airport

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

San Javier (Murcia MJV) Airport Information

Car parking

Car parking has been chaotic but it should improve now that ticket machines have been introduced. In the past car hire companies used the free spaces to warehouse vehicles from all over the Costas leaving little space for passengers and their friends to park.

Charges are as follows:

First half hour or part of 40cents

Second half hour or part of 50cents

Additional hour or part of 75cents

Maximum daily charge up

to the fourth day 7.50 Euros

Maximum daily from the

fifth day 6.00

Take your ticket from the machine at the barrier when you enter the car park. When you leave you have to feed it into a payment machine in the open air outside the terminal building. If you press the button marked “Idiomas” you will get the display in English. Pay the charge, take the ticket, and then put it into the machine at the exit barrier. Cars parked outside designated spaces will be towed away and recovery is a long and tiresome process.

Just a thought – all Spanish speakers know that “Idiomas” means “languages” but don’t need to change the setting as they read Spanish. People who can’t read Spanish don’t know what “Idiomas” means and, therefore, don’t know that they can change the language. Isn’t that great?

Airport buses

The airport at San Javier is not well served by buses. There is no service to Cartagena and only an infrequent service to the regional capital of Murcia, which few people want to go to on arrival.

Anyway, according to a small sign at the airport, the buses leave Murcia bus station at 1pm and 5.30pm. They leave the airport at 5.45pm and 10.45pm. On Mondays Fridays and Saturdays, a bus leaves Murcia at 3.15pm and the airport at 7.15pm. These times are a bit suspect, however, and anyone planning on using them would be well advised to check the bus website – www.latbus.com.

Airport taxis

There is a taxi rank outside the arrivals door, turn right and, if you’re lucky, you may find some taxis there, but don’t bank on it. To get to Cartagena, people who are not being met sometimes take a taxi to San Javier town and then catch a bus from there.

Airport railway

There is no airport railway.

Cash machine ATMs

The last time we checked there was only one cash machine in the airport and it was broken. Don’t count on being able to withdraw any Euros on arrival at San Javier airport.

Cafés

The cafés at San Javier airport aren't too bad and prices are relatively reasonable. There is a cafe at the check in area. After the security check, in the boarding area, there is a Subway sandwich shop. This doesn't serve coffee, so find the automated cafe in the far corner of the area if you need your caffeine. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the terminal building, but there is a cafe outside the building where the open air tables are usually crowded with smokers.

Booze and fags

Cigarettes and alcohol are on sale in the shop in the boarding area, after security checks. Souvenirs are also available.

Excess baggage

If you really want your visit to end on a sour note, try turning up with overweight baggage that you don’t want to pay for. Excess baggage charges are rigorously enforced by rapacious airlines. And it’s absolutely no use saying: “But my bag was heavier than this when I flew out.” Check in staff will just chuckle as they swipe your credit card.

Just for a laugh, Ryanair gives passengers 15 kilos each in checked in baggage allowance, but if two of you have one bag between you and it weighs 28 kilos you are going to be hit for 13 kilos excess baggage charges.

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