulties no doubt your driver can take you round to Line Walk Road at the other end of the lane & just a few yards from the museum

Sorry, I've never been in there.

JB :) .

Hi Donna,

 

The Gib Museum is just a few yards off Main Street, in a little lane called Bomb House Lane opposite the cathedral and the Marks & Spencer store. It's about a ten minute walk up Main Street from where tour drivers drop their passengers at Casemates Square. If any in your party have walking difficulties no doubt your driver can take you round to Line Walk Road at the other end of the lane & just a few yards from the museum

 

Sorry, I've never been in there.

 

JB :) .

Thanks again for the great info. :)

I usually recommend the taxi tour, for several reasons

- the top cable-car station is close to the Apes Den, but St Michael's Cave is about a ten to fifteen minute walk and the same back again. And the Great Siege Tunnel / Galleries about 20 minutes in the opposite direction,. And 20 minutes back again, tho' most folk then walk down to the town from the Great Siege Tunnel cos it's quicker and easier than re-tracing their steps.

- the cable-car service is suspended (intentional pun ;)) in moderately high winds.

- There's no significant line for the cable-car before about 10am, but long lines can form later. And your ship's noon arrival time means that day-trippers who've come over the border by coach from the Costa del Sol resorts will be there at the same time. :(

 

The cable-car is for those who have plenty of time & energy, and who want to wander the Upper Rock at will.

 

Altho' you're only in port for half a day you should have time to take a taxi tour from the pier (you only pay for the seats you need, the taxi marshal arranges sharing) and have an hour or two after the tour for a beer / coffee and browse the shops & minor sights of Main Street.

 

As per O&B'sMum's post leave Casemates Square (northern end of Main Street, where the taxi tour drops you) at 4.45 to get back to the ship in good time for a 5.30pm back-on-board - the walk is about 20, mebbe 25 minutes. But also allow time to walk back down Main Street to Casemates Square - if you try to cut the corner & head to the pier from the other end of Main Street you just might go wrong.

 

JB :)

JB,

Thanks for all the information. I've lurked along and have seen many of your posts over the years, and you're always spot-on.

My wife and I will be arriving in Gibraltar in early August, and since I'm a bit mobility-impaired myself your comments were especially helpful. However, we only have about £35 left over from earlier trips to the UK. Do you know if there's an ATM at the port (before we get to the taxi stand) so we can pick up some more sterling to cover our expenses?

My thanks once more.

JB,

Thanks for all the information. I've lurked along and have seen many of your posts over the years, and you're always spot-on.

My wife and I will be arriving in Gibraltar in early August, and since I'm a bit mobility-impaired myself your comments were especially helpful. However, we only have about £35 left over from earlier trips to the UK. Do you know if there's an ATM at the port (before we get to the taxi stand) so we can pick up some more sterling to cover our expenses?

My thanks once more.

The taxi tour driver was happy to take pounds or euros. I'M be checked and the Euro price was fair. We have been told that that is the case in the businesses in town.

Thanks to everyone recommending the taxi tour. We enjoyed it very much and had a reasonable stopping time at each point.

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JB,

Thanks for all the information. I've lurked along and have seen many of your posts over the years, and you're always spot-on.

My wife and I will be arriving in Gibraltar in early August, and since I'm a bit mobility-impaired myself your comments were especially helpful. However, we only have about £35 left over from earlier trips to the UK. Do you know if there's an ATM at the port (before we get to the taxi stand) so we can pick up some more sterling to cover our expenses?

My thanks once more.

I don't know about ATMs in Gib, never needed one.

But as New Cruiser has mentioned, you can pay pretty-well anywhere - including the taxi tours - in pounds or euros.

But do have a reasonable idea of the exchange rates in case anywhere offers a poor euro rate - not a problem with the taxi-tour operators, who use fixed prices in both pounds & euros at a sensible exchange rate.

And try to avoid Gib money (as opposed to Brit money) in your change.

It's so tiresome having to find a dimly-lit pub in the UK in order to pass off Gib coins ;p

nb - if you have Brit pound coins, use them up. We've now got new dual-metal pound coins, and the old ones aren't legal tender after September - this is because apparently about one in ten of the old ones in circulation are forgeries

JB :)

Thanks again, JB. Since we'll have an opportunity to get euros earlier in the trip, our lack of sterling shouldn't affect us for the taxi tours. I'm glad there's a "sensible" exchange rate for euros.

I hadn't realized that Gib had its own currency. That's a good tip. And for some reason, none of my British coins are pound coins, just smaller denominations. (I remember trying to use an old £1 note in the UK after they were phased out in favor of the coins; lucky that I came across someone working a concession stand who was collecting the "old" currency!

Bus line #9 near port terminal can take you to the cable car base station. Then you can buy the cable car tickets to the top station.

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John Bull - what's the current price of the pier-side taxi tours in Gibraltar, do you know? It was about 25 euros in 2016, for the 90 minute tour.

If the taxi marshal fills up vans/taxis, what about people that want to go out to Europa point, extending the 90 minute tour? Would everyone in the van have to agree or you can't go, or what?

John Bull - what's the current price of the pier-side taxi tours in Gibraltar, do you know? It was about 25 euros in 2016, for the 90 minute tour.

 

If the taxi marshal fills up vans/taxis, what about people that want to go out to Europa point, extending the 90 minute tour? Would everyone in the van have to agree or you can't go, or what?

2016 is when I was last there, IIRC the taxi tour was the €25 (or £22) that you mention - sorry, don't know the current price and both the £ & the $ have dropped about 10 - 15% against the €..

Europa Pont is irrelevant when taking the standard upper Rock tour from the pier - but you might want to ask the driver then if he is available to do that after the tour, and jump in a different van if he has a commitment elsewhere.

During the tour you can ask the driver if and at what cost at the end of the tour he can extend it to include Europa Point (I suggest you ask for a complete circumnavigation at sea-level, it only takes about 20 mins excl photo-stops). You can then ask others in the van if they want to join you & share the cost.

If some don't (and that's probable), no worries - he can end the standard tour at Casemates Square (or back to the ship if anyone wants) and then carry on with just you and anyone who wants to join you. Distances in Gib are very small.

Alternatively at the end of the upper Rock tour there are vans & taxis behind Casemates Square & elsewhere in town.

JB :)