I take it you've planned (?) this little adventure all by yourself to this point and now only need to fill in the blanks?

There are usually usurous fees for dropping off a car in a country that is different from the original rental.

I would not start the lease of the car until you leave Barcelona, otherwise it will be a pain to have in the city.

Since you have teens and a dog to complicate matters, I would suggest adding a clown to complete the traveling circus.

With the sincerest wishes, good luck.

Car lease has already been arranged and paid. Yes it will be a real pain in the city. Perhaps I can find a clown to valet it.

Any lower cost parking garages people know of? We are staying near Calle Valencia and Paseo San Juan in the Eixample District.


Thanks again

Aduchamp..the car is leased so I think drop of fees are non existent
To the OP. I am a little lost as to why you are looping back to Spain in Sec, especially when you are also seemly heading towards Italy.
Somethings that will restrict your planing.
The dog may not be accepted in a lot of hotels. You will have restricted access to restaurants and public buildings; like museums etc.
The bike rack will not allow the car to get into underground car parks. Around 99.9% of city car parks in Spain are underground.
What about the weather too? Some parts of Europe will get snow and be very cold.

Is this meandering through Spain in addition to your trip to Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, etc?

Adu - they need to have the car in Barcelona as they are originating in Andalusia (and Renfe refuses to carry this entourage).

The major flamenco event this year is arguably fabulous singer Miguel Poveda touring all of Spain and several cities abroad together with wonderful dancer La Lupi from Málaga.

On the 19th of October they stage "arteSano" in Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones in La Linea de la Concepción 20-25 km from Jimena.

Poveda is videly recognized as the most influential flamenco artist of our time. The most important flamenco magazines speak of this as Poveda's age, comparing his importance to legends such as Carmen Amaya (1913-1963) and Camarón de la Isla (1950-1992).

Review of arteSano in the Madrid opera in May: "For the world of flamenco, it was one of the events of the century". http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/paginai.jsp?codigo=3441

Short clip from the same performance: http://www.deflamenco.com/videos/verVideoi.jsp?codigo=FLA%7C4039

I've seen him live three times, and each time have been totally different and on the absolute top shelf of my flamenco experiences. Here he's singing a copla in Pedro Almodóvars 2009 movie "Broken embraces": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CJiJX-qLE

The arteSano tour: http://www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/poveda06052012.html

Tickets at telentrada.com.

Miguel Poveda and la La Lupi in Buenos Aires recently with the performance they will do close to Jimena on October 19. A definite not miss! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIgtgiHC45E

Kimhe I will definitely try to get to that flamenco show! Thanks! Any thoughts on what driving route you might take? Stops you might make? Any thoughts on Jimena area?

Adrienne yes this is in addition to the other trip. We are on a sabbatical. Arriving Frankfurt, heading to Southern France then our side trip to Spain and Christmas trip to Italy and Austria etc then back to France all winter. I am doing separate posts as it is too much to put all in one place. Very different from the typical itinerary question for a two or three week trip so trying to break it down into segments.

Still looking for advice on stops and routes and how to work in Granada, Cordoba etc into our stay. Can we focus on the positive? Isn't a trip supposed to be enjoyable? Yes the dog will be a big restriction (but lots of hotels take dogs) yes the weather will get cold. Hope so as we want to ski in January! Have thought things through but surely will discover I have made many mistakes. Right now however I'm just looking for constructive suggestions. Thanks!

Weatherwise I would do the October trip from BCN to Andalucia via an inland route, and back in December via the coastal route. As it can get a bit cold in central Spain. Actually it can get really cold in the center while you often can still sit outside during the day along the Southern and SE coast.

Depending on how many days you have or want to spend on the trips, you could go from Barcelona to Reus, thru the Ebro valley towards Teruel, cross the mountain range to Cuenca, by-pass Madrid towards Cordoba, and finally go to Jimena.
A little zig and zag would include Granada if you liked to see it in October.
The Alhambra can be a sight also in December with hardly any tourist around, but also with the chance of iffy weather.

Going back in December you may like to make a stopover in Valencia.

Aside common believe, Spanish cities and towns are not complicated to navigate with a car - if you refrain from entering the historic town center. Almost anywhere I can think of, from small walled towns in Andalucia to major cities like Valencia you will find either central parking lots before you enter the historic town centers. Or regular parking garages along the major thoroughfares or boulevards that go around the historic "downtown".
Getting there is dead easy: Follow the "bull's eye" traffic sign, usually accompagnied by the text "centro cuidad". You should get a bit sceptical if the text says "casco historico" - as you can guess this denotes the small narrow streets you want to avoid.
Leaving towns is as easy. Usually you get guided out of town by following "todas direcciones" and, when signs get more specific, towards the cities and road numbers. So it does help (unless you got GPS) to take a look at the map and know that, for example from Valencia, you want to take AP-7 towards Castello or Barcelona ( if you want to go north).
Driving in Barcelona is not especially demanding, but you should pay LOTS of attention to the myriads of scooters that buzz around like mad hornets.

Thanks Cowboy I will check out these routes and suggestions! That inland route sounds intriguing.

We may have more time on the return leg as I think heading out we will be keen to get to our apartment and settle in. So perhaps we visit Cordoba on the outbound leg and Granada on the return leg. Seville we can do as a train trip from Jimena. Do you recommend a Valencia stopover?

Sorry you thought I was being negative, I thought I was giving you some clues that will hinder your trip.
I will not say much about the rest of your plans in case they are also too negative.

<< Can we focus on the positive? >>

You've had a lot of good suggestions. I did not appreciate your comment. It's up to you to be positive when people are helping you for free.

You're the negative person with negative comments.

Please forgive me. I did not wish to offend. I do appreciate all the help.

I was reading along with this thread because I am planning a road trip to Spain (my third), and I also found myself thinking: "Why are these people being sarcastic?" I thought kplepen was being nice and overlooking it with pretty good humor. There are some good suggestions here, but maybe people should look at several responses. It is hard to shake the impression that what some people really want to say (but for some reason won't) is that they personally think the poster should not be taking two family trips like this in Europe.

What sarcasm? Adu's joke about the clown? My joke about Renfe? I see no sarcasm on this thread. Or on the other thread. Only help.

Vespa - it's wonderful that you can read people's minds and know what they "personally think." People spend time helping other people here. You may not like the suggestions but they are valid. It's hard to shake the impression that someone who just joined this forum already knows everything about everyone who posts here.

First, the people who post here are all volunteers.

Second, there are many here, not myself, who are extremely generous with their time and information including the numerous Spaniards and those who know Spain well.

Third, it is common to see someone asking for advice about a trip where others see potential problems. The person asking for advice can react in many ways. There are some who just want affirmation and others who truly want advice. Kpie made the major decisions before hs/she got here, so this is more like a renovation than building the house from the foundation. And everyone knows a renovation is much harder.

Lastly, if you can't take some mild humor, then you should seek advice elsehwere and beware the Spanish can be awfully funny, so you may spend your entire being insulted.

The bikes and height restrictions in under- or overground (multi-storey) parking garages will be a problem throughout Europe in the bigger cities.

You can find regular parking lots in Spain (actually, those are quite common in smaller villages where you often will just park at no costs on the street, or at a rather nominal fee at a central parking lot) but already in smaller cities like Cuenca or Teruel this will require some research in advance. There should be always parking lots for buses and RVs, but as you can guess, usually further away from the historic city centers.
The centrally located parkings will almost always be underground or overground garages with height restrictions.
The bike racks only (without the bikes mounted) should not be a problem, though. But you should familiarize yourself with the actual height of your vehicle with racks and with racks plus bicycles on top, and how much that is in meters (and not feet and inches).

Parking fees in Spain's cities usually run by the minute (usually with a cap and discount for 24hrs) and are more or less fixed within one municipality, so it does not matter which parking garage you used in Barcelona. It will cost around 5c/min in central BCN. Compared with other European cities that size, that is not excessively expensive but more or less normal.

If you can solve the problem with the bicycles, you can park your car for a flat fee of €36 for up to 5 days (no in and out, though!) at the Pl. Forum garage at the end of Diagonal. Which would be just a short and inexpensive hop from your apartment by taxi (or bus/metro). And as easily connected to the Ronda Litoral freeway.
You find info in English at bsmca.cat for many parking lots and garages in BCN, including the height restrictions for each lot/garage.

Valencia or Alicante are both good cities for a first stop. Then perhaps go inland and stay a night at the quite spectacular parador in Jaén: http://www.paradores-spain.com/spain/pjaen.html?gclid=CJCnofb89bECFcItmAod0kgAIA

Then a short ride down to Granada with the wonderful Alhambra.
http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/

I highly recommend you to go down from Granada to the Mediterranean coast along the scenic "Suspiro del Moro"-road (the Moor's Sigh). The name comes from the legenedary sigh of Boabdil, the last emir of Granada, when he at the mountain pass known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro, for a last time had a look back upon the now lost city (1492). His mother shall then have said: "You cry like a woman over a city you couldn't defend as a man". http://www.holavalencia.net/2010/02/23/granada-el-suspiro-del-moro-and-almunecar/

Then go along the coast towards Málaga, one of my absolute favourite cities in the country. From there you can go inland up in the Ronda mountains (Serranía de Ronda) towards Jimena de la Frontera. I don't know Jimena myself, but I know people that have had and have a house there. They have been full of compliments, but there are quite a lot of especially British ex-pats living there.

Be sure to visit wonderful Málaga city for at least a couple of days. Genuine Andalusian atmosphere, great tapas bars, cafés, restaurants, nightlife, sights etc.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/nigel-tisdall/8773310/Malaga-Spain-Secret-Spanish-pleasures.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jun/21/malaga-spain-city-breaks-travel?INTCMP=SRCH

I will especially recommend both traditional and innovative tapas at El Tapeo de Cervantes, seafood tapas at La Campana in Calle Granada, 35 or traditional Cortijo de Pepe in Plaza la Merced, 2. All close to central Plaza de la Constitución:
Tapeo de Cervantes: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187438-d1443106-Reviews-Tapeo_de_Cervantes-Malaga_Costa_del_Sol_Andalusia.html
La Campana: http://11870.com/pro/la-campana-malaga
Cortijo de Pepe: http://www.globalcitybreak.co.uk/travel-blog/50-malaga/209-cortijo-de-pepe-the-best-tapas-bar-in-malaga

I can also recommend the many waterfront seafood restaurants in Pedregalejo just east of the city center. Delicious food, affordable and popular with locals.

Sounds like a fabulous trip!

I recommend http://www.homelidays.com/ if you look for accommodations that accept dogs - we were surprised to find how many houses accepted dogs when we took our 3 year old lab on a three week France/Spain vacation. We never dragged him along to museums (don't think they would have let him in), but occasionally to restaurants. You will see a lot of dogs in Spain and France, sometimes in restaurants. My guess is you will have more difficulties with accommodations accepting dogs in Germany, but I could be wrong.

I know it is not on your itinerary, but we really liked the basque country and I think there is some great hiking/biking in that area. And the food....

We once rented a car in Barcelona (against all advice) and found it was not that difficult finding parking in the city, if you are used to city driving/parking. On that same occasion we took day trips to Tossa de Mar (1hour from Barcelona) and Figueras (2h from B). Our teens really enjoyed the Dali museum in Figueras.

THanks for all the great suggestions and tips. Kimhe I'm looking forward to trying out those restaurants in Malaga. We are on a budget so not sure we can swing that parador but maybe we can find something else. We weren't able to find a good longer term rental in Antequera area or in Orvela so we have gone for Jimena. Once I have made it through our final packing and prep I am going to source accommodation for our stops.

Cowboy thanks for the parking lot tip. We can easily take bikes off rack - I will get my husband to verify measurements etc. Grendel I am also pleasantly surprised how easy it is to find accommodation that takes pets. We are definitely planning to stop in Figueras and also Girona, either on the way to Barcelona or on the way back to France. Basque country may need to wait for another trip...

If you are going to spend a couple of days in Málaga on a budget, I can recommend affordable and great value Hostal Victoria. All amenities (private bath, tv, safe etc) and in the absolute best location. Have stayed here several times in recent years. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/victoria.en.html

In general it's a good idea to do as most Spanish and have your main meal at lunch time at about 1.30. Then most restaurants will serve up a great value three course Menu del Día with drinks included for some 8-12€. And of course, the local food markets/supermarkets use to be a feast for the eye and the imagination. Fabulous produce and very economical, at least by my Northern European standards (sadly not by the standards of more and more Spanish these days).

Thanks again Kimhe! We hoped to do daytrips as much as possible but overnight might be the better choice as it is a 1h45 drive to Malaga as well as to Cadiz. Jimena is not ideally located for trips to the bigger cities but we really could not find big enough, village based lodging in many other places. Most places were 1 bedroom or big villas out in the countryside where we would have less chance of meeting people and walking everywhere.

While there is a big expat community in Jimena I have been told the village retains its Spanish authenticity unlike the beach resorts along the coast. I have also found local contacts who are very helpful in terms of activities for our teens. At any rate we are all booked. Let's hope it all works out!!

As said, I've only been told very nice things about Jimena, and I'm sure you will have a great time.

I've only driven through Jimena once, and in all fairness can not really remember what it looked like.
But in general, the villages in that (more off the main tourist trail) region have nothing in common with the huge tourist towns along the coast.
You can do very nice day trips from there, also to the Western coast/ C. de la Luz, e.g. to Tarifa, the huge Roman ruins/settlement at Bolonia, the cliffs trail thru the Coastal forest west of Barbate.. and of course the many trails right in the Alcornocales with the impressive cork oak forests.
For a day out "like the locals" you can ask your local contact about nice picnic areas in the area.. those usually are located in an idyllic setting with fixed BBQ, so you can bring and grill your own meat or fish. Keep an eye on fire restrictions or bans, though, and avoid on weekends when they get really crowded).

Thanks again! We will check these out. And I have been looking into your inland route a bit more Cowboy - Teruel and Cuenca look like fabulous places to check out. I could see spending a night in either place.

When going from Reus to Teruel, you will pass thru one of the best wine regions of Spain (IMO of Europe).

The Priorat DOQ is besides Rioja the only region which may carry this most prestigous label. It's a fairly small region with spectacular vineyards and vineries.
The bottle is almost always at least €15-20, but you may want to sample just once to experience the unique taste. The surrounding region of Montsant makes somewhat similar wines, but at a lesser retail price.
In general, you may be surprised what quality of wine a mere €5 or 7 can buy you in wine section of a Spanish supermarket. Many have wines from the region specially labeled so you find them more easily. And can steer away from the more mass market major players like Torres (not saying that they would not taste good) that you can get anywhere in Europe.
Each village has its central square - though don't always expect fully-fledged restaurants. More often the central "bar" will also be your eatery. Walking around, you will hardly hear much "Spanish" being spoken. And we've seen a few "welcome" signs in villages where the Castilian phrase had been sprayed out. So, unless you know a few phrases of Catalan, don't be shy to use English. Especially with younger folks who are often really good to fluent in English.

While the ubiqious use of the Catalan language may have no effect on tourists visiting Barcelona (almost everybody in tourist-related businesses speaks English), it is important to know a few words when travelling by car.
You should learn the days of week if you want to park on the curb where it may be restricted on certain days.
And understand that if a road is "tancat" it means that it's closed at some point.
You can enter a parking lot or garage when the light indicates "lliure" (free/vacant). Well, and "complet" already looks like complete/full.
As really noone expects you as a tourist to have any spoken command of the language other than hello (hola) and goodbye (adéu) and thanks (gracies), there is not much to prepare for. The first and the last are said as hola and gracias in Spanish/Castilian (just that you don't lisp the C). And adéu is said as you write it (I hope that is also true in English lol).

Not only famous for wine, these Terres del Ebre are also rich of history, from the Templars with their castle guarding the river to the more recent tragedies of the Civil War. There are still the trenches on the mountain ridges and the old village Corbera d'Ebre - left as it was after the fighting had stopped. And you will literally walk through the streets with the houses bombed to rubbles or partially damaged left and right.



Teruel in Southern Aragón is probably one of the most "authentic" provincial capitals I've ever visited. Hardly any tourists though a nice Old Town with the famous Mudejar towers. Theoretically, you are still not in the Castilian-speaking part of Spain, but de facto "Spanish" rules once you crossed the border from Catalunya to Aragó(n).

In Teruel, we just parked on the curb where the paid parking zone ended and walked into town appr. 5 mins.
A few kms outside the city is Dinopolis, a mix of theme park and archeological site. I don't have the URL and did not visit, but I guess Google will find it in no time.
We have stayed in Teruel for one night, though, looking back, I am not sure if I would do it again. I can't even say why. Maybe it was a bit too quiet for a town.
An alternative just a bit West on your way to Cuenca would be Albarracín. One village to see - or even stay overnight if you want a fully historic immersion.
Parking is again on two regular lots with no height restrictions.

The drive from Albarracín to Cuenca will take you across a remote mountain range thru more pine forests with great vistas.

Cuenca sure is one beautiful and impressive town. You can't really go wrong to stay there overnight.
When I was there, we stayed at the small bungalow village Arco Iris appr. 5 mins out of town in the direction of Madrid with a regular gated parking lot.
It obviously had not the charme of staying right IN Cuenca's Old Town on the hill, but its bungalows had 2 br and a large pool/sports area. Larger than you'd expect by the size of the village. Each bungalow had a BBQ. Could be nice with kids. And it was cheap.
But when you check booking.com's map you will also find old convents or farm estates turned into hotels 5-10kms east/northeast of Cuenca. Also an alternative (and a more historic one) to staying in town (thinking about your bikes and the parking problem).

The Enchanted Town (Ciudad Encantada) near Cuenca is a nice sight as well. Bizarre rock formations on several acres of wood.. it's hard to describe but you shall find lots of pictures with Google to get an idea.


Going across Castilla-La Mancha, Don Quixote country, from Cuenca to Córdoba is unfortunately a territory of which I have no knowledge. Except for more Roman ruins near Saelices.
This heartland of Spain, Don Quixote territory, can still be baking hot in fall. Not sure if the sunflower fields will still be there, probably already harvested.

One obvious deviation from the straight line between Cuenca and Córdoba could be Toledo and/or Aranjuez. You won't have to drive into or near Madrid to get there. Just go West on A-40/N-400.

Sorry about the long sermon.. but I really like that part of Spain