Is anyone familiar with driving in Southern Spain? We will be in Spain from Oct. 5-16 and plan to spend a few days in Madrid and then around Seville and down to the Costa Del Sol. How are the driving conditions? I have rented a car in Turkey, and I know it can't be that bad, but I would appreciate any local knowledge. Thanks

Unrelated note on accomdations. Try the site below. Great rates on a variety of hotels in cities all over Spain.
http://www.bookings.org/es/

I drove in South Spain this past May, and I found the highways excellent. Driving in the big cities was a challenge, but had no problem in Costa Del Sol. Parking your car may be a little high, $10.00-12.00 US per day, even at the hotels. I believe the highway from Seville to Costa Del Sol is a toll road with two tolls to pay. I don't remember the cost. We made a stop in Jerez on the way.

Thanks very much, that is helpful. I had heard that the cities are a nightmare, so we plan to avoid much driving there. Parking does sound a bit expensive, but compared with cities in the US it is still a bargain. Thanks again.

I recently drove from Sevilla to the Costa del Sol and it was a piece of cake. I made a stop in Ronda for a night and loved it! Again, driving in the cities can be a little crazy, but the countryside driving and sites are incredible!

As for the booking agencies, I will try to avoid them. I hate businesses based on making money from other people's work.

They don't do anything. Just book a room and get some money from the hotel. Furthermore, you can be sure the hotel will, somehow, pass on to you the commission they are charged for the agency service. If you want to keep hotels / hostels prices low, then book direct with them.

A good example of what companies can offer by saving on commissions is easyJet . This airline only take bookings through its call center and through its website (and they encourage people to book online). Since they don't have to pay commission to travel agencies, they save money and they can offer better rates.

Iberia also has discovered the power of the internet and it's selling lots of tickets through the internet offering the best deals online only.

Regards,

Antonio