We are driving from Granada to Sevilla. Does it make sense to stop in Cordoba (for a few hours) enroute to Sevilla, or should we go straight to Sevilla and then take the AVE train there for a day trip? Thanks in advance.

I'd do the former.

zwho,
I would drive straight from Granada to Seville. You would need to go north then back down south. Parking in Córdoba is tough, and you don't, I repeat don't want to leave all of your luggage in the car for an extended period, particularly on the street. The trip from Seville to Córdoba on the Ave is quick, easy, pleasant.

Abeden is right. Córdoba is really far out of your way driving, and the AVE is sooooo fast that it will save you time.

Thanks to all of you. We also want to visit, Nerja, enroute to Granada and Ronda, enroute to Malaga, on our way home from Sevilla. How can we do these with out leaving luggage in the car, or having to backtrack? Thanks in advance.

zwho,
There is a handy underground parking garage in Nerja, just steps from the Balcony of Europe and an underground lot in Ronda under the Plaza del Socorro where we have left our car when in transit from one hotel stay to another. When we exit the car, we leave absolutely nothing in sight, except for perhaps a local newspaper. And we don't open the trunk. There's also a guarded outdoor lot next to the bullring in Ronda, but it gets filled very early in the a.m.

Maribel, I used your advice on our 1st trip to Spain in 2002. We actually parked in the Nerja Lot you mentioned and the Ronda lot next to the Bull ring. It really doesn't make sense to stay in Malaga and do Ronda and Nerja as day trips from there, does it? We only have 7 days total to see as much as we can. Thats why stopping enroute made so much sense. Unless, we can think of a fool proof method top protect our stuff, we will probably just have to take our chances. Thanks again for your kind advice. Mary

Hi zwho,
Wow! Now I do remember your trip! No, It doesn't make sense at all to do Ronda as a day trip from Málaga when you can see it on route. And from Málaga to Granada, yes, stop in Nerja. We actually do this quite often because we don't have a choice, but we're careful about where we leave the vehicle. We always choose either guarded outside parking or an underground garage, and we simply exit the car without opening the trunk and of course, never leaving anything visible in the inside-except that local newspaper! We've never had a problem yet.
Hope you have a great trip!