Four of us will be in Malaga in October, we have 7 days there and at this stage are unsure as to what mode of transport we will need. We have never been to Spain so any ideas would be great.

I'd rent a car - a big car for 4. Trains are spotty in this area and though buses are frequent with 4 folks it may be as cheap to drive. I'd consider driving from Malaga to: Granada (the Alhambra, finest Moorish relic in Europe, is worth the trip in and of itself!), Gibraltar (see the tail-less monkeys on the 'Rock', one of the weirder places i've ever been to) or Cordoba (fantastic cathedral that was once a mosque and captivatingly ancient warren on streets in the old town, one of Europe's finest collection of medieval buildings. Seville a little farther but still possible as a day - wondrous city as well. Cordoba and Seville two of Europe's finest old-looking cities. Around Malaga itself the coast is a blah collection of high-rise hotels - little Spanish here at all as it caters to the annual British invasion.

Thanks PalQ, Malaga was were we had to take accommodation. We are from New Zealand so your info is a great help.

Actually, in retrospect, trains or buses to these locales are very good - consider public transportation.

Not that far from Malaga is Nerja, Rhonda, Mejas and the White Pueblos. This is one of my favorite areas to vacation. Enjoy!

My experience in Malaga/Costa del Sol area is it's nice to have a car, if you
are staying at a resort, to drive to
the bus or rail station. Public transportation is very good, but not always from your particular hotel/resort. Another problem with rental car is that you should be sure not to have items of interest in the back seat while it is parked. (People
might want to steal them.) Sorry about the gloom and doom, but it's a reality.

If the place you're staying at has parking, a car might be a plus, if it doesn't, it might be a nightmare. I like Malaga, but it is a city and is quite difficult to find parking.

So, it depends.

I really like Malaga--love the Museo Picasso--I think it's one of the best Picasso museums; loved the Gibralfaro--Moorish castle on the hill with fabulous views, the Alcazaba, and the City Center with it's parks and fountains. We got lost in the way in (we were staying in Marbella) and two policemen escorted us to our destination! (It helps to speak a little Spanish.)

Another place I loved was the white village of Frigilana, just a few miles from Nerja. The caves in Nerja are great, but you have such fabulous scenery in New Zealand, that you might want to spend more time in places such as Alhabra (make sure to get reservations--you can do it on the Internet.)

Also, another daytrip could be to Cordoba to visit La Mezquita.

Some helpful websites (besides this, of course) are aboutspain.net, tourspain.es, spainalive.com, red2000.com and of course a Fodor's angel--maribelsguides.com.

I think you're going to love Spain--it's a great place.