Practical Information

Holidays are all about having fun and soaking up new and exciting cultures.  But to really enjoy yourself, it sometimes helps if you have as much information at your disposal as possible.  So here are a few practical bits to help you make the most of your trip.

Time Zone

Lets start by setting our watches to the correct time.  Here in Ibiza the time is set to CET (Central European time) or GMT+1.  So we are one hour ahead of the UK.

Business Hours

In Ibiza, the siesta is a very important part of the culture.  It offers an opportunity for families to spend some quality time together while having lunch.  This however, means that during this time, Ibiza's towns and villages close their doors for most of the afternoon.  Some shops close from 1pm-4pm while others close from 2pm-5pm.  So unless you know the opening times of the shops you want to visit, it would be best not to embark on any shopping trips between the hours of 1pm-5pm.  The bigger Supermarcados don't however adhere to these siesta times and are usually open all day long but the smaller ones like the Spar do close, so keep that in mind.

Currency

In 2002 Ibiza's currency changed from the Peseta, which had been the currency in use from 1867, to the Euro leaving in its wake more than a little confusion.  Still today, many shops will show the prices in Pesetas too even though they only accept Euros. 

Tipping

As with the rest of Europe, it is customary to tip your waiter or waitress between 12% and 15% but do check your bill before paying to make sure that it has not already been included as there is no hard and fast rule here.  Some places add the service charge to the final bill and some don't.

Electricity

We travel with a huge variety of electrical gadgets these days, from phones, Ipods, hairstraighteners - you name it, we've got it.  So knowing the kind of plug configuration and voltage can be helpful.  Here in Ibiza the main electricity supply is 230v which is the same for the rest of Europe and the UK.  You will however need an adapter if you are travelling from the UK as the plug configuration here is the 2 prong plug like the rest of Europe.