Walking in Granada is by far the easiest way to see the city. With the exception of the number of hills, Granada is a very walkable city with the main sights and monuments fairly close together. The difficulties of the hills presents itself when visiting the Alhambra, Albaycin and Sacramonte. Note that once you arrive at the Alhambra the walking inside the complex is on mostly flat land. However, there are plenty of stairs to climb as you make your way through the site and the gardens (Generalife). The Albaycin can be a challenge if you have difficulty with hills, but taking your time to stop and enjoy the sights and plazas along the way helps. Both the Alhambra and the Albaycin are accessible by mini-bus if you prefer to ride up and then walk down.

Biking in Granada gives you a way to see some of the outlying neighborhoods and sights in the city. With more hills to climb than nearby cities Seville and Cordoba, biking to some locations can mean a lot more physical exertion. One company which rents a city tour type of bicycle is Ecoway Bike Rental.

Ecoway Bike Rental
Address: Plaza Cuchilleros, 6
Tel: 672 228 890 or 958 050 691
Web: ecowayrental.com

If you want to get places quicker, avoid the hassles of parking and don't mind spending a little money then a scooter, or moto, may be a solution for you. You get great gas mileage as well! If you are familiar with riding a moto and have spent some time in a European city using one then I suppose Granada is not that difficult. Do be aware that there is a helmet law in effect and the police will fine you for not using one. You will also need insurance for a moto, although for a ciclomotor you don't need a driver's license (it all has to do with the cylinders the moto has), which makes it a popular choice for those who don't want to pay for classes and go through the hassle of getting a license.

The drivers or riders of motos in most of Spain are famous for their "flexible" attitude regarding the laws of the road. Red lights don't always mean stop: you will often see people on motos sneaking through them. There is also a tendency to weave through traffic, either to make one's way to the front of the line at a light or simply moving through traffic which is going slow. In witnessing these habits I wonder why there are not more serious accidents on motos. You are of course not obligated to perform any of these acts but you will certainly see them.

For renting in Granada you can try Jmoto which is not far from the train station.

Jmoto Granada
Address: Calle Nécora, Local 11-13
Tel: 958 804 549
Web: motorbikerenting.com

Red painted city buses are the predominant public transportation. A series of micro-buses provides transport to the Alhambra, parts of the albaicin and Sacromonte.

Where the city bus can be the most useful four tourists is to take you to the Alhambra or to the top of the Albaycin. Once you arrive at the top of either sight you can enjoy a walk down so you don't miss the streets and surrounding areas. Lines which connect to the regional bus system and the train station are also helpful if you don't have a lot of luggage.

Information about bus lines at:
Transportes Rober
Tel: 958 813 750
transportesrober.com

-One-way-ticket: 1,10 Euro
-One-way-ticket (night - Bus Buho): 1,20 Euro
-Voucher with 7 trips:5 Euro
-Voucher with 16 trips: 10 Euros
-Voucher with 35 trips: 20 Euros
-Monthly pass: 35 Euros

If not during peak-hours during the main fiestas, you can get a taxi very fast. Wait until you see a taxi with a green light on and wave your hand. The price is around 5-7 Euros to get across the city center. If you need a taxi in advance you can call the below numbers. And if you plan to call then I recommend a good level of Spanish. Keep in mind that the taxi meter begins to run from the time the taxi departs to pick you up, so calling in advance may result in a fare of 1 - 2 Euros higher than hailing a taxi in the street. But if you are leaving for the ariport or train station very early in the morning, there is peace of mind in having a taxi waiting for you.

A few more helpful hints for taxis:

• Luggage: extra charges will be added for luggage handling (by piece), holidays, Sundays and late night rides.
• Number of people: 4 people is generally the maximum allowed in a taxi.
• Paying: Taxi drivers prefer smaller bills to larger one (i.e.: avoid using a 50 or 100€ bill)
• Tipping: Drivers to not expect tips, but rounding off the change is normal.

Radio Taxi. 
Tel: 958 15 14 61

So how far from Granada are the various cities and towns you may want to visit? The distances below are approximate andto some of the most popular destinations:

Getting to the station from the center /Getting to the center from the station Taking a train (or arriving by train) is my preferred method when visiting Granada. Granada's train station is located on Avenida Andaluces, which is a short street off of the main Avenida de la Consitución. When compared to the bus station the train station is a little more central, located perhaps a 15 minute walk from the Cathedral and main sights. You can take a taxi for about 5-6 Euros to get you to the station or your destination provided you are in the center. The train station is smaller compared to those of nearby cities Malaga, Seville and Cordoba. There are a small amount of luggage lockers located at the end of the ramp (outside) near the bathrooms.

You can purchase tickets at the station or online at the RENFE reservation page. Many travel agents will book tickets for the train as well, especially when booking them with a flight or other travel services. You can check exact prices and schedules of any train to and from any city at the RENFE schedule page. There are direct trains to Seville, Antequera, Almeria, Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. I highly recommend that you check the schedule so please don't rely on this page for exact fares or times. Some notes on the table below:

• Prices: are approximate and rounded up to the nearest Euro as they fluctuate over time. For example, some departure times to cities are a few Euros cheaper or more expensive. Price changes occur frequently but are generally small. You should use this as a guide for price estimates. Note that round trip prices are discounted from the one-way price.
• Departure times: are likely to change, be suspended or specially offered for holidays, weekends and other months. Schedules change and there are additional trips to some destinations on certain days of the week. You should use this as a guide to frequency of trips.
• Connections: this list covers direct connections but does not include transfer options. You can get from Granada to just about any other city provided you are willing to change trains. You can get to some of the high speed options by going to Cordoba or Seville. Buses in many cases may be the most direct route to your destinations and are generally the better option when going to small towns.

Getting to and from the bus station:
A little lsess central than the train station, you will find the bus station on Carretera de Jaen, a few kilometers outside of the historic center. Walking to the center and major monuments will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or you can catch a taxi for about 5 - 8 Euros depending on your destination. As with most cities, bus travel is often the only option to reach many of the smaller surrounding towns. For instance you can catch the bus to the Sierra Nevadas ski resort from the station. As well, there are more frequent buses compared to trains when going to nearby cities. Some destinations with multiple departure times per day include: Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Almeria, Almuñecar, Baeza, Cazorla, Jaen, and Nerja.

The Granada Airport is located 12 kilometres from the center city. There are few scheduled international flights, and finding domestic flights with direct connections to the city can also be difficult as well as more expensive than larger airports. More selection and more economical flights can be found by arriving to Seville or Málaga, and then taking the bus or train to Granada.

Granada Airport
Tel: 958 245 200

Iberia General Information
Tel: 902 400 500
Web: iberia.es

Airport bus:
Leaves approximately every hour from the airport with seven stops in the city. Hours are generally from 06:30 - 22:30, with less buses on Sunday. A one way tickets is 3 Euros. Stops include: Paseo del Violón - Acera del Darro - Gran Via - Triunfo - Avda Constitucion - Bus Station - Avda. Andalucia. Moe information can be found on the web site of Autocares Gonzalez: autocaresjosegonzalez.com

Taxi:
20 minutes to the city center. Price: around 25 Euros (City center) to 30 Euros (Albaicin)

Driving is something I generally recommend you do to either arrive in the city and turn in your car, or rent when you are on your way out of the city. Similar to Seville, although not perhaps as difficult, Granada has plenty of one-way narrow roads and navigating them can be a real pain in the arse. If you plan to stay a few days it is just not worth paying for the car, and then paying to park it while in the city (you will not want, nor need to explore Granada in the car). Watch out for:

• pedestrians crossing at any moment from most any direction
• scooters or motos weaving through traffic and ignoring traffic signals
• other drivers ignoring the red light in front of them because it looks pretty clear from where they are...
• taxi and bus only lanes
• narrow one-way streets, blind curves and intersections
• restricted access zones where a pass is required to enter

Parking in the city

If you want to rent a car I do recommend a very small one - it's easier to park and much easier to navigate through the streets. Keep in mind there are parking problems if you are looking for a free space. I should say more about parking - it really is a pain in the ass in most of the center of Granada, just as it is in Seville. Parking garages or paid spots are expensive so many locals who already know the best places and tricks will be ahead of you. Remember to never keep anything in your car if you are leaving it somewhere or anywhere. Rental or out of town tags are like a neon sign asking for your car to be robbed. I've seen cars with back seats folded down and the glove box open so the would-be thieves could see there wasn't anything in them. So paid parking is expensive but can also be a nice bit of insurance. Keep in mind that even if you have all risk insurance it often does not include windows or tires, so you will end up paying even if you are well insured. I am working on a parking map, but for now look for the blue "P" signs on the street to locate public parking - garages or lots. Public garages charge anywhere from 15 - 24 Euros per day.

Requirements, insurance and know-how

If you want to take a chance and rent a car you'll need to meet the following requirements:

• U.S. driver's license (valid, of course)
• Be at least 18 years of age but in some cases at least 21
• Be a tourist or have a residence permit of 6 months or less.

Finally, be prepared for manual drive (stick-shift) cars. So you think you're ready to drive? Before getting on the road here take a look at these signs and see if you know what to do (or not to do) when you see them. If you feel like testing your skills on a more official level try one of the written tests from the Dirección General de Tráfico.

The other way is to have an international driver's license. The process is fairly easy, and if are from the U.S. you can contact AAA to get one for under 20 dollars. Also realize you will be required to pay any traffic fine or ticket on the spot if you are not a resident of Spain. Insurance is generally purchased when you rent the car and some policies in the U.S. may cover you while abroad. Some platinum credit cards also will offer coverage when you rent a car, but check to see what your benefits are first and whether or not they apply to rentals outside of your home country. Many rental agencies require a deposit that will be charged or authorized on your card, and then refunded upon return if the car is in good condition. There is risk involved in this if you have a scratch or accident and you should check the amount you will be responsible for. All agencies allow you to buy your way out of that deposit, and in my experience it is a good investment, if for nothing else than peace of mind. For deposits note that some agencies mentioning "a charge to your card" but often they will only be authorized, meaning they will check to see if you have sufficient credit to pay the damage deposit and then have the right to charge your card should you return the car damaged. To avoid paying for preexisting damages, always check the car to make sure any dents, scratches or other problems are noted before you leave the lot. I have had very lazy people who didn't even look over the car when we returned it, and I have had someone spend almost 15 minutes examining it. So you never know!

Who to rent from?

I recommend using Carjet.com in almost all cases versus the big national or international chains. If you want cheap it's either these guys or look for something local. Why? First, they have the advantage of being a broker and thus can shop around for the best rates. Second, international chains like Hertz, Avis, etc tend to charge much more for rentals in Spain or Europe for that matter. Third, even though Carjet contracts through National Atesa and other larger providers, these same companies do not offer a better rate than Carjet. Weird, but true. Sample price for the budget minded - 140€ for a compact rental for 6 days! That was a special recently offered on the site and National Atesa had the same car for 195€. The only problem may be for very young drivers as Carjet does require that you be at least 21 years old to drive. Why else do I like Carjet?

• unlimited mileage on all car rentals
• A lot of drop off and pick points, mainly in airports and train stations throughout Spain.
• In many cases there is no extra fee for one-way rentals if you rent for at least 3 days. So you can take the car from one city to another to drop it off. More recently they have been limiting this feature, so check first.
• Covers travel in all of Spain and Portugal
• Up to three additional drivers insured at no charge. That's much better than some agencies which can charge 7-9€ per day.
• Their philosophy - no hidden charges or limits. You can easily get a quote online and the email comes back with literally everything you need to know about costs, returns, insurance.
• It's all in English! This can be nice versus reading the fine print in Spanish if you don't speak that much.

I swear Carjet is not paying me anything - it's just you have to like a place that tells it like it is.

Editor: Jeff Spielvogel
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