Generally like to try to stay near the historic center. But the costs especially of parking and the quality (as indicated in Venere and TripAdvisor reviews) seem to indicate that the hotels near the center are not so great.
Instead, there are lower-priced options near the freeway. You'd have to bus in and out of town or maybe drive into the Alhambra but it sounds like from the standpoint of costs and quality, there's a good option in the Macia Real de la Alhambra:
No chance that I would stay in that area rather than the historic quarter, the albaicin or the city centre - I want to be able to walk to the famous tapas bars, the cathedral, the arab bars, etc. etc and all the action and want to be in the centre of all the action to experience the heart, soul and passion of this amazing city. The Room Mate Hotels (all three of them) are fabulously located and great value for money - price/quality - Villa Oniria - a very special place! They are very highly rated on TA (if you give that website credence ?????)
Location is everything in Granada in order to experience the real "vibe". Parking is not cheap in any Spanish City Centre, which is why we always suggest dropping the car off at the rental company office on arrival or using trains between the cities if possible.
Staying in old /centro Granada is also the place I would stay, hands down. If keeping your car for departure is a must, then parking it and taking transport to the center would require two taxis. But if you are sleeping on the outskirts then you will be using taxis several times a day to get you in and back. The over riding factors of being in the center are clearly the ones mentioned above. kathyk
Are there parking options independent of hotels on the outskirts?
Lot of hotels in the center have arrangements with parking garages or have some limited space on the premises. But a couple of them said I'd have to take a specific route or call in with the license plate number so that I don't get a ticket for driving into certain parts of town. Sounds like they have a ZTL system like Italy.
Posts: 202 | Location: West Coast | Registered: 17 April 2008
We were in Granada this summer. I found the SERCOTEL Hotel Carmen on travelocity and got a great deal - Acera delDarro 62 ...great location. because the rate was so low, it did not include breakfast ... which we found down the street at a charming cafe. BTW ... we only used public transportation. Hasta Luego!
Good point. I tried navigating around that site, and others, and could not find any more details. It is probably clumsy but you could mapquest some of those parking lot addresses and at least know where the are situated in relation to where you approach Granada. But it won't help with rates or if they allow overnight parking. Maybe the hotel you reserve with can give that info? kathyk
I booked with Citymar San Anton with a room rate that includes parking.
It's not the optimal location about 10 minutes south of the Cathedral walking. But that's better than being right by the freeway like the Macia Real, I suppose.
My GPS finds parking all over the place (should have checked earlier) but doesn't indicate what they'd charge. Found web site for one parking company but they only showed monthly prices.
Posts: 202 | Location: West Coast | Registered: 17 April 2008
The Albayzin and Realejo areas are the best place to stay in Granada (they are the most ancient parts of town, very appealing with low white houses and a warm village feel).
Some hotels offer parking facilities, and if you choose to rent a holiday home, then look for an owner who is offering the same facilities.
We stayed in Granada for 2 weeks recently - in a small apartment not far from Plaza Nueva. I would agree that Realejo and Albaicin are the best places to stay - we preferred Realejo.
We left the car in a carpark all this time - weekly rates were quite reasonable but we used the same carpark several years ago and paid daily rates of 15 - 17 euros from memory. The car park is Severo Ochoa and it is a short and cheap taxi ride to anywhere more central.
