GIB questions
 

Am planning a DONE3 starting in Europe and have a few questions I hope you can help me with.

1) It appears that GIB is about $1000 cheaper than EU airports. Am I correct on this?

2) I know that I will need to buy my ticket in GIB. I am guessing that I send money to a GIB travel agency. Then do they send me my ticket? Or do I have to pick it up in GIB?

3) Does anyone know a reputable travel agency in GIB to recommend to me?

4) I want to explore southern Spain. Are there any difficulties in going in and out from Gibralter?

Thanks for your help.

GIB terminal, as I understand it, now has two entries/exits, one to/from Gibraltar the other to/from Spain.

If you arrive into GIB from, say, LON, and exit the terminal to enter Spain, you are going into Schengen space, and have to clear the same formalities as if you had arrived at, say, MAD. Coming back from Spain into GIB terminal, you are leaving Schengen space, so again the same formalities as if you were flying MAD-LHR.

Search is your friend with regard to GIB. Henry at Bland's is the TA others have used with much success.
See these threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ighlight=bland
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ighlight=bland
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ighlight=bland
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ighlight=bland

The threads will explain the procedure as will Henry after you email him.

Henry has been gone from Blands for quite a few months now. He explained over email to me early this year that he was made "redundant".

Sorry to hear that. He seemed an extremely knowledgeable fellow. He priced a DONE for me once. I ended up not starting the trip from GIB. Did he refer you to someone else there?

He referred me to Desiree, but I also ended up not working with them after that so I have no first hand experience of how knowledgable she is (or not) about booking a xONEx ticket.

I've just booked using Bland travel.

Desiree has indeed taken over from Henry, and I have nothing but praise for her. She has been really helpful. I paid for my tickets yesterday and they were being picked up by a courier today and should be with me in the UK tomorrow. The days delay was only due to Desiree organising my Oz visa. The only problem is that Bland send your route to BA to be priced. Desiree's estimate of the price was within a few pounds, but it took BA 7 weeks from it being submitted to it being returned to Desiree. So if your trip is soon, you might want to try somebody who uses somebody other than BA to price the trip.