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Any adventure trip requires the right amount of planning and preparation. Every decision is pivotal, from buying or renting the right gear to acclimatizing for the long haul to even deciding between driving and renting a car at Menorca. If you go via a tourism company, they will provide the essential gear and equipment, but if you plan your trip on your own, our checklist will give you a comprehensive idea.
Learn About the Place
A basic rule for trekking, hiking, or camping trips is to look up the place and get a general idea about the climate, weather, altitude, transportation, network connectivity, permits, and accessibility. Knowing this will help you pack your gear, clothes, and other essentials accordingly. For instance, knowing the altitude of a place you will be trekking up to will determine whether you need to acclimatize your body or require any special physical training.
Essentials for a Cycling Trip
Like car rental companies in Menorca, you have companies that let you hire bicycles for cycling and hiking. Depending on the length of your ride, your actual need may vary.
Essentials: Bike, water, a smartphone with GPS route activated, sunglasses, helmet, sunscreen, and emergency contact number.
Food: Fresh fruits and nuts, nutrition bar, and electrolyte powder.
Accessories: Flashlights, bike lock, sweatbands, cycling jersey, gloves, cash, credit card, passport, first aid kit, camera, and travel insurance.
Essentials for Camping and Trekking Trips
Camping and trekking are usually multi-day adventures where you may have to endure extreme temperatures and survive high altitudes. Unless it is a base camp frequented by several campers, you may need to protect yourself and your camp from animals. Being properly clothed, particularly whether specific, is an essential factor.
Must-haves: Durable and good quality long and short sportswear, rainproof jacket, thermal wear, woolen caps, socks, gloves, hiking and trekking caps, gloves, and trekking shoes.
Essentials: Tents, mattresses, and blankets are as important as clothes. You can leave them in the trunk of your rented car or distribute the weight between you and your fellow trekkers.
Accessories: A solid backpack – probably a lightweight, water-resistant trekking backpack, with multiple compartments for storing a water bottle, camera, and phone; flashlight or headlight with spare or rechargeable batteries, sunglasses, portable charger, trekking pole, sleeping bag, insect repellant, handy Swiss tool kit, matchbox, and garbage disposal bag.
Nutrition: Water bottles or hiking thermos, water disinfectant, chips and cheese, energy bar & drinks, and dry fruits.
Others: You may also need tissues, toiletries, sunscreen, OTC painkillers, and a first aid kit.
Note: For cheap car hire services in Menorca or if you wish to rent a car at Menorca's airport in Mahon, you can book a tourist car online at Binicars. They are one of the largest car rental service providers in Menorca, with an exceptional fleet of cars and scooters for tourists. They also provide emergency roadside assistance and kid-elderly-friendly vehicles.
Essentials for Watersports
Tripping to Menorca and you don't head out in the water is next to impossible. Take a quick run through your luggage to see if you have the following items to enjoy an adventure in the waters of Menorca beaches.
Note: Watersports gears, such as canoes, kayaks, snorkels, paddles, etc., are easily available for rent in the local shops.
Clothes: Wear clothes suitable for hot weather, preferably light and breathable. Tshirts and shorts, or thin outerwear with sports innerwear would be perfect for watersports. Also, carry swimsuits.
Essentials: Sunscreen, waterproof goggles, sunglasses, flip-flops for the beach, towels, water and ice cooler, phone and waterproof phone cover, garbage disposal bag, and plastic bag to store your belongings.
While road trips are fun, they can be exhausting and literally long. Packing food for road trips can be difficult for various reasons. You don't want to make yourself queasy by eating the wrong kind of food. So, whether you are booking a car rental service in Menorca or driving your own wheels, our easy food packing tips for car drives will make your road trip much easier.
Food Packing Tips for Car Drive
You cannot carry food that's hard for digestion and make you nauseous, have to get all your food together in as little space as possible and make sure your packed food doesn't spoil quickly. Being in the business of car hire in Menorca for years, we have come across many road trippers and car campers. We questioned a few of them and came up with this great list of food packing tips.
Cold Food Pack
There are several healthy snacks you pack for a road trip. Pack foods that can safely be frozen, at least for a couple of days. These include yogurt, thepla, salami and sausages, cheese macaroni, salads, club sandwiches, cheese, soft drinks, fruits and nuts, butter, and bread. Frozen food will keep the non-freezable foods cold. Also, carry jam, jelly, and cheese spreads.
Note: Remember to pack wet/fresh foods separately from dry foods. Cold foods can create condensation, which can spoil dry foods.
PS: Looking for car rentals in Menorca? We have pre-booking car hire services from Mahon airport. Check Binicars fleet.
Tasty Snacks That You Can Safely Pack for Your Car Trips
Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds
They are power-charged with nutrients, light to carry, and lighter on the stomach. Make sure you pack fruits that are yet-to-ripe and less messy to eat, like bananas, apples, grapes, and pears. Dry fruits and nuts will keep you fueled for the long journey. You can munch them even while driving the car.
Fox Nuts or Makhanas
Fox nuts are extremely nutritious and packed with amazing flavors. They are also gluten-free and filling. You can roast them and store them in an airtight container for a tasty snack. Kids love them too.
Muffins and Sandwiches
Sandwiches have been our greatest travel companion. They are healthy, satisfying, and easy to make and pack. Cheese, vegetable club, chutney, salami, peanut butter + jam sandwiches go well with car drives.
Make healthy versions of muffins and pack them for you and your friends. If you want, ditch the sweet version and go for a savory variety of muffins made from chicken.
Protein bars and energy balls
For a hiking and camping road trip, these energy-rich snacks will be a savior in the long run. They are also quite hassle-free to carry in your pockets.
Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a complete source of nutrition. They are rich in protein, delicious, and will keep you satiated for many, many hours. They don’t get spoilt easily. You can carry boiled eggs for your trip or store raw eggs in foam boxes.
Other Dry Foods to Pack
Salt and pepper shakers, peanut butter, jam & jelly, cooking spray, pickle, olive oil, honey, and basic seasonings can be carried for your camping cooking.
Master the Art of Packing Food in Layers
Always have a basic meal plan in place for your camping trip. Such as the time of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pack your food in layers based on the schedule so you can easily access the food you’ll have first.
Packing foods separately in small quantities is always a good idea to avoid wasting food and limit the chance of contaminating food.
How to layer food?
Bottom Layer: ice, drinks, butter, chocolates, and marshmallows.
Middle Layer: Cheese, paneer, milk, cold cuts, sauces, dips, and spreads.
Top Layer:Bread, sandwiches, tortillas, cold salad, pre-cooked pasta, boiled eggs, etc.
Pack the Right Way
The food packing container matters. You should store snacks in airtight containers and keep them at arm's reach in the car so that you needn't have to dig through the coolers. Make sure the containers are of good quality. Sandwiches should be packed in butter paper or cling film. Wrap each food item separately to avoid mess. Carry a lot of ice cubes and refill your icebox whenever you pass a store.
If you loved this post, please share it with fellow road trippers. Also, for hassle-free pre-bookings on car rentals at Menorca, visit Binicars. Hire from Menorca Airport and get dropped at the same place.
Summer is just around the corner, meaning now is the perfect time for a beach vacation.
Menorca is a good choice for a short distance travel, kid-friendly beach island destination in Spain. However, beaches can get pretty dull for kids after the first day. While you may be content under an umbrella reading a book, your kids will require more action than that to be occupied all day.
We have come up with many exciting activities that will keep your children happy for hours at the beach. Rent a car in Menorca so that you can bring the activities along to the shore.
Beach Fun Activities for Kids
Set up a Mini Golf
You will require a set of balls and clubs. Set up a few targets and dig holes into the sand. Let your children aim their golf balls. This game will improve hand-eye coordination and striking rate.
A Game of Frisbee
Substitute your ordinary frisbee game with a frisbee goal – set up tiny targets at different places on the sand using the things you have brought to the beach. Take turns to throw the frisbee as close as possible to the target. You can keep scores and let the winner have a nice cold ice cream.
Fly Kite
Beaches are a great place to fly a kite. They are readily available in beach shops and kids love them.
beach bowling
Who needs an aisle and runway when you have the entire beach to play bowling? You can either carry your own set of plastic pins and balls, or make a DIY ball-pin with reusable water bottles and balls.
Beach Style Tug of War
A beach vacation with kids (and ninja grownups) is incomplete without the tug of war. You will need a rope or a few towels or sheets tied together. Draw a line on the sand, divide kids into two teams, stand near the edge of the water, and get ready for the hustle.
hopscotch
Use a stick or rock to draw the famous hopscotch grid on the sand. You can also use small stones or pebbles to mark them. Take turns to complete the game.
Other games that you could try are rope skipping, volleyball, treasure hunt, sandman/castle, inuksuk building, and limbo.
If you want to car hire in Menorca so that you can have ultimate fun at the beach, Binicars has some of the best rental car deals.
With plenty of fresh fish and dairy products available in Menorca, traditional cheese and sea food will spoil your mind and taste buds copiously. So, if you are traveling to Menorca, trust us, food is not something you should worry about. There's so much variety to eat that you will want to stay a couple more days to savor the cuisines. We have listed a few ''must have'' local dishes you may want to try in Menorca to get you started.
PS First time on the Balearic Islands? Looking for car rentals in Menorca Check out Binicars fleet of rental cars.
Main Courses
Rice Brothers with Fish
It is a therapeutic rice combo stew made from local fish, like Serrano or Comber and rice. It is filling and delicious and a go-to-flavourful meal for the locals. If you are a rice lover, this dish should be your kind.
land rice
While the dish's name translates to ''Rice of the Land,'' this dish doesn't contain rice. Instead, it is mainly made with broken wheat and baked sausages. Sumptuous and hearty.
Cabrit or Lechona is Forn
This dish, translating into Roasted Kid or Suckling Pig, is a famous festive or holiday lunch menu. The meat is slow-cooked or roasted in a fire oven for a very long period until it falls off the bone. The main course is served with roasted potatoes. Any restaurant that has a good wood fire oven serves this dish.
grilled meat
If you don't like experimenting with your food and prefer soulful meals over adventurous ones, then this is what you should try. Locally farmed meat on the grill, flavored with sea salt, pepper, some herbs, spices and oil, grilled to perfection. The beef in Menorca is quite flavorful due to its soil, sea salt, and the grass that the animals graze. This dish can be prepared with lamb, pork, chicken, or beef.
Side Dishes
Fish Meatballs
Fish is often eaten as meatballs in Menorca. So, if a restaurant is serving fish meatballs, don't forget to try. Our recommendation includes Cod ab
Burrida (cod fish) and Albondigas de Cabracho (Scorpion fish).
tumbet
Tumbet is one of the most popular side dishes made out of diced potatoes, aubergine, peppers, garlic, and onions. The vegetables are fried together until crisp. You can have it as it is or with meat and fish.
oliaigu
Nothing but a rich, cold, flavourful, and filling tomato soup traditionally eaten by the peasants at breakfast. Now it is available for lunch too.
Visit us for more updates on Car Hire at Menorca or Calan porter.
Are you traveling to Menorca by road next year? Whether you choose to rent a car at Mahon airport or drive your car to the island, traveling on the Spanish land requires certain security documents and permits. You would also want to know whether your driver's license is valid in Spain or not. Don't forget to carry the actual vehicle and driver documents below mentioned.
We have curated a list of important certificates that you will have to furnish to the Car rental company at Menorca.
You may not be permitted to drive if you do not possess the documents listed under the 'Mandatory section.'
They include:
- A valid driving license.
- passport
- National ID card
- Valid vehicle insurance certificate
- Vehicle original registration document
- Two Warning Triangles
- Reflective Jackets for anyone who gets out of the car on the main road.
What Driver's License is Valid in Spain?
All international driving licenses and European Union driving licenses are permitted in Spain. However, international driving licenses are only valid for 1 year. To obtain an international driving license, you must have a license to drive in your country.
If you are driving your car, you must obtain a temporary circulation permit for your car from customs. If you are settling down in Menorca, you must register your car in Spain once the permit expires. You must add an oval sticker of your country's flag on the vehicle number plate to indicate your country to the local authorities.
Insurance certificate conditions vary with each traveler's country. Therefore, we suggest that you verify the prerequisites from the Spanish Embassy, the Car Rental Company in Menorca, or your travel agent.
How to Rent a Car at Mahon Airport
To rent a Car from Binicars – a leading car hire service provider in Menorca, you must be 21 years old and have a valid international driving license. You must have a clean driving history. Generally, the rates tend to change based on the driver's age, car type, and gear type.
Important Rules to Remember When Driving in Spain
- Drive on the right side.
- Safety belts are mandatory for all occupants.
- International travelers must carry all necessary documents.
- You must follow the speed limits to avoid tickets.
- overtaking is allowed from the left side only.
- Smaller children (height less than 135 cm) must sit on the back seat only and use a child-restraint system.
- You must carry a child-restraint system if you rent a car or travel a local taxi.