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I lived in Los Montesinos for two years and returned to the uk in 2008. I rented a villa in Alicante for a family holiday this Aug 2013 and was disappointed in the change of attitude towards visitors. We were diverted to Ibiza by Easyjet and arrived in Alicante a couple of hours late and on obtaining our hire car from Dickmanns we were charged 20 euros for being late. We stayed in Mutxamel and decided to eat out in San Juan and on two seperate occasions we were denied access to the restaurant because we were 15 mins early. This is unbelievable when you consider there were 4 adults and 3 children ready to eat and pay good money. On a visit to Alicante we parked in a underground car park by the port. On returning to our cars the payment machine would not accept notes and when we approached the cashier we got a shrug of the shoulders and told to go upstairs to the shops to get change. When we returned our fee had increased considerably. I left the car park first and parked out side to wait for my daughter and her children as she needed to follow me back to our villa and was instantly pounced on by the police and told to move. I was not given the opportunity to explain and had to contact my daughter by phone to explain where I was. my daughter has vowed never to holiday in Spain again and I think my wife and I will probably follow suit. Whilst us Brits were the ones spending money buying properties and making our home in Spain we were treated like royalty, now it appears we are a target for ripping off and ignoring.
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Whilst us Brits were the ones spending money buying properties and making our home in Spain we were treated like royalty, now it appears we are a target for ripping off and ignoring.
How did what happened to you know you didn't own a house in Spain anymore and were only just visitors.
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Am I correct in assuming you arrived at the restaurants before their official opening hours? Personally think your holiday was far from ideal in other ways as well , or you have an attitude problem because you were for a brief period of time a resident in Spain, otherwise you wouldnt be highlighting petty problems that can and DO happen anywhere in the world. As for the police, instead of issuing you with a fine, but merely suggesting you parked elsewhere because you were obviously causing an obstruction....words fail me......
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Never heard such bigotted tosh in all my life.... go to Greece for your next hilday and spare us all your pomposity please.
This message was last edited by Fighter2 on 23/08/2013.
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So because I was charged extra for something that was beyond my control by Dickmanns car hire and because the police moved me on and didn't ticket me and because I had the cheek to turn up 15mins before opening time at a couple of restaurants I am a bigot.
Oh well Greece it is next year then.
Thank you Floella and Fighter 2 for confirming that Spain has changed along with the people that live there and that theres nothing like a bankrupt country to show its true colours.
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Absolutely nothing to do with Spain's financial problems or its people. The true colours of the majority here exude a considerate and helpful nature. Personally think it very inconsiderate and arrogant for anyone to expect an establishment anywhere to open its doors , before the advertised opening times , just because one thinks they should. If one is early go window shopping or a 24 hour eatery. One often reads about motoring problems with the Spanish police so still think you were treated exceptionally well and as for having to pay Dickmans €20 for being late...take it up with the airlines . Whichever country you decide to go in future think it preferable to avoid Italy where tourists of all nationalities , even the indiginous folk, appear to be overcharged. Now that IS something to complain about. Lol
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My parents always had the same beef. they would take the ferry to Santander a couple of times a year, stay at the lovely old Chiqui on the Sardinera for about €150 full board....and always bitch that " we and all the other brits used to hang around at 8.30pm telling them to open the restaurant. We all wanted to eat. They were so unreasonable".
"Mum, you were in Spain where you know they eat late at night compared with UK. Why didn't you and dad have an afternoon nap, get up at 7pm, go for a walk and have a cocktail at one of the zillion bars....and be back at the hotel in time for dinner?"
"No, why should we? there were lots of Brits staying there who thought the same as us."
That's what you're up against. Pig headed refusal to understand a culture. But if Spaniards visited my parents twee village and wanted to drink and eat until 1 am they would have been given short shrift. You're in UK now, we don't behave like that".
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Hmmm, in UK, if someone turns up at a restaurant and it doesnt open for 15 mins, would we expect the owner / manager to open up just for us? Its highly unlikely
If we turn up late in UK to pick up our vehicle and we are late because of airliine delays, who do we blame? The airline of course.
If we dont have change for our parking .... we go and get some!
Sorry but the points raised by the original poster have absolutely nothing to do with the Spanish people!!!!!
This message was last edited by wend691 on 23/08/2013.
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Welcome to eye on spain Fletch. You're less likely to get your head bitten off in an alligater swamp than on here.
Anyway, it sounds like you had a bad experience. Or maybe you didn't have the great experience you were expecting. I've spent the last few years saying 'Spanish this, Spanish that and Spanish the other' because at the moment, it's a very frustrating place to be. Maybe they're all feeling the strain of an ever worsening economic situation and they are feeling less tolerant and more stressed than ever.
Maybe it's nothing to do with that. I was speaking to a friend of mine in the UK the other day and he was telling me that he's sick of people with no respect and no manners. So, maybe society as a whole is a little bit worse than it used to be, and not just the Spanish.
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Had a wonderful holiday this year in MIJAS one of the best GREAT food wonderful friendly SPANISH hospitality cannot fault it The AIPORT at MALAGA was heaving perhaps its REGIONAL these issues you MENTION
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Fletch,
HAHAHAHAH, you sure caught some guys out, they thought you were being serious.
PS However, if there was a grain of intention to complain in your post, enjoy Greece, or maybe you would be better to stay at home.
This message was last edited by Julianx on 26/08/2013.
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