Spain - Andalusia - driving a car

Hi all,


My wife and I are still undecided on where to go on holiday, but Andalusia has been on our "to do" list for a while now. We'd like to do a tour with a rental car.

Now, I'm a pretty confident driver, but hectic traffic is not what I want when I'm on holiday.

How is driving in Spain? I heard horrible stories about driving in Barcelona; is it as bad in Granada/Cordoba/Sevilla (which we will visit if it's Andalusia) or is it just like in you're every day big city (I survived Edingburgh and I survive Brussels regularly).

How about toll? Do you have to pay each time you go on the highway, or is it only in certain parts of the region?

Finding a place to park your car in a city is usually a pain. Any tips or suggestions on that?

I assume traffic is most hectic between 7.00-9.00 am and 4.00-600 pm?

Any tips/ideas on what to visit, which are not the obvious (like the Al-hambra in Granada)? Something outside those three cities, like pittoresque villages, nice scenary, something not known by most tourists? We are particularly interested in the Muslim period, so anything related to it would be :2thumbsup:

How's the local cuisine? Tapas, tapas, tapas or are there certain dishes we simply MUST trie?

We plan to go in the period 14-28 of September. Anything to look out for (festivals, holidays, festivities, ...) ?

Go to Australia. :yes:

I've been once, I was quite young, from what I can remember though local markets in some of the larger towns were very good/interesting. Simply driving around is beautiful, it's what we did when I was there, stopping in all the small towns and eating lunch at all the local places. Beautiful country.

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Originally Posted by Andres

Something outside those three cities, like pittoresque villages, nice scenary, something not known by most tourists?

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Hmm, if you want to avoid tourists sticking more inland may be your best bet, i.e. Jaén, Córdoba and the surrounding areas. I couldn't think of any specific good places to visit though, been a very long time since I was last there.

Barcelona is virtually inaccesible by car. You pay tolls each time but there is only one from france to Barcelona and it's only a few euro's, tolls in France will cost you 100 euro or so.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Barcelona is virtually inaccesible by car. You pay tolls each time but there is only one from france to Barcelona and it's only a few euro's, tolls in France will cost you 100 euro or so.

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We'll probably go by airplane to Malaga and pick up a rental care at the airport. We won't go to Barcelona, only cities on the program are Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada.

I hear there's a nice Barber in Seville. You might want to scedual a hair cut while your there.


:beatnik:

Come to Portugal instead.......you come here as a boy....drive 700 km in our roads and leave a MAN!! :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by Ronin

Come to Portugal instead.......you come here as a boy....drive 700 km in our roads and leave a MAN!! :laugh4:

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But the place is dead, everybody is at least 50+, there isn't anything to do.

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Originally Posted by Andres

Hi all,


My wife and I are still undecided on where to go on holiday, but Andalusia has been on our "to do" list for a while now. We'd like to do a tour with a rental car.

Now, I'm a pretty confident driver, but hectic traffic is not what I want when I'm on holiday.

How is driving in Spain? I heard horrible stories about driving in Barcelona; is it as bad in Granada/Cordoba/Sevilla (which we will visit if it's Andalusia) or is it just like in you're every day big city (I survived Edingburgh and I survive Brussels regularly).

How about toll? Do you have to pay each time you go on the highway, or is it only in certain parts of the region?

Finding a place to park your car in a city is usually a pain. Any tips or suggestions on that?

I assume traffic is most hectic between 7.00-9.00 am and 4.00-600 pm?

Any tips/ideas on what to visit, which are not the obvious (like the Al-hambra in Granada)? Something outside those three cities, like pittoresque villages, nice scenary, something not known by most tourists? We are particularly interested in the Muslim period, so anything related to it would be :2thumbsup:

How's the local cuisine? Tapas, tapas, tapas or are there certain dishes we simply MUST trie?

We plan to go in the period 14-28 of September. Anything to look out for (festivals, holidays, festivities, ...) ?

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I certainly hope you didn't take Barcelona to be Spain in the same way you wouldn't take Brussels to be Belgium...

I wouldn't recommend going in summer - if you do, prepare yourself for 45C heat in the middle of the day, and ungodly sun. Personally I love Sevilla in late September, but the April fair is something to see, and it occurs in April, obviously.

Renting a car is probably a great way to see the south of Spain, and if I was to suggest a 2 week trip, it'd start in Granada, to Malaga, then Cadiz, Cordoba, and Sevilla. From there you can either book direct flights back, or get on the train to Madrid (you'll be there in 2 hours on the high speed).

Go hungry too, because food is fantastic. As far as tips go, try to speak at least some spanish. If you're not in the big cities it is extremely unlikely that anyone will speak any english - the spanish always rightfully considered they had no need to learn the tourists' language, instead letting the visitors learn theirs if they want to. However in places like Sevilla most hotels will have some english speaking staff.

Visit the Alhambra, the Great Mosque in Cordoba, and walk around the old town, there's plenty to see. You can also drop into the Alcazar in Cordoba and Sevilla, and I personally love the port and castle in Cadiz. You can almost imagine english pirate ships burning opposite the cannons.

Driving is fairly ok. Don't expect medieval towns to be built for seamless XXI century traffic, and use your common sense and don't be afraid of getting out of the car. However always watch your belongings as andalusians have a bad rep even in Spain for pickpocketing and conmanship. Obviously touristy areas are worse. Just as long as you're not dressed like you're on safari you should be ok.

And enjoy!

I would recommend Carmona (beautiful small city), Antequera (morisco citadel and copper age tombs) and perhaps Italica (Roman ruins if that interests you). Mind you, I've never been to any of these (only Sevilla), I just did an extensive i-net research for my spanish class.

I think the main bit of advice is to stay away from the hotels as much as possible,the level of development on the costa del sol is horrid... ruins the place.

I was in Andalusia a few years ago. I only really saw Cordoba and Sevilla. I did manage to be in Sevilla during the April festivities, which was wonderful.

Then I travelled south to Morocco, which was great. Morocco wasn't great, quite the opposite in fact, but the experience was. The Mediterranean, it turned out, was a much less solid border than you'd expect. Much was a cultural continuum. In food, architecture (see the Moorish originals!), people. Very interesting.


I have no tips for Andalusia that one can't find in a five-page tourist folder.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

But the place is dead, everybody is at least 50+, there isn't anything to do.

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Are you perhaps thinking of the algarve here?

I myself found Portugal very lively. Pretty too. Lisbon is the best city in Iberia, better even than Barcelona. :2thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

I myself found Portugal very lively. Pretty too. Lisbon is the best city in Iberia, better even than Barcelona. :2thumbsup:

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Phreaps I may be a tiny bit biased, but I agree with you. :yes:

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better even than Barcelona.

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Bah. You are wrong.

Just because I'm going to Barcelona someday (oh yes, long live Barcelona FC :bounce:) :beam: :grin2:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

But the place is dead, everybody is at least 50+, there isn't anything to do.

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You said the same thing about Italy! :inquisitive:

Either you are harboring a deep seated prejudice towards swarthy people or you're secretly working for the Netherlands Board of Tourism! CONFESS! :furious3: :smash: :whip:

I spent two and a half weeks in Spain last year, there was an abundance of attractive, young, home grown comestibles to be found...

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Originally Posted by Spino

You said the same thing about Italy! :inquisitive:

Either you are harboring a deep seated prejudice towards swarthy people or you're secretly working for the Netherlands Board of Tourism! CONFESS! :furious3: :smash: :whip:

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never.

It's just true for Italy. Not for Spain though. Or France. or the Netherlands

Lisboa is a verry nice city with lots of thing to do and watch. (especially if the weather is hot ~;) ) and has a decent night life too. Not dead at all if you ask me.

OT: well I never been on Andalusia so err... well...err... see ya!