Is Cash or Pre Paid debit card the best when coming to Benidorm?

Google search results for pre paid cards

As you do the final holiday check list many will still be in a quandary about currency - what is the best option? Take cash... where to exchange - in the UK before travelling or at the destination. Use your credit card... what will be the charges and will I get a good exchange rate from the bank. The third option often touted as the safest is using a pre-paid debit card.

Most of the banks offer pre-paid debit cards and if you do a search on the internet you will be inundated with different companies that offer them. But are they all they are cracked up to be?

You need to have an awful lot of patience to read through the pages of terms & conditions that apply - most of us are guilty of just ticking the box and assuming it is all correct and only find out that this is not the case when there is a problem! I for one never read through the T&C´s when booking airline seats on the internet yet tick the appropriate box stating that I have, otherwise you cannot continue with the booking.

Some of the pre-paid debit cards can have up to 21 separate charges which you only discover once money starts disappearing off your card and you contact the company asking why. One such shocker is an "Inactivity Fee" which can be up to 5 GBP per month which kicks in after 3 months. If you use the card only once per year for your anual holiday then you may find that from one year to the next you have 45 GBP less than you thought! Other things you need to look out for are charges levied to use the card, to load the card and even to cash the card in. Often there is a minimum load fee and a minimum amount required to be on the card. Also check whether there is a fee for withdrawing from an ATM whilst abroad - which is where you will be using the card in all likelihood.

Is cash king?

One very important point to remember is NEVER use the card as a deposit for your car hire or hotel room security. You will find the relevant amount is then blocked on your card and so will prevent you from using the funds until they are unblocked, which can take up to 30 days in some cases! That means that you will be back from your 2 week holiday in Benidorm before the funds are available again... pointless having the card in that case really.

However, be warned that many places in Benidorm do not take any debit or credit cards, especially the smaller establishment which is understandable. As an example, if you are serving a menu del dia for 8 euros then there is not much of a profit margin to start with. If on top of that the establishment has to pay a percentage to the card company then there is no profit left.

A pre-paid debit card is touted as the safest option - however one very important thing to remember is this. If you have it in your wallet and that is stolen or pick pocketed then you are "cashless" in the same way as if cash was taken. You will potentially still have no money for the rest of your holiday..... in my opinion take cash but only take out the amount you require each day - keep the rest in the hotel safe. Best denominations are the ones in the photo.... many will not take a 100 euro note and as for 200 or 500 euros, you will need to go to the bank.

So are pre paid debit cards a good deal ? Well for the issuers they are - as for the consumer ...

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Benidorm police could learn tactics from London

Decoy used in London

Pea men are not only a problem in Benidorm as I read in a national UK paper yesterday. London is also suffering from these organised East European criminal networks operating in the capital. The gangs are very difficult to arrest as they scatter within seconds, passing any incriminating evidence to other members of the gang. They also have look outs which stand on the street corners watching out for any sign of the police.

However, the Metropolitan police in London seem to have cracked it .... perhaps they can pass on a few tips to the Policia Local here in Benidorm!

Westminster Bridge in London is plagued by these organised crime gangs fleecing tourists in much the same way as here in Benidorm - in fact, any area with a high concentration of holiday makers is rich pickings for them. The police borrowed a red double decker bus with 30 officers on board and pulled up alongside the gangs and took them completely by suprise - arresting more than 25 Romanians. The well placed look outs normally whistle when they spot any police officers approaching but were obviously not expecting them to be on board a London double decker bus.

I wonder whether our local police would consider such a move ... they could all hop on a number 10 bus that regularly goes up and down the Avd Mediterraneo and catch the gangs unaware. Perhaps I´ll drop a line to the police chief in an effort to get rid of these dregs of society and make Benidorm a safer environment for the thousands of tourists that chose the resort for their well earned holiday.

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New attraction on Levante Beach in Benidorm

Free floating pontoon on Levante Beach

Following last weekends San Juan celebration on the Levante beach, Benidorm Town Hall announced that they removed over 4100 kilos (4 tonnes) of rubbish - now that´s an awful lot of beer cans! Pepe Marcet, the Councillor responsible for Beaches and Environment said that cleaners got to work shortly after the last of the revelers left, and that by the morning the beaches were clean and ready for use. He thanked all the staff responsible, the local police and especially the the co-operation of the citizens who "respected the rules", including the new ruling on the prohibition of lighting fires.

Premium pontoon

The beach fills up very quickly and you need to be down by 9am to secure your spot if you want to be near to the shoreline. Looking out from the promenade there is a sea of multi coloured towels and umbrellas with hardly a square metre of sand to be seen. If you prefer it quieter then I suggest that you head down to either the Poniente beach or La Cala - both are sandy and probably frequented more by the Spanish than foreigners. Levante is very vibrant and you can hear the music blazing out from the bars along the front, Tiki beach, Daytona and Heartbreak probably being the loudest.

If you look out to sea you will notice some new landmarks... there are some floating pontoons bobbing up and down. There is one free one which is basically just a floating platform enabling you to dive off or just have a rest - this one is blue and white.

Life vests available free of charge with premium pontoon

The other more exciting one is bright green and yellow and has an assortments of activities on it - however, this one you have to pay to use. It costs 8 euros per hour and included in the price is a life vest for those that are not such strong swimmers but would still like to join in the fun... which is especially great for children and will keep parents reassured.
There are slides, climbing frames and even an inflatable rock climbing "mountain" which will certainly keep everyone amused.  This one is located more or less in the middle of Levante beach, almost opposite the Cimbel hotel which is slap bang on the sea front (which is on the crossroads of the Avd Mediterraneo and Avd Europa)

Brand new pedalos waiting for customers

For the more energetic among you there is the opportunity to hire a pedalo... however I was somewhat taken aback at the price - you´ll certainly lose pounds, both monetary and calorie if using one. There are 2 options - with and without slides and both can take up to 4 passengers.
The one without a slide costs 19 euros per hour and one with will set you back 23 euro per hour. If 4 are sharing its not too bad but for only 2 I feel its rather expensive, considering that its only for an hour and you could get an entire day at Aqualandia for only 29 euros.

Despite the price its nice to have the option if you are planning on spending the entire day at the beach and will stop the little ones from moaning that they are bored - plus think of the health benefits, pedaling for an entire hour equals an extra glass or two of vino in the evening!

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Tesco and Terra Natura join forces in Benidorm

Tesco Club card have linked up with Terra Natura Wildlife park and Aqua Natura, both in Benidorm to offer its customers the opportunity of visiting one of the favorite family attractions on the Costa Blanca via their Club Card reward scheme.

Instigated by the Benidorm Tourist Board, representatives first met earlier in the year to to discuss the possibilities of such a partnership. Tesco is considered the most popular supermarket chain in the UK with over 2,900 outlets and has in the region of 30% of the market share.

Terra Natura and Aqua Natura are hopefully the first and lets hope that Terra Mitica and Aqualandia follow suit, giving the British tourist / Tesco customer the chance of saving on entrance tickets. You do your shopping anyway so why not have the added bonus of exchanging some points accumulated via that weekly shop into something worthwhile!

Entrance area at Terra Natura

For every 5.50GBP in Clubcard vouchers you can exchange it for 1 Terra Natura token - tokens are valid for 6 months after issue, so remember when you plan to use the token to ensure it is till valid. You present the Clubcard token at the Terra Natura ticket office, where they will exchange it for a 1 day entrance ticket.  A reward token is valid for either 1 adult or 1 child (aged 4-12 years old) - under 4´s are free.
As the saying goes "Every little helps"!

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Alfaz, La Nucia and Altea join forces

With no sign of the ongoing financial problems easing, 3 local towns in the area have decided to join forces in an effort to reduce costs. Yesterday the Mayors of La Nucia - Bernabe Cano, Altea - Miguel Ortiz and Alfaz - Vincent Arques held a meeting at the Palau in Altea and announced that in order to cut costs in the height of the crisis they intend to share the management of municipal services. The areas predominantly being looked at include Infrastructure, Finance, Culture and Sports.

Alfaz Town Hall

The combined population of the 3 towns in question is in the region of 100,000, with many of those being foreign residents. For example, 56% of La Nucia´s "official" population is from other countries of the EU, the top being the UK. When I say official that is those that have registered on the Padron - many do not register so the figures are probably far higher.

When you move to Spain it is obligatory to register on the Padron in your town where you reside - you do not have to own you house to register. The Padron is a means for the Town Hall to know how many people live in the area and central Government allocates money according to how many people are registered on the Padron. Therefore if you are not registered, your Town Hall is losing money for the provision of health centres, police officers, fire fighters and schools. Many people seem reluctant to register fearing that it will affect their tax position etc - this is NOT the case. It is a very easy process to register - you need to fill out a form and take it to the padron office at the Town Hall along with your NIE or passport and proof of where you live such as a recent utility bill, rental contract or escatura (deeds) to your property.

Altea Town Hall

The 3 towns in question are all within 5km of each other so it does seem logical for them to share amenities - till now they have almost been in competition, trying to out shine each other. La Nucia has a first class Sport Centre with huge indoor swimming complex which the other towns do not offer. Currently those that live in the town have a discounted rate to use the facilities and the plan would be to also include residents of Alfaz and Altea in this scheme.

La Nucia Town hall

A working party has been created to discuss other areas which could potentially be pooled together, such as refuse collection services. The combined population of the 3 towns would give it stronger negotiating powers than even Benidorm, which has a population of 70,000. The plan would be to instigate these into the 2013 budget proposals with the plus side that IBI bills could potentially come down - IBI is the Spanish equivalent of the UK´s Council tax. If for example they decide on using one refuse collection company for all 3 towns then they would have greater scope for bargaining, which is all good news for the residents.

Bernabe Cano stressed that the fundamental objective was that they can offer more services which are better and cheaper without duplicating them which is important at this time as there is little public investment. Vincent Arques also highlighted that 2 different political parties are working together for the good of its citizens, putting political differences aside -La Nucia and Altea are both PP (Conservative) and Alfaz is PSOE (Labour) and Miguel Ortiz added that they should "think of a future together to be more effective". Wow, seems like even the politicians are starting to think logically!

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San Juan double celebrations

To add to the excitement and atmosphere on the Eve of San Juan, those that went down to Albir beach joined the locals watching Spain playing in the Euro quarter finals on a huge screen. You could cut the tension with a knife every time the ball drifted towards the Spanish goal, but when Spain scored I should think you could here the cheer in Benidorm.

For those that may still be unaware, Spain is now through to the semi finals - playing against Portugal on Wednesday.

Waiting for the stroke of Midnight

People arrived with tables, chairs and picnics from the middle of the afternoon to reserve their places near the big screen. There was a terrific atmosphere throughout the entire evening and ex-pats mixed and celebrated with the local Spanish residents.

As tradition dictates, a few minutes before midnight the crowds walked down to the shoreline - and I must say, a fair few went in - and no I wasn´t one of those! Despite being banned by the Costal Act, a bonfire was erected and burnt on the sand - but the fire crews were on standby nearby as the fire was lit, with hose in hand.

... and obviously no celebration in Spain is complete without the obligatory firework display! They way to tell when the recession is really biting here is to watch out for when they have none - then you should seriously worry.

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Crackdown on closing times in the Old Town of Benidorm

The Government has implemented a campaign of enforcing sanctions on bars and pubs in the Old Town of Benidorm. Regional Police are demanding that establishments are adhering strictly to official closing times and imposing fines on some premises. According to Town Hall sources, last weekend alone over 2000 euros was collected in one night  - and penalties can accumulate up to 30,000 euros for "repeat offenders".

Officially, bars are required to close at 1.30am and pubs at 3.30am.... but Benidorm is Benidorm. There has  always been a very flexible approach by the authorities and police, but it seems not anymore - their hand is being forced by the Government.

Local business owners are dismayed at this approach arguing that historically there have never been any problems in the Old Town, unlike other areas of Benidorm where bars are open until well past the stipulated hours and constantly have altercations. For those that have been to Benidorm you will know that this reference is to the English Square, which has a somewhat unsavory reputation in the early hours - my advice is keep away.

The industry has turned to the Town Hall for help on the matter. A number of entrepreneurs from the Old Town met with the Mayor Agustin Navarro to convey their concern at the high level of sanctions being imposed - many have said that this will be the final nail in the coffin. The only industry in Benidorm is tourism and if they continue in this vein then many businesses will close adding even further to the unemployment figures - the Old Town will become a ghost town!

 Members of ALGBT (Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual) have reported that the police appear to be targeting establishments displaying the rainbow emblem but ignoring others and allowing them to stay open past the stipulated hours. All bars playing music have noise limiters that cut in if the noise goes over a certain level, for which they need to pay to obtain a license. Bar owners don´t know what to expect now and are fearful of how it will affect business, especially as the season has just begun.

I have spoken to a bar owner in the Old Town and he explained that the Autonomous police descended last weekend, unannounced and demanded to see papers and licenses of various establishments. However, one bar which had in the region of 80 people milling outside drinking in the early hours were not asked for papers - is this a case of the autonomous police being homophobic? By all accounts the Valencian Government can overturn this legislation at local level - a meeting between local business owners and the Mayor is scheduled for Tuesday to see how to tackle this issue.

The Mayor is willing to take action but said he has to finely balance the need of local residents as well as that of local businesses. He was quoted yesterday "It is necessary to search through local and regional administration, employers and residents a solution that would combine economic activity in crisis and the well being of residents". Together with the Councillors for Tourism Juan Angel Ferrer and Security, Conrad Hernandez they have requested a meeting with the delegate in Alicante Juan de Dios Navarro to address this problem.

My view on the matter is "if it ain´t broken don´t fix it" ....

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San Juan party night in Albir and Benidorm - but no bonfires

Crowds last year enjoying the night

Tomorrow night is party night across the region - not because Spain are playing football but it is the traditional night of the Eve of San Juan - 23rd, with the day falling on the 24th June. It is a very ancient festival, originally with deep religious meaning but has become diluted and is basically a night of partying and fun with friends and family.

This year it falls on a Saturday and so likely to be especially busy - particularly as the children have all just finished school for the Summer... yes already and as you can imagine the poor parents have to keep them entertained for 11 long weeks!

Revellers waiting for the stroke of midnight at shoreline

Some of the traditions and superstitions are still upheld - the main has always been to jump into the sea at the stroke of midnight and throw 3 coins into the water - and yes the water is cold! Last year hundreds lined the shore in Albir but not all were brave enough to go in completely... a paddle proved adequate in many cases!

Then just after midnight you light a bonfire - referred to as "Hogueras" and depending on which tale you listen to you jump over the bonfire three times to be cleansed and purified and have your problems burned away.... looking at the bonfire on Albir beach last year, if you tried jumping over that you´d burn more than your problems as it must have been about 10 metres high!

People start descending on the beach mid afternoon and bring with them tables, chairs, picnics, drinks - plenty ... in fact just about everything bar the kitchen sink. Its an amazing atmosphere with music being blared out and singing and dancing taking place. You will definitely find it a problem trying to park your car if you leave it too late.

Last years bonfire on Albir beach

However there will be one significant difference this year - the beach authorities have put a ban on any fires to be lit along the beaches. The Coastal Act forbids the lighting of fires although over the last few years this has been relaxed by most Town Halls for this one night. But due to the lack of inspectors to monitor the fires the Town Halls have decided to comply with the regulations.
Although slightly disappointing it will not detract from the partying atmosphere Im sure.

Tables, chairs - all mod cons in fact

But to compensate for the lack of bonfire, Albir Town Hall are erecting a massive screen on the beach so that everyone can watch Spain playing in the Euro quarter finals against France - kick off at 8.45pm. It is bound to be an electric night - I remember when Spain won the World Cup and the atmosphere along Albir beach was amazing.  So prepare you picnics, chill the wine and beer and see you all down there tomorrow night!

Beach parties will take place everywhere along the coast so whether you are in Benidorm, Calpe or Altea just head for the shoreline and join in with the locals.

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Policia Local patrol car in Benidorm

With the arrival of the Summer season, Avibe - the Association of Travel Agencies and APTUR - Association of Tourist Apartments have called for increased police presence in the town.... particularly in the English quarter.

As with all holiday destinations Europe wide, the mass arrival of toursits attracts pickpockets and organized crime gangs. Cities such as London, Madrid and Venice have the problem year round but with the current economic climate the problems appear even more prevalent.

Many businesses and residents have been complaining for some time about the situation in Benidorm and the local English press have echoed this concern in recent months. Since the long awaited eviction of predominantly East European squatters back in March from an illegally occupied building on Calle Lepanto, the situation has not improved as they just moved to another area.

Pea Men scam in action on Avd Mediterraneo

One of the well known organized scams which occur in Benidorm are the "pea men".... you will find these groups along the Avd Mediterraneo. The method is as follows: a small group of "tourists" gather around a man with a cardboard box - usually the outer packaging from a cigarette carton with 3 potato halves on a board. A pea will be placed under one then shuffled around. A "tourist" - who is actually part of the gang will bet say 20 euros that he can guess where the pea is... and suprise suprise, he is correct and doubles his money. He will then encourage others to do the same commenting how easy it is - never ever join in - you WILL lose your money. The crowd gathered around the pea man is probably made up of at least 4 gang members, but it is instinct to stop and watch when you see a small crowd gathered... DO NOT! Whilst you are concentrating on what is happening you will most probably have your pockets lightened of your wallet too. They also have look out gangs standing on the street corners, usually young men who whistle if they see a police car approaching and the gang breaks up quickly. I have personally seen the gangs arrive and split up into groups.. and trust me, they don´t pull up in clapped out old bangers but top of the range Mercedes and four wheel drives! This isn´t solely a problem in Benidorm - only this morning on the BBC 1 programme "Crimewatch Roadshow" they featured peamen and con artists working in London!

Another scam is for 2 relatively attractive girls to be sitting in the hotel reception studying a map .... when a fresh influx of holiday makers arrive - usually a group of men they will approach and start asking you a question.... and being men you will be only too pleased and flattered that they are asking. Whilst you are distracted the second girl will be helping herself to your belongings. You may think that you are invincible and will know but trust me, these girls are professional and you won`t feel a thing!

Additional support from National Police

The town has been identified as a hot spot for organized crime gangs over the coming months - the gangs even arrive by van from as far afield as Alicante! The PP party at the Town Hall have denounced that at times there were only 5 police that patrol the entire town with a maximum of 2 cars are on patrol at the same time - this was especially evident during the recent conflict between the Town Hall over cuts to police pay! The Mayor has requested a report of the shift patterns but is still waiting for a response. Considering the influx of visitors it seems somewhat inadequate to say the least. The councillor responsible for Public Safety reassured everyone that the local constabulary will be reinforced with officers from the National Police over the Summer. I must say I waited for an hour along the Avd Mediterraneo and never saw even a single police car drive past me... makes you wonder doesn´t it - and it wasn´t even bocadillo time!

Organized crime gangs are nothing new - they exist all over the world, especially in Eastern Europe. The Russian mafia are probably one of the most notorious of all. I have personal experience of conducting business over there. You have to pay protection money to either the police or the mafia - or sometimes both! At the moment the Romanians seem to be the culprits of the majority of crime occurring in Benidorm - with freedom of movement within the EU it is very difficult curb. Lets hope that with the Town Hall courting the Russian market that the "wrong sort" don´t come here and start a turf war!

To anyone due here on holiday ... don´t be alarmed but keep your wits about you like you would back home. Many holiday makers seem to leave their brains behind on the plane when they arrive - if you wouldn´t do it back home then don´t do it here! Don´t walk around with lots of expensive gold jewelry on display - with the emergence of so many Gold shops changing your gold for cash it only attracts temptation. Do not carry around a lot of cash or credit cards ... leave them in the hotel safe. Only take enough for the day/night - if you see something you would like to buy then go back the following day. Do not carry your passport around with you ... if you have it pinched it will cost you a lot of effort, time (the Consulate is in Alicante so at least half a day) and money (122 euros) for a replacement document to get back home.

Benidorm is a great place to live and holiday.... thousands think so as they keep coming back year after year.

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New prescription charges come into effect on 1st July

Back in April I reported about the introduction of charges for prescriptions to all - including pensioners. This is now in motion and will be introduced from 1st July.
Everyone in possession of a SIP card, which entitles you to health care much like the NHS in the UK will have a number between 1 and 6 ranked against them. This number will determine how much you will pay towrads your prescription charges.

Number 1 will be allocated to the long term unemployed, those on low income subsidies etc and they will continue to pay nothing. Number 6 is for those earning over 18,000 euros per year and they will pay a heafty contribution towards the cost of any medication. Number 3 is the number for those on an income of under 18,000 euros per annum and you will pay 10% of the cost.

Currently if you are employed or autonomo - paying self employed contributions you pay 40% of the prescription charge... this will remain unchanged.

Those that are likely to be affected are the retired ex-pats on a pension who DO NOT make a Spanish tax declaration as this is how they will assess your income. If you have no Spanish tax declaration then you will probably be put on number 6!

You will still pay 10% of the prescription charge although this is capped at 8€ per person per month. However, you will have to wait for a refund of the difference which could be some months according to sources, so be prepared if you are on a repeat prescription for extra expense.

You have until the end of this month, 30th June to make your declaration which isn't very long... 10 days in fact! If you live in and around the area "Vives Pons" located at the back of Arabi Plaza in Alfaz del Pi can do your tax declaration and speak English.

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New speed limit to be introduced on Spanish roads

Keep an eye on road signs - ignorance is no excuse

Yesterday Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez announced plans to reduce the speed limit on "secondary" roads from 100kph to 90kph with the reasoning that this is where the highest percentage of accidents occur.

Speaking to reporters he explained that they are "fairly confidant that by lowering the limit it will improve road safety. There is a social consensus that the difference of 20kph between motorways and secondary roads is  not enough, that there needs to be more of a differential". Fransisco Cannes, President of Association of Traffic Accident Victims said "it is a positive step" but urged that the government will need to "control the limits by the use of radars".

N332 between Benidorm and AP7 toll

The department are also studying reports on the possibility of raising the motorway limit UP to 130kph - but no decision has yet been made. Back in March 2011 the maximum speed limit was reduced on motorways to 110kph - the reason given was to save fuel... but this was reverted back to 120kph four months later on 1st July. Pere Navaro, Director General of Traffic stressed that this time new signs will NOT be installed but the 100kph ones will be removed and signs will be placed at the beginning of the roads instead.

I not too sure exactly when this new speed limit is to be introduced , but just be aware that the Guardia don't need any excuses to pull you over - so keep your foot off the gas! For those of you that use the N332 to go to the airport the stretch after Carrefour up to the toll booths is a 100 kph zone, so be careful.

They are currently out in force around Alfaz and Albir with road checks so make sure you have all your papers in order, seat belt ON - 100€ fine, no talking on your mobile - 200€ fine, no flip flops, crocs or backless shoes - 150€ fine, no shopping on back seat, spare glasses IF you wear them for driving, Hi visibility vest & warning triangles in case of breakdown. For those on holiday here be aware that towing a car is ILLEGAL here - you must call a grua / breakdown truck if you breakdown. Also, towing a car on an A-Frame is also illegal here... although not so in France - I wish they would make the laws consistent across Europe, but then the police would be poorer for it I suppose as we would all know the laws.

For those with children be aware that for those under 12 years of age or under 135cm must be seated in a child seat with specially adapted child restraint and are NOT allowed to sit in the front passenger seat - massive 500€ fine!

From 1st July 2012, for those driving between Spain and the UK be aware that a new French law stipulates that you MUST carry a Breathalyzer kit in your car... I am sure that the police will be on the lookout for foreign cars to target!

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Benidorm's Terra Mitica Summer season in full swing

As  of today, Terra Mitica Theme Park in Benidorm is open every day of the week - up until now it has only been open on certain days causing confusion to many holiday makers who turn up to find the gates closed.
The opening hours are 10am until 8pm then from 16th July it will remain open until 10pm.

The park is now under the management of Grupo Aqualandia Espana - the company that manages Aqualandia water park and Mundomar sealife park. The park was officially opened just over 10 years ago by Prince Felipe, but 5 years after opening the park had accumulated a financial debt of 114 million euros. The company has an option to buy at a vastly reduced rate of 65 million euros due to the debts accumulated thus allowing the Valencian Government to write off the debt from its books.

Back in 1992 a public corporation was created, called Sociedad Parque Tematico de Alicante SA to manage 10 million sq metres of land which is the site of the current theme park. The aim of this corporation was to manage the concessions made to private companies to run the different installations which they were planning to build in the area - Terra Mitica, 2 golf courses and hotel complexes. The project was financed with enormous amounts of public money from the Valencian Government, some private investment and massive loans from 2 regional banks. The initial budget was 270 million euros but ended up at 377 million.

Terra Mitica opened its doors back in the year 2000 with very high expectations but visitor numbers never reached the projected forecast and so the troubles began. Last year there was a long running dispute after virtually half of the staff were laid off at the end of the season.... the dispute only ended after months of protest and was resolved with an agreement over redundancy packages with the employer unions and park management. The park opened in April of this year with only 175 staff to oversee the daily running of the park.

2012 entrance prices

With staggered openings I should think it is extremely difficult for the staff to manage money wise - the park only opens "full time" ie all week, for 12 weeks of the year - predominantly July and August. During April and May they basically open for long weekends then in September and October just on Saturday and Sunday. It must be virtually impossible for them to get other part time work to fit around this pattern bearing in mind that there is 25% unemployment in Spain - youth unemployment is a staggering 50% !

Benidorm is a year round tourist resort and I find it strange that the park does not open all year round. If they want to attract visitors they need to adapt ... you certainly don't see Euro Disney in Paris closing its doors and the weather in France is on a par with the UK - wet!

Within the park they have a new hydrotherapy area which opened this year, with a jacuzzi type pool and water cannons which is free to all visitors - just remember your swimming gear and towels! The park was used as a location for the ITV comedy series "Benidorm" in an effort by the producers to promote attractions in Benidorm.

The one day adult entrance price is 35€ but they are offering the 2nd day free ... why not just drop the price and the they will probably get twice the number of people going! One day is really enough to go around the park and go on all the rides. If you do not have a car then you have 2 options to get there - Public bus or taxi. The two buses which serve the park are No 1 which covers the Rincon de Loix area or the No 3 which cover Villa Joyosa and La Cala Finestrat/Poniente.
A taxi will cost ap 14€ from the Levante area and 10€ from the centre of town or Poniente end.

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Path on the N332 at Alfaz del Pi

Do any of you remember the song by Talking Heads "We're on the road to nowhere" from the 80's? Well it springs to mind many a time when I am driving around the Benidorm area!

Considering that Town Halls everywhere are up to their eyes in debt, they tend to spend money on the most ridiculous projects. The favourite has to be paths that lead from nowhere to nowhere - and not just any old path with a bit of slap dash concrete but proper placed paving slabs with with a granite curbstone and a reinforced concrete base!

No one is ever going to use them but you will see a team of 6 workmen grinding the slabs to size, as is evident on the new roundabout being built (slowly) on the N332 at Alafz del Pi. They have spent months laying a path and building a beautiful wall in the middle of a field - and even laying a path going around the roundabout! No-one ever walks along that stretch of road - there are no shops and no bus route so why spend probably thousands of euros on a path ? However, the places you do actually need a path for walking on seems to be forgotten or overlooked.

Benidorm Town Hall is so in debt that many companies have stopped supplying the maintenance department with materials due to unpaid invoices. They are having to make do with temporary repair works in many cases - which considering that Benidorm relies on tourism as its main source of income, it leave the Town looking rather unkempt. Yesterday, Councillor for Finance Natalia Guijarro announced plans to reduce the 2012 spending budget by 9 million euros and raise taxes and fees to demonstrate that they are attempting to repay some of the 52.8 million debt  that the Town Hall are in.

Among the cost cutting measures no new staff will be recruited until 2015, salary reductions will be implemented, 25% reduction in external contracts,reducing grants available to pensioners and best of all - increasing the working week to 37.5 hours. That one stumped me - what were they doing before ?

2 bars next door to each other - normal practice in Spain

Ibi (the equivalent of the UK council tax) will be raised considerably - although a lot cheaper in comparison to the UK, the minimum monthly salary here is 640 euros - which works out to aprox £530 and an average salary is in the region of 1200 euros per month, which is about £1000. I don't know how they manage on these salaries especially if you look in any cafe at 10 o'clock which is bocadillo time! They will be full of workmen from construction sites and workers from nearby offices having their morning coffee or beer and tostado - which must set them back between 3 - 5 euros daily. No offices here in Spain have any kitchen facilities so if you want a coffee you have to go to the local bar or cafe on the corner - this is why I think there are so many next to each other.

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El Altet Alicante airport passenger numbers plummet

Arrivals area at El Altet

 El Altet airport, which serves Benidorm is in free fall after airport operator Aena reported a loss of 440,000 terminal passengers in the period January to May - compared to last year.
Figures confirm that the economic crisis and deprogramming of Irish carrier Ryanair has resulted in a 12.5% drop - 10% more than Palma de Mallorca, 12% more than Tenerife and 8% more than Malaga.

Following Ryanair's dispute with Aena over the use of air bridges to disembark passengers at El Altet, the airline cut several routes as threatened. Barcelona, where the airline diverted much of its investment to the nearby airport of Girona by contrast is up 3%.

Over the first 5 months of this year, El Altet has had 3,079,406 passengers passing through its doors in comparison to 1.7 million at Manises (Valencia) which is a drop of 7% and 358,572 at San Javier (Murcia) but neither of these appear to be the alternative arrival airport as was suggested after Ryanair reduced its routes into El Altet. It has also had to contend with the Spanish carrier Spanair going out of business which served many internal Spanish airports.

The problem may be exacerbated more from this month as a 10% increase in airport charges comes into force for those flying into and out of Alicante airport - which constitutes a monetary increase of 1 euro per ticket. Increased connections to Russia and Scandanavia has not had the anticipated increase in passenger numbers yet - but with the Summer season starting officials are hopeful.

Less passengers flying into Alicante on Ryanair 

Tourist bosses are braced for the second half of the year when July, August and September are normally the busiest months with the highest influx of visitors - 80% of foreign tourists come to Spain by air. So far El Altet has dropped two places in its classification and has been overtaken by Aena Gran Canaria and Tenerife South.

Yesterday, the European Commissioner for Transport in Brussels claimed that airlines must improve the treatment of disabled passengers - regulations state that these travelers are allowed are allowed to carry two free pieces of mobility equipment which includes a wheelchair and guide dog. Lat year El Altet recorded 98,000 passengers with reduced mobility using its airport.

Discount on hotel bill if Spain DO NOT win Euro Cup

Magic Villa behind Tourist Info Office

The hotel chain "Magic Costa Blanca" are so confident that Spain will win the Euro 2012 Championship that the company Vice President, Javier Garcia made an astonishing announcement yesterday.

He said that if Spain DO NOT win the European Championship then a staggering 200 euros will be deducted off clients bills! To be eligible for the discount you have to have made your reservation before 1st July for a minimum stay of 1 week at any of the four hotels within the group - two of  which are in Benidorm:  Hotel Magic Fenicia which overlooks Dove Park on the Poniente side and also Hotel Magic Villa located on the Calle Gerona, almost next to Morgans Tavern on the Levante side.

This is a new marketing campaign which the group hopes will fill up any vacant rooms available - it is certainly a new type of promotion and one I have never before. The Vice President said this is just one of many initiatives which the group have instigated since the beginning of the financial crisis to increase bookings - they have also subsidized those that are unemployed and single parents staying at the groups hotels.

In his speech, the Vice President said "Magic Costa Blanca always supports the nations sportsmen and we are convinced that our team will win the European Championships in Poland on 1st July. But if not, we want our customers happy and to celebrate by offering our customers a cheaper holiday"

Well Spain plays tonight, against the Republic of Ireland - 8.45pm kick off. Their first game against Italy on Sunday resulted in a 1-1 draw then the next match after today is on Monday 18th against the last of the Group C teams, Croatia. At the moment Croatia lead group C - Spain need a win tonight to go up to second place which is currently held by Italy, but they are likely to be trashed by Croatia tonight.

All Spanish bars will certainly be full of anxious fans - you can always tell when Spain score a goal as they let off bangers and fireworks ... good luck to Casilla and the team (are you all impressed with my football knowledge - I had to ask my son as I know nada!)

Englands next game is tomorrow against Sweden then the last match in Group D is against Ukraine on Tuesday 19th.
4 days of Quarter Finals start on Thursday 21st, Semi's on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th then the Final on Sunday 1st July.

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Summer has arrived in Benidorm

Well Summer has well and truly arrived - and how do I know that? No not because of the sweltering heat but because the hypermarket chain Carrefour, (equivalent to Tesco in the UK) have increased their opening hours and are publicizing that they will soon be opening on Sunday!

From Friday 22nd June, the store will extend opening times until midnight and throughout July, August and September they will also be open every Sunday - this is a real novelty here in Spain.

As strange as that seems to British visitors, Spain is rather "behind the times" on store openings.... and on customer service come to think of it!
 In many towns you will find the shutters coming down on shops and businesses at 1.30pm for the extended lunch break - which incorporates the traditional siesta and not re-opening until 5pm in some cases! How they can manage to operate a business like this is beyond me...

After many years living here I still sometimes forget that both the post office and banks close at 2.00pm for the day - what on earth do the staff do for the rest of the day, because by 3pm the place is abandoned and locked up!

On the subject of customer service, Spain really needs to take a few lessons from the UK. If you purchase an item you have a mere 15 days to take it back. If after this period the goods become faulty, although guaranteed for a year, you have to take it up with the manufacturer - the store does not want to know, unlike in Britain where the store will exchange or refund. It is a very time consuming process, firstly trying to find out where the service centre is for the manufacturer - then trying to speak to someone in English if you're lucky. It is then generally your responsibility to get the faulty item there - and it is not necessarily that local.

I once had to take an item all the way to Alicante - then go back again to collect it. Depending on the cost of the item many just don't bother with the aggravation. A friend of mine had a microwave that stopped working after 6 months - she went to the store who actually contacted the manufacterer on her behalf and arranged to come and collect it - however, she wasn't told at the time that this would cost her 10€. As it was local and a relatively small item she would have taken it there herself .

On a serious note, the most important indicator that Summer has arrived is the increased Guardia Civil police inspections for drivers. This week they are running a campaign in the Alfaz del Pi area stopping ALL cars and checking papers and that you have all of the following items; Hi Visability vest, Warning triangle, Footwear ... DO NOT drive in your flip flops or any backless shoes - a hefty fine will be issued, Spare pair of glasses if you are a wearer.  No doubt once they have finished in Alfaz they will go onto he next town ... funny how they can suddenly speak very good English when they are issuing fines isn't it. And remember, if you are a tourist then you will be required to pay it on the spot.

Finally another indicator that Summer is here ... the sand castles are are back along Levante beach - a new one is a castle which is incredible. The work that goes into the creation is amazing - the "sculptor" sits next to his work under the shade of an umbrella and graciously accepts any donations. Someone actually guards the sculpture 24/7 .... if you happen to pass by at 3am you will see someone there!



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Weekend Cricket from sunny Albir

SACC Captain Laundon

The Sporting Alfaz cricket boys had a very busy Saturday - playing 2 games against visiting side Madrid 20x20 in fairly searing heat... sorry about that for those of you in wet and windy Britain!

For the first game which had an 11.00am start, SACC asked Madrid to set a score, Laundon and Pennick opened and Pennick struck with his second ball Fernandez caught by Fell, 1 for 8 off 2. Madrid then took 56 runs from the next 7 overs before Baker fell caught by Pennick off Fletcher, next over wicket keeper Brown held on to a sharp chance and Healley followed his skipper back, Fletcher again the bowler. Compton claimed 3 from his 4 over's as Couldren and Lanhans misread his wrong one and were bowled the after Khan was missed by Fletcher he reached a 6 ball 22 but fell to Compton caught by Taylor in the gully. A spell of tight bowling then restricted the Madrid team to 139 from 20.

Spencer and Pennick found the Madrid bowlers had a plan and 50 did not come up until the 9th over. A change of pace by Khan removed Pennick for 16 hard earned runs. Compton (16) also found the bowling tight and unusually did not hit a boundary before knocking one back to Couldren. Fletcher (15) joined opener Spencer and the pair took the score past 139 to win the game with 1 ball to spare. Spencer batted through unbeaten on 73 to a great innings.
Yet again SACC took all the overs to compete a win, SACC 17 points to Madrid 4.
Final score SACC Alfaz 1st XI 140 for 2 beat Madrid 20x20 139 for 6.

The second game of the day started at 14.30pm and the final score was SACC 1st XI 185 for 6 beat Madrid 20x20 119 for 8... so a good day for the local boys!

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Extortionate luggage & booking fees when flying to Benidorm

Who can afford to fly with these nowadays?

Back in April I wrote about the cost of flying with luggage on so called "budget airlines". In yesterdays Mail on Sunday they ran the same article (Im not trying to say they copied me!) but it highlighted the extortionate fees being charged by a certain Irish airline ... no need to guess which, yes my favourite - Ryanair!

Ryanair's standard checked in allowance is already the lowest at 15kg, yet the most expensive by far and they are the only airline which increases its luggage fees over the peak Summer months - the busiest time to cash in.  Between now and September Ryanair charge £50 for 15kg of hold luggage and £70 for 20kg ... BUT should you forget to book luggage and turn up at the airport with your case you will be charged between £200 to £260 for the privilege! Apparently the company claims it is because baggage handling costs are higher but Swissport, the luggage handler for the airline at Stanstead airport stated that its charges remain the same throughout the year. We all know these increases are purely profit related - if they can charge more they will! As always they state that these costs can be avoided by travelling with hand luggage and say that only 30 per cent check in baggage. But I bet that the airline would struggle financially if every single person started travelling with hand luggage only as they claim they want. With 22 million passengers still checking luggage in, that is a very healthy figure to be added to the bottom line profit margin.

Your luggage allowance may be an important factor when you decide which airline to travel with and your allowance will vary depending which airline you are travelling with. When choosing - given that you have that luxury as many provincial airports only have a limited choice, you need to carefully consider the cost of the "optional extras"  which includes luggage and pre-booking seats as well as the booking/card fees.

It is a minefield to get through and in many cases you need a calculator to work out the bottom line - which invariably only comes at at the very last stages of the booking process, by which time you have almost lost the will to live.

Here is a breakdown of the booking fees charged by the main carriers that fly to El Altet Alicante airport and the standard luggage allowance allowed:

Bmibaby 22kg - Debit Card = £3.50 per person each way / Credit Card = £5 per person each way.

EasyJet  20kg- Debit Card = £9 flat fee per booking / Credit Card = Min £13.95 which is made up of £9 booking fee plus 2.5% of transaction OR min of £4.95.

Flybe  15kg-23kg- Debit Card = FREE / Credit Card = £9

Jet2  22kg- Debit Card = 3.6% OR min £4.99 / Credit Card = 3.6% plus additional 3.6% of transaction.

Monarch 20kg - Debit Card = FREE / Credit Card = 4% or minimum £5

Ryanair 15kg-20kg - "Administration fee" £6 per person each way = £12 return

Thomas Cook 20kg - Debit Card = FREE / Credit Card = £4 per person each way

Thomson/Air2000 20kg - Debit Card = FREE / Credit Card = 2.5% OR minimum £4.95

Be very careful because if you go over the stipulated luggage allowance you will be charged per kilo for excess weight - and you guessed it, Ryanair heads the leader board at £20 per kilo.

Colouful, ideal hand luggage size & only 4€!

My advice is as follows... take hand luggage ONLY which at 10kg for most airlines is ample. Then when you get to Benidorm buy the things you need - virtually everything is obtainable here. Go to Mercadona or one of the other many supermarkets to buy your shampoos, shower gels and suncare products - these alone take up a huge part of your weight allowance. Clothes wise take only the bare essential and buy when here - yes honestly. You can pop down to Primark and get T-Shirts at 2€, shorts at 7€ and a sundress for under 10€ - you don't even need to bring them back at that price!

You can purchase fantastic holdalls here at Ale Hop in  a variety of colours and designs - even the children will be happy to carry one of those around. They squash into the cages at the check in and weight nothing - so you get you full 10kg allowance. Try it ....

Today's petrol price

And for those of you that are hiring a car you'll be delighted to know that petrol is substantially cheaper here in Spain than in the UK.
Looking at the average price in the UK last week it was £1.40 for diesel and £1.34 for unleaded.
Today's prices in Spain are 1.32€ for diesel and 1.39€ for unleaded.

At today's exchange rate of 1.24 this would make a saving of 40 cents per litre on diesel and 26 cents on unleaded - which makes quite a difference to the price of a tank of fuel.

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