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Written by Savi, 151 Comments

A road trip in Spain – just the mere mention conjures up images of scrumptious tapas, ambrosial wine, affectionate and fun-loving people, pristine beaches, stunning landscapes, and architecture that spans pretty much all ages.

 

Today, we take you on a journey from Andalucía in the South of Spain all the way up to Figueres in the North-East with a suggested itinerary for a Spanish road trip that will let you savour the best of what Spain has to offer. Expect to see sights like this:

 

Spain Road Trip - Cadaques
Spanish Road Trip

 

 

I would like to add that this was a “birthday trip” for Savi, so the idea was to hit as many carnivals and festivals in Spain as possible. Besides having tons of fun, this also made us see the real Spain and helped us understand local culture.

 

Spain Road Trip Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Fly from London to Malaga and pick up rental car
  2. Day 2 – 4: Malaga and some gems of Andalucia
  3. Day 5: Drive to Valencia via Granada
  4. Day 6 – 7: Explore Valencia and get bruised by tomatoes in Bunol and coloured by red wine in Valencia
  5. Day 8: Drive to Figueres
  6. Day 9 – 11: Explore Figueres and the surrounding areas
  7. Day 12: Fly back to London from Barcelona

Total distance:  Approximately 2,000 Kms including the day-trips

 

Spain Road Trip Map
Spain Road Trip Itinerary

 

Malaga and Costa Del Sol (4 days)

 

Malaga is a party-hub and a popular beach-side resort on the Southern coast of Spain. Popular with British tourists, it’s quite cheap to get to Malaga from London. To avoid the commotion, we opted to stay in an adjacent village called Benalmádena – great choice. The beach was quieter and nicer as compared to the one in Malaga and it was just a short drive from the centre of Malaga.

 

A major reason for us to fly into Malaga was to attend the annual carnival in Malaga, also known as Feria De Malaga. People take to the streets and the Feria grounds as early as 10 in the morning. There’s wine, there’s tapas, there’s dancing, and there’s a lot of happy people. We spent the entire day and the evening partying with the locals.

 

Read more about our exploits at the Feria De Malaga (opens in a new tab).

 

Spain Road Trip Feria
Spanish food at the Feria

 

The following morning (what with the hangover!) we decided to enjoy a leisurely Spanish breakfast coupled with a strong cortado (espresso with little milk) and make friends with some locals. Morning well spent, we got into our car, put on our favourite road trip playlist over at Argus, and off we went to explore the surreal rock formations near the quaint village of Antequera. The layered rocks are a sight to behold and the neighbouring village of Antequera is right out of a Spanish fairy tale – cobbled streets, majestic churches, street side cafes, and a towering castle.

 

Read more about our adventures at the surreal rock formations in Antequera (opens in a new tab).

 

Spain Road Trip Antequera
Surreal Rock Formations near Antequera

 

It’s not possible to visit South of Spain and not visit the mighty Alhambra. Make a day trip out of it, and instead of taking the highway, opt for what is now called the “old road to Granada”. The serpentine road will take you through vineyards, rustic houses, treacherous mountains, and our favourite, Rio Frio, a tiny hamlet which is known for Trout fishing.  We’ll be writing a detailed post on this day trip soon, so watch this space.

 

Spain Road Trip Alhambra
The Generalife Palace, Alhambra

 

Accommodation in Malaga

Like we mentioned before, we stayed in Benalmádena, a 20 minute drive from Malaga. The village and the beach were definitely quieter than Malaga, especially in the carnival season. You can compare and book a hotel here.

 

Valencia and Bunol (3 days)

 

Valencia is a bustling city and it’s easy to spend a couple of days just walking around countless Plazas (squares), sampling tapas in hidden tapas bars, and sipping on the local drink, Horchata, a traditional beverage made of ground almonds. The highlight of this segment of our road trip, however, was the day we spent in the tiny village of Bunol, made famous by the annual Tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina. Thousands of visitors descend upon this otherwise sleepy village to partake in the biggest food fight in the world. How could we have stayed behind? We can safely say we came out with a lot of bruises and an aversion to tomatoes, at least for the next couple of days. If you can, definitely plan your Spanish road trip so that you can enjoy the madness in Bunol. La Tomatina festival takes place on the last Wednesday of August each year.

 

If you do make it to  Spain during the last week of August, don’t miss out on the wine fight that happens in Haro near Valencia . Participants pour wine all over each other using water pistols, glasses, and buckets at the La Batalla del Vino festival. Expect unending dancing and revelry.

 

Recommended Reading: Our experience at the Tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina (opens in a new tab).

 

Spain Road Trip La Tomatina
Tomato throwing madness at La Tomatina

 

Accommodation in Valencia / Bunol

We would recommend staying in Valencia instead of Bunol – Bunol is a tiny village and accommodation options are limited. Valencia has tons of places to suit all budgets and needs. You can compare all hotels and book here.

 

 Figueres and Costa Brava (3 days)

 

Figueres is known for the The Dalí Theatre-Museum, which is the largest surrealistic object in the world and houses the largest collection of Dalí’s paintings and sculptures. It’s easy to spend an afternoon in the museum. Owing to the popularity of the town, accommodation is sometimes difficult to come by, so it’s best to set base in one of the neighbouring quaint villages like St. Miquel De Fluvia.

 

Spain Road Trip Figueres
The Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres

 

There is no dearth of picturesque towns in the Catalonian region, Cadaques being one of the most popular ones. For us, however, the medieval town of Besalu and the seaside town of Begur stole the limelight. This region boasts of some of the most spectacular drives and scenery in Spain, not to forget vast expanses of sunflower fields.

 

Spain Road Trip Sunflower Fields
Savi in one of the sunflower fields that dot the roads

 

On the last day of our road trip, we spent the entire afternoon lazing on one of the hidden ‘Calas’ (coves) that are commonly found in Costa Brava. Looking back on the last 10 days, we realised that we had seen so much, met such amazing people, eaten some of the best tapas, and sampled lush wine. The following day we drove to Barcelona to catch our flight back to London.

Accommodation in Figueres / Cadaques

We stayed in a tiny village called St. Miquel De Fluvia. To be honest, you won’t go wrong if you choose any village/town to stay in this region. If you don’t mind the crowds, then definitely go for Cadaques. If you’d like to be in a quieter place, then look for a hotel or apartment near Figueres.

 

The next road trip to Spain, this time through central Spain, is currently being planned as we pen this post 🙂

 

Spain Road Trip Costa Brava
One of the numerous beaches in Costa Brava

 

 

Fact File

  • We opted for self-catering apartments in Malaga, Valencia, and Figueres. The cost was roughly £15 per person per night on an average. You can find more details in our Where To Stay In section.
  • Car rental in Spain is cheaper than other European countries. We paid £15 per day for a 5-door economy car from Hertz. There was NO one-way drop-off fee when renting with Hertz.
  • There are two kinds of highways in Spain – Autopistas and Autovias. The former are mostly toll roads, so if you want to save some money, use the Autovias which have a lower speed limit.
  • All towns and cities are well connected by road and it’s easy to drive in Spain. As always, it’s handy to have a GPS during your road trip, especially if you like to take detours to discover hidden gems like we do.
  • For your visit to The Alhambra, book in advance as the tickets run out fast. The combined ticket to Alhambra, Generalife, and the Nasrid Palaces costs around 14.50 Euros per person. Keep in mind that you have to choose the time of your visit to the Nasrid Palaces when booking the  ticket, so plan your day-trip accordingly.
  • Entrance to The Dalí Theatre-Museum is 12 Euros per person, but in summer, there is an option of a night time visit, which comes highly recommended from us. Tickets for the night time visit cost 13 Euros per person. It’s strongly advised to book in advance.

 

We have been to Barcelona and Madrid on city-breaks in the past, so we wanted to do a road trip that would take us to some offbeat places in Spain, and this particular itinerary did not disappoint. From grand palaces to barren deserts, from windy beaches to the snow-capped mountains of Sierra Nevada, we saw it all.

 

If you are planning a road trip in Spain, you can read all our posts about Spain here (opens in a new tab).

If you love driving as much as we do, you should definitely check out our epic Iceland road trip (opens in a new tab). We can guarantee you that you will be tempted to pack your bags and leave for Iceland 🙂

Drop us a line if you have questions about planning and places to visit – we’d love to help. If you have done a road trip in Spain already, share your tips with us in the comments below 🙂

 

151 thoughts on “The Ultimate Spain Road Trip Itinerary

  1. I haven’t done a road trip in Spain, but watching “Spain: On the Road Again” has made me long to go on one to last for weeks, driving, photographing, eating (rinse & repeat). Fantastic! I’ll have to keep your post in mind!

    1. Henry,

      Wouldn’t that be amazing ? We would love to spend 3-4 weeks (or more) driving through Spain. We absolutely love Spain !

    1. Laks,

      You should go in 2014 – you’ll love La Tomatina. Maybe you can do a similar road trip to what we did 😉

      1. Planning a similar list part of our bucket list.A bit older but looking forward to the adventure

  2. Great job guys! I’ve been longing for Spain for a few years now and have it on my list for the next few years. Will definitely keep this in itinerary somewhere safe for future. Can I ask, how did you find driving in Spain vs driving in the UK?

    1. Hey Jen,

      Thanks 🙂

      If you haven’t driven in Europe before, then you might find driving on the other side a bit tricky to begin with. But you soon get used to it. Driving in Spain was fine as long as you stay out of busy cities. Spanish countryside is very beautiful 🙂

  3. Well done! I will add this into our “to-do” list. Looking at all these road trip posts, I am desperate for one. Have you guys ever done a road trip through French alps?

    1. Hey Snigdha,

      We love driving wherever we go – we have driven in the South of France in the French Riviera but didn’t go further north. That post will be up on the site soon )

  4. Yes, this is on my to-do list so badly! Great idea for a road trip, thanks 🙂 I’ll be looking to do something like this in the next year or so.

    1. Lizzie,

      We are sure you’ll have an amazing time in Spain. Everything about the country is gorgeous.

  5. Ooh, fun! Where are you planning to go for your central Spain road trip? I lived for three months in Merida, the capital of Extremadura, a town full of Roman ruins which receives so few tourists it’s almost like you have them all to yourself most of the time. And I had no idea car rental was so cheap there…if only I could remember how to drive!

    1. Hey Sam,

      Car rental was in fact super cheap. So much so that we had to check twice that the rental agency hadn’t made a mistake 😉 We’ll go to Madrid, Salamanco and Toledo. Merida sounds amazing – we’ll definitely factor that in. Cheers for the tip !

  6. In 2008, I met my then 21 year old son at the Madrid Airport. We rented a car and did a 4 night trip that was a loop with stay-overs in Segovia, Salamanca and Toledo (with a day stop in Avila). Between Avila and Toledo, we drove through the Gredos Mountains. This was a reasonable itinerary for the amount of time we had. My son did the driving. I thought it was because he liked to drive. I only learned later that the only thing he hates worse than driving is the thought of me driving.

    1. Suzanne,

      That is quite a funny story. I’m sure you guys have a good laugh about it now. The places that you visited sound so amazing – we will be covering those on our next road trip in Spain 🙂

  7. Gadhe !Awesome website! Just started going through it to plan my trip to Spain in end-of-June/first-week-of-July for work+leisure.. Too bad I will miss both the bull run and tomatina, but can’t change my travel dates.. 🙁 Expect a lot of queries from my end! :))

    1. Rahul !

      Thanks a lot 🙂 Of course – let us know what all questions you have and we’ll help you plan an amazing itinerary for Spain 🙂

    1. Priyadarshini that’s a good choice for a top-10 list. It was definitely one of the best road trips we have done.

  8. What’s so great about Spain is that you never run out of things to do. Most of the great stuff is hidden in the small towns anyway! My favorite villages are Mondoñedo (Lugo), Cangas de Onís (Asturias), Garganta la Olla (Cáceres) and my boyfriend’s hometown, San Nicolás del Puerto. Pueblos have the cheapest food, the best fiestas, and the cutest grandpas!

    1. Hey Cat !

      All the villages you mention sound amazing. For our next road trip through Spain, perhaps 😉 I completely agree about the cutest Grandpas 🙂

  9. We love Malaga too – The Carnival of Malaga should not be confused with the Feria which you went to in August. Carnival is in February – Both are great parties!!!

    1. Thanks guys ! Your tips came in very handy. Yes, we are also planning a trip to Malaga during the Carnival in February:) Absolutely loved Malaga and the Feria

  10. I love Spain!! You guys should definitely try going to Seville and Ronda sometime. They’re both beautiful and for Ronda, you can even do just a day trip. We drove from Granada to Seville and took a 4 hour break in Ronda.

    1. Hey Naima,

      We have been to Seville – way back in 2009. We were completely bowled over by the city. It’s one of our favourite places in Spain. We really wanted to visit Ronda on this trip, but since we had to go up north and attend the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol, we had to give Ronda a miss this time. Will definitely go there next time. Thanks for the heads-up 🙂

  11. savi and vid awesome job. Spain has been on my mind for a long long time and this is how we’d exactly want to do it. I am going to keep this bookmarked for future use 🙂 Love the name, the content everything about this site. Thumbs up from me !!

    1. Thanks Sneha 🙂

      We loved this road trip through Spain and are planning another one for next year 🙂

  12. Hi guys, great post! I did a 6 day road trip a few years back starting in Malaga and going to Ronda, Marbella, Casares, Granada, Gibraltar, Las Alpujarras and Nerja. I loved Analucia – definitely my favourite part of Spain. The moorish history, mountain towns, hiking and white washed buildings were incredible. Looking forward to reading about your next trip!

  13. the name says it all . Spain seems to be definitely ultimate.. !!! everything from tomato fight to scenic beaches .. all looks amazing !!! 🙂

  14. What a great itinerary, and beautiful pictures! Was the first European country I visited, so it has a special place in my heart. I only went to Valencia and Madrid, but I’ve been dying to go back ever since. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do a trip as cool as this!

    1. Hannah Spain is one of our favourite countries. We’ve taken a number of trips in Spain, but this road trip itinerary ranks right up there as our favourite one 🙂

  15. What was the total cost incurred during the road trip? Was communication ever a problem?

    1. Hey Anmol, the cost of a road trip in Spain depends on the place you’re flying from and the accommodation you choose. Just drop us an email with the details and we’ll get back with an estimate of costs 🙂 Communication isn’t a problem. One can get away with English in most places

  16. An indepth exploration of Spain (beyond Barcelona, which we’ve visited) is high on our travel wishlist. The Alhambra and Grenada (and Seville and Madrid) is calling to us! But we’d prefer not to deal with the stress of driving. Hopefully Spain has a good train system like the rest of Europe?

    1. Spain does have a decent rail system but it’s possible to explore a lot more with a rental car. The Alhambra and Granada are gorgeous – you must explore them soon 🙂

    1. Spain is one of our favourite countries for a road trip Valerie – one is almost guaranteed perfect weather, scrumptious food, and picture perfect villages in every corner of Spain 🙂

      1. I was planning a 10 days trip to spain with friends.We have for 5 places in mind.Barcelona,madrid,valencia,ibiza and formentera.Could you please suggest best road trip possible from these 5 places.I was thinking of barcelona to madrid..

        1. Hi Gaurav,

          We’d suggest driving from Barcelona to Malaga (along the coast, via Valencia) and then flying to Ibiza. To be honest, 10 days might not be enough to enjoy all these things, but if you must, drive from Barcelona to Malaga over 6 days and spend 4 days in Ibiza and Formentera.

          Cheers!

  17. This looks like a perfect itinerary for a road trip!! I will be going to Spain in Winter with my family and I think theres a high probability of us using your suggested itinerary. Too cool to be missed! 🙂 Thank you for this!

    1. Nurin a couple of our readers have followed the exact same itinerary and they loved it. We hope you have a great time too 🙂

  18. Great post! I’m planning to do a coastal road trip similar to yours but in the last week of dec and into January. Have you been to Spain during those times? I heard the winter on the Mediterranean side is quite mild. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Ps did you pass by any vine regions on this road trip?

    1. Hey 🙂

      Thanks ! Glad you like it. You’ll have a great time in Spain. We have never driven there in December, but I’m certain that as long as you don’t go up the Sierra Nevada, you should be fine. Winter will be mild (around 15 degrees Celsius). We once went to Seville (south of Spain) in December and it was amazing. As for vine regions, we did see some near Almunecar – initially we had planned to visit Bodega of Horacio Calvente (very close to Almunecar) but thanks to my constant stops for taking pictures, we had to skip the detour to the vineyard since we had to drive a long way to Valencia that day.

      Have a great trip and let me know if you have any other questions 🙂

      Cheers

  19. Hey guys – Enjoyed reading your travelogue. One question though – Do you guys have an international driving license or will the Indian driving license work for car rentals in Spain? I am planning to follow the same itinerary in Q1-2015 🙂
    Cheers!

  20. Hi there!

    I recently discovered your blog and I am honestly addicted to it! I love travelling so much… I just wanted to ask you, I am planning a holiday to Spain as I have never been, which one city would you recommend? I love your pictures with the sun flowers and beautiful postcard beaches, but ideally would like to go somewhere with a lot to do (kid friendly things) as I will be going with my family and we all like different things. Your response will be much appreciated! 🙂

    1. Hey Shazia – we’re sorry for the late response. If it’s your first time in Spain, then Barcelona is a great city to begin with. The city itself offers lots of kid-friendly activities and the sun-flower fields that you love are just an hour’s drive away 🙂

  21. Hi guys, I’m from India and live in Delhi. My wife and I are planning a short road trip in spain around end May 2015. I would really appreciate it if you could share your email or telephone number with meso that I could connect with more details. My email is jsanjeev1967@gmail.com thanks guys

  22. Hey Guys, great job on the blog!

    Me and my future wife are gonna be travelling to spain for my honeymoon. Were renting a car and wanting to hit all the hot spots and gems in southern spain. Any ideas on where we should be going? We originally planned on flying into Barcelona and driving south but Im thinking we should be flying into Malaga first. Is there a language barrier in the large/small towns. My fiancée has celiac disease (gluten-free), do you think it will be difficult for us/her at restaurants. If so what option/route should we go? Thanks Tony

    1. Hey Tony – English is widely spoken (and understood) in Malaga. Communicating gets a bit harder as you go deeper into the countryside, but it’s nothing a few fervent hand gestures can’t solve 🙂 There are a few speciality restaurants in bigger cities but it might be hard for your fiancée to find food in restaurants in smaller villages. But there are always supermarkets and there’s nowhere better than Spain for dozens of picnics in the countryside 🙂 Hope you have an amazing honeymoon

  23. Hi guys,
    We did a Spain road trip as well.. And your blog really helped us. We wouldn’t have discovered cadaques without you guys! I am completely hooked to your posts !

    1. Aww thanks Shilpa – so good to know! We hope you continue to enjoy our adventures around the world 🙂

  24. Hey Savi Vid,

    Am I glad that I found this post 🙂 we are three families with teenage children from India planning a road trip in Spain in the second half of June. We have 7 days with us and plan on doing Barcelona to Valencia to Madrid.

    Can you recommend if hotels are a better option or apartments ? Also the area which is central and good to stay. Also the absolutely must visit places in these cities ? Will appreciate your inputs !

    Thanks !

  25. I’m so glad to chance upon your site as your experience would hopefully help me with my itinerary. I am planning to rent a car in Madrid and drive up to Barcelona and then back, with a stopover at Zargoza.

    Here’s the thing that makes me think twice about driving. Is it really that bad to drive in the city? Understand parking will be bad but i’m searching for apartments via airbnb that offers free parking space. Is it advisable to drive in the city to places of interest or should i just park my car and use their public transport? Hear from you soon!

    1. Hi Yana,

      In places like Barcelona and Madrid, it can be tricky to drive in the city, especially in office hours. Many of the places in Madrid and Barcelona are well connected by public transport so you should just use that when you can. For driving a bit out of town or for day trips, you can use the car 🙂

  26. He, we are planning to visit Spain and start from Barcelona for about 10-12 days and mostly a road trip… What are ideal days to be at each location.. Cities which we want to cover are Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Costa Brava, Madrid Ibiza and granada.. Please help

    1. Akhil,

      You shouldn’t try to visit all these places in one trip – Ibiza is an island so you will have to take flights to and from. We would recommend 2 days in Seville, 1 day in Granada, 3 days in Madrid, 2 days in Barcelona, 3 days in Costa brava. You can leave Valencia and Ibiza from this trip or it will become too hectic.

      Hope this helps.

  27. I’ve been planning to do a roadtrip like this one…seems amazing!! I have finally a starting point in Spain and you made it easy for me to want to go.
    I’m portuguese and I’m planning to start in Portugal and go to Spain through the South. Since I have time I want to continue and go through the north to Pamplona, San Sebastian Vigo and back to Portugal.
    Do you have any recommendations to these areas?
    Are you considering to do a roadtrip in Portugal? We have amazing places that you would enjoy also.

    Thank you!

    1. Hey Pedro – we loved driving around in Portugal but we’re yet to write about it (we visited Portugal before we had our blog, so it’s one of those stories that never got written!). Pamplona is a great area, less touristy and every bit as amazing as the rest of Spain. Try to rent a cottage/apartment in the countryside – it makes for a perfect base to explore the area

  28. Savi & Vid – if you like the occasional nature tour, check out SpainBirds, they offer several different guided tours (in English) to national parks or wilderness areas in Spain to spot local birds and if you are lucky to see an Iberian lynx. They also go to Morocco…cool! A thought for your next trip to Spain. You can learn more about SpainBirds and other eco tour companies by country destination on my new directory website, EcoTourLinQ.com. also @EcoTourLinQ Cheers!

  29. Hi Savi & Vid,

    This road trip looks enchanting. I was planning to go to Spain with my family and 6 month old nephew. Since we have never been to Spain before, is it possible to add Madrid and Barcelona to this itentiary? Do recommend.

    Cheers

    1. Hi Neha,

      Madrid might be a bit out of the way (or not if you have 4-5 extra days) but Barcelona can definitely be added – it was on the way from Valencia to Figueres but we didn’t stop there this time as we have been there before 🙂

      Hope you have a great trip.

  30. Amazing.. I also read ur Iceland trip.. Thanks a ton.. Now.. I m planning Spain by road in September.. 15 days.. Starting around Sevilla.. Upto barcelona.. Ibiza for a couple of days.. Harley or car? What do u suggest
    Thanks again

    1. Whatever floats your boat, Tarun 🙂 We really can’t comment on that – depends on your tastes and travel style. All we can say is that irrespective of what you choose, you will have a great time in Spain 🙂

  31. Hi Savi and Vid,

    Nice post there. I am visiting Barcelona for four days in the first week of September along with a friend. We have already booked a car (a convertible BMW, thanks to much cheaper rental prices than other countries!) and would like to do some rugged road trips instead of just spending time within the city. So we were planning to drive all the way down to Valencia with little stops here and there and then of course come back to Barcelona as we have our return flight from there. (I might get to meet a friend at Valencia, so can’t change the route)

    So I have come across names like Sitges, Montserrat, Tarragona, Peñíscola, etc. What stops would you suggest me? We could do some onward and some on our return.

    Any kind of suggestion for this driving route would be really helpful. Thanks buddy.

    Warm regards,
    Lalit

    1. Hi Lalit,

      We didn’t stop at many places in that stretch because we wanted to get to Figueres from Valencia. We had lunch at Peniscola and it was nice.

      Have a great trip – with that car and the sea on one side, it can’t really go bad 😉

  32. Hello,
    coming all the way from Australia and planning to travel around Spain and Portugal for about 18 days, starting probably in Madrid or Barcelona. Must see San Sebastian and would like to see the coast,places of beauty, not toooo touristy.
    What would you recommend? We are in our late 50’s, fit and healthy, can get around but don’t want to ride pushbikes! We would prefer to drive, stop, look around, have a bit of lunch, drive some more, look around some more, stop again, settle for a night or two in palace of interest and then go again.
    Many thanks,
    Sue

    1. Hi Sue,

      Perhaps you could start in Barcelona, spend a few days in the city, rent a car, drive to Cadaques or a neighbouring village, spend a couple of nights in Costa Brava. Then drive to Zaragoza or Girona depending on what you prefer and on towards San Sebastian. We haven’t explored the northern part of Spain so won’t be able to comment much.

      We definitely recommend Costa Brava though 🙂 Some parts might be touristy, but some are absolutely amazing. We really enjoyed Besalu and Begur. Just rent a car and explore – you’ll definitely come across a hidden gem – Spain is full of those 🙂

      Hope this helps. Have a great trip in Spain 🙂

  33. hey guys…great post !!!
    I think you guys can help me out. Me and my wife are landing to Valencia in early feb. We have 3 days of work there. After that we want to extend our trip for another 6 days to other parts of spain. Now we should add Barcelona side to it or go for andalucia and Marbella/Malaga. We are more interested in spanish culture, food and wines. We will prefer a self driven car with scenic beauty and stopovers at beautiful villages. What do you suggest.

    1. Hey Nitin – both areas have their pros and cons but you should choose Andalucia and Malaga if you enjoy scenic drives and culture 🙂 There are tons of incredible villages and gourmet tours along the way

  34. Hi guys,
    Have just discovered your website whilst looking for a good guide book to Spain. My husband and I are planning a road trip through Spain, driving down from France and heading to the south of Spain as quickly as possible(although I am tempted to get some info on flights and hire cars after you saying how cheap that is) We spent 4 days in Seville just before Christmas and loved it, and we are particularly interested in places that have had major peninsular war connections. Any suggestions woud be gratefully received!
    Alison

    1. Hi Alison,

      How about driving down the eastern coast of Spain – Girona, Costa Brava, Valencia, Almeria, Granada, and Malaga. To really enjoy this stretch, you will have to dedicate close to 10 days or so 🙂

    1. I dont think you can drive with an Indian Driving Licence. Right now I am in Spain only for holidays and have got my International Driving Permit. I came to this conclusion after too much of search and gather info from so many people. Some car companies like sixt dont care what licence you have but if you would caught by the cop then you will have to pay hefty fine. According to my information, only EU countries issued licences are valid to drive in Spain.

      1. Hey Nitin, an International Driving Permit is nothing but your licence translated into English. Since all driving licenses in India are already in English, we don’t think it should pose a problem. However I’d like you specify that we’ve never been stopped by the cops, so we can’t base this on experience. It’s best to verify this with local authorities before renting a car 🙂

  35. Hey Savi Sid

    I have rented a car from Gold car and specifically asked if IDP is necessary. Their reply was that the car rentals just required the regular licence in English but if in case you get caught by the cops then you will be in trouble.
    So I would recommend to get IDP to avoid the problems and Richa getting IDP is not a big deal in India. I got it in one day only with the validity of one year.
    The one thing I found strange that the Gold car rental company asks for atleast one year driving experience. Otherwise they dont give you the car.

  36. Where is the first picture taken? I am looking into a road-trip through the south of Spain and want to go to as many beach towns as possible.

  37. Need Help in building by itinerary for spain in may. its a 10 day trip..please help.
    i will land and depart from madrid

    1. Hey Vineet – you’ll find all our favourites above. Just pick and choose the towns/cities you find interesting and cover those in the 10 days you have 🙂 Cheers

      1. Hey guys !!
        We are planning for Road trip through Spain this July August.
        Will really appreciate the guidance for Route, Things not to be missed, must visits, and accommodations… Trip duration is no bar for us… We can spend put o 3 weeks !!

        Cheers..

  38. Hi
    We are planning a road trip spain and love the idea of road trip . how did u guys get the driving permit for spain .we r from delhi and dont have international driving permit . Althou we did a road trip thru new zealand 4 years back but they accept indian driving licences. Please help.Plan to go in sept . Also did u do skydiving and scuba if so …please share ur experience

    1. Hey Rashmi – we used an Indian Driving License in Spain. It worked ok 🙂 September is a great time to go to Spain. We didn’t go skydiving or scuba diving in Spain.

      1. Thanks a ton …ur blog is super cool and inspiration for travel adventures . Mite keep bugging u guys till I go to Spain .but just wondering if Ibiza and Majorca will be worth a visit in sept. Also is staying in Marbella as a base in Malaga a better option.

        1. Thanks Rashmi – hope you have an amazing time in Spain. Ibiza and Majorca are great during September – however do beware it is still tourist season, so they will be quite busy. As for the better base out of Malaga/Marbella, that depends purely on what you have planned for your time in Spain 🙂

          1. Hey Savi, do u advise a road trip from Malaga to Barcelona with a one night stop ever in between , maybe at valencia

          2. Hey Rahul – you could definitely do that but do beware that you’d be driving for the majority of the time. This itinerary won’t leave you with any time to explore the places along the way

  39. Hi I just came across your link while trying to plan a road trip to Spain.may be you can suggest what is the best wat to plan it we are planning to leave from NJ to Barcelona on sept 1st & return on Sept 7th.we would like to see Barcelona,Valencia,Sevilles,Grenada not sure if we have enough time to do Madrid also.
    I am open to suggestions & alternate cities if it comes highly recommended.
    Thank You

    1. Hey Poonam – think that’s a LOT to fit in a week. You’ll end up spending most of it in transit. We’d suggest sticking to Barcelona, Valencia, and Costa Brava (gorgeous beaches). If you want, you could add Zaragoza to your itinerary instead of Valencia. Hope this helps 🙂

  40. Hiiii guys.. love love your blog. Thank you for all the information you provide, so helpful!!
    We are planning a trip to Spain in December and were planning to do Madrid – Seville – Granada – Valencia – Barcelona. We were thinking of driving from Seville – Granada – Valencia. Would you recommend the drive? Is it beautiful or should we rather take the AVE?

    Thank you in Advance!
    Manika

    1. Hey Manika – that’s a great drive. Try driving by the coast as far as you can and you’ll love it 🙂

      1. But, is December a good time to drive here? Wouldn’t it be windy and hence too cold, to be at the beaches? Thanks.

  41. Hey, just came across your link , very interesting and inspiring to do a road trip , just wanted to check how safe it is to drive around in Spain and do u think Madrid can be included in a 10 -12 day trip
    Thanks

    1. It’s absolutely safe to drive around in Spain. Yes, of course you can definitely include Madrid on this trip 🙂

  42. Hi Savi Vid,

    glad that i found your trip internery ,, just let me know how about parking facility in spain ..can we park nearby attraction we visit?

    1. Hey Jaya – parking varies from place to place. Generally parking in larger Spanish cities is expensive but plentiful. Hope this helps 🙂

  43. Hi guys!

    Thanks so much for your detailed blog! My friend and I are planning a trip to Spain this April. I have a few questions!!
    My first two questions are about the Andalucia region specifically, because this is where we will be renting a car!
    1) How is the terrain in the countryside? Is it steep/mountainous? We’re a little scared to drive in mountainous areas, especially if there’s no fence on the side of the road!
    2) How are the drivers (in both the city and the country)? We’re from the states and drivers here are pretty tame, so we do not have much experience driving with aggressive drivers.
    3) We are thinking of driving from Granada to Gaucin/Ronda/Grazalema area (to do some hiking). Then from there to Jerez de la Frontera. And finally from Jerez to Seville. Any general suggestions about the itinerary?

    Next I wanted to ask about Costa Brava. My friend and I are thinking of renting a small boat to navigate around the coves. Is there a lot of boating traffic in this area? Would you say this is a good and safe way to get around the coves, or do you guys have any other suggestions? Thanks!!

    1. Hey Swati,

      The terrain is not very difficult to drive on, even when driving through the mountains. The drivers are absolutely fine and drive in a sane fashion. Your route sounds fantastic – try and drive on the old road to Granada (I believe your friend Divya messaged regarding that on another post).

      As for Costa Brava, we didn’t hire a boat to explore the coves so can’t comment on that. Sorry 🙂

      Have a great trip

    1. Hey Anchal – the cost depends on the kind of hotels you choose and the place you’re flying from. But once you’re there expect to spend around $100 per day on fuel, car rental, food, activities etc

  44. Hello!
    Thank you for your post.
    We are six friends travelling to Spain in May 2017. We land in Barcelona and take from Madrid. After spending 5 nights in Barcelona we plan to hire a self-drive a car to costa brava. There we are staying for a night and doing scuba diving next morning and spending the day there. Next Morning we plan to leave south for Valencia and drop the car there. From Valencia we would like to go to Seville.
    Since we are in our early 20’s and not having much experience in driving we want to avoid driving for long distances.

    My questions are.
    1. How much will car rental from Barcelona to Valencia cost which can accommodate 6 adults with 6 suitcases and handbags? Which car can you suggest? From where in Barcelona should we rent a car?

    2. Is it a good idea to go to costa brava only for scuba diving?

    3. How is the journey from Costa Brava to Valencia? Is it a costal drive?

  45. Hi!

    Thank you for sharing your post! This is so very helpful as I’m currently trying to plan a road trip down the coast of Spain. I was wondering how long in advance you booked your car rental through Spain? It caught my eye that you didn’t pay a one-way fee, which is rare and something I was hoping to jump on as well. Any tips on renting a car? I have a rather large group of 6 that I’m planning for, so it’ll be an adventure!

    1. Hi Claire,

      You’re welcome 🙂

      We booked the car 6 weeks before our trip and were happy that we didn’t have to pay a one-way fee. A lot of car rental agencies have these offers from time to time as they need to relocate the vehicles so they’re happy to waive off one-way fees 🙂

      Hope you have a great trip 🙂

  46. Hola Savi-Vid, Lovely pics there. What time of the year did you make this trip? We are contemplating if August is a good time for a road trip on the southern coast. Gracias!

    1. Hi Sid,

      We did this road trip in the carnival season – end August. As you can see, we had a great time. It can get really hot in places in August, but overall it was amazing!

  47. Hola,

    We are planning a road trip to Spain this July 2017, So could you help us in brief the places we should cover, we are there for 9 days with both start and end point in Madrid. Barcelona is a must in our list.
    Also if you could suggest us a good festival/carnival around that time as we are going to miss La Tomatino.

    1. Hey Rahul – we’ve mentioned all our favourite carnivals and places in Spain in this itinerary. You can pick and choose the ones that suit your interest. July isn’t carnival time, so there are a few going around.

  48. Hi Guys! First visit to your site by searching for Road Trips to Spain. Interesting stuff here. Nice to see what you guys are doing. We are 4 adults & are planning a Spain holiday. Were looking at 2 days driving in Spain and then flying to Ibiza & Barcelona. For 2 days, what area of Spain you would recommend; to do a road journey?
    Though seeing your above Road trip itinerary: THE ULTIMATE SPAIN ROAD TRIP; I feel like just copying & pasting it. But people in the group want to do Ibiza.

    1. Hi Anubhav,

      Thanks for dropping by. To be honest 2 days isn’t a lot to enjoy a road trip in Spain. However, you could rent a car in Barcelona and drive up to Costa Brava and spend a couple of days driving around that area – it’s beautiful 🙂

      Have a great trip.

  49. Hey guys! Really liked the site. can you please tell me more about Valencia to Barcelona road trip? Like if it has scenic roads and sea side roads? or its just normal drive!

    1. You can opt for the coastal route – it’s a great drive but I wouldn’t call it spectacular. You should drive to the north from Barcelona (towards Cadaquez) – that’s an amazing drive!

  50. Hey! Loved yoour post and have aleady started planning a road trip. I understand that yoou’ll stayed at Benalmadena and did day trips in your car to Malaga, Antequera, Granada and the beaches. Could you please tell me what the car parking scene was like in these various places (Malaga, Antequera, Granada (Alhambra) and the various beaches)? Is it possible find free parking and if not, how much should one expect to shell out for parking? Also, diid your apartment in Benalmadena offer free parking? I understand that staying away from Malaga city would be comparitively cheaper and would offer parking as well.

    1. Hey you can find free parking in quite a few places but even if you don’t it’s not so expensive (around a euro per hour if it’s not bang in the town centre). Even in Malaga city you can find many apartments with free parking 🙂

  51. Hey guys! This is the first time I have visited your site at the recommendation of a colleague. I have been wanting to do Spain for the longest time and this post has really gotten me excited. However, would you recommend doing an 8 days trip instead of a 12 days road trip? Also, is it safe to drive around with a 3 year old?

    1. Hi Sapna,

      Yes, it’s safe to drive in Spain as long as you pay heed to simple rules and common sense 🙂

      Yes you can definitely do an 8 day road trip – just cut out the places that don’t tickle your fancy 🙂

  52. Hi guys, is there an entry ticket to the feria in Malaga? Also how good was it? Should I be mentally prepared for over priced food/drinks?

    1. Hey there – no entry ticket to the street parties. A small entry fee for the actual Feria and drinks etc are priced a bit more than usual but not crazy overpriced!

  53. Hey Guys. I am biggggg fan. Getting married in Nov. was planning a road trip to Portugal and Spain from end Nov to mid dec . Do you think it will be a good idea ?

  54. Hi guys, We are going to Spain and Lisbon for 8 days on our honeymoon, the entry point is Madrid and exit from Lisbon.
    We were hoping if we can do the road trip in Spain but don’t know if it would be possible in such a short duration. Can anyone please suggest any itinerary?

  55. Hello
    We are a family of 7 traveling to Barcelona on April 1 and leave April 10, 2019. We are interested in driving from Barcelona to Gibraltar then back to Barcelona. Can you help with best route And stops so we get to see as much as possible. Also what is a good company to rent vehicle in Barcelona

  56. Hello Savi and Vid!

    Please keep inspiring us with your stories!!
    We are planning a trip to Spain this summer (Barcelona, Ibiza, Granada and Madrid). Can you help us with any specific not to miss things/food/places around? It would be great if you can direct us to any of your blogs on these places 🙂

  57. Hey guys,

    First of all, I love your blog and have been following it for quite a while! 🙂

    I am planning a trip to Spain in May and would love to have your inputs/suggestions.

    My itinerary currently looks like this – Barcelona (4 nights) -> Malaga by flight (2 nights), which would include a day trip to Granada -> Seville by road (1 night) -> Madrid by road/train (2 nights)

    Have a few questions for you guys:

    1) What do you think of the itinerary? Do you guys think 1 night would suffice in Seville and 2 nights in Malaga?
    2) Is driving around in Spain easy, if you’ve never driven in Europe?
    3) Where did you guys stay in Spain? Do you recommend booking an Airbnb or a hotel?
    4) Is Madrid worth the drive? FYI I’m traveling to Spain for the first time

    Sorry for bombarding you guys with so many questions, but I would love to hear out your suggestions on the points above. Please let me know! Would really appreciate it.

    Cheers!
    Aashray

    1. Hey,

      Here you go:
      1) Looks good. I’d say spend 2 nights in Seville and 2 in Malaga especially if you;re going to Granada
      2) Yes it is. Just get used to it on the first couple of days
      3) We’d suggest AirBnB
      4) Yeah why not? Madrid is nice

      Hope this helps 🙂

  58. Hi Savi and Vid –
    Thank you for sharing the guide, so informative . Trip looks so satisfying.

    I am actually looking out for Spain + Portugal guide for the months Nov – Jan
    If you can share any listing of festivals around the this time that would be great.

    Looking forward.

    1. Hey Shivani – unfortunately most festivals happen during summer months, so you will only find Christmas Markets in the bigger towns around that time 🙂

  59. Hey Savi and Vid,
    Hope you are enjoying at home in Delhi.

    I am a avid follower and you are my first travel blog I refer to before travelling anywhere.
    Going to Spain in July, and this is my first trip to Europe. I wish to see Madrid, Barcelona and will surely follow this road trip (duh?!). Can you suggest something where I can include Madrid and Barcelona also and what all to cover there? If you have an itinerary for there as well.

    1. Hey Prerna – you can easily include Barcelona and Madrid in this itinerary. However would suggest renting a car on your last day in Barcelona as it is really hard and expensive to find parking in the larger cities 🙂

    1. Great time to go – the tourist hordes have calmed down. The only con is some of the beaches might be quite chilly to swim etc

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