Car Rentals - Costa del Sol

[ShippL]

We're about to make our first trip to Spain, flying into Malaga on Nov. 11 for a week in Marbella. We use Costco for car rentals, and I have offers from Alamo and Enterprise. All things being equal, I'll go with Alamo. Unlike at most stateside locations, the prices for the two are nearly identical in every class.

Which brings me to the question: Is there an advantage in having a small car? We expect to be doing lots of driving. For safety and comfort, we'd prefer an intermediate (Skoda Octavia) or even a standard (Open Insignia). But if being small is a big advantage, we might go with a compact (Ford Focus).

And is an International Driver's License necessary? AAA pushes them, and I've gotten them in the past, but I've never been asked for it.

 

[Pompey Family]

The advantage of having a small car is that it's best for driving the narrow streets in the old towns. How many people will be in the car and how much luggage will you have? Both the Octavia and Insignia have reasonably large boots that can accommodate several suitcases. The Focus will be a hatchback (they do estates but typically it's a hatchback) which means less luggage capacity and being on show however this isn't a problem if you're not going to be driving around with your luggage and leaving the car unattended.

I wouldn't describe the Focus as compact by European standards, that would be a Fiat 500 or a Vauxhall Corsa in my opinion, so it can comfortably accommodate four passengers. If price is important, if there are two of you and you're going straight to your hotel and dropping off your luggage I'd suggest opting for the Focus. My choice.....the Octavia.

 

[myoakley]

We were on the Costa del Sol last September, and yes, absolutely, I recommend a small car. We drove a mid-size car and struggled with parking. There were underground parkings in the big cities (Sevilla) where it was impossible (at least for me) to maneuver the car into one of the tiny spaces available. We were forced to exit, but the attendant was nice enough to reimburse us the entry fee. Also, the underground parking at the Marriott Playa Andaluza was quite a challenge.

 

[Passepartout]

Get the smallest car that will hold your selves and luggage. Parking is the biggest challenge. The narrow streets don't help either- nor does the VERY expensive gas. Once you are situated at your resort, you may find it more convenient to use public transport than to drive yourselves- other than travel to more distant towns and attractions. Don't sweat the 'International Driver's License', it's simply a translation of your perfectly acceptable state D.L.

Jim