I rented a car from SIXT at Seville Santa Justa station, drove to Ronda, and returned it in Granada on the same day. This was an expensive way to make the journey, but I enjoy driving and specifically wanted to drive to Ronda myself.
I reserved BMW 1 Series or similar and received a blue Audi A3 Sportback 40. Here is how pickup, the drive, return parking and the final bill worked for my rental.
Finding SIXT at Seville Santa Justa
I arrived at the station in the morning for pickup. I went inside and followed the rental-company signs, including the orange SIXT logo, through the station and out towards the rental parking area.
The rental offices and parked cars were grouped together outside. SIXT’s current station directions identify the location as Parking 3, on the left side of the main station building. I followed the indoor signs on my visit rather than testing a separate outdoor route.
Mobile check-in: what I discovered at the office
When I first reached the office, staff did not seem to have arrived yet. While waiting, I looked through the app and noticed mobile check-in.
There were bright orange key pickup machines outside the office. I learned that eligible customers could complete the required process and collect a key through the machine. I had not prepared this beforehand, so I waited and completed mobile check-in on my own phone with an employee’s help.
I also paid at pickup. A €300 deposit was authorised in addition to the rental charges. I would check the app’s pickup instructions in advance next time, especially with a tight schedule after collection; I would not assume every booking can skip a staff check.
The key, parking instructions and exit ticket
After the paperwork, the employee retrieved the key from the orange machine. I received a sheet showing the car’s parking area and bay, together with a parking ticket for leaving the car park.
The location sheet made it straightforward to find the Audi. At the exit I used the supplied ticket, following the instructions I had been given to scan both sides.
The Audi A3 and our luggage
The car supplied was the blue Audi A3 that had appeared in my pre-pickup email. The reservation had been for a BMW 1 Series or similar, so receiving another model in the booking category was part of that arrangement.
There were two of us, so rear-seat space was not a priority. The boot was more important: we had one large suitcase and one small suitcase, and both fitted with room left over.
That is the capacity I can speak to from experience. I would not translate it into a guarantee for every suitcase size or every car offered in the same category.
Apple CarPlay made navigation convenient
I photographed the cabin and dashboard, and Apple CarPlay was one of the features I appreciated most during the journey. Having the map on the car’s screen made it convenient to follow directions on unfamiliar roads.
My final app record listed an additional driver and prepaid fuel/electricity, alongside the limited mileage allowance and protection information. Those were the items recorded for my rental, rather than a universal package included with every SIXT car.
The sunlight was much stronger than I expected
The windows in our car did not feel heavily tinted, and sunlight coming through the front was very bright. I cannot say whether that was specific to this rental car, and I would not generalise it to every European vehicle.
I set off without sunglasses and quickly regretted it. For a daytime drive like ours, I would keep sunglasses within easy reach before leaving the car park.
Driving via Ronda to Granada
We drove from Seville to Ronda, spent time there and then continued to Granada. The rental was a deliberate part of the trip for me, rather than simply the cheapest way to move between cities.
The final app record showed pickup at 8:30 a.m. on September 14 and return at 6:23 p.m. the same day. Although we used the car for around ten hours, the booking was charged as one rental day.
Finding the return car park in Granada
SIXT emailed return instructions with a map link and photographs of the car park approaches. I did not have much difficulty finding it using that message.
My email called the facility Parking Parkia La Caleta-Hospital and instructed me to drive down to level -2, follow the SIXT signs and park in a designated bay. It also instructed me to leave the key and parking ticket in the orange return box near the SIXT spaces.
The current official Granada station page calls the return facility Indigo La Caleta on Avda. Andalucía s/n and also directs customers to level -2. The office is at Avenida de Andaluces 12. Names and access arrangements can change, so use the return message for your booking and check the current station instructions.
What I did when the SIXT bays were full
When I arrived, the SIXT spaces were all occupied. I parked in the nearest available space and separately emailed the branch to explain where I had left the car.
That describes my situation, not permission to use any space. If the designated bays are full, contact the branch and ask where to park; I would not present my workaround as the standard return procedure.
335 km driven, with 300 km included
After return, the app recorded 335 km against the 300 km allowance: an excess of 35 km. My original reservation email had quoted €0.41 per extra kilometre.
A later example search showed a different rate, so use the one in your own contract. More importantly, include the full route via Ronda when deciding whether a limited-mileage quote is suitable.
The final bill and €300 deposit
My original confirmation listed €270.10 payable at pickup. The final app record showed a tax-inclusive total of €367.32 for one rental day. The separate €300 deposit was not another €300 added to that final rental cost.
At collection, the deposit was authorised along with the rental payment. Once return and actual usage had been checked, the final charges remained and the unused authorisation was released or cancelled.
The difference between €270.10 and €367.32 should not all be described as excess-mileage charges. The retained screenshots show the final total and included options, but do not establish a complete item-by-item explanation of that difference. The detailed invoice is the place to check the breakdown.
My account describes the deposit being settled after return; I do not have a precise release time to promise. Check both the final invoice and your card record to distinguish the final charge from the temporary authorisation.
Was the rental worth it for me?
At a final app total of €367.32, this was not a cheap day of transport. I chose it because I enjoy driving and wanted the experience of driving to Ronda, and that mattered to me.
The Audi had enough boot space for our two suitcases, and CarPlay was convenient. The things I would prepare more carefully next time are mobile check-in, the full mileage estimate, the selected fuel and driver options, and a plan for contacting the return branch if its bays are full.
And I would put my sunglasses on before setting off.
For the booking steps, read my SIXT Spain booking guide for Seville pickup and Granada return.
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