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Discover a country that although unified has distinct regional differences showing in language, customs and culinary tastes. Car hire in Spain takes you from the lush green farmland of Galicia in the north west to the sun kissed beaches of the Costa Blanca. It is also the best way to circumnavigate and truly explore the Spanish administered Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa.
The original road system dating from the 18th century and radiating out from the capital Madrid has in recent years been extensively upgraded. Along side the original roads you will find tolled motorways which will for example, take you from the borders of Gibraltar in the south right up past Girona to the border with France (A7). Look out for a AP (tooled) before a main road number or just A (not tolled) - roads vary between the two.
Spain has a huge central plateau called the "Meseta". This ancient rock covers over 50% of the country and is surrounded by mountains averaging 2,000 feet (600 meters). This means in your hire car you can escape crowded beaches to isolated hill towns quickly, taking in the breathtaking scenery and diversity of the elevated regions.
A tourist hub for many years, Spain has a varied holiday for everyone wishing to avail of car hire. The car hire rates in Spain lead the way for cheaper all inclusive car hire championed by many a car hire broker. The pricing at Spanish leisure tourism airport giants like Malaga and Alicante pushed car hire pricing to affordable levels. It is also the birthplace for zero excess insurance in return for full to empty fuel policies so check your terms and conditions for right excess / fuel policy mix for you.
What to see in your hire car
Love Golf try Valderrama, the famous one of many golf courses.
Located at San Roque near Cadiz on the south west coast is a world famous golfing experience which will set you back from 300 Euros each for a round of golf. The experience of playing on the course designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Sr is a must for any golf enthusiast. If this is a little too rich for your liking then there a many golf courses found throughout Spain. The Costa del Sol has even picked up the nickname Costa Del Golf in recent years due to the many different courses.
Drive to run with the Bulls
A world famous even these days is the running of the bulls in Pamplona, capital of Navarra in the North east of the country close to the border with France and south east of Bilbao. Maybe just watch though as many do get injured in this extreme spectacle annually. If you do take part check your travel insurance as this will probably not be covered.
Shop in Barcelona.
Park your hire car close to Las Ramblas a busy pedestrian street in the city with many shops, cafes and indoor markets to keep you busy. Las Ramblas runs right down to the pier with more shopping in the indoor market as well as the Sea Life centre.
Drive your hire car through villages of white.
The epitomy of Spanish life is sleepy white washed villages with cobbled streets with a wonderful old church dominating the center. To be honest these can be found throughout Spain in your hire car but a hotspot would be around Andalucia with the pick being Mijas. Found on the side of a mountain this gem has it all, topped off with the most famous donkeys in Spain!
See the football
The Spanish League is one of the most famous in the world with record spending, passionate fans and team spread throughout the country and islands. The giants are Real Madrid and Barcelona but talent and a good game can be found in most cities and towns. Check ahead for ticket information and parking for the hire car.
An Arabic past is easy to see.
From the architecture, ceramics motifs to the music and the guitar, Spain has a rich Arabic history dating from the invasion of the 7th century onwards. The pinnacle of their artistic flair can be found in their capital at Cordoba the home of the Mezquita (grand mosque). This truly magnificent building was constructed from 796 AD right up to 1000 AD and is a complex you must see.
Explore the volcanic islands.
The canary islands are named after the large dogs left by the original settler from Africa (Guanches) which are now long gone. The islands are the cones of extinct volcanoes and the vegetation is sparse giving the sense of a moon like landscapes which can be admired from your hire car. The national park at Mount Teide on Tenerife is a spectacular landscape where through geothermal heat you can fry an egg on the rocks. This said in summer on the Canaries you can normally fry an egg on the bonnet of your hire car just from the sun (wash it after though).
Mountain driving and Ronda.
The roads that traverse the Andalucian mountains are an excellent idea in your hire car giving beautiful views and traversing small towns and villages. The town of Ronda is perched on a cliff with a bridge spanning the gorge connecting the old and new town. Look out for the oldest bull ring in Spain as well as the excellent Roman baths.
See great art from Spanish artists
From El Greco to Salvador Dali, Spain has produced some of the finest art the world has seen and it can be appreciated across Spain. From the Miro Foundation in Barcelona to the Guernica by Picasso and the images of Goya in Madrid. Also check out the Picasso foundation located in his birthplace of Malaga. Figueres in norther Spain was the home of Dali - his mausoleum and museum is a homage to the surreal visions he brought to life.
Architecture of the future
Frank Gehry is a man who is transforming cities across Spain from a new conference center near Malaga Airport to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, they are all future treasures to be admire now by hire car. Check out the giant copper fish on the beach at Barcelona too.
With 83 separate locations served by multiple car hire brokers and suppliers Carhire.net have car hire Spain covered.
With household names like Car Hire 3000, Holiday Autos and Sixt fighting for your business you can be sure of the best deal in Spain.
So search now and see why we are simply the best for Car Hire Spain
Spain - Quick Facts
Land area: 499,542 square km (192,874 square miles)
Major physical features
Highest point: (mainland) Mulhacen 3,481 m (11,421 ft), (Canaries) Pico de Teide 3,715 m (12,188 ft)
Longest river: Tagus (part - ends in Portugal) 1,007 km (626 miles)
Population: (2006 est.) 40,397,842
Form of government: multiparty republic with two legislative houses
Armed forces: army 95,600; navy 19,455; air force 22,750
Largest cities: Madrid (capital - 3,092,759); Barcelona (1,578,546); Valencia (785,732); Sevilla (704,154); Zaragoza (638,799); Malaga (558,287)
Official language: Castilian Spanish
Ethnic composition: Spanish 44.9%; Catalan 28%, Galician 8.2%, Basque 5.5%, Aragonese 5%, Roma 2%; others 6.4%
Religious affiliations: Roman Catholic 92%; Muslim 0.5%; Protestant 0.3%; other 7.2%
Currency: 1 euro (EUR) = 100 euro cents
Gross domestic product: (2006) U.S. $1.07 trillion
Gross domestic product per capita: (2006) U.S. $27,000
Life expectancy at birth: male 76.32 years and female 83.2 years
Major resources are coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, pyrites, me tungsten, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, almonds, cereals, cork, cotton, fruit, fish, grapes/wine, olives, sugar cane, leather timber, tin, tobacco, vegetables, tourism
