Car Rental in Spain vs. Train and Suggestions for Itinerary

I have not been to southern Spain in many years, so am not really qualified to answer your question. But for our trip (destinations north and west of Madrid) we found driving in Spain to be a delight! The autoroutes were not crowded and were in excellent shape. They all seemed brand new! We speak minimal Spanish. I don't think language will be a problem. Urban areas are more complicated, but we always got to our destination (without GPS) and we always found a place to park. But, as you say, you'll be there at a busy time so others may have something more relevant to say.

You don't need, or want, a car in Madrid. We drove more than we had planned in Madrid looking for gas before turning in our car. It was not a good experience.

That's a lot of hotel moves for just eight nights. I wouldn't do it. Although I believe Chani when she says Cordoba is great for overnight stays, that's too many 2-night stops for me. I'd visit Cordoba on a day-trip from Seville.

Have you checked to see that there are still tickets available for the Alhambra on the day you plan to see it? I am doubtful. Which would be a shame, but if you don't need to go to Granada your itinerary will not be so rushed. A lot of us feel as if a day on which you change hotels doesn't really allow much sightseeing at all. So we'd look at your plans and say, "Four days in Spain for four cities. Good grief."

I have no experience driving in Europe, but I suggest that you use ViaMichelin or Google Maps to get at least an idea of the driving times for your proposed travel legs, then look at the train times on the Deutsche Bahn website. The worst divergence in favor of the train is the Madrid-Seville leg: Train takes 2-1/2 hours; car, 5-1/2 hours. And those driving times don't include any stops, getting lost, looking for parking. Or time spent at the car-rental counter, either, which reportedly is not the expeditious process we typically experience in the US. If you take the train, you can grab food ahead of time and munch along the way. That's not so easy to do--at least for the driver--when you travel by car. Also be aware that a car suitable for 4 adults may very well not have a trunk capacity adequate for their luggage. It's essential not to leave anything at all visible inside your car if you stop for sightseeing or food in transit between hotels.

Further thoughts: You may have to pay quite high daily fees to park in the cities you're planning to visit, and Easter celebrations may mean some streets you'd like to use are blocked off.

On the other hand, you are a group of 4, and if you are not ready to pounce the moment the train tickets go on sale, their cost may be rather high.

Anyway, here are the other estimated travel times (train vs. ViaMichelin's estimates, generally thought to be optimistic):

Seville-Cordoba is about 45 minutes by train vs. at least 2 hours by car (see above).

Cordoba-Granada is 2-1/2 to 4-1/4 hours by train vs. at least 2-1/2 hours by car (see above).

Granada-Madrid is 4-1/2 to 6-1/2 hours by train and at least 4-1/2 hours by car (see above).

Mhawkins,

Your trip dates fall on Holy Week (Semana Santa) and accommodations are at a premium and expensive.

You mentioned that you will be arriving on March 22 and will depart on March 29, so that means that you’ll have 7 nights which translate to 6 full days in Spain.

I don’t think you have enough time to visit all the cities on your list. I’d suggest you choose two destinations instead of 4.
Depending on your interest, you may choose Madrid & Sevilla or Córdoba and Sevilla.
While in Madrid, you can take a day trip to Toledo or Segovia.

Unfortunately Alhambra tickets are no longer available for the end of March, so Granada may have to wait for your next trip.

You can easily travel to all the destinations you’ve listed via train, so there’s no need for a car.

Enjoy your trip!

Edited to add:

I forgot to add this useful website where you can read about Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Spain: andalucia.com

I agree with the others that, for the cities you list, the train will be much easier and less work than dealing with renting a car - especially if you are not able to visit Granada. Traveling by train from Madrid to Cordoba to Seville and back is very easy and quick. We traveled from Madrid to Cordoba by train and it was a very pleasant 1 hr 45 min trip, and from Seville to Madrid I think about 2 hr 30 min, each trip with a snack car and way more leg room than a plane. Check out loco2.com if the Renfe website gives you too much trouble. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for your expertise, I agree 2 cities are better than 4. Is it realistic to plan a beach town trip from Seville or a trip to Gibraltar?

Is it realistic to plan a beach town trip from Seville or a trip to Gibraltar?

Since you only have 6 days on your trip, I’d skip going to a beach town.
Besides, I believe the water will still be icy cold in March.

Gibraltar is time-consuming to reach via public transportation; I don't know how awkward it is with a rental car. The topic comes up a few times a year; you can probably find some earlier discussions by using the search function at the top of the webpage (see magnifying glass). I have never been there, because it is way down the list of places I consider priorities in Spain. If Granada doesn't work out, I'd prefer Ronda and/or a trip to a few of the white villages. Or the magnificent Toledo, for that matter; it's easily reached by train from Madrid. Or an extra night in Seville or Madrid itself.

This might be the best ‘no fuss’ way to include everything you want.

March
22. ARRIVE Madrid. Train to Seville (3N)
23. Seville
24. Day to Cordoba for the Mezquita
25. Train to Granada (2N)
26. Visit the Alhambra (Book well ahead)
27. Train to Madrid (2N)
28. Madrid
29. DEPART Madrid

David, based on an earlier post, it appears that tickets to the Granada are sold out, so perhaps the OP will not want to make that trip this time around.

Oh dear, that’s a spanner in the works. However, most hotels can normally arrange tickets, at a premium of course.

Gibraltar is easy to reach by car. To cross into it one must cross the airport’s runway. During the summer months it is very congested with tourists but shouldn’t be bad in March. However, it isn’t near any of the places you plan on visiting and would be out of the way. For such a short trip there are better ways to spend your time. I always get a rental car but we stop at many small towns not regularly serviced by public transportation. Driving and parking in cities can be a hassle due to the number of one way streets, lack of street signage that can be easily seen, and the pedestrian only zones. Parking at hotels and in pay lots can cost €15 a day. Last, if you decide on getting a rental, keep luggage size and quantity to a minimum since trunks/boots in cars in Europe are generally smaller than in the states.

This might be your best bet then ...

March
22. ARRIVE Madrid (3N)
23. Madrid
24. Day to Toledo
25. Train to Seville (3N)
26. Seville
27. Day to Cordoba for the Mezquita
28. Late train to Madrid (1N)
29. DEPART Madrid

You are all so helpful, thank you! I like the last posted itinerary. Any input on Seville during Easter week festivities is greatly appreciated! Thank you!