After reading some of the other threads on driving and rental cars, I would love to get feedback on whether my transportation choices are the best option.

We fly into Madrid and will use local transportation(4 days). Fly to Barcelona and use feet and local transportation(3 days). Next fly to Sevilla, again feet and local(2 days). From there we will take the train to Malaga, where we spend a week in Fuengirola.

We are looking at picking up a rental car in Malaga so we can do day trips to Cordoba and Granada. Or would be better off to take local trains/buses? Are there other areas anyone can recommend that we could visit if we had a car for this time?

My husband(aka leadfoot) would be doing the driving and he probably won't be fazed by Spainish drivers. But will parking in Cordoba and Granada make it not worth it?

I would rent a car in Seville and drive to Fuengirola. It is a 2-½ hour drive compared to 4 to 5 hours by bus. Besides where we stayed in Fuengirola, public transportation was not very accessible. You could drive down through Ronda on the way to Fuengirola, and visit a very charming town on the way.

Thanks for the suggestion. Somewhere along the process I got the impression that it was only about 2 hours by train from Sevilla to Malaga.

Does anyone know whether its possible to pick up a rental car in Sevilla and return it in Malaga?

I second the suggestion to pick up the car in Sevilla. Cordoba is an easier day trip from Sevilla than from Fuengirola. You could pick up the car and hit Cordoba on your way down to the coast. (One itinerary suggestion: spend a couple of days in or around Cadiz on the Costa del Luz on your way to Fuengirola, or at least day trip there. You will find beautiful beaches without the crowds of the Costa del Sol.) Yes, you can pick up in one location and drop off in another. Andalucia is a nice place to have a car to wander through little towns at your own leisure. Driving there is very easy. We have driven all over Spain, and the only places I don't like to drive are in the big cities. (My husband learned to drive in Madrid, so you get the picture.) I drove in Sevilla, although I didn't like it and wouldn't have attempted it had I not been familiar with the area. But outside of the city, it's really no big deal. I think there is too much fear mongering out there about driving beyond the big cities. Just remember not to camp out in the left lane on the freeways and you will be fine. (A good rule everywhere.)