Benicassim 08 Lessons Learned

[kamw642]

Hi all, welcome back from Benicassim!!!

It was awesome - more than I could have imagined.

But did it all go to plan? Well, no, and it's been more of an expensive holiday than i had first thought. But hey-ho.

What would you do differently if you were to do it again? What unexpected things happened on the way there/back?

One thing I would have done differently was to not book my apartment and transport through DANESPFIB - more on that later.

[kamw642]

Stay in Benicassim - much more convenient, walk to the festival, no messing about with buses or taxis or queues or queue jumpers!

[lme]

Hi all, welcome back from Benicassim!!!

It was awesome - more than I could have imagined.

But did it all go to plan? Well, no, and it's been more of an expensive holiday than i had first thought. But hey-ho.

What would you do differently if you were to do it again? What unexpected things happened on the way there/back?

One thing I would have done differently was to not book my apartment and transport through DANESPFIB - more on that later.

[kamw642]

If you do fly with Ryanair or something similar - try to take hand luggage only.

Yep, try to squeeze everything into a rucsack! I did it and avoided paying 20 quid each way to check in a piece of luggage. My friends had so much trouble on both sides when mistakes were made, overcharged, names mixed up...the staff were really shit. To be fair they have to bear the brunt of gisgruntled customers...the system is so poorly designed it turns perfectly happy holiday-goers into lynch mobs.

If you have to check in luggage - go to the ticket desk first - not the check in desk. And do so way ahead of the departure time. Running through a crowded airport ain't fun.

[kamw642]

I stayed in Marina D'Or in Oropesa.

Pros:

Beautiful beaches - I would say better than Benicassim, quieter with more locals than festival goers (depends on what atmos you want I guess). Bigger waves.

Self catering apartments that sleep upto 6 - spacious with large balcony, air con, fully equipped kitchen, cheap - save on food costs.

Swimming pool per block.

5 minute walk to a big supermarket which is never really busy.

Cons:

Far from Benicassim - half hour bus ride.

During the day there are local buses - just E1.20 one way, but after 5pm you will need to take a taxi - E25.

Getting a taxi at night during the festival is difficult - you have to walk to the big hotels (about 15 mins from the apartments) and queue for 20-30 minutes more.

Getting back is equally difficult, and all the apartment blocks look the same so you might get lost!

[lme]

I stayed in Marina D'Or in Oropesa.

Pros:

Beautiful beaches - I would say better than Benicassim, quieter with more locals than festival goers (depends on what atmos you want I guess). Bigger waves.

Self catering apartments that sleep upto 6 - spacious with large balcony, air con, fully equipped kitchen, cheap - save on food costs.

Swimming pool per block.

5 minute walk to a big supermarket which is never really busy.

Cons:

Far from Benicassim - half hour bus ride.

During the day there are local buses - just E1.20 one way, but after 5pm you will need to take a taxi - E25.

Getting a taxi at night during the festival is difficult - you have to walk to the big hotels (about 15 mins from the apartments) and queue for 20-30 minutes more.

Getting back is equally difficult, and all the apartment blocks look the same so you might get lost!

Edited July 22, 2008 by lme

[stubbs]

We didn't go to Marina D'Or (though it sounds good) but the beaches on the Benicassim side of Orpesa were very crowded. Much more so than those the far side of Benicassim. Not sure what the names of the beaches we went to were but there were at least 50% local families. Not all festival goers. Maybe a good option (if you have someone who doesn't intend to drink) is to stay @ Marina D'Or and hire a car.

[claireg_729]

i dont think i would ever do it again

the crack was mint and we did have a good time but camping was shit....way to hot we wer like burting out ov our tents on a morning for air then not having anywhere to go to get cool was a nightmare............all the walking to the beaches was a nightamre...not so much the way there but the way back with all your alcohol to camp was pants....i all so had blisters on the bottoms of my feet! OUCH!

but on the up side i am now at one with nature..........we had a massive ant farm at our camp along with millions of spiders in our tents............nice!!

[kamw642]

i dont think i would ever do it again

the crack was mint and we did have a good time but camping was shit....way to hot we wer like burting out ov our tents on a morning for air then not having anywhere to go to get cool was a nightmare............all the walking to the beaches was a nightamre...not so much the way there but the way back with all your alcohol to camp was pants....i all so had blisters on the bottoms of my feet! OUCH!

but on the up side i am now at one with nature..........we had a massive ant farm at our camp along with millions of spiders in our tents............nice!!

[kamw642]

Just a side question -

does anyone know the tune that was played several times throughout the festival - a dance anthem that had the chorus:

"...take what you need from it..."

It's such a good tune that sent everybody wild...who is it?!!! It's driving me nuts.

[claireg_729]

Oh my lord!

I knew that camping was a bad idea - we spent 880 euros on an apartment for 5, so it wasn't too expensive - but we ended up getting taxis a lot of the time.

We completely missed all the stuff on the beach in benicassim - was it any good? Once we were in the main venue we just couldn't be arsed to trek all the way down there.

Lesson: book an apartment in benicassim town NOW!

[stephanie88]

Just a side question -

does anyone know the tune that was played several times throughout the festival - a dance anthem that had the chorus:

"...take what you need from it..."

It's such a good tune that sent everybody wild...who is it?!!! It's driving me nuts.

[stephanie88]

I also learned Mercadona is closed on Sundays.

[MoilyX]

Just a side question -

does anyone know the tune that was played several times throughout the festival - a dance anthem that had the chorus:

"...take what you need from it..."

It's such a good tune that sent everybody wild...who is it?!!! It's driving me nuts.

[kamw642]

Kids...thank you!!!

Oh, Erol...that set was brilliant.

I really enjoyed Pista Pops (I called it Windy-pops) too.

Lesson learned: don't try to meet people at the meeting point!! Try the grass bit near the smoking lounge - which itself was a rocking venue.

[tiffps]

Just got back from Spain Yesterday and am feeling major come down blues.... luckily we had a fews days "recovery" in our very backward (but freakingly amazing) town of Marina D'Or... missing it so much....

The festy for me was ALL ABOUT:

Justice

Hotchip

Erol

Battles

Sigur Ros

My Bloody Valentine

The Glimmers

Josh Wink

Lost my mind a few times to these...... I want to be back there now ohmy.gif(

We met SO many amazing peeps out there, anyone recognise me, get in touch... it's Tiffany from Leeds by the way....

Laters xx

[rickjnr]

dnt go to global gathering straight after benni, its results in a fried brain

[Kinning Park Don]

Hi all, welcome back from Benicassim!!!

It was awesome - more than I could have imagined.

But did it all go to plan? Well, no, and it's been more of an expensive holiday than i had first thought. But hey-ho.

What would you do differently if you were to do it again? What unexpected things happened on the way there/back?

One thing I would have done differently was to not book my apartment and transport through DANESPFIB - more on that later.

[pattard]

Everything went better than planned. Learned to sort out bus back to Valencia earlier as i waited in line for about 6 hours on monday. Less clothes. More alcohol, sort out drugs earlier.

Anyone here camped at BeniCamp and attended the Toilet Party on the Tuesday night. Anyone got a free Maltese hug? If not i'm sorry i will give you one next year

[slimline]

I learned that the astro turf is very comfy around 4 am for a short nap.

[tiffps]

I learned that the astro turf is very comfy around 4 am for a short nap.

[slimline]

and not to cool off in the "yellow" coloured paddling pool any time after that

[Monkey Dancer]

Yeah we were on Benicamp and i wandered into the toilet party early in the morning...funniest thing i've ever seen still never got one of those Maltese hugs maybe next year!

[xkejjer]

i heard there was a drug problem this year.. in the sense that there were far too many searches and shit like that

[pattard]

Yeah we were on Benicamp and i wandered into the toilet party early in the morning...funniest thing i've ever seen still never got one of those Maltese hugs maybe next year!