capetownfolk

Hi all - please could you offer some advice

we fly from London to Barcelona and need to get across to Bendinat Mallorca.
Air Europa has a flight to Palma - seemed a little expensive - are there other options I should look at.

Also going back from Palma to Barcelona, I wondered if we should take a hovercraft - the children like the idea of a hovercraft. I am struggling to find a site where I can get prices and book tickets.

Many thanks for any help

alanRow

Ferry - www.aferry.co.uk/

Fly - www.whichbudget.com/en/cheapflights.php?from=BCN

GeoffHamer

There are no hovercraft going from Barcelona, or anywhere else on the mainland, to Mallorca.
There are three ferry operators, with ships and fast craft. The ships are big ships with cabins; you can have dinner in Barcelona and be in Palma for breakfast.
www.trasmediterranea.es
www.balearia.net
www.iscomar.com

capetownfolk

Thanks Alan and Geoff - very helpful and finding the answers I need.
I am sure I will have more questions nearer to the time! I appreciate your help

Pugsly

We took an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma and it worked out very well. It was essentially the cost of a hotel room which made it that much better.

Nikki

I looked at the website for Vueling, a discount Spanish airline. I know they fly between Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca because it says so on the list of cities serviced. But the schedule does not allow me to check for flights to Mallorca. You can only schedule flights within the next five months, and it is possible that the flights to Mallorca are seasonal.

If you are planning to travel in the summer, it would be worth checking later in the year for the schedule. A year and a half ago I flew from Barcelona to Ibiza on Vueling for something like 26 euros including tax.

www.vueling.com

capetownfolk

Thanks Pugsly and Nikki

We travel from Cape Town March 2008 and get to Barcelona via London, we are staying at a riends place in Bendinot - anyone know what that area is like? and then plan to spend about 4 days in Barcelona, 4 days in London then home to Cape Town

markrosy

capetown

Bendinat is both Nouveau and Riche. It is upmarket with spanking new huge villas. It is however, a short drive from lovely town like Deia that have picture postcard beauty.

There is reasonable flight with Iberia at around 100 euros return in March 2008. Try to spend some time in Palma - frequently overlooked but worth a look!

capetownfolk

Thanks Mark - your description of Bendinat sounds as exactly as I imagined it!
Nearer the time I will definately post a "what to do in Mallorca for 7 days?" Growing up in the UK in the 70s and 80s my thoughts of Mallorca/ Spain are mass tourism and lager louts and I am so sure that i am wrong and things have changed so i am looking forward to this chance to check it out myself as an adult. We are not the lying in the sun try to look like a lobster types- we are very fortunate to live in a sunny country - we want to explore Mallorca, check out the restaurants and the towns and villages. We will have a car whist we are there.

Any thoughts on our 4 days in Barcelona?

Nikki

You might be interested in my Barcelona trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34955177

Photos:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-o3uxdp

capetownfolk

great trip report Nikki - thank you

markrosy

capetownfolk

The island has shown a huge transformation in its image over the past 20 years. I say image because the lager louts were only ever present in a few resorts.

It has achieved its governmental aim of perceiving to be upmarket. The past 5 years has seen the government compulsory purchase poor standard hotels and demolish them. It has also provided huge amounts for local farmers to create very upmarket agroturismo hotels.

I have travelled far and wide and cannot think of anywhere (apart from say Florida) that has so much for any taste in such a small area. You can have fish and chips in a pub one night and 5 miles away the night afterwards eat at one of the best restaurants in Europe next to hollywood stars. It has flash and rustic from every extreme to the other and yet takes at most less than 3 hours to drive from one end to the other.

We deal in property there and have been over 4 times this year. we have flown to from Palma to Barcelona before but the low cost operator we used seem to have ceased the route. The two places share a common Catalan language and there is a huge amount of cross investment. We haven't done this route recently but there must many flights between the two. If you like I will dig further when I get chance.

Finally, be sure to line up a good list of expensive restaurants on the islands - if your friends casn afford to live in Bendinat , they should be able to treat you! LOL

Regards

Mark

capetownfolk

Thanks Mark - you are inspiring - I am now really looking forward to Mallorca. I am not sure if our friends will be joining us or if it will be just our family - so it may well be the cheaper restaurants! Would love sime suggestions if you have any, also any suggestions of nice day trips for exploring

thanks for the help
CTF