Malaga Cars is an excellent choice for cheap car hire (via malagacar.com). It has its 24 hour office & depot very close to Malaga airport – to/from which it provides a frequent shuttlebus.
You will need to book your car in advance via their website (but you don’t pay in advance). I suggest you print out the confirmation page to bring along with you (or have a copy on your phone). Also you will need to show them your driving licence (they don’t need the printed counterpart that you can now download for use abroad) and your passport. They will ask for your address in Spain (10c Cale Miraflores, Salobrena) and you will need a credit card with a minimum credit limit of £1,000 if you are not going for their most expensive, no excess, Full Pack option (see below).
Note: Malaga cars’ offer three levels of carhire at varying cost. Their cheapest rate is with their so called basic which includes 150Km kilometerage per day and allows for one driver (you can pay an additional daily rate to add a second driver). Plus breakdown cover isn’t included. The next level is Comfort Pack and is about 50% more expensive but includes a second driver, unlimited mileage and free breakdown cover. The key thing to be aware of with these two cheaper rates is that they include only Partial Damage Cover with excess (CDW) which means in the event of major damage or theft there is an excess of 1,000 Euro or more to pay and you will be required to pay for the car hire with a credit card which they will put a temporary charge on of around 1000 Euro. Be warned, If you have booked a car at one of these lower rates but turn up without a functioning credit card, then Malaga Cars will require you to pay for their comprehensive insurance at a rate of at least 20 Euro a day. Their Full Pack includes the full insurance and is another 50% more expensive.
Other car hire companies will examine your car with a microscope after you return it and bill you for even trivial damage. Malaga Cars is different and don’t appear to be at all fussy about minor scuffs and bump to their cars. This appears to be one of their USPs and why they are the most popular car hire firm in the area, however they may well charge you for major prangs.
Before you travel, consider taking out a stand-alone single trip or annual Car Hire Excess policy to cover the excess in the event of hire car damage if you don’t intend to take their more expensive option, the Full Pack. After extensive research I have opted for this company: CoverForYou and their annual policywill cost less than two or three day’s comprehensive insurance would cost you!
Newsflash!
As of February 2022 the Full Pack option is heavily discounted for Groups A, C and D cars and so this is definitely the one to go for!
ARRIVAL AT AIRPORT When you get to Malaga airport and have cleared imigration etc, on your way to the exit you will see someone holding a Malaga Cars clipboard. Show them your booking reference number and they will tell you where to go. But if they aren't there, don't worry! You will need to turn hard right on exiting the airport building and walk to the right of the cafe and then bear left through the tunnel, at the end of which the Malaga Cars minibus will pick you up. When you get to their depot it is best for the car driver to head straight into the office (to avoid queuing) to arrange the car pick up, while the second person collects the cases from the back of the minibus.
ROUTE Here is the Google route (https://goo.gl/maps/3uWKY8xjzim4jnnp9) that will take you from the Malaga Cars depot to near to the apartment in Salobrena.
TIP 1 Beware, at times the road divides and you need to be in the correct lane (usually the left two lanes).
TIP 2 When driving in Spain it is best to stick rigidly to the speed limit because the radar speed detectors aren't visible and may not always be marked. Also there are occasional police traps. If you do get a speeding ticket there will be a 100 Euro fine (reduced to 50 if you pay quickly). Malaga Cars will email you to let you know it is coming and will let you know that they are also fining you 30 Euro for dealing with it (as per T&Cs). The ticket will arrive in the post.
TIP 3 You can also be fined (by hiding police) for not putting on you lights when driving through a tunnel - even a very short one (like the 38m Frigliana tunnel). There are loads of tunnels between Malaga and Salobrena, so chech you know how the lights work before setting off.
TIP 4 Another thing they like to get you for is failing to stop at a stop sign, eg when joining a main road - even if the road is demonstrably clear of traffic you need to stop. Police have been known to hide at junctions to catch offenders.
CHALLENGE See if you can correctly count the number of viaducts you cross and tunnels you drive through on your journey to Salobrena. Which is greater: the total length of tunnels or of viaducts? Here are the answers.