Spain - Should We Rent a Car or take Trains?
 

We are a couple trying to decide if we should rent a car or just take the train around Spain. I was told that Spain has very good rail system, but we wanted to have the freedom from schedules. If we rent a car, we plan to rent it in Barcelona, drive down the coast to Valencia, then to Granada and Seville, and up to Madrid. Just a little afraid that Spain might be something insane like Italy. What would you do, or have done? Train or car rental?

There is some basic info we'll need to give you a half-smart answer; WHEN are you going? HOW long is the trip? WHAT kind of sightseeing are you planning?

Spain is no different than Italy in that there are areas where it is a pleasure to drive and there are cities where you should not even attempt it. I would not drive in Madrid nor Seville nor Barcelona. No need to either. But, if you are planning to explore small towns, then driving is the necessary way to go. I've done Spain by bus, train and car and it is a calculated desicion, you can paint-brushed it. So, WHEN-HOW-WHAT?

Can't speak to your itinerary since we flew from Barcelona to Madrid and then rented and drove from Madrid to Malaga via Sevilla.

That said, the driving was fine once we were accustomed to the signs, etc. The highways were great; traffic wasn't bad; parking was...questionable at best.

It could go either way, and my primary goal is to bump you up a bit, so you can get some input from others who might have a better idea.

I think since there are two of you, it might be more cost-effective to train, but I'm not sure....

...you can NOT paint-brushed it, that is.

We are going first week of Nov. As far as what we want to see, i guess your basic stuff.. some museums, some sights, some paella, perhaps bullfighting?

Our October itinerary is very close to what you propose. We're going to have a rental car from Barcelona to Granada, but then turn it in and do the rest of the trip (Seville, Cordoba & Madrid) by train.

It's very easy to do Madrid to Seville by train, and Granada-Seville. The Barcelona to Madrid train is a longer journey and for near the same cost many choose to fly. A train south from Barcelona to Granada's not a very good option, which is why we decided to get a car. I've done Madrid/Seville/Granada by train and it's comfortable and convenient; we prefer trains when possible because it's relaxing and we like to avoid driving if we can. Although AVE prices are high, with a rental car you have petrol to think about and sometimes insurance fees so that's not always as cheap an option as one would think.

A lot of people like to have a car before or after Seville if they're exploring the white towns. We opted against that and are doing a 1-day guided tour.

How about a combination of both?

Rent the car when you LEAVE Barcelona (use the Metro while in the city).

For example, once you get to Seville you can easily ditch the car, stay in Seville and then take the high-speed AVE to Madrid.

You'll appreciate the car for driving along the coast and since the train from Granada to Seville takes 3 hours (the bus takes 2.5) I would go ahead and drive that segment as well.

Parking in cities can be a real pain. You would not, IMO, need a car IN Seville and you certainly do not need it in Madrid which has an absolutely excellent Metro system.

We are doing the same trip in 2 weeks. Barcelona fly to Granada car to Sevilla via white towns and train to Madrid. I was told by a number of fodorites and I read that it is easier to drive the Granada to Sevilla portion. I am checking now on the cost of rental cars since we will have another couple with us.

yinandyang,

tell me how u make out on those car rentals. i checked Avis and it looks very reasonable. let me know also how u make out on the international driver's license thing. I havent looked too far into that. All I know is that you can get it at an automobile club or something like AAA. But we are not AAA members. So what now?

we are pretty much planning it like this:

day 1-2 barcelona (2 nites)
day 3 FLY airplane to Cordoba or Granada. Rent a car. 2 nites in Cordoba or Granada.
day 4 take day trips in and around Andalusia region via car rental.
day 5 DRIVE 1 hour to Seville (2 nites)
day 6 day trips in and around seville
day 7 drop car off at seville train station, take AVE TRAIN (only 2 hours) in early morning to madrid; 1nite in madrid.


Any thoughts?

We have done Spain 3 times - various parts - all 3 times by car - for convenience and the ability to enjoy serendipity.

We never had problems on any of the roads, driving is easy - and as for cities - you do what you do in any city - put the car in a garage (your hotel can tell you the nearest).

The only potential issue is driving from Ronda down to the coast. It's a fairly narrow mountain road and - understandably - the locals drive fast because they're familiar with it. If we saw more than 1 or 2 cars behind us we would just pull over to let them pass - then continue on our way slightly less fast- and able to enjoy the scenery.

I don't think you need an international driver's license to drive in Spain, do you? My husband and I will be there next month and are renting a car. We didn't use an int'l license for driving in Ireland a few years ago, and none of our American friends who have rented cars in the EU have gotten them, either...

My husband and I have traveled through Spain by car and other countries on a car/train combination. We find the convenience of the car preferable; it also saved a lot of time in transfers to/from train stations.
Caveat #1: Driving in major cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona, is challenging because many of the streets are in "spoke" patterns and are one-way, to boot. Obviously driving skills are different as well.
Caveat #2: Some of the Rules of the Road differ. For example, no right turn on red; no U-turns. It is important to know these, since the police are empowered to collect fine (usually 90 Euros) on the spot. Therefore, if you are driving in a rural area, you may be surprised by being stopped for a minor infraction and fined a large amount.
Caveat #3: Spain is a very large country--close to the size of Alaska. While the roads are good, the trip you describe will take 2-3 weeks, if you plan to spend any real time enjoying Barcelona, Madrid, and points in between.
Caveat #4: Be sure you have up-to-date maps of Spain before leaving the U.S. Some passes in mountainous areas do not go through.
I'd suggest taking these and other factors into consideration before making a decision.

Tigerlillie,

It's interesting that you say that the itinerary I described is really better for 2-3 weeks. We only have one week in November. What do you suggest? Which cities should I leave out? We arrive in Barcelona and fly out from Madrid. So those two cities are unavoidable.

If it were me, and given 1 week & those start & end cities, I'd consider getting an inexpensive Barecelona-Madrid flight mid-week and sticking to those two destinations, plus day trips like Toledo from Madrid.

We took a train from madrid to seville - very fast and easy. rented a car in Seville and drove to Malaga - took all day with the winding roads and stopping at Zahara and Ronda. We drove to Granada and back one day. Rather than continue to drive or take the train, we ended up flying from Malaga to Barcelona and then 5 days later from Barcelona to Madrid before going home. Iberia has some really low fares - like $29/person each way. it was faster and cheaper than a train and gave us more time in Barcelona.

summagold,

Our trip is 2 weeks, beginning and ending in Madrid. I have been told by a recent returnee that you can do Granada in 1 day, 2 days Sevilla, 2 days Madrid, this person spent the bulk of their time in Barcelona.

Dear SUMMAGOLD,
You are going to the two most fabulous cities in Spain, and will be overwhelmed by the amount of culture and history.
There is much to see and do in both cities. Madrid is surrounded by Segovia, Toledo, and Avila, so you might consider spending more time in Madrid than Barcelona.
The most efficient way for you to the most may be to take some packaged tours that are usually offered at major hotels. Both Madrid and Barcelona are large and fairly crowded with people and attractions). (Think New York, San Francisco, etc.)
What do you want to do and how much time do you wish to spend on it? For example, if you want to see the Prado and Retiro Park, that is equivalent to seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park. Could you really experience New York for the first time without sampling these attractions?
When you arrive you will be tired from the flight, so you might try to take a packaged tour that afternoon, instead of a nap. Take the nap later (we have learned to go out for a while, return to the hotel and set the clock for a few hours' rest) and go out about 10 pm for tapas, so you can see what the locals are really like!
Whatever your choices, you will have a memorable trip!
Tigerlillie
Whatever you do, you will have a wonderful time!

summagold
I recently spoke with a number of travelers and I have decided to do the IDP. With all that is going on over there, I would rather be safe than sorry. Plus it is only $10.

By all means get an idl. You may never
need it, but if you have an accident
you will be glad you have it. Some-
times, in case of an accident, a
country will take your U.S license
There are a lot of day trips from
Barcelona, also.
If you take a taxi, watch the meter
to make sure it is on the 1 and not
on the 2. It spends twice as fast.
Also, wear a money belt. We were
mugged in Madrid and in Barcelona
a pickpocked tried on the train.
They didn' get anything because my
husband doesn't keep anything in his
pockets.
Have a wonderful trip, Spain is a
beautiful country.

cmeyer54,

Thanks for your insight on the drive from Seville to Malaga. But roughly, how many hours did it take you to drive from Seville to Malaga? And from where did you drive to Granada? and how long did it take you? Did you also drive to Cordoba? I am just trying to get an idea how long these drives are going to be.

Has anyone drove to or from Cordoba?

Thanks in advance.