Costa del Sol, Spain

1. and 2. - http://portillo.avanzabus.com/web/direct-services-to-malaga-airport.html But - where is your condo in relation to the bus station in Marbella (or Marbella itself, if you need it)? And - have you done the maths comparison of car hire (how many are 'we') against these sometimes lightweight, sometimes rushed tours?
Agreed you do not want to be driving IN any of these cities, but the Alhambra in Granada, for example, is well sign posted. Similarly, for Cordoba and Seville, with planning you can be parking on the outskirts, or have directions to car parking. Unless your thinking is the driving time will be onerous.

Thanks, Neil - I don't know how far the condo would be from the bus, but I can check - thanks so much for the good info and website. We have a week and are in no rush, so if there are parking areas on the outskirts and we can hike into town (or would you suggest a bus) that would be an option. Since the two of us don't speak Spanish, we thought a tour that picked us up at the Marbella Crown Resort, took us to the Alhambra, for instance, and returned us to the resort, might be easier than driving. On the other hand there's always the pleasure of riding in a private vehicle and stopping when and where you want. The cost is actually secondary, although still a factor. It would be cheaper to rent the car than pay for the tours depending on the cost of getting from the airport and back.

My thought was along the same line as Neil. If your timeshare is walking distance to the bus station, you don't need to plan tours - just find out when the most convenient bus leaves to take you to where you want to visit. I usually buy my ticket the evening before - but even that is probably overkill - normally you can show up, buy your ticket and hop on the bus. Granada isn't too bad from Marbella a little over two hours driving time each way. You will want reservations to see the Alhambra (even in March) - a tour might be a good idea to cover the reservation. Seville is about three hours driving time. Cordoba is about 2 1/2 hours. The tours may be better for getting you exactly where you want to go, but they are probably much more expensive. The bus stations also sell tours that might be worth comparing.

Thanks, Brad. I think we'll take the Tangiers and Grenada tours and try the rest by car so we can stop where and when we want and not hassle with airport transport. I just ordered a book 25 trips in Southern Spain that I'm hopeful will have great info. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. If it becomes too much of a hassle we'll bus it!

Hi Karyn, I lived in costa del sol for several years and once you step out of the airport there is a taxi rank that will take you to your condo in Marbella. It will probably cost you about 60 Euros so if you arrange a taxi for there and back then you are looking at 120 Euros and then any other taxis that you might need to get you around once you are in Marbella and choose to do things. The total cost of taxis could be more then your 145 Euros for the car. I know what you mean about the petrol charges. Depending on the car company and the type of car they can charge you up 60 - 70 Euros for the petrol. Marbella doesn't have the luxury of a metro system so you would be dependent upon taking a bus or taxi to get everywhere which isnt the best of situations. Since you are also doing a self catering place you would have to consider taking a taxi to do your food shop so that you can stock up on water and food! Unless you are staying right next to a Super Sol or Mercadona grocery store! I have driven in both Sevilla and Granda and I am not sure why it wouldnt be a good idea. Sevilla is a big city and its easy to get around with the car and so is Granada. I would suggest to rent a car as you can do day trips to Gibraltar and or Ronda. You would have far more freedom to do what you would like to do rather then paying out the money to do tours offered by the timeshare.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions as I lived in Marbella for years please let me know

Courtney, thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge of the area. We're proceeding with our car rental. Virtually all the comments on the timeshare's RCI page also indicate a car is necessary. We're looking forward to tooling around at our leisure. Many thanks to EVERYONE who responded. You were all responsible in part for our decision. Rick Steves and his merry band of travelers rock!

Karyn, We too are planning a trip this fall to the Costa del Sol and will be staying at a condo in Malaga for a week. This will be the third European timeshare that we have reserved in the past ten years. One option that I usually consider is to take a mid-week overnight trip to some nearby area so that we have two sightseeing days. Most likely we will spend a overnight in Granada on our upcoming trip. In addition to Granada, we plan on a day trips to Gibraltar and Seville. Also since we are arriving the day before our timeshare week begins, we are picking up our car at the Malaga airport and driving to Cordoba. This should give us a full sightseeing day in Cordoba since our timeshare check-in is open 24/7. By the way when we travel by car in Europe our preference is to leave the car and take public transportation. I have not researched Spain yet but in Bavaria, Portugal and Normandy we used this strategy and it worked well for us.

I think you´re wise hiring a car. It´s not difficult, but neither is it easy driving in the cities. It´s the getting to the different cities that is much more fun if you can stop and explore along the way. There´s so much more freedom like that. I´ve lived here for 16 years and enjoy driving the quiet roads after the bustle of England. Don´t forget there is far more to Andalucia than Granada, Cordoba and Seville all worthy of explorations. Rachel Andalucia Explorer

Thanks, Barbara. I grew up in NYC so am comfortable with mass trans - however, all the advice from folks who have lived in, or extensively visited, Andalusia seem to support renting a car to see the area. We'll pick it up at the airport (already reserved) and drive to the resort. Collapse for a day (coming from Arizona), relax, then combine 2 - 3 of the resort tours - Grenada, Tangiers and possibly Seville - with just meandering around. I'd like to see Cordoba. My favorite travel consists of unrushed meandering/absorbtion of local culture at a pace that my husband and I control. I'd rather relax and people watch at a cafe than squeeze in one more cathedral. A car seems to be the best bet for our travel style. I appreciate everyone's comments!

Don't hesitate to drive in the inner cities as long as you have Google maps and a navigator. And a good relationship with your companion. It's like driving in Boston - you need to know how the one way streets work. Be careful about driving the urban restricted zones; people have been posting about fines even though their hotels registered their license plates. Of course, be prepared to drive stick. If you have driven over roads such as Independence Pass in CO then you will have no trouble with the mountain roads around the White Hill Towns. Though I swear that half way up one pass we drove by Cadel Evans on his bike while facing oncoming traffic and being passed ourselves by five motorcycles.

How do I recognize restricted urban zones, John? I assume they are central city areas where one needs a permit to drive? First I've heard of this. It's been a while since we drove stick, but it shouldn't be a problem - we've driven stick in San Francisco. :-) Stop sign top of the hill. Here's hoping the motorists there are not as crazy as the Mexican bus drivers who pass on a blind mountain curve!

Karyn, I reread my answer about public transportation vs car and realized that I was unclear. What I meant to say is that we would drive to a small town, find safe place to park and then walk and/or take public transportation. In Portugal often the small medieval towns have parking lots just outside the city walls. It is convenient and we really enjoy walking whenever possible. We are looking forward to exploring the Costa del Sol in the same way and would look forward to reading more replies to your question. Barbara

I agree, Barbara - I'm enjoying all the "insider" info!!

Hi Karyn, I dont think that you will have to worry about unrestricted areas. If I am correct you are at the Crown Royal Marbella which is in Calahonda. Its very easy to get to and will only take you about 20 minutes to arrive once you have left the airport. The resort itself is located close to grocery stores and night life and even walking distance to the beach. Once you get there you can get around quite easily on foot as there is plenty to do right in the little area that you are staying in. However if you choose to venture outside of Calahonda then I would get in the car and not rely on the bus. Public transport in Mijas Costa is nothing like NYC. Also There are quite a few speed cameras coming down the coastal road from the airport so be careful not to speed as the tickets are expensive! I would recommend visiting Old Town Marbella and perhaps having a nice evening out with dinner. Its a lovely place to visit and you can walk along the old cobblestone roads and sit outside at your choice of many restaurants. Then you can head down to the Port and choose a nice restaurant/bar where you can sit outside, see the ocean and enjoy tapas!

You're right as to the condo, Courtney. Great info! Thanks!!