Malaga Spain 24 hour hold

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

I have always wanted to go and just put a 24 hour hold on Crown Resorts at Club Marbella for end of May which includes memorial day through first Sunday in June. I have read the RCI reviews, Tug Reviews and trip advisor and all seem to be pretty good and all state it's a great location. I plan on flying to Madrid for a couple of days then to Malaga and return through Barcelona and staying in Barcelona for 2 or 3 nights. I have a 2BR on hold and need to decide if I should confirm. I could have gotten a 1BR at a gold crown resort for the same time period but probably will take another couple so need 2BR so this resort should be fine.

I do have several questions;

1) There is no AC at this resort just ceiling fans. Will this time of year in Malaga have very hot weather?

2) Airfare from NY is about $1,200- $1,300 ( checked for 2012 same dates) including all stops for Madrid to Malaga to Barcelona and return. I checked on Kayak. Anyone have a better source for airline tickets. I also hope to get 1 free ticket using United FF miles through there star alliance program.

3) Recommendations for cheap car rental site but I only do automatic and no stick shift.

4) How difficult is the area for driving or is it better to just book day trips for Seville, Gibraltor, Rando etc.

5) Anything else I should know about resort or area before I confirm????:

6) Must see do in area??????

[Symera Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Symera]

Marbella and Surrounding Area

Larry - I'm assuming your dates are May-June of 2012 ...

1) There is no AC at this resort just ceiling fans. Will this time of year in Malaga have very hot weather?
>>> End of May-June is well into the *summer season* and it will be hot. But if you're on the Med side of the highway, you'll have a nice breeze; the mountain/cliff-side resorts tend to be cooler.

2) Airfare from NY is about $1,200- $1,300 (checked for 2012 same dates) including all stops for Madrid to Malaga to Barcelona and return. I checked on Kayak. Anyone have a better source for airline tickets. I also hope to get 1 free ticket using United FF miles through there star alliance program.
>>> Ouch! Your travel is scheduled for peak season, so you're going to be paying higher fares in general - you might have to bite the bullet on this one. We typically go in the February-March timeframe and pay about half of what you're paying. The weather is still gorgeous.

3) Recommendations for cheap car rental site but I only do automatic and no stick shift.
>>> Centauro [http://carhire.centauro.net/] seems to have the most competitive prices in the area. You will be hard pressed to find an automatic though. Also consider that automatics require non-diesel petrol and it is not always easy to find, especially in the more remote areas.

4) How difficult is the area for driving or is it better to just book day trips for Seville, Gibraltor, Rando etc.
>>> i'm not sure how you mean this, so I'll answer it two ways:
(1) The drives to the areas you mentioned is not too bad. Bring or rent a GPS or bring a few current road maps of the region and you'll be able to get around. The most challenging thing might be getting on the highways, but if you've gotten on and off the LIE, again, you'll be fine.

(2) In terms of traffic flow, think of driving in that area like this: if you have no problem leaving from LaGuardia or JFK, you'll be fine. If you're leaving from Podunk, Nebraska, it might take you a few days to get used to the traffic flow.

5) Anything else I should know about resort or area before I confirm????:
>>> I am not familiar with that resort, but as long as it has a bed and a working shower, what else do you need? You're not going to travel 3,500 miles to watch TV are you?

6) Must see do in area??????
>>> That are is well developed for touriing. You might also consider a trip to Morocco. It's kind of on the cheesy side in that they march you from the ferry, to the camel ride, then through the cazbah and right to the rug store in the hopes that you will drop a few hundred Euro on a rug (or rugs) while being badgered by street urchins wanting to sell you a bunch of crap. Keep in mind, if you buy from one, that will not get rid of them - it will attract more - the others will expect you to buy their crap, too.

Malaga and it's surrounding area has everything though: food, shopping, shows, bull fighting, night clubs, historical points of interest, beaches, wind surfing, cycling, golf - I can go on and on. The best thing to do is check with your resort concierge for functions that they might be sponsoring and also check out DiscoverMalaga.com [http://www.discovermalaga.com/] for events that might be happening while you're there.

There is also Gibralter, but remember it's a British territory and as such your EU registered car will not be permitted to enter that territory. You have to park and then hike in through customs. Also remember that if you do go, you will have to convert your Euros for GBPs. And finally, if you go to the summit, do not (and I repeat) DO NOT carry anything on your person, [like a sweater that might be tied around waist, a baseball cap or a camera dangling from around your neck] that can be snatched by those freakin' little monkeys. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything ... I've just heard that's what happens ... no food in your hands either.

Well, that's about all I have to offer-have a great trip and let us know how you made out and how the resort was.

¡Buen viaje!