Car rental from Toledo ending in Seville

LJA,

What cities or towns do you wish to visit?

If your itinerary includes the popular cities of Córdoba, Sevilla, and Granada, you don’t need a car because you can easily travel via train to all of these places.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the replies. We will be heading to Ronda and Arcos so the car would be best for touring. Sorry I wasn't clear on the fact I am looking for car rental tips in that area. Thanks!

Are you skipping Granada?

If not, don’t forget to book your Alhambra tickets 3 months in advance.

I’ve not rented a car in Spain but hopefully others will chime in with the information you’re seeking.

Enjoy your trip!

I'd start with tips at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation. Spain is one of several European countries that charge highway tolls and want you to bring an International Driver's Permit, along with your driver's license from home. Of the major agencies, Enterprise and Europcar are both present in Toledo; Hertz is further out of town.

I’m not certain what tips your really looking for. Other than what has already been mentioned, driving in Spain is the same as in the U.S. Do not speed, as speed cameras are all over the country and there is no 6kph over the limit grace. If picking up the car in Toledo, head east on the CM42, and consider stopping in Consuegra for its castle and windmills. Just past Consuegra you’ll pick up the E5/A4 south. (Continuing on the CM42 past the E5 for about 15 minutes is Campo de Criptana and its famous Don Quixote windmills). Cordoba’s historic center is small and car free. There are public parking lots so you may want to look a couple up beforehand. Ronda is a small town with one main road running through it. There is a public lot on the south end of town; Parking El Castillo. The lot is about a 10 minute walk to the center of town. If spending the night, consider hotel San Gabriel, or the Parador. In Arcos de la Frontera the main tourist site is at the overlook (Balcon de Pena Nueva). The road to it is straight, but narrow, but there is a small parking lot at it. On the way down, there are a couple 90 degree turns, so a smaller car is better to navigate that portion of the road. If you have a larger car, park in the lot at the bottom of the hill and take the tram up to the top. The roads in the Pueblos Blancos area are rural, and twist and turn through any mountains, but are easy to drive.

I don’t recall any toll roads between Toledo and Sevilla. If there is one it will be a blue sign with the road number most likely beginning with AP- autopista/autovia de peaje.

There may not be many options in Toledo, so it may be easier to take the 30-minute train ride back to Madrid and rent a car at the train station. Or possibly taking a train from Madrid to Sevilla and picking up the car at the Sevilla train station. If you have GPS (highly recommend it), it's pretty straight-forward to drive in or out of Sevilla, probably not difficult to get out of Madrid either.

I always start with autoeurope.com (a consolidator) to see which companies are available. Then I compare the rates with each company's website. I've rented in Sevilla train station and returned in Cordoba station, and I've rented in Jerez, a couple kms from the train station. Once I went through AutoEurope and got Europcar, the other directly with Eruopcar. I was very happy with the car and service both times.

I believe you must have and international driver permit (IDP) for each driver, though you probably won't be asked for it. Check with your credit card company if they offer insurance in Spain and read the fine print. You may or may not need it. You may even be covered by your US auto ins.

Get the smallest car you can manage with. The smaller the car, the easier it will be to drive in the narrow, sometimes steep streets in the hill towns. If you'll have a lot of luggage, you may want to drop some of it off in Sevilla at your hotel. Most hotels will hold bags for 3-4 days if you're planning to staying there. European cars, even the larger ones, do not have a lot of luggage space and you should never leave any items visible in a parked car (and always take valuables with you). Automatic transmission may not be available in smaller cars and are usually a little more expensive.

The roads through the hill towns are usually two-lanes, are well-maintained and well graded, and the views are scenic - with pull-outs where you can stop to enjoy them and take photos. For that reason, don't underestimate driving times :-) Some of the villages are difficult to drive in, you may want to park near the entrance and explore on foot - or continue on to another one. Ronda is a pretty big city with wide streets . . . until you get to the historic center around the gorge bridge. While the town is virtually level, many of the streets around there are narrow with sharp turns and lots of cars parked where they shouldn't be. Patience! Arcos is very steep with little parking. Most people park at the bottom and either trudge up or take the free shuttle.

Thanks for all the help especially Chani. The driving tips are great. I have found the most information online from Europcar but will check around. As we are heading to Granada and Ronda we may as you suggested pick up the car at the Madrid train station as there appear to be fewer car rental options from Toledo. We will definitely get our Granada tickets months ahead and I plan to start trying shortly. Our place in Granada has parking and in Ronda we are staying outside of town so will drive to the outskirts and park. Thanks again!

If you plan to go as far as Seville before heading to Ronda and Arcos, you'll time by using the train as far as Seville.

Thanks for the input. Seville will actually be our last Spain stop where we will be dropping off our rental car and flying to Lisbon.

There's an underground parking lot right in the center of Ronda. From memory and the photo, I'm pretty sure it's this one. That's where my hotel had me park. I don't remember the price since it was included in the room rate. I don't know where "on the outskirts" you are, but it may be worth driving into the center to see Ronda's sights - time saved is money well spent.