-
Flew into Gib yesterday and picked up a Budget/Avis rental. For the benefit of anyone else doing same.
Firstly, if going into Spain, Spanish immigration are being ‘keen’ in carrying out checks so potentially long Q’s. Asking for proof of accommodation and return flight etc.
If renting from Avis/Budget (maybe others) the check in is at the airport in Gib, NOT at the car collection lot across the border in La Linea, as incorrectly advised in pre-collection notification. So 3 trips through immigration and related Q’s for me. Avis agent in Gib was apologetic and said this happens frequently and that they have been asking Avis to change instructions and make it clearer of the need to visit the desk before crossing into Spain to collect a car.
What a frustrating start to your trip! That’s absolutely ridiculous, Avis is effectively telling you to collect your car in a different country to the one you’ve actually booked it in.
Hope the rest of your stay is less troublesome! How’s the weather down there? We are off to AGP for 5 days next month and already counting down to a (short) break from the miserable British climate.
Spain must be having one of its periodic awkward spells re GIB – we visited for a week last Easter and never once saw a queue building up, even at the start and end of the working day when hundreds of people are going in and out.
Car hire in Gib is usually collected in Spain, with both office and collection point a short walk across the Border in La Linea. Presumably because little use for car hire within Gib, mostly people flying in to cross into Spain, which used to be quick and easy. Many of the immigration Q on my 2nd pass through, back into Gib seemed to be going to check in for the BA flight back to LHR.
I heard several people discussing the crossing delays and blaiming you know what! The many Spaniards that cross into Gib early each day to work, and back into Spain at the end of the working day, don’t have to Q, they are simply waived through with ID cards. Also the automatic passport gates don’t allow British passport holders. No delays with Gib controls.
Yes I know, but there was never any build up at Easter and we were staying at that end of Gib so could see the crossing. Last time we took a car in and out of there it was very quick as well, though that’s going back a few years. I recall we had the choice of collecting the car at GIB or on the Spanish side, but the latter was a lot cheaper so we went with that.
It is great going in and out of GIB, like having your own private terminal as there are so few commercial flights.
Anyone blaming you know what clearly doesn’t know the history! Spain has re-started making noises about getting Gib back since the referendum and there have been a couple of quite serious diplomatic incidents where Spain has breached UK sovereignty in the past couple of years which has made relations quite tense.
Joke in our house is that when there is hassle at the Gib frontier, the Spanish royal family have been naughty again!
Good distraction technique.
So you know what is sometimes different, although – for once – might actually to be the cause now.
It shouldn’t though – ironically, Gib joined the Schengen Zone in 2022 as part of the YKW negotiations with Spain, so there don’t need to be any border controls at all. There were always border controls prior to that but how rigidly they were enforced varied according to the political climate.
But @Colin, ay caramba, that family make our royals look dull and well-adjusted. Have you seen Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King on Sky Documentaries? My poor monarquica mother was heartbroken, I should never have suggested she watch it!
We’re going to Ceuta in a few months, so this is a handy thread for me. We’ve been to Gib before but didn’t cross the border, but this time we’ve got to get ourselves to Algeciras to get a ferry to Ceuta.
How long does the border crossing typically take on foot for a couple of Brits on a Friday? Is getting to Algeciras simple enough once over the border?
I think it’s very difficult to say. I went through on the Saturday before Christmas, late morning. There were probably about a dozen people in front of me in the queue, but it took 20 to 30 minutes to get through. There was clearly some issue with the paperwork for a group in front of us, so everyone had to wait while it was resolved. It didn’t help that although there were two desks open, they both seemingly had to be involved in sorting out the problem. They did eventually get through, and the rest of us went through quite quickly, but by then there was a queue of about 50 people behind me.
How long does the border crossing typically take on foot for a couple of Brits on a Friday? Is getting to Algeciras simple enough once over the border?
If you can, avoid crossing when incoming flights have landed and later afternoon when day trippers are returning, if walking across. Cars didn’t seem to have a problem mid morning and nor when I drove across for a Morrisons petrol top up and a pie last year (fuel no longer the bargain it was and in my opinion GIB has little else to warrant a trip for).
Take proof of onward accommodations in case asked, I don’t actually think that they care but are for sure dragging the passport stamping procedure out for Brits. On my first crossing a fluent English speaker was translating for the border agent, that is how probing the questioning was.
If driving to Algeciras it’s not a difficult drive. No experience with public transport.
Enjoy your trip.
What takes you to Ceuta, @supergraeme? Do tell us about it when you’ve been. There are regular buses from La Linea, I did look at the timetable online but we decided we couldn’t be bothered going.
If you don’t need to head straight there, the HI in Gib is a reasonable option and a short walk from both the airport and the frontier.
We’re going to Ceuta in a few months, so this is a handy thread for me. We’ve been to Gib before but didn’t cross the border, but this time we’ve got to get ourselves to Algeciras to get a ferry to Ceuta.
How long does the border crossing typically take on foot for a couple of Brits on a Friday? Is getting to Algeciras simple enough once over the border?
Walking across the border is queue free the majority of the time, it’s only when the Spanish customs are playing games it becomes difficult.
I’ve never done Ceuta but been tempted. Take a look at the helicopter option from Algiciras. It’s quite reasonable.
I second the GIB HiX, one of the best I have stayed in. If you stay ask for an airport view room on the back. It also looks onto an intriguing cemetery, Highgate style grave stones running alongside the runway. Eating options are very poor in GIB so one of the pubs, Pizza Express or Wagamama at the marina are unexciting but predicable options.
You don’t, and indeed can’t, drive across the runway now. They finally opened the tunnel last year. Pedestrians, cyclists and people on scooters (scooterists?) are still allowed to cross. When I walked back across last Saturday someone tried to get across on a moped, but they got caught by the police/security.
I’m ridiculously fond of Gib. Where else can you sit in a sunny, palm tree-lined plaza in the winter, eating tapas while watching a couple of British bobbies stroll past M & S, then pop into Morrisons for sausage rolls? Then pay £2 to hop on a bus and be transported to furthest reaches of Europe, from where you can the mountains of North Africa?
My OH was so confused on our Easter visit he kept trying to use his (very limited) Spanish on the locals and I had to have words with him 🤣
I’ve just come back from a Gib trip, staying over the border with a side trip to Ceuta.
If you haven’t booked the ferry, as has been said consider the helicopter, at the moment there is a non residents discount to encourage visitors, max trip 7 days return, 60% discount, came to just under £60 return pp. Use Google translate on the website it will tell you all about the offer, but not in English.
The border was a hassle at times, I got 8 stamps in my short trip. If you havent got EU citizenship or a gibrltar red card you need to have a hotel booking or evidence of onward travel from Spain to be allowed in if they are asking questions. Two older guys were denied entry when wanting to go over for drinks while i was crossing one evening. The have always caused a inconvenience for political reasons from time to time of course, it used to be via customs but now they can target brits directly with immigration.
I took the bus to algeciras, I think there is one every 30 man’s, takes about 45 mins or 30 if you get a directo non stop. 2.50 euro each way.The port is about 5-10 mins walk from the bus station, heliport is in the port next to the ferry terminals.
Oh and an uber from the frontier to the port in algeciras was pricing at just under 30 euro i think.
It shouldn’t though – ironically, Gib joined the Schengen Zone in 2022 as part of the YKW negotiations with Spain
I don’t believe it’s actually joined yet? They’ve been talking about it since 2021 but can’t agree on the specifics I think
It was reported that they joined in 2022 but I will double check!
If so, can the Spanish authorities actually do that? It was my understanding that once you’re admitted to the Schengen area (I.e. at GIB), you can then move around freely? If you went from Spain into France or Portugal you wouldn’t normally be asked for proof of onward travel, etc?
https://www.etiasvisaeurope.co.uk/gibraltar-is-a-member-of-the-schengen-zone/
According to this, anyway! Does that mean that once etias is in place, those of us with EU and U.K. passports will need to use the EU one to enter a British territory? Go figure!
It shouldn’t though – ironically, Gib joined the Schengen Zone in 2022 as part of the YKW negotiations with Spain
I don’t believe it’s actually joined yet? They’ve been talking about it since 2021 but can’t agree on the specifics I think
Correct, Gibraltar is not currently in the Schengen Zone. It has been under discussion for a long time but requires concessions the UK is unsurprisingly reluctant to make.
They aren’t in Shengen yet, although the EU are happy in principle with them joining and a deal is near by all accounts.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/gibraltar/entry-requirements#:~:text=Gibraltar%20is%20not%20part%20of,for%20visits%2C%20study%20or%20work.
UK citizen Gib residents are currently allowed to pass freely if they qualify for a red id card (5 years I think?), but should have a passport stamped if they are planning on leaving Spain. The control of the border is the big issue, I think frontex officers might be acceptable to gib but Spanish uniformed officers not, although Spain have been insisting on the final decision on entry as the sponsoring signatory state.
It may well be that an EU passport will allow easier entry to gib, but I imagine they will still control residency, and that would, I think, make it the only part of shengen UK nationals are entitled to live in without a visa.It’s 10 years for gibraltarian status/red id
Avis GIB scammed me due to this, but probably due to fecklessness rather than malice.
You drop the keys in to a security hut on the Spain side … and Avis didn’t process my return of the vehicle for hours after, once it was in to a new rental day – triggering 1 extra day of charges.
Avis corporate were the worst of the lot. They rejected all emails saying it is in the signed T+C to charge extra days! Despite it being clear as day what happened, and submitting GPS evidence of when I was actually back the other side of the border in GIB.
In Europe I now choose independent agencies with good reviews over Avis everytime. In the USA I use Hertz. My company has been forced to drop Avis as the corporate provider for a raft of failings (moved to Enterprise).
Avis GIB scammed me due to this, but probably due to fecklessness rather than malice.
You drop the keys in to a security hut on the Spain side … and Avis didn’t process my return of the vehicle for hours after, once it was in to a new rental day – triggering 1 extra day of charges.
Avis corporate were the worst of the lot. They rejected all emails saying it is in the signed T+C to charge extra days! Despite it being clear as day what happened, and submitting GPS evidence of when I was actually back the other side of the border in GIB.
In Europe I now choose independent agencies with good reviews over Avis everytime. In the USA I use Hertz. My company has been forced to drop Avis as the corporate provider for a raft of failings (moved to Enterprise).
When dropping an Avis/Budget car off its in a ticketed car park, they ask you to leave the ticket in the car as proof of return date/time. Given problems experienced here probably best to take a photo of the ticket and maybe even call by the rental desk in the airport if open.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
