Gibraltar: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Gibraltar feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 25 written places.
A British market town grafted onto a Mediterranean rock; polite, compact and cheerfully bilingual.
✓ Considered polite
- Queue, say please and thank you, and order at the bar - pub rules are fully British
- Keep food zipped out of sight up the Rock - the macaques snatch bags without hesitation
- Walk across the airport runway when the lights allow - it is still the normal way into town on foot, while cars use the tunnel
- Ride the cable car early - the queue builds by mid-morning
✗ Better avoided
- Feed or touch the macaques - it carries a hefty fine
- Expect much open on Sunday - most of Main Street closes
- Pay in euros without checking the rate - they are accepted but rarely favourably
- Plan a late dinner - kitchens keep British hours, not Spanish ones
Worth knowing
- Sterling and Gibraltar's own notes both circulate - swap local notes before leaving, as UK shops refuse them
- Shopping is VAT-free, which is why perfume and spirits shops line Main Street
- English is official, but you will hear Llanito - a rapid Spanish-English blend
- The land border with Spain is crossed on foot in minutes - carry your passport
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.