Car Rental Seville

A quick guide to Seville

The city’s heart is the historic district (Casco Antiguo). Here lies the irresistible Barrio Santa Cruz, a maze of narrow cobbled streets where you’ll find Seville’s most important sights.

Bigger is better

You can’t visit Seville without venturing inside its immense Gothic cathedral. Built between 1434 and 1517 over the remains of the city’s main mosque, it’s awe-inspiring in both its scale and majesty.

Among its highlights are the Giralda, the cathedral’s huge bell tower, the monumental tomb of Christopher Columbus, and the Capilla Mayor with an astonishing gold altarpiece.

Another unmissable attraction is the magnificent UNESCO-listed Real Alcazar palace complex. Most notable among the many dazzling jewels is the14^th-century Palacio de Don Pedro.

A short walk from the Real Alcazar is the colossal Plaza de Espana, in Maria Luisa Park and built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. It may be over the top, but this Renaissance-inspired confection of brick and tile, complete with fountains, mini-canals and Venetian-style bridges, is hugely impressive.

Flirty dancing

You’ll hear Seville’s traditional dance music pulsing from everywhere around the city after dark. You can experience a spellbinding night of flamenco at one of the city’s many social clubs (peñas) but a better option is the Museo del Baile Flamenco.

Here they showcase the history and magic or this mysterious art form and stage fantastic nightly performances in its courtyard.

Sample the tapas trail

An absolute must while in Seville is to go on the tapas trail. There are thousands of great tapas places, but the oldest is El Rinconcillo, on Calle Gerona. Founded in 1670, this venerable institution, with its dark wood bar, hams dangling by the hoof and shelves of bottles up to the roof, is authentically atmospheric.

There are also ‘tapas streets’ where you can truly let your nose lead you. Head for Calle Mateos Gago in the Barrio Santa Cruz, or the San Lorenzo area, around the San Lorenzo Church.

Celebration time

The sevillanos know how to celebrate and its festivals are among Spain’s most eye-catching. During Semana Santa (Holy Week), the streets are packed with people watching the elaborate processions with participants carrying statues and ornately decorated floats depicting bible scenes, followed by the penitents dressed in long robes and pointed hoods.

Also around this time of year is the spectacular Feria de Abril, when the district of Los Remedios stages a week of colourful celebration and wild partying.

Dancing horses

Just over an hour south of Seville is the city of Jerez, famous for sherry, flamenco and horses. The sherry production houses (bodegas), including such well-known names as González Byass, Pedro Domecq and Sandeman, are all located in the centre of town and can be visited on a guided tour.

Jerez is also famous for its Flamenco tradition. The Flamenco festival, traditionally held in the last week in February and first week in March, is one of the most important in the world.

Don’t leave town without seeing the Jerez Horse Show at the Foundation Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. This magical equestrian ballet takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the riding school.

Car hire in Seville will help you make the most of any trip to this historic, attractive and endlessly fascinating city, giving you the freedom to explore more of the city and beyond.

Driving in and around Seville

It’s best to avoid driving in the old centre, the Casco Antiguo. Use your hotel garage or one of the public car parks around the edge of the historic centre. The city has a complicated one-way system, so you’ll need to know your route in advance.

Also note that there are new traffic restrictions in place, so you should avoid driving in the centre between 8am and 10pm Monday to Saturday if you don’t want a hefty fine. Hotel garages and public car parks are exempt. Our local team are on hand to give you the best advice on where to park in the city.

The city centre is circled by a triangular-shaped ring road – the SE-30 on the western and northern sides and the A-4 on its eastern edge. The A-4 runs south from here and meets the AP-4 which takes you to Jerez, and to Cadiz, an hour and a half away on the beautiful Costa de la Luz.

The A-4 also heads east to the stunning Moorish-influenced city of Cordoba, while the A-49 runs due west to the border with Portugal.

If you’re heading out of Seville to explore the many attractions in Andalucia, you should acquaint yourself with the rules of the road. There are three types of main road in Spain. Carreteras nacionales are toll-free national roads with a speed limit of 90km/h, autovias are toll-free dual carriageways with a speed limit of 100km/h and autopistas are toll motorways which carry a limit of 120km/h (these roads are prefixed with an ‘E’).

Driving is on the right-hand side and you should stick to the right-hand lane on motorways and dual carriageways unless you’re overtaking. Note that though toll roads can be costly, they tend to be much quieter than toll-free roads.