My wife and I are thinking about renting a car at Barcelona airport and driving down the coast of Spain towards Castellon and Valencia. Has anyone rented a car in Spain and driven the coast? It looks like I can get a four door Compact automatic for less than $200/week before insurance.
P.s., I have an Int'l Drivers license and experience driving around Europe and Asia.
Looks good. Driving in Spain is pretty easy. About like the US
I always have a rental car in Spain so I can stop where and when I want. I make my reservation in the states because I've been told it's less expensive. I get car insurance through Allianz for $9 a day which is much cheaper than getting it through the the rental company. Also, many credit cards provide rental car coverage, so check your card. Credit card coverage is generally secondary coverage. I've driven literally around the entire country. The roads are fine. The difference with the coastal roads is they are generally only 2 lanes so you get stuck behind tractors, trucks, etc., so it takes longer to get to your destination. If there are a lot of small towns and if it's tourist season then things really slow down. Use Google maps and do a virtual drive of the route you want to take. Then you'll know exactly what the road is like.
I modified my entry: I have to concede that acraven is correct. I checked the U.S. State Department website and it says one is required. I've been driving illegally for years and didn't know it.
Jaimeelsabio, I think your information about the IDP is incorrect. This is what Rick says about the IDP on this website:
"It's a good idea to get one if you'll be driving in Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, or Spain — countries where you're technically required to carry a permit, since you could be fined if found without one. If all goes well, you'll likely never be asked to show this permit — but it's a must if you end up dealing with the police."
I think many people who say, "You don't need one" are reacting to their experiences at car-rental counters. It does seem to be the case that you can often rent a car without showing an IDP. But if you end up in an accident and encounter the police, that's an entirely different situation--one that most travelers (luckily) haven't run into. I think it would be extremely risky (financially) to head off to a country that officially requires an IDP without having obtained one for all the drivers in the party.
Thanks Frank, Jaimeelsabio and acraven for your feedback and advice!
Has anyone traveled the Costa Brava north of Barcelona along Highway N-11 towards Girona? It looks beautiful and very similar to the west coast of the U.S.! If yes, do you have any hotel or restaurant recommendations along the route? It looks like the area is famous for seafood, which sounds great!
Thanks everyone and 'keep on traveling'!
Thanks Frank, Jaimeelsabio and acraven for your feedback and advice!
Has anyone traveled the Costa Brava north of Barcelona along Highway N-11 towards Girona? It looks beautiful and very similar to the west coast of the U.S.! If yes, do you have any hotel or restaurant recommendations along the route? It looks like the area is famous for seafood, which sounds great!
Thanks everyone and 'keep on traveling'!
Conventionally, European road maps mark scenic drives in green, so you can go to ViaMichelin and look for green roads in the areas you plan to visit. That website is also good for route planning, though folks here have commented that the travel times tend toward optimism.
One scenic road I especially remember (though I was on a bus rather than driving) is the one from Figueres to Cadaques; the last part was very pretty. Figueres has the Dali Theatre and Museum, which I skipped but which friends raved about. Cadaques is a pretty (and very touristy) whitewashed former fishing village dripping in bougainvillea.
Girona itself, incidentally, is fabulous. One of my favorite places in Spain. It's also a good base for side trips to Figueres, Cadaques, and the small town of Besalu with its fortified medieval bridge. For just visiting Girona, I'd simply hop on the train.
The last time I drove that stretch of road north of Barcelona was in 1980 and Spain and it's highway system was a different place back then. Back then, Spain only had a couple interstates. Sorry I can't help more.
