Gibraltar in 5 hours?

Our ship docks at 12 p.m. and embarks at 5 p.m. Will this give us enough time to take a taxi to the top of the Rock and back? RCL shore excursion is an option but at $55 per person it seems kinda pricey.

Yes, no worries. :)

But perhaps best not to be amongst the last off the ship in case the taxis/vans are all taken - the short port hours will probably dissuade many from trekking to the cable-car, especially with the prospect of lines to go up at that time of day

Last I heard the cost per person in a full vehicle was €25 or £22 (either of those accepted, not sure about acceptability of USD). Taxi marshals sort out the sharing.

Taxi tour usually takes something under two hours, so you should have time to browse the shops & minor sights of Main Street.

Driver can take you straight back to the ship, or if you wish drop you at Casemates Square (bottom of Main Street). The walk back to the ship is about 25 minutes all on sidewalks on level ground.

JB :)

Thanks for the helpful response to my question, John.

Gibraltar is our first port on our transatlantic crossing from the States. We'll need to get to an ATM as soon as we get off the ship in order to have cash for the taxi driver. What's the status of banks/cash machines when we disembark? Will we need to walk to Casemates Square to get money? We're good with walking and walking fast! :)

I'm not the best person to ask. In Gib I can use my own GBP or my home stash of euros, so I've never used an ATM there. And don't even know if there's an ATM at the berth, though there'll certainly be some around Casemates Square/Main Street. There are taxi Rock tours that depart from behind Casemates Square - but as well as avoiding the 20/25 min walk from the ship, the flow of folk wanting a tour at the cruise terminal will be much greater so your vehicle will fill quickly & you'll be on your way in no time at all.

Hopefully another North American can give you accurate info about ATMs in Gib, but bear in mind that the Rock's official currency is GBP.

So it may be that ATMs only dispense GBP, and that might be Gib pounds rather than Brit pounds - same value as Brit pounds but Gib notes are only valid in Gib. Possibly some/all may dispense euros.

I'll happily defer to anyone who knows better but in the absence of that better advice, although you probably won't get best rates in the US perhaps before you sail buy enough euros to get you to your next port-of-call, which I'm guessing will be somewhere in Euroland. You'll get best value there.

Alternatively buy some euros on the ship to tide you over. Yes, the rates will be lousy but if they offer a buy-back at the same rate (most do) you can get enough to guarantee you won't run short but you'll be screwed on the least-possible amount.

Drivers might accept plastic or USD - search the web, info will be out there somewhere.

Don't get GBP - Gib is the only place in the Med that you can use them, & euros are accepted though plastic will give you a better rate. If a price-tag in a shop isn't the same currency as the money in your pocket, check the shop's rate - some are villains.

Sorry, a post with a lot of words, but all a bit woolly :D

JB :)

Thanks again!

Since time is of the essence, I think the safest thing to do is get some Euros before we leave the States. Our next port is Malaga and then Barcelona where we'll spend a week.

I so appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

MW

With only five hours, don't waste time getting to an ATM.

Just get some British Pounds from your local bank. You'll pay a little more but again your time is limited.

Then as JB said get off early. I find it's best to be in the first group off the ship in this port.

You will find a lot of taxis and vans and you can easily get to the top and do more exploration.

But don't wait for the ATM.

In the scheme of things because you won't need a lot of British Pounds you really won't be paying a lot more.

Keith

With only five hours, don't waste time getting to an ATM.

 

Just get some British Pounds from your local bank. You'll pay a little more but again your time is limited.

 

Then as JB said get off early. I find it's best to be in the first group off the ship in this port.

 

You will find a lot of taxis and vans and you can easily get to the top and do more exploration.

 

But don't wait for the ATM.

 

In the scheme of things because you won't need a lot of British Pounds you really won't be paying a lot more.

 

Keith

Disagreeing with you on just one tiny bit, Keith.;)

Everyone in Gib accepts euros (& most prices are quoted in both GBP & euros), and MCW is continuing from a half-day in Gib to eurozone countries. Doubtless a small premium for using euros rather than GBP, but IMHO best to keep it simple by taking an initial stock of euros rather than GBP and ending up with some unspent GBP.

Or worse - getting Gib money in change. :eek:

GBP can be used in Gib, but Gib money can only be used in Gib itself.

Or in very dimly-lit UK pubs. :D

Regards

JB :)

JB, as usual thanks for the education.

I've only used GBP there and didn't know that they took Euros.

The last time I was there I bought something at one of the Pharmacies with cash and I got back change that was in GBP's. Maybe I was just lucky.

Either way I would get cash ahead of time. If the majority of the trip involves Euros then I would get Euros and if not either GBP's or Euros.

I just wouldn't wait to find an ATM with so limited time there.

Keith

 

I just wouldn't wait to find an ATM with so limited time there.

 

Keith

Hi, Keith,

Yes, I realised that was the main message in your post - and I agree. :)

Especially if you add the possible currency complications at Gib ATMs.

JB :)

Hi JB :).

Perhaps you could explain the issue of "Gibraltar" pounds vs "Bank of England" pounds. We still have some old Gibraltar pounds in a drawer since they are darn near impossible to spend outside of Gibraltar :).

Hank

Hi JB :).

 

Perhaps you could explain the issue of "Gibraltar" pounds vs "Bank of England" pounds. We still have some old Gibraltar pounds in a drawer since they are darn near impossible to spend outside of Gibraltar :).

 

Hank

Hi, Hank.

In Gib the Gib pound is one-to-one against the British pound .

Outside Gib, it's worth none-to-one. ;)

You now have some souvenir money :D

JB :)

It seems your trip is not until spring, so you have time to watch the currency fluctuations and play the game of trying to get a good rate. We watch X-rates and try to hit a point where you get more euros for your dollar. It doesn't always work but sometimes we get really lucky. Our bank charges more than the x-rates. Also we have a credit card that we can use in Europe but it does charge 3%. We did have a no-fee Visa but the annual fee was $95 and we did the math. To meet that, we would have to spend over $3000 on our credit card. We aren't big spenders so we cancelled the card. If you can get a no-fee no foreign surcharge card, that is even better.

Enjoy. We did a ship tour in Gibraltar but I think we had more time. We felt safer since it was a long trip and we didn't want to miss the ship.

Beth

Thanks to all who have weighed in on my questions. This is our first arrival in Europe by ship...via plane we typically hit the ATM in our arrival airport and we're good to go. To ensure we don't waste time in Gib we'll make sure we have a few Euros in hand. Our next port is Malaga with plenty of time to replenish funds!

I'm on that same cruise, and I'm just starting to research the ports. I've never been to Europe, so it's going to take me quite a while to sort out what I think will work best for me. I know I want to visit the top of the rock and the siege tunnels, as well as find a bit of time to do some shopping. Given that I'm travelling solo, do you recommend sticking with the shore excursions offered by the ship?

Hi, Hank.

 

In Gib the Gib pound is one-to-one against the British pound .

Outside Gib, it's worth none-to-one. ;)

 

You now have some souvenir money :D

 

JB :)

Or something to put in a charity collection box for foreign currency when next travelling through an airport, (if it is not just the UK that have them). That is what we often do with bits of left over currencies as we often forget to take the old stuff even if we return to a specific country.

I'm pretty sure that we used Euro's when we were there or our credit cards for any larger purchases. (Diamonds!) We brought some beautiful hand blown glasses from a shop in the square too. Well worth popping in to watch!

I know I want to visit the top of the rock and the siege tunnels, as well as find a bit of time to do some shopping. Given that I'm travelling solo, do you recommend sticking with the shore excursions offered by the ship?

No need, even for a singleton.

And that even assumes you don't hook-up with other singletons that you meet on the cruise. More than once we've been allocated a dining table near a table of singletons and they quickly gel into a group that goes off exploring mob-handed. :)

The upper Rock tours offered at the pier are in vans (& the occasional taxi) and taxi marshals will slot you in with ship-mates.

That tour takes in various parts of the upper Rock, including some great view-points, St Michael's cave (interesting but quite small & only about 20 minutes, so if caves aren't your thing you can sit outside & enjoy the view), the apes den (if apes aren't your thing, you can stay in the vehicle & still get a close-up view because they climb on vehicles), and the Great Siege Tunnel/galleries. Super views from the galleries, a sheer drop down, and across to mainland Spain.

It doesn't include the World War 11 tunnels -- they're effectively below the Great Siege tunnel. If you want to include them, get the tour driver to drop you off at the entrance on the way back down.

Tour lasts about 2 hours. At the end the driver can take you back to the ship, but unless their port time is brief most folk jump out at Casemates Square, which is at the bottom of (mainly pedestrianized) Main Street. Very compact, very lively. One long street, level ground, it's all shops, cafes, pubs & minor sights.

Then it's a simple walk of about 20 minutes back to the ship, again all on level ground & with sidewalks.

Ship's upper Rock tours will be very similar, and in similar vehicles - the roads are too narrow up there for large buses. But you're likely to pay more (currently €22 or £25 at the pier) and although it's easy enough for them to do, I don't know how flexible they are on dropping-off in town.

Prices in shops, including d/f smokes & booze, vary significantly so do check out the opposition before buying, and be prepared to negotiate.

GBP or Euros.

A lot of the shop-keepers are a bit devious. Beware of misleading price labels ("no, that's €10, the €7 label is for the one above") and if you buy more than one thing, do the mental arithmetic before paying.

Also be aware that Gib is a dumping-ground for last-year's electronic devices -cameras, phones, etc. So if you plan to buy, carefully research model numbers & prices at home.

A fun place to shop, but keep your wits about you in your dealings.

Crime-wise, Gib is a very safe place - though of course you should take usual precautions anywhere in the world.

JB :)

Thank you, John Bull. I appreciate the insight. I'm going to copy/paste your post into a document for on-going reference as I step through my planning process.

Thank you, John Bull. I appreciate the insight. I'm going to copy/paste your post into a document for on-going reference as I step through my planning process.

That's great advice from JB. Go on your own, linger long where you want, less where you don't. Gibraltar is a fabulous port. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]EHNGMyY7v-A[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]0UWYOuN4phs[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]QpBAu6E7vEA[/YOUTUBE]

It seems your trip is not until spring, so you have time to watch the currency fluctuations and play the game of trying to get a good rate. We watch X-rates and try to hit a point where you get more euros for your dollar. It doesn't always work but sometimes we get really lucky. Our bank charges more than the x-rates.

Beth

Beth, all banks charge more than XE.com The rates quoted on XE are for the investors who are buying/selling HUGE amounts of foreign currency. But it is a good site to watch the fluctuations - just know you won't get that exchange rate.

We have gotten euros in just about every way you can…… in our last 4 trips to Europe……. I finally just buy euros at home and take with me. I get a decent exchange at my bank and they charge me a small service fee - BUT I have the convenience of having them when I hit the ground :D

That's great advice from JB. Go on your own, linger long where you want, less where you don't. Gibraltar is a fabulous port. All the best, Tony

 

Thank you for the videos. That seals the deal ... I really want to visit the siege tunnels. I've got a few months (cold winter months) to get through before the trip and it might be interesting to dig into the history a little deeper than what Wikipedia is offering.

We live in Spain and regularly visit Gibraltar on day trips run in aid of our local charities (about a 2.5 hour journey from where we live east of Malaga); these used to be shopping expeditions but shops on the Rock are now generally dearer than here in Spain. We have also called in Gibraltar on cruise ships twice within the last 12 months (end of November last year and just 2 weeks ago).

Didn't see an ATM at the cruise terminal (may be one that we missed) but there is one on Main Street outside the NatWest bank that gives UK Pounds as well as Gibraltarian Pounds - take UK ones as Gibraltarian Pounds cannot be used off the Rock.

Although the Euro is our currency we would not dream of using it when we visit Gibraltar as you get such a lousy rate in most shops.

Don't book 2 hour Rock tours on your ships as there will be MANY mini-buses waiting quayside that offer identical trips at much cheaper prices.

For people just wanting to visit Main Street for shopping - a good 20 minutes walk from the cruise terminal - there are frequent shuttle buses from the port to Casement Square (bottom of Main Street) that charge £4 per person for the return trip.

Thanks for the helpful response to my question, John.

 

Gibraltar is our first port on our transatlantic crossing from the States. We'll need to get to an ATM as soon as we get off the ship in order to have cash for the taxi driver. What's the status of banks/cash machines when we disembark? Will we need to walk to Casemates Square to get money? We're good with walking and walking fast! :)

We were in Gibraltar last month for a port stop, and had previously been there in 2013 (another port stop). There was an ATM machine in the cruise terminal in 2013, but when we didn't see one last month we asked the information counter. There, at least last month, no longer is an ATM in the terminal, but the helpful woman behind the info counter had a map with ATM locations printed on it.

Another member of our roll call organized a very enjoyable tour using Inside-Out Rock Tours and Carl Mesilio (http://www.rocktoursgibraltar.com).

A Great Top Of The Rock Tour

By Neil's Cab & Tour

notnilc@gibtelecom.net

3-505-400-3022

Neil picked up on time at the port building of Gibraltar and we proceeded to have one of the best tours of the Rock of Gibraltar you could ever ask for. Neil's knowledge of the history of the rock and the surrounding areas was outstanding. He first took us around the backside of the rock and explained the different rock formations and its vegetation. Then he took us up to the top of the rock so that we could view the surrounding areas and the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Along the way we encountered a group of monkeys who live on the rock. He knew some of them by name and called to them to come over to the vehicle. We were able to see them up close without leaving the vehicle. We ended the tour by going through the main town square. His background and knowledge of the area and his ability to explain it made the tour a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this tour.

How did you find Neil in the first place. Is he part of the Gibraltar Taxi Association. Thanks for further information.