Have just read Cider Monsters post on a different thread and am really shocked at the bar prices in Estartit! I hope it's not so expensive in LLoret, which is where I'm heading in August. I didn't go to Spain last summer, but the year before it was 2 euros for a bottle of beer in the hotel and slightly less in most bars. I think I need to start saving a little harder!!

I dont think everywhere is the same, so i wouldn't panic ... in fact, i was hearing that in Palafrugel there are some great local Spanish bars that are dirt cheap, so not all places are the same

Castell Montgri (and Estartit as a whole) has been going that way for years .. ok, i don't go on holiday to sit in a bar all day, but as this was just a cheap holiday for us, it's made 'not so cheap' when a few drinks at night sets you back a ridiculous amount - and it's made more ridiculous when we all know the prices to buy a bottle in the supermarket!

We came back from Lloret last week and thought that bar prices were not bad (definitely cheaper than Majorca)
At El Toro (opp. the bus station)large beer 1.20 euros/Gin & lemon 3 euros
These were the average prices we paid in most bars both in Lloret and Santa Susanna. At both places bottles of San Miguel/Amstel were always under 2 euros.
I drink liquers (Baileys, Anisette etc) and they were mostly 2 to 3 euros which is not bad when you consider the large measures.
Sue

€3 would be ok with me, considering like you say that it's sometimes like the equivalent of a triple UK measure (hmm, no such thing as a UK measure really, but i digress! )

It's when it starts to creep over the €4 mark towards €5 that it starts to get ridiculous, especially when you consider how cheap a bottle is in the supermarkets!

Well I'm feeling slightly relieved now! Thanks everyone.

3 euros seems fair enough to me for a short (not so short abroad!) and a mixer. 4 euros on the other hand is a bit excessive, though I know they are genorous measures.

Spending money doesn't go half a sfar as it used to in the good old days of the peseta!

Just to echo what has been said previously, Estartit is a town that is dieing. (spelling?) Therefore the few bars that are left have to make as much money as they can, if you go further south to a busier resort such as Lloret or Tossa, there is much greater competion which drives the prices down. You shouldn't pay more than 2.5 euros for a pint of San Miguel and if its more in one place then move on

If it's a dying town, then it will continue to die if the prices keep going up and up! Not many people venture up town from the campsite now, so they are struggling to survive .. the saratoga always gets people in, as it's a short walk from Castell Montgri, but it (rather sneakily ) keeps it's prices similar to the campsite as people will think that's the norm

Will be interested to see the difference if we end up going elsewhere next year

What's the best bargain you've ever had on the Costa Brava?

I didn't get to Spain last summer (holidayed in UK - just not the same at all) but the summer before we paid 85c for bottled beer in a small Spanish bar in Blanes! The same place sold a variety of local brand shorts and liquers at 1 euro a shot. ( big shot!) and.....they gave the kids free packets of crisps!

I think that takes some beating and don't expect we'll find anything to come close this year in LLoret.

Im not posting on the right forum, but as the question of bar prices has come up.Id like to tell everyone of the prices I was paying in Salou recently.9 euros for a pint of local and a vodka and lemonade,not a bottle of lemonade.But there was a kareoke in that bar, but they didnt book a DJ,so I dont know how they justified the prices.

wow pipefitter you have been touched never paid them kind of prices anywere in the costas. most i pay in benni last year was 2euros for a pint of san miguel and mabe 3 for a short. never mind were we go we allways find a little cheap bar were we can watch life go by in the sun

a couple of years ago we used to pay 85c in the white horse pub in lloret think it is closed now. but there is lots of cheap places to drink there if you look hard enough there is so much compitition that they have to keep the prices low.

Just back from Tossa and were paying 2 Euros average in the bars and 3 Euros in Restuarants for a large beer.

Cost about the same too for a large red wine.

Not as cheap as it used to be IMO since the introduction the Euro - but hey, its holiday time!!

We always stock our fridge up with bottles of beer and wine, so we can have a couple whilst getting ready to go out and also for a night cap when we return!

Elaine

in lloret in the robin hood i pay 2.60 for vodka and 1.40 for a bottle of diet coke or 3.50 for a vodka and diet coke from the tap. shots of liquers ie sambuca are 1.70.
in roxys upstairs i pay 3.00 for vodka and d/c from the tap.
in town i pay 5.00 for vodka and bottle in the highwayman, but this is for very generous measure, and in yates's i cant get diet coke so have v&t for 5.00, again a good measure.
dont know prices for beer as i gave that up years ago, but the locals who i know say the picadilly bar has some of the cheapest prices.
prices vary from bar to bar, the ones used by the locals usually having the cheapest prices.
i try different bars every time i go out there, but dont usually pay too much attention to the prices as i am more interested in the atmosphere/friendliness.
if i like the atmosphere i go back, more or less regardless of price,and if not i don't.
i can think of nothing worse than sitting in a dreary pub trying to talk to spaniards who dont want to talk to you to save 0.20 on the price of a drink.

€5 for a vodka in the Highwayman .... certainly sounds like an apt name for a pub as that does sound like robbery, Jim

Mind you, not as bad as pipefitter's experience .... now that's steep!

Since we were talking about bargain, not a bar price, but Lidl sell a bottle of vodka (the same one they sell here for £6.99) for only €3.68 (if i mind correctly!)

now that's cheap!

Cantonas in malgrat last september 2 pints of lager 3 euros vodka and orange also 3 but what measures

Hi everyone!

Do you get your euros before you go to Spain or wait till you arrive and get them in resort?

Anyone know if the exchange rate is favorable out there at the moment? It's 1.41 to the pound at the Post Office today.

I normally get enough to get by a day or two,and exchange at resort as you can get a higher rate.(beware of rip offs)
Last week in Torremolinos I got 145.70, compared with 141.30 in UK.
Its a good idea if you have another holiday coming up to exchange more than your likly to spend and keep it by for your next trip. UK rate and resort rate could go down by then.

I normally take a couple of hundred with me for the first few days then pay on plastic or use ATMs to get more when I need them. Nationwide have no charges for using their credit card abroad and have a much better exchange rate as well. Their ATM cards are no charge too when used abroad.

Is it straight forward using the ATM's in Spain?

Are the on screen instructions in English?

Do all the British Maestro cards work? (mine's Nat West)