John R. Yamamoto-Wilson wrote:
> CL wrote:
> 
>>I have had good luck getting nearly free tickets to Gib from Gatwick
>>thrown in on my BA multi-stop ticket purchases.
> 
> Hmm. Sounds interesting. Now, how did you do that?

The last time I was in Malaga was a year ago next week and must go back 
on business in about a month, so you may get crossed up by a mismatch in 
our relative travel times.

I get a lot of expressions of disbelief, but the best prices I got for 
multiple destination tickets was to go to http://www.jtb.co.jp/ check 
their prices, and then call their toll free number at the bottom of the 
list.  I haven't reserved yet for the upcoming trip, but last year they 
beat their online prices and all of the local cut-price agents plus 
provided real tickets that BA upgraded to business class (okay, so the 
plane was half empty).  My destinations were Heathrow, Malaga (I did Gib 
by car), San Sebastian (Spanish side of the river from Bayonne / 
Biarritz where I was headed), and back to Heathrow via Madrid with a 
connecting flight back to Narita.

You may benefit from the post-World Cup malaise ... or not.

>> From experience, I DO NOT recommend doing Narita -> Heathrow
>>-> Gatwick -> Gibraltar as a straight-through multiple connection
>>unless you're into insomnia as a lifestyle and enjoy it when your kids are
>>at their whiny best.
> 
> Well, we'll be staying in the UK, so it doesn't matter which London airport
> we use. I have a kind of pathological hatred of Gibraltar, so I'll avoid
> that if possible.

Hating Gibraltar is easy to do ... and the Spanish make driving in and 
out a real pleasure.  Not.

>>The Malaga airport is so far away from anything else that you have to
>>add in at least an hour of driving to any schedule you make ...
> 
> We'll be staying in a village inland and will have a longish drive no matter
> which airport we use, so that's not a big deal.

I always make sure to wave and point at the giant bull statues on the 
sides of the freeway.  It gives me something to do while droning along 
at speed.

I much prefer some of the villages up in the mountains, but I only seem 
to get asked to meet people in and around Fuenjirola, which is full of 
UK pensioners.  Never enough time to head inland except to eat an early 
dinner and then run back to town.

> I rented beauties for peanuts on previous occasions; having lived in
> Andalusia for years I can kind of smell out the best deals!
> 
> The real issue is, can we get there for the cheapo prices that are supposed
> to be around these days. Once we're there, pues, la bendita gloria!

I am seeing them right now at the site above, but I am flying there in 
just a few weeks, not as a family summer thing.

CL