This is just a foll up to Eddimars who gave some very useful and realistic advice except for the driving part THIS IS IN MY OPINION!!! We did the driving thing from Madrid/Toledo/Cordoba/Seville/Granada and all the other towns that he mentioned. I cannot imagine how else we could have done this if we did not drive!!! Yes the cities can be confusing but found very cheap parking lots US$5 per day. The police and local people were very tolerant to our driving to the hotel door to drop luggage even though we found ourselves going the wrong way on one way streets at times. This was one sure way to be guided to a car park!!! We would park the car for the duration of our stay in the city and either wald or use the local transport, and at the end of the visit move the cara gain to drive to the next place. No problem. <BR>The Alhambra took over 5 hours to really see everything so do this when you have time and are not rushed. <BR>Agree with Eddimars on most of his other observations.Spain is a beautiful country and I cannot wait to return!!!!!!

I agree. The driving in Adalucia was fine especially along the coast. Just don't be overambitious. We rented a car in Malaga when we landed and had it for the 5 days we stayed in Marbella. We took a day trip to Granada (which I can't imagine having been confined to the time constraints of a bus schedule) and were able to take a leisurely drive back stopping in Nerja and Frangiliani (I hope I spelled that right). We drove up to Ronda and then to Seville dropping the car at the airport. We didn't drive around the small towns but rather "to" them. Parking was not expensive (1800 pesetas is less than $10. Here in NY overnight parking is at least $24). <BR> <BR>If you do a search on the message boards, Maribel (and others) has given priceless driving directions and advice. Heed them.

I said that the highways in Andalucia were very good. (This isn't true around Madrid, however.) Getting from town to town is no problem. Of course you have to know which freeway exit to take. Unlike NA where the freeway signs generally tell what attractions are at each exit and tell you what route to take to city center, in Spain you have absolutely no idea where to get off the freeway. <BR> <BR>The problems really start when you go to town. Your advice is very good. As soon as you get off the freeway, park and take a taxi into city center. This is what the hotel clerk at the Anacapri told me that he does. You might find cheap parking lots in the periphery, but there is no way that you are going find a $5 in town in any city. ($25 for 24 hours in New York is one thing. $10 to park 16 hours in Nerja is another.) <BR> <BR>But this the begs the question of why you need a car. Public transportation between cities is very good. The itenerary you describe could easily be done on public transportation. In fact, we did trains Madrid/Toledo/Cordoba and could easily have contined on the AVE to Sevilla. From there, there were plenty of buses and sometimes trains to all the other places we wanted to go. Scheduling is no problem is you do a little research people leaving. The complete Renfe schedule in on the web. There really is no problem at all in scheduling your trip. If your schedule is so tight that you can't take public transportation, you are likely trying to do too much anyway. <BR> <BR>You don't need a car for going between towns. And you don't want to drive in town. QED, you don't need a car. Of course, there may be some places you want to go that require driving. But is won't happen often. Buses go pretty much everywhere in Spain. <BR> <BR>

During one of our visits to Andalucia, my husband and I were driving along the coast from Malaga. All of the sudden, I caught a glimpse of a (very) small road sign with the corner of my eye; The Roman Ruins of Baelo Claudio. We turned around and headed the way pointed by the sign. About 3-4 miles into a country road, right by the ocean was this spectacular site, a Roman town in ruins, market, temples, roads and all. The fact that it was resting on a hill, overlooking the ocean was just one more reason that made the sight breathtaking. Other than a local elementary school group, we had the site to ourselves. I have never seen this place in a guidebook, not even in Spain. There is one picture at http://www.cadiznet.com/ver.asp?/his...o_comercio.asp <BR> <BR>This is one of the many reasons we wouldn't even think of limiting a visit to Andalucia by depending on public transportation. Sorry, not the country to do this.

I completely disagree with Eddiemars. You do need a car to see all the beauty of Andalucía. How could we ever have found the small villages like Ojén, Coín, Monda, Istán, etc. if we had no car? The driving is easy, and we did not face any problem when driving into the city of Ronda or Cordoba. OK, we had to search a while for a parking place but no more than we would in any city in Belgium. <BR>A detailed map is all you need for driving in Spain. All the freeway exits are on it and you simply cannot miss.

Myriam <BR> <BR>We're driving to Jerez to the horse show. We see an exit for Jerez. Do we take or go on to the next exit? There is no map in he world that's going to answer than question. We took the wrong exit and spent an hour driving around lost. <BR> <BR>We do into Seville and look for the Hotel Casas de la Juderia. We follow the signs and end up in a maze of streets, so narrow that we can't get through and are trapped. There's no map in the world that's going to help. <BR> <BR>We arrive in Madrid at night. You cannot see any street signs because few exist and those that do are tiny placks on the sides of buildings. No map in the world can you there. <BR> <BR> <BR>I could give another dozen examples. Maps don't help much, except on the major arteries. <BR> <BR>As far as needing a car to see small places that you might otherwise miss. Yeah, there's some chance. But a small it's small compared to the aggro that you're letting yourself in for. <BR> <BR>I would also advise Americanspeople not to listen advice from from people like Maira, who is apparently Beligiun. European stndards are different. What she might consider acceptible and normal driving is far cry from we are used to here. Most American cities grew up largely design with automobiles travel in mond. European cities, especially the older parts, just aren't design for cars. I really don't understand why they simply are closed off to traffic, period. <BR>

Eddiemars, I agree with you on that last one. We Europeans (I am from Belgium) are indeed used to drive in narrow streets, one-way streets, trafic jams etc. <BR>What we do when traveling by car is taking our time. When we are in the middle of a trafic jam or we end up somewhere where we should not be at all, we try to remain calm. We do speak a few languages, maybe this also helps to get help.

Eddie: While I can appreciate the frustrations of acquiring a new driving mindset along with dealing with language barriers, etc., and while I have certainly gotten lost in Europe, I must say in several driving trips to various parts of Spain, I haven't experienced the lack of signage you apparently did, nor the inability to navigate within cities. What I think is probably the problem is that you were unable to coordinate the navigator-driver relationship. When my husband and I drive in Europe, I usually navigate (I have the better sense of direction and enjoy reading maps). I always have detailed city maps, and when we approach a city, we get very serious about concentrating on directions, with me giving him advance warning as much as possible about what his maneuvers will be. It usually works like a charm. We found our way to Las Casas de la Juderia this way without a problem. Your frustrations notwithstanding, I don't think they are just cause for issuing a blanket "warning" to all Americans who might wish to drive in Spain.

eddiemars, I am sure Belgium people are wonderful, but MAIRA happens to be Puertorrican. <BR> <BR>Well, in case you meant Mirriam, why should people not listen to her and listen to you?

Well what can I say to eddimars. Even though you may not return to Spain ,Driving that is!!! for the sake of the other travellers I would like to point out that I purchased before my trip a Driving atlas from Michelin. Also I got a trip planner from Michelin on the internet which gave EXACT directions... exits,,, driving times, milage etc for free!!! The hotels also give exact addresses and if you ask will give directions. Michelin... this is an excellent service and this is the second time that I have used it. We NEVER got really LOST!!! A bit disoriente d perhaps but never LOST. The thing is that when travelling to a place that you are not famailiar with it is always safe to give yourself extra time. <BR>Another plus for driving yourself...on our way from Toledo to Cordoba we decided to go 'off course' and visited a little town (cant remember its name) nothing special but there was a lovely parador which we visited. This made us late for our check in time in hotel in Cordoba and we were warned (by the hotel) that our room would be given up if we did not show by 5pm. Well.. No problem we got to a phone booth and called the hotel and it was fine!!! Had we not driven ourselves we would have missed the little town and parador and after all that's what a vacation is all about. When we vacation our family wants to experience ALL of a country. <BR>SSHHHHHHHH!!!!! I am not American! <BR>If anyone wants to check out the Michelin site i think you will find it by simply putting in michelin.com. Yes planning can take some time but isn't it better to do some homework to take the hassle out of travelling. <BR>Enjoy Spain!!!!!!

www.viamichelin.com-greaaaat site!

In April I drove Madrid-El Escorial-Seville-Granada-Ronda-Ubeda and many points in between. I couldn't have done it without a car, and some of the most glorious scenery of the trip was seen en route from one destination to another. I agree with Eddie that the signage was insane, but I'd do it again in a blink. This, even though I crushed the side of my car making a tight turn in Ubeda. Lesson: There's a reason free upgrades to swanky big Mercedes are readily available -- everyone who's been there and done that knows it's better to have a wee six-cylinder auto when maneuvering through medieval Andalucian towns! Ah, well. It was fun on the freeway. And to any Spanish person reading this who has nightmarish memories of a pasty American woman, her elderly mama beside her (but pretending not to know her) screaming and cursing and flailing her arms as she navigated the lovely countryside, my apologies. I'm on new medication now and all is well. ;-) <BR>P.S. I'll post my trip report soon... and many thanks to Maribel, Maira et. al. for helping me make it a crazy, entertaining success. Andalucia rules.

Hi Neva! <BR>Great to hear from you and very happy to know that you and your mom made it through with no major mishaps!-have thought often about your joint adventure and wondered how your trip had gone-your posts are very entertaining! I know as well the uneasy feeling of being upgraded to that larger-but-impossible-to-navigate- through-tiny -streets vehicle. Last summer they gave us a "mini" mini-van; thanks, but no thanks. Oh well, it was very comfy with tons of rm for luggage that we didn't have but also a nightmare to naviagate in and out of underground parking garages! Glad you made it back safe and sound! <BR>Regards, <BR>Maribel

We also just came back from Spain and had we not listen to advice from everyone here in the forum i.e., Maribel, Maira, Pedro, we too, will be frustrated. Again, as in everything else..........research, research, and research again. For example, if we have to drive into town, we get a detailed direction from our hotel and although we had 3 maps with us when we arrive in Spain, we bought another one we saw in a local bookstore because it was more detailed. If I travel to another country or place, I don't expect it to be like NA, I see it as an adventure. Adventure it is, but backed up by detailed map and direction. We drove from Seville to Ronda and little towns in between, then Ronda to Nerja and day trips to Frigiliana and Nerja caves, then Nerja to Granada and in all cases did not get lost at all. In some instances someone from this forum, een gave us advice on where the exact location of Hertz rentals are. I will not exchange the freedom and adventure of having a car to public transportation during those trips that we made. Parking is very reasonable and even free in Nerja (street parking).

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