worrying times in pp

[Belladonna]

Three cheers for PP! Well done SWS! As much as I love Center Parcs, I think I'll go for the cheaper option!

 

[Rab]

Just to add a different perspective to the discussions re price and staying at home, just looking into a break in the February half term, Centreparcs are asking £1000 for a four night mid week break in a 2 bedroom villa. Just checked flights with Easyjet 4 people £437 and looked at the accommodation advertised here on the site and countless places for 4 people for £400 for the week. It is certainly cheaper to eat in PP than at Centreparcs and I know where I would prefer to go!

Yeah but what if you could get the same deal in some equally nice reosrt in Cyprus or Turkey where the sun will be shining and they dont charge you anywhere near 1.80 euros for a pint of milk or 16 euros for a 7 mile taxi ride.

I really dont think PP will lose visitors to the UK but if they dont see the bigger picture they might lose vistors to Cyprus/Turkey or even all-inclusives within other parts of Majorca/Spain

 

[sws97sdg]

Thanks Bella, as I say I know where I prefer to go, the problem is convincing the family!

 

[Belladonna]

Rab, I think one of the main reasons Mallorca will stay a winner, is the flight time. I am more happy to pop over for a few days with a 2 hour flight and a less than one hour drive to the apartment, than to a 4 hour flight (am I right?) to Cyprus. A friend has just bought an apartment in Cyprus, but much prefers Mallorca. It does come down to finance in a lot of cases, especially when its a longer family holiday, but the short breaks are the life savers!

 

[Rab]

Rab, I think one of the main reasons Mallorca will stay a winner, is the flight time. I am more happy to pop over for a few days with a 2 hour flight and a less than one hour drive to the apartment, than to a 4 hour flight (am I right?) to Cyprus. A friend has just bought an apartment in Cyprus, but much prefers Mallorca. It does come down to finance in a lot of cases, especially when its a longer family holiday, but the short breaks are the life savers!

As would I Bella but everybody on this site loves the place and rates it above all others. The bigger picture and the one I tried to paint in one of my previous posts is that this discussion is not really applicable to members of this forum. I feel we are missing the point.

Its the new visitors who PP should be reaching out to. Its the people who have no emotional attachment to it, its the people who go to PP on the recommendations of people like yourself and come away feeling short changed vowing to try somewhere else next time that PP should be embracing.

And by the way reducing prices on essentials does not always lead to football shirts and stag/hen nights galore. I enjoy reading Smiddys posts usually but I thought his post earlier on was a wee bit OTT. PP has plenty of choice in restaurants bars etc. but the essentials (taxis, milk, bread, toothpaste, soap) even in the market are vastly overpriced IMO and shoud be looked at. God knows how the local residents survive.

 

[eleanor]

I think the locals know where to shop, perhaps Mecadona (?) or Lidl are those places. Obviously prices of things with names we know so well in UK will be more expensive such as Heinz baked beans etc etc. I also think that a typical cut loaf of bread is very expensive in PP but their local bagette loaf is probably about the same. I also found that their local long life milk is about the same price as here also. I do think that if care is taken and food choice thought about then it is not that hard to keep control of the purse. This is my opinion and others may not agree. I must agree that vegetables fruit and salad seems to be more expensive though but perhaps I have been spoilt as I shop at home in Asda! As for taxis - I really have no idea how the pricing works. Perhaps the locals again know who to use?

 

[Chemical Dave]

PP has plenty of choice in restaurants bars etc. but the essentials (taxis, milk, bread, toothpaste, soap) even in the market are vastly overpriced IMO and shoud be looked at. God knows how the local residents survive.

Have to agree Rab. Exchange rate coupled with the normal cost of living if the big problem. Eating out in PP is good value. You can get plently of MDD's for less than 15 Euro. A couple of years ago this would have been about £11 with the exchange rate then.- Great value.

My problem is with the Spars and to some extent the Eroski's. They really rip you off. My OH recently went into one to buy 1 litre of milk, 1 small washing up liquid (smallest and cheapest available) and 1 small jar of garlic mayonaise. In the UK you could get the lot for £3 - £4 easy. Spar - just under 10 Euro!!. What must first time visitors think.

I know you could shop around but you are on holiday and don't want to go shopping comparing prices. I realise that the season is short profits have to be made but these prices are a rip off and spoil the experience somewhat.

For us Brits PP is no longer good value many of us are feeling ripped off. I can't see the pound recovering in the short term and suspect visitors from other parts of the EU will become the main stay of the port in years to come as it becomes too expensive and poor value for many.


Adios

Dave

 

[eleanor]

Our local shop to our villa is the Spar near the White Rose . I feel they really do rip you off and I never ever shop for anything as their prices are a joke. We know that and so refuse to shop there but as has been said the holiday maker / first visitor would not know and will make a judgement on places such as Spar. I think we will inform our renters of this next year. I too hate the idea of shopping around but I do one large shop in Mecadona and just top up from there. Well worth it as their prices are so much lower i.e. 5 litres of water 52 cents! Their fish counter is wonderful too and great value.

 

[Rab]

I think the locals know where to shop, perhaps Mecadona (?) or Lidl are those places. Obviously prices of things with names we know so well in UK will be more expensive such as Heinz baked beans etc etc. I also think that a typical cut loaf of bread is very expensive in PP but their local bagette loaf is probably about the same. I also found that their local long life milk is about the same price as here also. I do think that if care is taken and food choice thought about then it is not that hard to keep control of the purse. This is my opinion and others may not agree. I must agree that vegetables fruit and salad seems to be more expensive though but perhaps I have been spoilt as I shop at home in Asda! As for taxis - I really have no idea how the pricing works. Perhaps the locals again know who to use?

Sorry Eleanor but I cant agree. Im sure the price of a pint of milk, bimbo bread, fruit and veg. toliet rolls etc. dont differ that greatly between Mercadona and Eroski. I noticed recently in one of the local supermarkets that a kilo of bananas was 2.95 euros whereas in Asda/Tesco etc. it is £0.37. How can this be explained? 1L of milk at 1.79 euros as opposed to £0.86 for 1.16 L in Tesco.

WRT to taxis there are boards at the ranks stating the prices to differing places. During the summer we paid 17 euros on a taxi from the water park in Alcudia to PP. Bonkers!!! How can that be justified? Imagine you are first time visitor and the driver hits you with that? You would need a lie down to recover from the shock.

 

[BonysLad]

Sorry Eleanor but I cant agree. Im sure the price of a pint of milk, bimbo bread, fruit and veg. toliet rolls etc. dont differ that greatly between Mercadona and Eroski.

Rab,

I can assure you it is different, it's well worth the drive to Mercadona ( or Lidl Inca or Al Campo in Palma ) to get these price differences. Saturday morning in Mercadona is a weekly bunfight and packed with PP residents !!!!
Worth doing a weekly shop there and just topping up locally from the market for fruit/veg or the local butchers /fishmongers. It's far, far cheaper if you are able to do it. Unfortunately most visitors can't and the supermarkets play the market here.

BonysLad

 

[CathB]

I agree that all the Spar shops are a real rip off but not everyone has a car to do a big shop outside PP.We have always used Eroski/Caprabo for the main shop (mainly their own brands too)but used to go to the nearest Spar for water (rather than carry it back ) and to buy baguettes/bread for lunch was it was convenient..however at 1.50 for 5ltrs of water and 1 euro for baguettes it was madness...this year I would go to Eroski or Hiper early morning...5 ltr water 65cents and baguettes 39-50 cents...it soon adds up over the course of a fortnights holiday

 

[Rab]

Rab,

Unfortunately most visitors can't and the supermarkets play the market here.

BonysLad

BL, I have quoted the last part of your post as this is what Im getting at. Al Campo etc. may be great for residents/regular visitors but if you are maw, paw and the two weans staying in an apartment for a couple of weeks in the summer all you want is some teabags, milk, cereal, bread, butter, some tins of soup/macaroni/beans etc. for the kids and some juice for the flat.

a) You dont know where the better supermarkets are
b) If you did the savings you make would be outweighed by the price of the petrol or taxi to ge there.

Visitors have no other option but to shop locally and I feel this is where they are getting ripped off - the price of essentials! Not in the restaurants or bars where you have a choice. Why is the fruit and veg so dear? Why is the milk so dear? Why is a loaf of bread so dear?........ Because the brits have paid it for years and will always do so? Maye not for much longer!

 

[Belladonna]

I think the reason the Spar shops are that much dearer is because they equate to our "corner shops". ie far closer than big supermarkets and stay open longer or at odd hours. This "convenience" obviously goes on to their prices. Best used for emergency top ups as has been said previously, doing main large shop at better priced supermarkets.
You cant do without these shops for emergencies, but have learned the hard way not to do the weekly shop there!

 

[Lillianna]

We always do our weekly shopping in Mercadona. By far the best prices for most things and their own brand stuff is great quality. I very rarely buy anything but bread in eroskis.

 

[med777]

Absolutely Belladonna... it really isnt rocket science. Long gone are the days when the differences between the UK and Europe were huge.
If ur on a self catering or have ur own place, common sense and ur wallet will prevail. The ppl who live full time in PP will have it sussed... just like we all do when we are 'at home' ( wherever that is) And tho belts are tightening, most ppl on holiday are happy to go with what it easiest within reason. And is the local Spar shop in the UK, not that bit more expensive than the tescos/lidls/asdas ? So logic tells u, PP aint gonna be so very different.

Lets just hope that a miracle happens... and the pound/euro improves !

 

[mattsmam]

We are going September as a change from Italy. Not sure now!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mattsmam]

Pollenca booking?

Having read worring times in PP I am not too sure I have made the right choice in choosing PP over Lake Garda. Italy is so expensive now so as we have been to PP lots in the past and really love it, thought we would give it another try May have to have rethink! I must admit the last time we went maybe 2 years ago, we stayed at Bahia,we thought prices had gone up when eating out. Maybe we were choosing the wrong places.

 

[Belladonna]

Well the good thing about these threads is that you now have a huge amount of information of where to, and where not to shop/eat!
Take some time out to make a list and go fully armed with directions and names and you will still have the most fabulous time.

 

[BonysLad]

Miriam,

A pig's just gone flying past my balcony !!!!

BonysLad

 

[Belladonna]

Well grab it quick and cook some suckling pig!
Positive thinking now BL, positive thinking! Out soon ourselves and I fully intend to make the most of it, even if I put on my very rose tinted glasses to do it!