Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Anyone just returned from Majorca?

41 replies

MrsWicket · 30/07/2017 22:13

Off on holiday there in a few weeks - haven't been in about 20 years!
Is it better to change up money out there?
And what is the tourist tax and approximately, how many Euro's do I need to have ready to pay when we check in?
Many thanks, MW x

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Janika · 30/07/2017 22:16

Son out there at the mo for a week all inclusive. Having a blast. Took €400 and cheque card with him. Exchange rate shocking.
Have fun!

Janika · 30/07/2017 22:17

He will come back skint no doubt!

MrsWicket · 30/07/2017 22:20

Thanks Janika! Do you know what the exchange rate was? Glad to hear your son is having a blast - Magaluf? This was me and DH twenty years ago - kinds in tow this time, so a much more sedate affair! Grin

OP posts:
MrsWicket · 30/07/2017 22:20

Kids!! Not kinds!!

OP posts:
PacificDogwod · 30/07/2017 22:21

We came back yesterday.
Family-orientated villa holiday, so self-catering.
We used credit card, changed some Euros in the UK.
Yes, it's expensive but so, so gorgeous.

If you can at all go to Sa Colabre - gorgeous!

Janika · 30/07/2017 22:24

Yes Magaluf! Having a rest night tonight he says...
€380 =£350 in U.K. last Tuesday

MrsWicket · 30/07/2017 22:30

Thanks for the info/recommendations Janika, Pacific. We're off to Cala d'Or which looks lovely- can't wait!

OP posts:
OcelotnotGiraffe · 30/07/2017 22:37

Tourist tax in a hotel in Palma de Mallorca a few weeks ago was something like 7/8 euros for me and DS for two nights.
Exchange rate is shit. I use a Halifax clarity credit card for all foreign spending as it has no fees and good rates of exchange. I also get cash out with it.

TheFairyCaravan · 30/07/2017 22:38

Cala D'Or is gorgeous. We had some wonderful holidays there when our children were younger.

rooted · 30/07/2017 22:42

I paid 30 Euros last Wednesday for 4 adults/3 kids. Think only pay for over 16s. So about a Euro per head per night roughly

StylishDuck · 30/07/2017 22:50

We stayed in Cala Egos (just outside Cala D'or) back in June. It's gorgeous. Enjoy Smile

Noofly · 31/07/2017 07:09

Pacific We're in Soller just now and are going to do the Torrent de Pareis down to Sa Colabra on Thursday! Or rather DS and I are doing it and I suspect DD and DH will just get the ferry to meet us at Sa Colabra and we'll all go back to the Port together. Grin

OP, ditto to the others- is very expensive with crap exchange (am pretty much just translating Euros as pounds though could take a few % off prices), but am ignoring the cost.

BarbaraofSeville · 31/07/2017 09:20

Depending on the charges made by your bank/credit cards, just paying by card or taking money out (I've found that there are loads of cash machines in Spain, Balerics, Canaries) could well be the cheapest way because the exchange rate is usually so much better than bureau de change.

Full advice here:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/travel-credit-cards

Just spending or taking cash out as normal also has the advantage that you don't have to have hundreds of Euros to not lose or get stolen.

Probably best googling the spain tourist tax to get a definitive answer for adults and children and whether there is a maximum. Eg in Malta it is one euro per adult per day up to a max of (I think) 5 euros).

OBface · 31/07/2017 10:15

I'm wincing at the exchange rate right now.

Noofly we're off to Soller in a week or so. Any tips?

Noofly · 31/07/2017 14:51

OBface Soller is fabulous! We went to Mallorca 4 years ago and I hated so wasn't really looking forward to this holiday, but I have found I love this bit of the island. We're staying in the town but going down to the Port most days. If you are into any sort of activities, look up Tramuntana Tours. Andy is excellent and we've booked a few things through him. My son and I went Coasteering last week with them and even though I hate jumping into water, Diego, our guide, even had me doing the 13m jumps. Grin

If you like walking, going out at the crack of dawn makes it completely manageable. We went up to Cuber for 6:30AM one day last week and were up at the top of the Puig de l'Ofre by 8:00 and back to down in the square in Biniraix via the Barranc by 11:00 (didn't use a guide for that - the walk is clearly sign posted).

In town, if you want a lovely, different eating experience, go to Ca'n Llimona. It"s one woman and all she does is ravioli with salad and cheesecake for dessert. It's like eating in a friend's very beautiful garden. There's no menu but she does do a few different flavours of ravioli so you can choose one or a mix. She only seats 6 at a time in little tables scattered about her garden so do book.

We walked to Fornalutx one day (there's also a bus a couple of times a day) and had lunch at el Tores- fantastic views!

If you want a gentle walk with some views, 30 minutes gets you up to Sa Capelleta, the prettiest chapel you ever did see. Google maps shows the way, but ignore the zig zag road and look for the steps/path up (is sign posted) and it'll save a lot of time. We did it close to sunset when it was cooler so couldn't enter the chapel, but you can peer through the windows and it's been done to look like a cave- gorgeous little place with great views over the town on the way back.

Down in the Port there's a great little cafe for smoothies/fruit juice and also cake/fresh oj/coffee for 6euros. I can't remember the name of it, but will be back down in the Port tomorrow so will look it out again. We really enjoyed dinner at El Sabor which isn't in the greatest position on the port- does have a bit of a view- but the food was really good. Most places do need booked a couple of days in advance.

The tram between the town and port is ridiculously expensive. We've done it once to say we'd done it, otherwise are walking (but we are walkers!) and have taken a taxi once. Taxis are a bit hit and miss at the stand- not enough of them. It's easy to get the bus from the Port to the town but the other way it fills up in Palma and can be hard to get a seat on going to the Port.

If you are there in a Saturday go to the market and buy sobrasada and big loaves of bread. If you have a villa, there's a little shop close to the indoor market that does rotisserie chicken and other ready made meals (lasagne etc). You need to pre-reserve a chicken on a Saturday but other days you can just pop in in the morning.

There are loads of small supermarkets both in town and in the Port.

JacinthaPostlethwaite · 02/08/2017 12:46

Hi Noofly - that sounds just my ideal holiday! Did you hire a car? And are you in a villa or hotel? We went to Majorca two years ago and stayed in Cala D'or but would love to try Soller. . .

Noofly · 02/08/2017 13:57

Jacintha We're in a villa- found it via Trip Advisor. We didn't rent a car purely because we hate driving on holiday. You can manage without a car but it would be easier with one. If you rent one, the smaller the better as the roads of the main ones are very very narrow!

(It was Cala d'Or that we went to last time. I really didn't like Cala d'Or. Blush ).

JacinthaPostlethwaite · 02/08/2017 14:35

Thanks Noofly, we're the same as you regarding hiring a car on holiday - do enough driving at home! As long as places of interest and bars/restaurants are in walking distance we're happy. Did you use taxi or bus/train from the airport?

I didn't mind Cala D'or it's just that it was so crowded as we went in August. Now kids have left school I'm thinking of Soller for next June or early July. . .

SwedishEdith · 02/08/2017 14:48

There now. We paid €40/45 tourist tax for 3 over 16s for a fortnight. So, about €1 per person per night.

It's bloody boiling and expensive (bloody Brexit) because of crappy exchange rate. We were in Soller this week. I'd heard a lot about how lovely it was beforehand so I was a bit disappointed, tbh. It was ok, just expected more.

Noofly · 02/08/2017 15:28

We got a taxi from the airport though taking the bus to Palma and then one from Palma to Soller would be perfectly doable if you don't have too much luggage (though the buses will store large bags underneath no problem). I do have an email address for a great English speaking taxi driver who will happily take bookings for any trips round about the area if anyone does go to Soller.

There are a number of restaurants in town and loads down at the Port. There are a couple of bars down at the port but it's a pretty laid back place, not a nightlife place. There is one Irish pub but no English pubs/Texas steakhouses/English breakfasts etc. Daytrippers seem to mainly be here from 12-3ish before they get the train back to Palma and outside of that that you'll hear a smattering of English and a smattering of German, but otherwise it's all Spanish. It's a working town, not a resort and the Port is full of Spanish families on holiday.

I'll disagree with SwedishEdith and say that I think it's beautiful. Grin It's a bit like being in the Alps with the Riviera a couple of miles down the road. Here's the view from our swimming pool and it's like this no matter where you are in town or in the Port.

Anyone just returned from Majorca?
Anyone just returned from Majorca?
Noofly · 02/08/2017 15:30

The cone shaped mountain on the left in the second photo is the one DS and I went up last week. Amazing views from the top! If I can work out posting photos from my phone I'll stick some on.

SwedishEdith · 02/08/2017 17:36

I think we can see that cone shaped mountain from where we're staying. Unless there are lots of cone-shaped mountains Grin. I thought there were lots of Brits, tbh, although not remotely Brits abroad types. It was lovely, just felt too crowded and unshaded at the port.

MrsWicket · 02/08/2017 18:33

Thank you for all the replies - has anyone be caught in the 'hell' of passport control at Palma? Is it really as bad as the papers are suggesting?

OP posts:
Janika · 02/08/2017 21:11

Son due back tomorrow I've told him to get to airport 4 hours before flight.

Janika · 02/08/2017 21:11

I'll let you know tomorrow!

Swipe left for the next trending thread