Cheap car hire Malaga Blog
Malaga car hire tips and general advice

Fidel Castro’s announcement yesterday to resign from his posts of President and Commander in Chief is causing the world to ripple with questions – will this mean change for Cuba and other countries’ economic relations with them? The 81 year-old leader, who has held power in Cuba for almost 50 years, has had increasingly failing health in the past year and a half. As a result, some experts and even the Cuban citizens themselves have said this announcement was expected, and either won’t cause much change or it will be slow to take effect. His brother Raul has been the acting President and the shoo-in candidate to formally accept the position on Sunday.

Raul’s talks of reform and the road to democracy make change sound imminent to Cubans, who desire changes in cumbersome visa requirements and fundamental rights of expression and association. Next-door neighbour America has rejected lifting the trade embargo however, emphasizing their "wait and see" stance for now of whether change will happen and how long it may take. Spanish leaders have voiced optimism, with both presidential candidates Rajoy and Zapatero welcoming the manoeuvre as a potential open door to democracy. We all may have to wait and see, since even Fidel promised in his resignation letter:

This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of ‘Reflections by comrade Fidel.’ It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.

Granma, Feb. 18, 2008

Looking for alternatives to the puddle-jumper plane connections or slower regional trains? Renfe is expanding services offered in and out of Malaga by leaps and bounds, especially in regards to newer high-speed trains. December marked a large milestone with the introduction of the AVE link to Madrid, slashing the trip time and price considerably from previous offerings. This connection was largely due to the completion of the high-speed-approved section between Malaga and Cordoba.

Now, the offering has been expanded to include Barcelona and Sevilla in the high-speed range, service on both to start tomorrow. To give you an idea of the time savings, the Barcelona voyage used to take over half a day (13 ½ hours), and the Sevilla trip about 2 ½ hours. Conventional trains will still run to Sevilla alongside the new alta velocidad Avant service.

It’ll still be a while – between 2009 and 2010 before seeing the end to this project. But drivers in Andalucia will surely appreciate the change provided by this new stretch of toll roadway, construction to begin in a week. The need has shown itself repeatedly for improvement, since this section between Alto de las Pedrizas and Puerto de la Torre becomes congested quickly at peak times, especially during the summer months. For those unfamiliar with the area, it affects about 25 km of the principal route between Malaga and Antequera, with intermediate destinations of Casabermeja and Almogía. The new motorway will have wide curves plus long tunnels and bridges to allay the steep shifts in geography of the present A-45.

The project’s cost, upwards of 360 million euros, is projected to be recovered by the toll over a period of 40 years. Average toll for the entire route will be 1.80€, with some variation depending on the season and vehicle type. Planners hope this price tag will be offset by the convenience offered to motorists, since the 120 km/h limit will allow them to complete the trajectory in about 15 minutes.

Nowadays if you visit Malaga airport you will see a ton of roads being repaired. They are also building new terminals and will soon start the new runway.

We took some photos from the airport: the first pic shows the new parking building and the second one shows the repair works visible from the Renfe train station at Malaga airport.

In case you are returning from your holidays we recommend allowing extra time because there is a lot of traffic every morning at the airport, and this will affect delivering your Malaga car hire. Check so as not to forget anything important in the rental car or place you’re staying.

José Antonio Domínguez Banderas was born 10th August, 1960 in Benalmadena, Malaga.

At first he wanted to be a footballer, but he broke his left leg when he was 14.

Some years later he went to Madrid to make a career in the Spanish film industry, where he started to work as an actor in small theaters.

He has a very large filmography; here’s just a few highlights:

- The Mask of Zorro

- The Mariachi sequels

- Interview with the Vampire

- Assassins

- Evita

- Take the Lead

- The Shrek sequels (Puss in Boots voice)

- Philadelphia