My wife and I just returned from the Costa del Sol and 2 days in Madrid. We found Spain to be such a beautiful country. Day trips from Calahonda brought us to Mijas, Tormelinos, Marbella, Fuengirola, Belamadena, and other "Pueblo Blancas". We just loved the area and the people were so friendly. We found it to be very safe and the highways well marked. Easy to drive around. Madrid was so very beautiful, but no rental car here. Just too congested. Prado, Royal Palace, and many other sites, well worth the trip here. Two days not nearly enough though. Just go, have fun, and ignore all the negatives on this message board. Again, we JUST LOVED IT!

Gary, <BR>Thanks for the review. I am visiting Madrid and Andalusia in November. Any suggestions on inexpensive hotels, places to stay, and best way to see the most in the least amount of time?

Gary--- sounds like you guys had a wonderful trip! Any hotels or restaurants you would recommend? You certainly did Andalucia the right way; by car. The "Pueblos Blancos" are so charming and beautiful. I absolutely adore Spain! <BR> <BR>May I recommend you try some towns to the northwest next? Leon, Santiago, Salamanca, Pontevedra; just breathtaking!

Yusuf, <BR> Glad you are off to Spain in November. As far as an inexpensive hotel, I would recommend you refer to the Fodor book on Spain. We used this book as our guide to see the sights. We stayed at a time share in Calahonda, the Dona Lola Club, it was beautiful. In Madrid, we stayed at the Tryp Ambassador Hotel on Cuesta de Santo Domingo. e-mail: [email protected]. <BR> On the coast, be sure to go to Rhonda. The best route is N340 to San Pedro to A-376. Also to see Mijas is a treat. Go to shops in these villages before siesta time, then visit sites to see later. Most historical places are open 9-5. Check with the Tourist Information at any and ALL towns you visit. They have booklets with highlghts of the area and walking plan. In Madrid, go to the Prado. Free on Sat & Sun. Link up with an English guide at the entrance. Cost us 10,000 Ptas (for six people). A 2 hour "Highlighted" tour of the museum. Excellent! Palace is a must. Go early. like 9-9:30. Price was 2,000 Ptas for 2 people. Tour given in many languages. Plaza de Mayor, and many more sites you can walk to from the Palace. We took a taxi to the Prado. So much to tell you. Feel free to e-mail me for more info. Gary

Hi Gary!! <BR>What is the "proper attire" in Madrid for going out during the day and at night? How was the weather? <BR> <BR>Thanks

Milinda, Madrid was a beautiful 85 degrees. No humidity. The ladies wore a nice short outfit(no sneakers), men wore casual pants & shirts. Men do not really wear shorts in Madrid. Evening is casual dressy. Unless you go to a elegant restauant, we found dress slacks & shirts for men, ladies wore skirts or dresses. Sidewalks are cobblestone in many areas. Ladies did not wear high heels. Flat shoes or low dress shoes.Hope it hepls you. When are you going? Soon? Have a ball!!!

Gary, <BR>We are leaving for the Costa del Sol next week. We are based in a resort in Marbella and have a car at our disposal. Intend to make trips to Ronda, Mijas and other white villages but would also like to visit Cordoba and Granada. Do you think this is possible considering the distance from Marbella to both cities (we would visit only one city in a daytrip). <BR>Hope you will be able to help me out! <BR>Thanks in advance. <BR> <BR>