We are leaving for Costa del sol next week and are planning a day trip to Granada. We will have a rental car and already have tickets for the Alhambra. I've heard there is parking at the Alhambra, but that it's far away from the rest of the city and in order to leave one must muddle through the downtown area. I've also heard that making the historic district (plaza nueva)one's "hub" is advisable, but parking in this area is restricted to taxi's, buses, and those with hotel reservation. Please help!! Any insight or suggestions on where to park while in Granada for the day would be greatly appreciated!

alyssa,<BR>Since your primary focus on your day trip will be touring the Alhambra and Generalife gardens, I would go straight up to the Alhambra and park in their very, very large parking lot.<BR>To avoid the horrendous downtown Granada traffic (where signage is poor and confusing and you can get stuck for an hour trying to negotiate the maze), before you enter the city, simply take the road labeled "Carretera de Circunvalacion" which will take you on a windy uphill path, completely circumventing the downtown congestion, straight to the Alhambra parking lots. Just follow the Alhambra signs and the tour busses. You should see this road both coming inland from Malaga/Santa Fe on the A92/N342 (now called 349?) and also coming up through the mountain pass from the coast at Motril on the N323. Leave the car there; it's safe and easy.<BR>After your tour of the Alhambra, simply take the mini shuttle bus, called the "Alhambra bus" (leaves every 10-15 min. or so from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.) from right below the main entrance/ticket office down to the downtown area. No muddling through downtown by car! The shuttle will let you off right at the Plaza Nueva, and from there it's an easy 5 min. walk to the Cathedral and Royal Chapel and other downtown sites.<BR>Hope this helps.

Maribel you are a blessing! I so much appreciate your information to my question and all the other questions you've answered for others on this site. I've gotten so much useful information from you...Thank you!<BR>p.s. i posted a note regarding bringing wine, cheese, and ham back. any suggestions there?

Hi alyssa,<BR>We've always brought back full rounds of very well wrapped cheese (Manchego usually) and have never had it confiscated because it's not been opened. Sealed packages haven't given us any problem over the years. On our last trip we were asked at US customs (PHL) if we had any "produce" and answered honestly that we were carrying cheese. We did have to go over to the Agriculture desk and have our package inspected but were then sent speedily on our way- no confiscation. We find a good selection of cheeses at the duty free shops in Barajas airport-we buy ours from the Mallorca gourmet store-but sometimes we've brought back cheese from our relatives' tiny village in La Mancha (which I can actually buy here at my US local market but not at the same price!) but always factory wrapped. We've never tried to carry "jamon serrano" even though the Mallorca shop at the airport sells it, sealed, as if it were just fine to bring back. Don't know-I suspect it's now O.K. I can also buy Serrano ham at my market in the US, but at a steep price-but less exp. than real Prosciutto di Parma. <BR>We also usually exceed the limit on wine and just pay the small duty, if any. Agents at our US customs usually never ask us. <BR>I always bring back boxed choclates as well-again, no problem.<BR>Hope this helps, and thanks very much for your kind words.<BR>Regards,<BR>Maribel

Forgot! And always olive oils from the Andalusian town of Baena.