Anybody worked a summer season in Ibiza??

cazziej

Cheapest way to get to Ibiza.
Hello

My (almost) 19 year old daughter has just dropped the bombshell that she intends to go to Ibiza for the summer season to find work and accommodation. At first I said she couldn't go :mad: , but she is an adult and short of keeping her tied up, what can I do. Then I said if she was going I wouldn't help her and wanted nothing to do with it (hoping she would give up). However, she is adamant and I know if I help her, at least I will feel a bit better about what she is doing.

Soo...... She has handed her notice in at work (4 weeks) and has been scouring the workers forum for ideas. She is planning to go alone, but we have noticed a few messages from local people who are planning on going, and so hopefully she might meet up beforehand with them.

The main thing is, she needs to do this as cheaply as possible (although as safely obviously). The forums seem to suggest that the best thing to do is to book a weeks package holiday, and while she is there start looking for work and accommodation. The thing is, she will probably be going alone, and
the cost of a package holiday for one is prohibitive.

I have also been looking at seperate flights and then accommodation, but they all seem very expensive.

So, what we need is either a very cheap week/2 week holiday in San Antonio, flying either 5th or 6th May from Manchester or Liverpool if cheaper. Other than this, she needs a one way flight from Manchester/Liverpool to Ibiza and cheap (clean and safe!) accommodation.

Also, if anybody has any tips on what she should/shouldn't do, I would much appreciate hearing from you. Alternatively, if anybody has a foolproof reason for me making my girl stay at home, PLEASE TELL ME NOW!!!

Thanks in advance.

Carol

vixarooni

You might have better luck posting this in the travel forum.

If she wants to be a rep they provide accomodation while you work there and you would really need to land the job before you fly out there.

cazziej

Hi Vixarooni, thanks for replying. I have actually put it on a few other forums but you are the first to reply!!

She is thinking more of bar work than repping, and so will be looking when she gets there. Personally, I would rather she stay at home safe with her mummy and daddy - but there you go, I am not 18 and she is!!

Best wishes

Carol

fabwitch_2

We have just come back from Magaluf/Palmanova in Majorca and all the bars are advertising for workers there. A lot of English people were out there working in their gap year and seamed really happy working there. Seams to be a very good atmosphere there for English people working out there. Worth considering.

cazziej

Hi Fabwitch, for some reason she has her heart set on Ibiza - don't know why, she has never been there, doesn't know anyone there and is going on her own!!

I will mention to her about going elsewhere.

Thanks again.

Carol x

anguk

My son gave up a perfectly good job to be a rep for a holiday firm when he was 19 so I know how you are feeling. I was happier that he was working for a company as I knew he at least had accomodation and would be looked after. After the first summer he went and worked in a bar in Andorra over the winter, this wasn't with the holiday company but it was working for a guy who had a bar where he'd spent the summer. My son went over with 3 other friends and the guy had arranged all of their accomodation.

My son had mentioned just going abroad for a week and finding a job & accomodation but I must admit I was alot happier when he didn't do that and went as a rep instead. He ended up repping for 2 years, had alot of fun, met some new friends and now he's home happy & settled in a nice office job!

I know your daughter doesn't really want to do rep work but it does have it's benefits, insurance, healthcare, secure accomodation and support. Although the pay is really quite poor, it's not really a wage more of an allowance but it's plenty enough for them to [strike]party[/strike] live on, especially if they're placed in an all-inclusive hotel & can get their meals free!

Edit: one bit of advice I would give is get her some insurance, she'll get free healthcare out there but I really do think it's worth getting full insurance.

If she changes her mind about repping Thomas Cook are recruiting now:
http://www.thomascookvacancies.co.uk/List.aspx?p=b2i7jkgTa1s%3d

Glad

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]

duchy

Some kind of backpackers insurance might be useful but read the conditions really carefully to make sure she is covered as she isn't actually backpacking.
Do packages like 18-30 still do shares? They used to and that would save the single room supplement.
The earlier in the season she can go the better from the point of view of picking up a job. If she has any bar experience that will help.

ickledee

She would be better booking a one way flight and a cheap room for 2 weeks from Lowcostbeds than booking a package holiday. There are a few hostels in San Antonio which are cheap..not hostels as such..you still get your own room etc

When she gets there she should go to The Ship Inn where she will find a notice board full of adverts for jobs and flatshares. To be honest Ibiza is so popular for working in the summer that it can be difficult to get a bar job, PR is the easiest work to get out there. She will also need to make a trip to the police station in Ibiza town to get her NIE number so that she can work.

The are also recruitment days where potential employers will be present..i think this year the recruitment days are 28th April and 7th May - so she should be able to attend on the 7th May.

Although she is going herself she will meet tons of people in the same situation..infact most people tend to go alone.

The only thing with working in Ibiza is that the pay is really poor and the rent for aprtments probably more expensive. She will really need to wait until she gets there to start looking at employment or long term accomodation though.

HTP claire

sarahanddely

Hi

I did the same thing when i was 19 (I'm 22 now), my friend talked me into it, but we went to kavos in corfu. We booked a package holiday for two weeks, but started working after a week as we didn't have much spending money. We all worked for the same bar, but i was behind the bar while my friends did pr. They hated it, as you were basically there to look pretty, and soon realised it wasn't for them and quit on the first night. I didn't really enjoy it, but the bar was a bit better and I lasted longer, basically because i needed to work to pay for flights home.

When there you soon realise that it isn't the best job, and nowhere near as fun as you expect. To be honest, I'm sure she will want to come home soon after getting there, as it isn't the party people expect. Just make sure she has enough money at all times to pay for a flight home, so that if she does decide to come home she can. I wouldn't bother showing her this post, as many people had told me i probably wouldn't enjoy it, but if you want to do something you just do it, as you probably know.

In terms of advice, i would definitely arrive with a weeks accomodation booked. there are always places for workers, but they're not always nice so she should shop around price wise etc, plus if she is going alone she will have to pay more for accomodation unless she finds somebody to live with. in terms of findong a job, there are always jobs, but they are usually PR, whereas working behind the bar is safer and better paid (even though you are paid peanuts and work long hours!). I wouldn't try and find work until she got there, as it will probably be in abundance, especially at the beginning of the season. Just warn her that she will have to work hard and struggle to make ends meet. I'm sure, like me, she will see it's nowhere neaar as good as you expect it to be and soon come home!

I hope this helps.

PandaPants_2

I did a season in Faliraki a few years back. At first i was so excited, then i HATED it! Hopefully your daughter will be the same. I got sick of drinking every night and there wasn't anything else to do at night. I also put on a lot of weight through all the drinking and eating junk most of the time, because it was cheap and all i could cook on the 1 cooking ring i had in my "apartment". I also got tired of living in 1 room, which i had to share with another person.

She may be home quicker than you think...