I want to rent a car in Seville and drive to the Algarve in Portugal and back to Seville. Is there any problem with renting in Spain & traveling to Portugal? Has anyone found any things "not to miss" between Seville and Sagres, Portugal?

As far as the car rental goes, there shouldn't be any problem with any of the major rental agencies.

Just make sure that you have a green card and permission to take the car to Portugal.
The not to be missed list would be far too long to publish here...may a few clues on your likes and dislikes please?

Hi J,

Always let your rental agency know that you plan to take the car into another country, or another State in the US.

Sometimes the contract can limit your geographical area and you will be without insurance.

Rental cars which travel into another country needs the "Green Card". This is the insurance card which proves it's coverage for European countries.

Blackduff

When you drive towards Portugal and after you've driven past Huelva, there are large oak tree forests. The blackdfoot pigs are let free in this forest area, letting them eat the acorns as much as possible. This gives the special flavour.

Try the ham in Sevilla and select a ham which has the etiquette with JJJJ labels. This is the best tasting ham from those pigs you're passing.

Okay, it's not as impressive as a church but this is a true part of Spain.

Blackduff

Thanks so much for the information. Do I get the green card from Hertz (from whom I'm renting)? I will be sure to taste the pigs in Seville. It will then be most interesting to see them.

If you're an American, renting from Hertz or one of the other major rental companies, and charging the rental to your VISA, MC or AMEX account, you will not need a "green card" to enter Portugal as these credit card companies are your prime insurer for the rental. Just remember to decline the rental car companies own insurance.

Hertz should already the green card with their package of documents.

http://www.dailyolive.com/food-news/...iberico_c.html

<i>The unique flavor of Jam&oacute;n Ib&eacute;rico comes from the pigs themselves and from the way they're raised. The rare Iberian black-foot pigs ('pata negra') live only in Spain, where they have foraged for acorns in the cork oak forests of western Spain for millennia. This diet of acorns contributes to the flavor of the ham, and causes their beautifully marbled meat to be high in heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fat, giving the ham beneficial qualities similar to olive oil. This quality is apparent to the naked eye: thin slices of jam&oacute;n glisten on the plate as the golden fat melts with room temperatures rises above 70 degrees F.

</i>

Excerpt from the Daily Olive.

You'll love this jamon.

Blackduff

Make sure you ask for Jamon de Bellota! Here is an article from the NY Times about ham travels:


never mind..I cannot post the whole page..do a search for Sierra de Aracena in the NY Times travel section if you want to read about the region..

If you drive a car from one European contry to another and have an accident and can not show the actual document called a Green card..ie it is colored green, then you could be in big problems with the local police/Guradia Civil. So PLEASE ensure you have one so that your vacation is not ruined!!!!

Several car-rental companies located at Sevilla Santa Justa Renfe station where the AVE to/from Madrid connects

Going west from Sevilla, you pass the Donana wildlife refuge - largest in Europe. On the western edge of the Donana, south of Almonte is El Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio. There are huge celebrations there around Pentecost Sunday. It may be worth a stop.

Palos de la frontera, southeast of Huelva, is where Columbus set out on his first Voyage of Discovery. There's a statue commemorating that event between Huelva &amp; Mazagon. There's also a Parador named for Columbus.

As Nedsireland mentioned the Coto Do&ntilde;ana is very beautiful. You can take a trip through this park with a land rover or some other type of four wheel vehicle.

The guide will give you a lot of items about this park. Parts of the film about Lawrence of Arabia was shot in the dunes of this park. The visit takes about two or three hours but it's certainly interesting.

Blackduff

For those interested in the history of the &quot;Green Card&quot;, read the following:

http://www.mib.org.uk/GreenCard/en/About/GCHISTORY.htm

The &quot;Green Card&quot; has nothing to do with Americans traveling abroad who use their VISA, MC or Amex to rent a car. The only thing an American should have is the IDP, International Driving Permit, which some rental car companies are now asking for.

sorry Robert,
But any person who hires a car, be they American or not and wishes to travel into another country you have to have permission, from the company, and a green card to prove you have insurance. If the crdit card company cannot provide one then it is strongly advisable to use an insurance that can. Errors cannot be rectified after and you could face jail!

ribeirasacra, I have been renting cars in Europe for a number of years, 3 to 5 times each year, and have never encountered a &quot;Green Card&quot;.

Green Card, a popular name for International Motor Insurance Certificate, serves to act as proof of legal minimum insurance in the countries for which it's issued, which are signatories to the Green Card scheme. Prior to a change in EC legislation, every motorist driving a car across national border was required to carry one. But since every motor policy issued in EU now extends minimum cover throughout the member states, all you need is a proof of insurance in the country where the car is registered, so Green Card is no longer required to be carried when driving within EU but just the national certificate of insurance. Green Card is still a requirement for some countries outside EU/EEA and Swiss when the scheme operates, such as Croatia, Serbia, Turkey etc.
There is a separate issue concerning taking a rental car across borders, and it's to do with CDW, breakdown and recovery service. Some, but not all rental companies, have their fleet covered internationally, while with others you have to state in advance your intention to cross borders and pay extra for recovery service, among other things. You should always say when you're going to take your car outside the country of origin, even if you are bringing it back. Failing to decalre can land you with extra charge, and if you are unfortunate to be involved in a claim or accident, severe financial penalty. In the worst case, you could be accused to stealing the car! In recent years, there have been many cases of typically expensive, desirable cars like rented Mercedes, Audis and BMWs driven into Eastern Europe, never to be seen again.
Here is a UK government site discussing Green Card: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...ance/DG_067624