Marbella Spain

Amy, I hear the white hill towns are beautiful..although I have not been there..YET! I am going the first of November 2008. When will you be there and where are you staying?

If you're in Marbella, I would suggest you rent a car. Rentals are very cheap out of Malaga airport because of all the competition, and that'll give you free rein to go anywhere. Ronda is northwest of Marbella by a very windey road...count on about 1 1.4 hours to get there by road. One very interesting "white village" is Mijas Pueblo, not far from you, east towards Malaga. Other day trips could include Gibraltar (where you can park in a garage just steps from the border) and the white villages west of Ronda....down to Jerez de la Frontera. Another day trip could be a tour to Tangiers....lots of operators around to take you. You're also about 2 1/2 hours from Granada and the magnificent Alhambra, a must-see visit if you have a day free.

Jackie,
Hi...I will be staying at the Marriot time share with my friends at the end of august.

Norm, thanks for the tips. Do I need an international drivers license? Should we reserve our car in the US? I looked into rentals and it the costs were around $500+ for the week plus mandatory insurance. Is it worth it or should we go on a guided tour bus? Thanks Amy

Amy, We will be staying at the Marriott Marbella from November 1-8, then to Marriott Andalucia November 8-12. I am very excited. We spoke to a Marriott rep who helped us rent a car from a european company..I can't remember the name. I would still suggest that you get an international drivers license..it's on $15, and could save you some headache later! Also, when we were in Italy we bought the extended super insurance..it was a good idea, because we had an accident..and EVERYTHING/EVERYBODY was completely covered!

Check carjet.co.uk. A nice little Renault Clio with a/c (which you probably won't need in November) goes for about $185/week, including CDW....and no excess charges, so no deposit taken on your CC. And yes, get the international drivers permit from AAA...it's required in Spain. Most cars are standard shift, so make sure you get an automatic if you need it....they tend to go quicker, so book ASAP.

Thanks so much for your helpful info. We are flying into Barcelona arriving Friday 8-29, staying 2 nights, flying to Malaga/Marbella staying until Sat. 9-6, flying to Bilbao for 2 nights. Then we were going to take the train to Amboise for 3 nights then train to Paris for 3 nights. We were thinking about a Spain/France railpass(4days). But if we rent a car in Marbella, then would it be cheaper to pay point to point for the train from Bilbao to Amboise, & Amboise to Paris???? Any ideas?

We drove that area in March. Lots of potential daytrips: White towns, Grazalema National Park, Rhonda, Nerja, Gibralter, Tangier, Cadiz, etc.etc. Granada is doable, and one of top sights in Spain, but to make it work you'd have to get going early, and stay awake on the drive back. It's a pretty staight forward drive, but just as in most European cities you need to have a plan and be on your toes when you get to the traffic in Granada. If I was to do it I would plan on parking the car in Granada and taking taxi/bus to get to the Alhambra to arrive soon after it opens. Do the Alhambra, including gardens, walk down the hill to Plaza Nueva, do Ricks walk through the Albayzin to San Nicolas viewpoint of the Alhambra, then taxi back to car, or whatever else you've got the time for. That is a lot of walking, but if you are a mountain goat you should be ok. If you get tired just take a taxi. Seeing the San Nicolas view after visiting the Alhambra was a treat. This would be quite the adventure for a good weather day, one you might never forget, but I would add that it is for go getters only. A much easier trip is just head north into the white hill towns. Grazalema is nifty and so is the drive over the hill to Zahara from Grazalema. Real easy driving. Lots of neat things to discover. End up at Rhonda and then back. Another full day, but it is beautiful up there. bob

Thank you so much for the great information. I will pass it on to my friends. I know they definitely want to do Ronda.