Malaga Car Hire Guides - Getting around - Transportation
Introduction - Beaches - Accommodation - Day Trips - Nightlife
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The city of Malaga is only six kilometres west of Malaga International Airport so if your holiday accommodation is within easy reach of the town and beaches a hired car is not essential. You'll find a good range of shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment all within easy walking distance and you can make use of the reasonably priced local bus and taxi services. But if you plan to explore the many delights of the Costa del Sol and inland Andalucia during your visit, hiring a car for some or all of your stay is the best way to do it.
Visit the Andalucian capital of Seville - the home of flamenco and a city rich in history and culture. Tour the bodegas and try the different sherries of Jerez where you can also witness magnificent displays of horsemanship at the Royal Equestrian School of Andalucia. Visit Granada, a vibrant city at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and home to the truly awe-inspiring and world famous Alhambra Palace.
Or head into the beautiful hinterland of Andalucia to discover the "real Spain" in the white villages near Ronda where the way of life seems hardly to have changed for hundreds of years.
The hotly disputed British held rock of Gibraltar is an hour and a half's drive west of Malaga - but if you take the car be prepared for long border delays caused by a deliberate "go slow" policy on the part of the Spanish authorities! Or take the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier where you can visit the Kasbah; expect to be hassled mercilessly by the Moroccans street traders and brace yourself for a powerful cocktail of dirt, noise and smells.
Before you choose your car hire company these are some of the questions you should be asking:
- Does the company have a dedicated desk inside the airport where you can collect your keys and sort out the necessary paperwork and any problems? There's nothing worse than arriving in the middle of the night to find no car.and no-one to complain to!
- Does the company give a commitment on the quality of its cars - are they, for example, all under a certain age?
- Does your hotel in Madrid have parking for guests? Otherwise be prepared for major parking headaches.
- Will you have to pay the local IVA tax (Spanish VAT) of 17.5% or is it included in the price?
- Does the company offer "no quibble" insurance to cover such things as collision damage and theft? Is unlimited third party insurance and basic personal accident damage for the driver and occupants included?
- Will you have to pay an "excess" charge in the event of an accident?
For just popping around the local area you could hire a motorbike, scooter or bicycle.
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