Staying in Gibraltar-ideas?

never_enough

A friend has to be in Gibraltar for 6-8 weeks from early November. She has been searching for short term apartments to rent without much luck. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look? She needs somewhere with two bedrooms (two bathrooms would be a real bonus). Other than that any recommendations for good but cheap hotels? It must be over the border in Gibraltar, La Linea or similar is no good.
Thanks for any help.

emmo709

Do you know anyone in the Military based there, they may be able to get a special deal.

I spent 2 years there, but have been back a year now. If you cant get anywhere, PM me and i'll recommend a point of contact who specialises in this sort of thing.

Gibel_Tarik

never_enough wrote: »

Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look?

Cheap accommodation in Gibraltar is rare... if not non existent! Naturally there are a couple of hotels which offer inexpensive hotel accommodation but since your friend will be staying for 6 to 8 weeks, this may not be the most viable.

The best way to search is to get someone on the ground to keep an ear out for your friend. If you visit
Gibraltar News Online's Discussion Forums you may be able to get some help from people on the ground. There's certainly a lot of info on accommodation, hotels and general info on Gibraltar for anyone wanting to visit or move to on a more permanent basis.

Hope that helps!

never_enough

emmo709 wrote: »

Do you know anyone in the Military based there, they may be able to get a special deal.

I spent 2 years there, but have been back a year now. If you cant get anywhere, PM me and i'll recommend a point of contact who specialises in this sort of thing.

We don't know anyone there, although my friends MIL has a friend with a contact there, but not doing much good yet!
I had no idea it would be so expensive.

withabix

Gibraltar is tiny and that's the main problem.

Additionally, most of the island is a military base or 'the rock' itself.

Best bed would be 'over the border', which I believe is where many people who work on the island actually live. You sea a lot of people walking across the airport runway/causeway from Spain.

Why can't your friend live in Spain?

Barney101

We lived there for 6 months last year my wife was working in Gib however we lived in Spain. If you can this is a far better option as Gib is not the best of places!!!

After Septemeber there will be loads of places to rent, have a look on the expat forums there is often property advertised on there. If you can only stay in Gib then you will struggle as the online gambling companies take the bulk of any short let properties for new employees. For a 2 bed you will be looking in excess of £1k per month. If you need anymore info re working in Gib let me know

Gibel_Tarik

withabix wrote: »

Gibraltar is tiny and that's the main problem.

Additionally, most of the island is a military base or 'the rock' itself.

Gibraltar is very small... in fact, only around 2.5 sq miles but it is NOT an island. Withabix... since people can walk across from Spain every day... that should give the clue away! The area that crosses the airport runway, the causeway from Spain as you call it, is in fact a narrow isthmus about a mile wide, which forms a land connection between Spain and the peninsula where the Rock of Gibraltar and town are located. Anyone interested can read more about Gibraltar's geography here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar#Geography

If I may also set the record straight on Withabix's other comment about 'most of the island is a military base'... in fact this is no longer the case. The military presence in Gibraltar has been greatly reduced over the last couple of decades and British Forces Gibraltar is very small and most of the Ministry of Defence property and land has been handed back to the local Government with many buildings sold off to developers and private buyers for housing and redevelopment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar#Military

withabix wrote: »

Best bed would be 'over the border', which I believe is where many people who work on the island actually live.

As withabix and others have said, many people including Spanish day workers, employees of the Gibraltar online gambling and other sectors also Gibraltarians themselves who have chosen to buy cheaper and larger properties in the surrounding areas, come across the border into Gibraltar daily and the options for less expensive available accommodation are indeed much better should your friend be able to consider this more viable alternative.

Barney... whatever your experiences were whilst living in Gibraltar, I do have to take a little exception at your unqualified comment:

Barney101 wrote: »

We lived there for 6 months last year my wife was working in Gib however we lived in Spain. If you can this is a far better option as Gib is not the best of places!!!

Not the 'best of places'?? :rolleyes: When compared to what?? Gibraltar, as with most places around the world naturally has its drawbacks, affordable accommodation being one certainly... but in many and most other aspects Gibraltar provides a very good quality of life with plenty of work, a relatively safe and comfortable environment, good weather, a warm and friendly integrated community and by any yardstick, a very nice place to live!

Barney101 wrote: »

After Septemeber there will be loads of places to rent, have a look on the expat forums there is often property advertised on there.

Loads of places to rent after September?? Why?? If you mean because of the Summer season... then I beg to differ. The problems relating to affordable housing and rental accommodation are not seasonal. They're here to stay all year round! There is a tremendous amount of development going on and lots more housng is planned, though most of this is unlikely to provide cheap rental opportunities. It is a highl polemic issue, especially for local Gibraltarians as I'm sure readers can imagine.

Barney101 wrote: »

For a 2 bed you will be looking in excess of £1k per month.

Having said that... whilst Barney is not far off the mark, prices have not quite reached that level yet. Admittedly, the better appointed and furnished apartments at the higher and luxury end of the market do attract monthly rentals at higher than £1k but one can still find 2 bed flats and apartments for under £1k with a little patience and concerted effort with the right rental management companies. For this... as I said in my earlier post, you are well advised to maintain good contacts on the ground... and talk to people such as the very helpful lot over at the GNO Discussion Forums for guidance and help. Many members have gone through all this over the last year or so and are in an excellent position to advise... not least through the posts they have made there already.

Hope that helps... and puts the record straight on a few... err slightly misinformed points!

never_enough

emmo709 wrote: »

Do you know anyone in the Military based there, they may be able to get a special deal.

I spent 2 years there, but have been back a year now. If you cant get anywhere, PM me and i'll recommend a point of contact who specialises in this sort of thing.

I've sent you a pm.

never_enough

withabix wrote: »

Why can't your friend live in Spain?

She's pregnant & needs to be close to the hospital. She's one of my closest friends & I love her to bits, but still don't fancy helping her through labour at the border! :eek:

Barney101

Sorry Gibel didn't mean to offend!

I was comparing Gib with Sotogrande where we lived. Or the Tarifa area (although a little far to commute on a bad road!). If you go to the Spanish side of the boarder you will find many properties on short let, I know of a few in Soto which in season would cost £2K+ per week but in winter will go for £700 per month or less. Another option is the Sol Melia hotel just across the border, they do long term rates which are very good and they offer junior suites which are quite spacious. Friends of ours stayed there for a couple of months when they relocated with an online gaming company, its very close to La Linea and walking distance to the border.

Gibel_Tarik

Hi Barney

Don't worry... and no offence taken, though you must admit your comment was a little errr... provocative to a Gibraltarian.... and not a blinkered one either!

Since never enough is asking specifically about Gibraltar, then one assumed your comment was in regards to rental costs in Gibraltar and as I said, the costs you quoted are not the really valid as a general rule... though it's heading that way. Now if the question was to be expanded to the surrounding area... naturally then a whole different ball game applies, especially where it concerns Sotogrande which is generally regarded as a quite upmarket urbanisation.

Anyhow... thanks for your clarification Barney. I'm sure like me... others will be all the more enlightened by it!