Spain Tourism Guide - Spain Car Rental

Cheap Car Rental from Malaga Airport, Costa Del Sol Car Hire

Expect some queuing in peak summer season to pick up your car hire from Malaga Airport. Have a good idea what route you are taking to your hotel prior to arrival. Some refurbishment (as at 2007) is currently underway at Malaga Airport, making getting out of car parks and the airport itself both congested and a little tricky. Just take your time, follow clearly market signs to main roads AP7 and N340, and check your car carefully for damage or marks before heading off. If you find minor damage, return to the car hire desk and report it, make sure it's recorded. Check you also have the reflective jacket and two hazard red triangles usually in the boot, both of which are needed by law in Spain in the event of breakdown. (see Driving Abroad advice on the Foreign Office Advice weblink right). It's well worth doing a little research on driving in Spain prior to your visit, as car hire companies are poor at passing on relevant information.

The Foreign Office (see weblink right) are warning of some incidents of 'highway pirates' operating around the exit road from Malaga Airport and nearby highways. They tend to target car rentals and essentially how they operate is by trying to indicate you have a problem with your tyres. When you stop, they'll offer assistance whilst snatching your baggage. See the Foreign Office Travel Advice weblink right for details. Driving in Spain is on the right and wearing seatbelts is obligatory, with minimum age for car hire by the big car hire firms 21 years, with driving licence. On exit from Malaga Airport if you're pushing on to Costa Del Sol resorts west or east, expect tolls on the AP7 west.

Car Rental from Valencia Airport, Madrid Car Hire, Reus Airport Almeria Car Hire Girona Airport

With car rental from Valencia Airport you've easy access onto the motorway network, and the AP7 south to the northern Costa Blanca. Combining a city break in Valencia with a Gandia, Denia or Javea beach holiday on the north Coast Blanca coast is easily done.

If you're basing your holiday in Madrid city centre, with plans to access some of the attractions around Madrid such as the Escorial palace, car hire is hardly needed as buses, the Madrid Metro, local trains from Atocha Renfe station and cheap taxis will see you through. If you're pushing further afield however, and really want to explore the area around Madrid then car hire is easy from Madrid Airport. Pre-booking is advised to avoid disappointment from this busy European airport.

A good choice of budget car rental firms operate from Girona Airport. Girona is a busy airport, and car hire both for business and tourism is popular. There's much to explore in the Costa Brava area, both along the coast and inland. Diving at Escartit and the Dali Theatre Museum at inland Figueres, alongside touring the Salvador Dali trail. Car Rental for Costa Brava makes touring the area easy. Driving around the Costa Brava is a little less frazzling that touring around Spain's cities and the bigger Spanish resorts to the south, so highly recommended.

Reus Airport is conveniently centrally situated on the Costa Dorada inland from Tarragona. Pick up car rental from Reus Airport for all the main Costa Dorada resorts including Salou and Cambrils. For the Costa Almeria and the resorts of Roquetas de Mar and Mojacar look to Almeria Airport car hire. These resorts on the Costa Almeria, particularly Roquetas, are quite contained and all inclusive, so for easy pushing out for daytrips to Almeria, Cartagena, Cabo de Gata nature park and a fast daytrip to Murcia via the A7 motorway, car rental Almeria is recommended.

Driving in the Costa Blanca - Car Hire Alicante, Car Rental Murcia

The great thing about the Costa Blanca resorts (Benidorm, Calpe, Javea, Alicante and Torrevieja) is that they are relatively easy to get in and out of by car. There is much to see in the Costa Blanca and Murcia area, with a choice of stunning inland villages, numerous blue flag beaches along the coast and a host of holiday attractions around Benidorm, Alicante and La Manga particularly. So much to see and do, and with car hire from Alicante or Murcia, it's all possible in a week or two week Costa Blanca holiday.

Car Hire from Alicante Airport of Murcia Airport is highly recommended to enjoy the region to its max. Ample excursions operate from the main Costa Blanca resorts, particularly Benidorm, but smaller resorts such as Javea are not so well served so car hire is recommended in the smaller resorts.

Driving in the Costa Blanca is relaxed, particularly along the coastal no toll N332. The busiest driving experience you're likely to have is Alicante, but even here in the region's largest city signposting is excellent, with a choice of parking options along the waterfront and around Alicante Marina. Both Alicante and Murcia, although main cities in the region, feel a little more like towns - friendly and easy to navigate around. Driving is on the right, with speed limits on the main motorways (the AP7 is the main coastal Med motorway and is a toll road) at 120kph. Main roads tend to be 100kph, whilst minor roads are 70-90kph. Seat belts are obligatory and it's against Spanish law to drink and drive. Local police do carry out random breath tests. If you're using the AP7 motorway for the first time, the toll operates in a simple fashion much like any other. Take your ticket from the machine at one end, and pay on exit to destination. Watch for signs on the tollbooths for 'Manual' - you'll want that one paying in Euros, not the 'Card' symbol. For a longer drive for example a daytrip to Valencia, or Benidorm to Murcia the toll motorway makes good sense. For shorter excursions, for example Alicante to Benidorm or Benidorm to Altea or Calpe the N322 does fine.