Going car-less

[stevebrass]

After much debate, we are going car less on trip to PP end of August.

Using Resort Hoppa for the transfers and then plan to use buses/taxis for our other jaunts.

Don't mind the driving, but dislike the waiting at car hire offices and the extra expense of unused fuel and expenses.

Given our plans I reckon we will be over £100 up, EXCEPT no driving means I can be liberal con el vino tinto!

 

[clinkham]

Vino tinto is a big plus, but here is how we hired a car for a few days mid holiday, and left room for some vino collapso on the days either side.

http://www.forum.puertopollensa.com...nsfers-majorca/10315-hiper-rentacar-port.html

 

[stevebrass]

good tip! Hiper from PP might be a good idea.

 

[Meerkat]

Martina are also very good.

 

[stevebrass]

Now back from our car less holiday.

Resort Hoppa service was very good - 25 minutes on arrival for the transfer to our apartment but prompt pick up for the return trip.

We found the bus service to Alcudia and Pollenca frequent and cheap, and had a very enjoyable taxi trip when the driver, bless him, helped me with my spanish.

I really enjoyed being able to take in the countryside as opposed to concentrating on the road.

 

[varsp]

Carless

This will be our first time without a car too. Apprehensive at having to rely on public transport. Will miss the "spontaneity" of it all. Still, the positives, as you said no hassle at the airport, re waiver damage extras, checking the car for all those annoying little dents that you might miss (been caught out like that once before, never again !), full tank/ empty tank debacle etc...... but, if the weather isn't so good, may decide car hire the better option. Let's hope for lot's of sunshine !

 

[Rosie34]

Wehad decided to go carless next month but have now hired a car for 3 weeks for a lot less than we paid for 2 weeks in May/June Don't think we will use it that much but when we calculated the cost of taxi transfers (I know, we could have used the shuttle) to/from airport and the times we would possible want to hire a car - we thought the extra would be worth it just for the independence

 

[lovemallorca]

I've done both, but if you have or hire a villa, doing without a car isn't really a practical option.

For the weeks that I have been over this year, I have been paying around £180 for a brand-new Fiesta. Fuel has been around 30-40 Euros, depending how much it gets used, but that would always include at least one day out, and trips to and from the airport.

Considering that a taxi would be around 80 euros for each journey to the airport, (call it £135 ish), the extra cost for a car isn't that significant.

I just love the independence that it offers. We will often just shoot off somewhere in the morning, come back for an afternoon by the pool, and then drive to either PP, Pollensa or Old Town Alcudia in the evening.

 

[eleanor]

I've done both, but if you have or hire a villa, doing without a car isn't really a practical option.


I am interested to know why you think this the case, lovemallorca? I assume you are thinking of villas in the country? It really depends on where the villa is. We are in Gommar and often have no need for a car being just a fifteen minutes stroll to the centre and the beach. There are many villas in our area and of course Llenaire too has quite a number. It would be easy to get by without a car in that area too. It was very much a plus in decided to buy in our area that we wouldn't need a car. The Resort Hoppa drops us just a five minute slow walk away.

 

[Sunshinedrive]

We stayed in a villa in Siller right at the bottom of the hill (great views!) in April and didn't hire a car. Proved to be a bad choice as my mother in law serverely hurt her knee on the 1st day and wasn't greatly mobile for at least 5 days. Anyway after pricing up the cost of a 7 seater car (as there were 6 of us) compared to the price of the bus into puerto and then back in a taxi it worked out much cheaper bus/taxi wise! I think car hire companies charge far to much for family size cars, just because there's more seats in the car doesn't mean all the occupants can split the cost (ie, children)
As a previous poster said at least the wine can flow! Also be aware of dodgy taxis, one of ours I swear was on weed and knew the back roads to our villa to avoid the police checks!
Also jannerbus are very good for transfers to and from the airport!

 

[Bean Counter]

We went car-less this year and it was wonderful! Admittedly, we were travelling with my daughter and her family, including 2 under-5s, so there was no need to move out of PP; the beach and the pool were all that the kids needed!

Having read all the different comments and views, we decided to treat ourselves to a taxi to and from the airport. We used Zarza Taxis, who were excellent. It was fantastic to walk through and be taken straight to PP - no queueing, no paperwork, no worries trying to remember the way out of the airport. Ditto on the return; Zarza turned up right at the agreed time and dropped us in front of the terminal.

It cost us 95 euros each way for the six of us, including child car seats. I reckon it could well have cost us about that for a day's hire of a seven seater, plus car seats. So, as long as we're travelling with the kids, I think we'll stick to the luxury of the taxi to and from the airport - and hire a car in the port if we want to.