Getting to Seville: rental car

You may be tempted to rent a car while in Spain. Getting to Seville by car is easy: Spain has a modern road network and the city is particularly well connected.

Depending on how much you like driving, you should consider organizing a road trip. It’s a fun and independent way of seeing the country. Not only can it be a cost-effective way for small groups to get around, but it also lets you see what’s off the beaten track.

However, I recommend you to have a look at a complete guide on where to book your rental car online.

But first, let’s see how you can get to Seville. Then, how it is to drive around Seville…

 

Seville road network

There is a good road network with several highways (toll and free) that takes you to Seville. The main highways linking Seville to other important cities are:

  • A-4 (Autovía del Sur) with 660 km (410 mi) connects Madrid to Cádiz.
  • A-66 (Autovía ruta de la Plata) with 809 km (503 mi) connects Seville to Gijón. From there, you can take the A-5 (Autovía del Suroeste) with 408 km (254 mi) connects Madrid to Badajoz, next to the Portuguese border.
  • A-92 (Autovía de Andalucía) with 376 km (234 mi) connects Seville to Almería.
  • A-49 (Autovía del Quinto Centenario) with 123 km (76 mi) connects Seville to Ayamonte (last Spanish town before the border with Portugal).
  • AP-4 (Autopista del Sur) with 124 km (77 mi) is a toll-highway that connects Seville to Cádiz.

Additionally, you can access to all highways and main roads from the SE-30 ring road around Seville that has many entrance points to the city center.

 

Driving in Seville

Driving around Seville, especially in the city center (casco histórico), is complex if you don’t have a good sense of direction.

So if you get lost, the best thing is to find somewhere to stop, get clear instructions and start again. Again, using Google Maps can be a great help in a city like Seville.

All sounds obvious, but many visitors don’t realize just how difficult driving in the center is, and have an unpleasant, stressful start to their vacation. Unfortunately, most Spanish drivers can (and do) use their horn at their will and sometimes very aggressively.

Watch out for:

  • Pedestrians crossing at any moment from most any direction.
  • Scooters and bikes weaving through traffic and ignoring traffic signals.
  • Other drivers ignoring the red light in front of them.
  • Taxi and bus only lanes.
  • Narrow one-way streets, blind curves and crazy intersections.

Finally, if Seville is part of your trip, you should ideally find an accommodation that has a garage. But since most hotels don’t, try to find a public parking where you can leave the car as soon as you arrive, and get it back again when you leave.

Also, use Google Maps to map out the best route to your hotel. The city center is full of one-way streets. Be warned.

 

This article is part of a complete tutorial about car rental in Seville where you can read all the information you need to organize your road trip around the country.

Here is a complete summary of all the guide:

1. Should you rent a car or take the train?
2. Driving in Seville: rules and recommendations
3. Do you need an International Driver’s Licence?
4. How to book your rental car online
5. How to find cheap rental rates?
6. Getting to Seville by rental car
7. Visiting Seville by rental car
8. Car parking in Seville