Hello, we will be traveling April 27-May 7 from Madrid to Sevilla to Ronda to Nerja and then flying back to Madrid. Other than the flight, is there any reason I need to book my train or bus tickets between these cities earlier than the day we travel? Thanks!

Where are you flying from to get to Madrid ? There is no airport in Nerja. You could fly or take the train from Malaga. You'd want to buy train tickets in advance because they're cheaper.

I suggest driving from Seville to Ronda (park in Ronda at www.mastein.es and walk down to "the touristy action"). If you can make the time to swing by Arcos de la Frontera on the way to Ronda, even better.

It's a great drive, and it gets even better after that if you don't take the obvious route to Málaga but drive via El Burgo and Yunquera.

In Málaga, park in the complex of the María Zambrano railway station. Then drive to Nerja, in less than an hour.

Michel, Would I need to make a reservation for a car rental ahead of time?

No, you wouldn't, but what you don't want to do is to rent from a small, local place because they would probably want you to return the car to the same place. Better to be able to pick it up in, say, Seville and drop it off in Malaga for no extra charge. Have a look at AutoEurope.

Seville to Ronda is also a sweet bus ride -the buses goes via the iconic perched white villages and stops for a break in a few of them. No need for a car there if you just want to go Seville to Ronda.

for lots on Spanish trains check www.renfe.com- official site of Spanish Railways; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Yes book long-distance trains like Andalusia to Madrid way in advance to get nifty discounts-discounted tickets are train-specific and I believe cannot be changed nor refunded in full.

IME, public transportation is excellent in Spain. No reason to rent a car unless its your preference.

I agree that there is no NEED for a car where there are buses and trains, but when you see a picturesque "white town" on the nearby hillside and can just turn your steering wheel to get there, ditto with many other things you spot as you go along, having the car is priceless.

It doesn't hurt to book ahead - compare prices at the major websites like Europcar, Autoeurope, Kemwel, Sixt - they all don't own the cars, they contract with local businesses that actually are the ones to provide the car. But the contracts they have with those online aggregators make for much better rates than if you just walk into the shop, off the street, without such an advance reservation.

Michelhuebeli makes a great case FOR a rental car. And certainly, there are times when I choose to use one, too! Having a car can offer a freedom not otherwise available and a chance to see places that are not readily visited via public transportation. <b>But</b> there are also some downsides – so, for balance, I’ll try to make THAT case:
- For one thing, some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- For another thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
Again, I’m not saying not to drive. I’m saying that there are both advantages and disadvantages. IMO, it makes sense to give thought to both sides, particularly when traveling in a country in which public transportation is as easy as convenient as it is in much of Spain. JMO.

Oh, I almost forgot one of the <b>best</b> things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.

Second kja's great arguments - especially the last one - for using the usually excellent public transportation in Spain as much as possible. So much more interesting and often also much more effective than going by car.

Most of spain ain't like say France where there is a neat old village every few miles- large swaths of Spain away from the coasts IME are kind of a wasteland - semi-arid scrub brush- tedious driving -better with trains going nearly 200 mph on Barcelona-Madrid-Seville and other lines.