The major international car rental companies have offices in most Andalucian cities and at the airports such as Málaga Airport, Seville, Jerez. The smaller local car rental companies tend to be less expensive. It's advisable to reserve a rental car online before arriving, particularly during peak periods. On arrival follow the instructions in your rental confirmation.
Málaga Airport offers an abundance of choices from a quality selection of car hire companies. The airport is also home to some of the most competitive rates for car hire in Europe.
The first hour of a road trip in Andalucía sets the tone for everything. Silvery olive groves stretch to the horizon, then a whitewashed village appears clinging to a hillside, and before you know it, a church spire is rising out of the plain ahead.
When you are visiting a region as varied as Andalucia, it is well worth renting a car - if not for your whole stay, especially if you're starting or finishing in a city, then at least for part of it.
Renting a car is a great way to see Andalucia, from the beaches to cities to mountains, but you need to be careful about your contract. Here are top 10 car rental tips.
When you hire a car online you are actually reserving a car in a 'rental group' and not a specific make or model of car. Note that adjacent to the name of the car in the listing it will say 'or similar'. The headline car in the listings tends to be an 'expensive' model. The groups and their composition of car makes and models are not published by any of the car hire companies.
All the town of Andalucia are linked by national ( N-340) (Red Signage) or Andalucia ( A-346) (Green sinage) roads. There are still some smaller provincial roads (MA-2547) (Yellow signage) and even smaller comarcal roads (C-4568)(Green Signage).
Lookout for specific speed limits. These will be signed but if you are driving across country you may forget the specific limit applies. Tunnels and underpass even on motorways will be limited to 80 or 100 km/h. Sharp bends will be signed, cross country roads passing through villages will be 50km/hr or road intersections 80km/hr.
The main motorways in Spain are generally well signed. However, if you are unfamiliar with Spanish geography, you’d best travel with a good road map. This is because signs will indicate the next large town or city but may not direct you to major cities until you are relatively close.
GPS works well throughout Andalucia, but there is no substitute for a good road map, the most highly recommended is the Michelin 446 of Southern Spain.
Almost all garages sell petrol at the maximum price permitted by the government. This can vary. As a general rule, most stations are self service. The exception is in some rural areas. Credit cards are universally accepted and tipping is not expected – regardless of what you might read in a guide book.
Spanish vehicle number plates feature the European logo (a circle of yellow stars on a blue background), above "E" for España (Spain), on the left-hand side of the plate. The format of the registration number itself comprises four numbers followed by three letters. They are sequential on a national (rather than regional) basis.
The National Traffic Authority in Spain is called the DGT – “Dirección General de Tráfico” and co-ordinates traffic across the country. The DGT’s website provides some information in English and is a good place to start looking for information about any official documents you would like to acquire, such as the Spanish point-based driver’s license.
All of the provincial capital cities of Andalucia are now linked by two lane motorways.
In addition to losing points from the point-based driving license, traffic law violators in Spain also receive fines. As a tourist or holidaymaker you will be asked to pay the fine on the spot.
Depending on where you are coming from, drivers in Spain will seem either aggressive or polite! Visitors or new residents from countries where driving is more chaotic will probably be pleasantly surprised at the law and order on Spanish roads. However, those coming from North America or Northern European countries are often overwhelmed at first – particularly when they reach their first roundabout!
These are the most basic requirements for drivers on Spanish roads: Driving license, car document and insurance must be carried at all times. Seat belts are worn in front and back seats at all times. Blood alcohol levels must register less than 1.2mg/0.6ml of alcohol be in the blood. (This limit is lower than in many other countries and can be reached after consuming as little as one small glass of wine or beer).
If you want a break from the clamour and crowds on the Costa then explore Mijas, Alhaurin, Coin, Monda, Ojen and also Istan. The scenery is quite spectacular and the roads are well-travelled, yet perfectly good.
In this section we have suggested some itineraries that you can use as a base for tours in Andalucia. These itineraries also link together many other information pages. As always the greatest problem is how to fit so much in a limited period of time and have a holiday as well rather than win an endurance award. You will need a good map.
This route takes you from the coastal city of Malaga, southwest along the coast to San Pedro, then inland up the spectacular mountain road to Ronda. Next, you continue to Algodonales, which is also in the Sierra de Cadiz, before heading southeast down to the plains, and over to Jerez, home of sherry, flamenco and beautiful horses.
