Cost of taxi/van tour in Gibraltar

I've read a lot about the standard taxi/van tours in Gibraltar (thanks, John Bull), and was just wondering if anyone had taken one of these recently and what the price per person was this year. (We have a load of British coins, which I'd love to use--but I don't want to be counting out 20 p coins while we're in the line. If I knew the cost before we left, I could separate the exact cost the night before so I'll be ready when we get off the ship.)

Thanks

It's around €35 per person

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It's around €35 per person

Thanks. But I was hoping to get the exact price in sterling. Does anyone know?

You can check the prices on Tripadvisor. The cost is £25 per person for taxi and tour.

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If it helps we wandered off the ship with nothing booked and a guy in the town centre who had a big van type taxi stopped us and asked if we wanted to do the apes and rock. He had parked up and gone in a convenience store so I think he saw us as a bit of extra trade whereas he had nothing going on. Two couples were in the vicinity and we gathered round after a bit of haggling we got down to £20 per person with only six in the party.

The economics of a taxi tour to the concert venue in a cave, the Napoleonic war tunnels and apes is that you do not pay for a cable car ride. This is typically the expensive element to the tour but is made redundant by using a taxi to get up and down the rock. I think if you get a small group up you can go for £20 each.

Regards John

You can check the prices on Tripadvisor. The cost is £25 per person for taxi and tour.

 

 

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Thanks. I hadn't realized TripAdvisor would have up to date prices.

I just contacted the Gibraltar Taxi Association, and was quoted 150 British pounds per hour with a 2 hour minimum for 2 people. We'll be visiting Gibraltar in May, and this price seems extremely high. Does anyone have any experience with them? Is there a price difference when you book in advance vs waiting until the same day? What other options are there in Gibraltar, except for the ship's tour?

I don't know them.

What I do know is there will be lots of vans outside the cruise ship terminal so this is one I would not book in advance and would just negotiate after you get off the ship.

Also know what you want to do ahead of time.

Keith

I just contacted the Gibraltar Taxi Association, and was quoted 150 British pounds per hour with a 2 hour minimum for 2 people. We'll be visiting Gibraltar in May, and this price seems extremely high. Does anyone have any experience with them? Is there a price difference when you book in advance vs waiting until the same day? What other options are there in Gibraltar, except for the ship's tour?

I don't know them.

 

What I do know is there will be lots of vans outside the cruise ship terminal so this is one I would not book in advance and would just negotiate after you get off the ship.

 

Also know what you want to do ahead of time.

 

Keith

I don't know the current seat-in-van cost, but the £150 quoted is about the same as six individuals sharing a van on-spec at the pier.

I suggest the same as Keith - don't pre-book, just head for the vans at the pier.

Two caveats......

- don't be amongst the last off the ship in case all the vans have gone, either full of cruisers or to seek fresh custom in town.

- and usually there's no "negotiating" at the pier, the price is the price. Only if trade is slack (you're amongst the last off the ship & there's still vans at the pier, or John's experience in town) is there any chance of negotiating.

BTW, the cost of a van tour of the Upper Rock or the cablecar (up & back down) is vaguely the same, and the cablecar option more expensive if you include a taxi to / from it rather than a 35 minute e/w walk from the ship, or visit St Michael's Cave or the Great Siege Tunnel which are both included in the van tour price.

The cablecar option has other disadvantages

- there can be long lines for the cablecar after about 10am, when the hordes of coach trippers have arrived from the Spanish resorts. Not always long lines, but a significant risk. And for whatever reason I've not known of long lines for the cablecar back down.

- in moderately high winds the cablecar service is suspended (awful pun intended :rolleyes:).

- it's a bit of a hike from top cablecar station to St Michael's Cave & back. And a significant hike to the Great Siege Tunnel, if you do that it's easier to walk back down to town rather than back to the cablecar.

On the other hand

- the cablecar goes to the very top, although the van tours go to the top of the saddle between the two high points so you can look over both Atlantic & Mediterranean at the same time.

- more importantly, the cablecar is for folk who enjoy rambling & doing their own thing at their own pace. The van tours have been operating for decades, they know their stuff & the time allowed at each stop is fine for most folk - but naturally you're not in control of your itinerary or timetable.

The van tours visit the apes' den, and it's only a short walk from the top cablecar station.

Vans can take you back to the ship, but most folk elect to be dropped in town at Casemates' Square and wander the pubs, cafes, shops & minor sights of Main Street. From Casemates Square its a simple level 20 / 25 minute walk back to the ship.

JB :)