We will rent a car for side trip to Toledo and El Escorial and our luggage will be in the car during the daytime. Is it saft to leave our luggage on the car in these cities? Or I can find toll parking garage?

I wouldn't leave your luggage unattended if you absolutely didn't have to. We were broken into once like this in Valencia. You should be able to find a parking garage with an attendant in both of those cities but that's still not a guarantee.

In October we made a day trip to El Escorial and left our luggage in the car. I put a cable around our luggage and locked to the trunk. We made sure not to open the trunk once we parked the car. I was a little nervous but everything was OK. We did the same in Avila and Jerez de la Frontera.

Excellent suggestions from CathyM. I might add some obvious things like NOT to leave travel books, maps, brochures in plain site in the car as this might tip-off would-be thieves that you MIGHT have luggage in the trunk.

Also, you might be in luck now because I believe the new cars (correct?) and new rental cars now have a new license plate which does NOT distinguish its origin as they used to. This is good because it doesn't tell anyone that you're from out-of-town (unless the rental company puts a company sticker in the window or on the bumper, that is).

During my ONE and only visit to Toledo, we parked in an underground parking garage. I assume there was an attendant, but only at the entrance/exit. Not sure if El Escorial has parking lots with attendants or not -- I'd guess not, but I could be wrong.

Good luck and enjoy Spain! Driving is really THE way to go if you don't mind... ummm.. DRIVING! Oh, you might want to search in the "About Spain" (or "Transportation") forum about DRIVING IN SPAIN. I recall a few VERY interesting and diverse threads on the topic, dos and don'ts and what-out-fors. Might help you if it's your first time driving in Spain.

Saludos, MadridMan

You really shouldn't leave anything in plain sight in your car. We traveled with luggage in the trunk without issue, but carried everything...and I mean everything...that didn't fit in the trunk on our person.

We either weren't a target or were never hit...either way, it seems to have worked.

If you're wondering what would be a target for a would-be thief, try this one on:

Two friends of mine who were serving as LDS missionaries in Bilbao had their VW Golf broken into...the thief made off with the obviously-targeted car stereo, but also gave into the temptation to snatch the slightly less valuable leatherbound copy the Holy Bible

I remarked at to my friend that perhaps the crooks should check Exodus 20 where that pesky commandment "thou shalt not steal" is located.....

At the underground parking lots in both Ronda and Granada, I obesevered not only an attendant but a guard patroling the garage.

You are right, as usual MadridMan, about the change in number plates here. They now appear as 1234 BBG for example and as you say make it impossible to tell where the car is from. Hire cars tend to add a little to their vehicles, or in the case of easyCar, a lot, as they have their name in large letters across the doors!

Buy a hanging penant of a football team (sorry, soccer!) of whatever city you are in for a couple of Euros and stick it in the window of the car. When you have finished with it and moved on to the next city, send it to me, as I fancy collecting them (You'd need two in Madrid and work out in advance which one to hang, depending on what part of the city you are in! PS Rayo Vallecano don't count as there aren't enough fans of that club to merit the expense.)

You could also put a dancing Elvis on your dashboard as this is the latest craze over here and that would earmark you as a local Spaniard for sure, unless of course, this silly craze started across the Pond.....?

Anchovy Front, replay is going to GET you with that Rayo comment. He's a BIG fan!

And WHAT'S UP with those Dancing Elvis dolls I saw EVERYWHERE last Christmas?

Okay. Okay. NOW I'M OFF TOPIC! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!! I've totally lost all my sensibilities. Hahha.. Okay. Start a new thread on "Dancing Elvis dolls" in the "About Spain" forum and we'll get a good giggle. Wish we could find a photo of them on the net.

Okay. Here's my ON TOPIC comment. Ummm... Don't leave anything of GREAT value in your car whenever possible. Carry your camera, cash, and jewelry with you at all time. Hmm.. that doesn't sound like good advice at all.. Just don't even TAKE your good jewely to Spain at all! How's that? Take a decent looking cheap watch and leave the diamonds at home.

Saludos, MadridMan