Why book with us?
- Best price guaranteed
- Free cancellation
- No commissions
- 24h Service - 7/7d
Search for a car, compare rates and save
Spain is a huge country with an incredible variety of landscapes, climates, cultural and natural attractions. To explore it in total freedom, the easiest way is to rent a car.
You have the advantage that driving in Spain is quite easy because the traffic regulations are very similar to those in the rest of Europe. Start the engine and off you go to discover one of the most diverse and fascinating countries in Europe!
You can choose to start from kilometre zero in Madrid, marked by a plaque that symbolically marks the point from which all the main national roads radiate out and from which, in theory, you can reach any place in the country. But you can also start from a seaside resort on the coast or islands in search of the most beautiful beaches or create your own itinerary based on your interests.
Castles and villages, wine and food routes, contemporary art, mountain roads, olive groves, villages of whitewashed houses or where else? The hire car takes you where you want to go!
Unless you intend to spend your entire holiday in one big city, such as Madrid or Barcelona, hiring a car in Spain is strongly recommended. This is because having a car at your disposal allows you to reach places that are not, or not very, served by public transport. These are often the most characteristic villages, the most remote beaches or scenic roads that allow you to enjoy breathtaking views.
The advantages of renting a car in Spain do not stop there. With a rental car, you decide on the stages of your itinerary, not a tour operator. You can choose to include very famous locations, but also villages, viewpoints and other attractions that are off the usual tourist track. And the best thing is that you can change your travel plan as you go along, indulging your curiosity and desires of the moment or even adapting your itinerary to the weather forecast!
Are you convinced that renting a car costs more than travelling by bus or train? Do your maths well. Trains in Spain, especially long-distance trains, are not cheap at all and you will have to buy a ticket for each traveller, whereas if you travel by car you can split the cost between all passengers.
The car is by far the cheapest option for families and groups of friends, but depending on the itinerary it can also be cheaper for couples. One benefit the latter will certainly appreciate is the greater privacy!
Driving in Spain is really easy because the traffic rules are very similar to those in the rest of Europe. It is compulsory to wear seatbelts and keep your lights on all day, while the use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited.
The permitted alcohol limit is 0.25 mg/l (which corresponds to 0.05% in the blood); this limit drops to 0.15 mg/l (0.03% in the blood) in the case of people who have had their licence for less than two years.
To rent a vehicle in Spain you must be at least 21 years old.
All motorways in Spain are tolled, while motorways are free. Tolls can be paid at the toll station by cash or credit card.
Speed limits in Spain are:
The lowest price is not always the cheapest: when choosing your rental car, in addition to the price, you have to consider other factors that affect the cost of the rental. Here is a short guide to car rental in Spain that will help you choose the most suitable solution for your needs.
In Spain you can find famous international companies such as Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Sixt but also national and local companies such as the Andalusian Centauro.
International companies are generally preferred because they offer a wider range of cars and accessories, more efficient customer service and, especially in airport offices and large cities, extended opening hours.
Each online car rental quote will show you the prices of all available cars for the period and location you select, broken down by car category: small, medium, large, SUV, etc.
Often renting a car of a higher category is a choice dictated by comfort, but in the case of Spain we must advise you to pay attention to the size of the boot.
Choose a car with a boot large enough to hold everything you plan to take with you: unfortunately in Spain, especially in large cities, theft is not uncommon and it is therefore a good rule never to leave your luggage in sight.
Remember that reservations are made by car category and not by model. You may see a photo of a car online and see a similar one delivered, or perhaps the same one but in a different colour: this is perfectly normal.
If you run out of cars in your chosen category, you may be given a car in a higher category without any price increase, but you can never be given a car in a lower category.
Can I rent a car in Spain without a credit card? Generally NO, which is why we urge you to pay particular attention to the conditions of each company before booking.
It is almost always possible to book by providing a prepaid credit card such as Postepay as a guarantee for the reservation, but when you pick up the car you will be asked for a credit card linked to a bank account, this is because the car rental agency wants to be sure that you will be able to cover the costs of any damages.
Caution: the credit card must be in the name of the driver or drivers signing the contract, so cards from relatives or friends are not valid, even if they would give you permission to use it!
Some companies make an exception to this rule by asking you to leave a large cash deposit and purchase comprehensive Kasko insurance, which also covers the excess and is usually optional. Since these cases are very rare, do not rely on luck but inquire before booking whether this is possible.
Where to rent a car in Spain and where to return it? The most convenient solution for almost all tourists is to rent the car at the airport and return it there once the holiday is over.
It is the easiest and most convenient solution for several reasons: first of all, it saves you from wasting time with shuttles or taxis to/from the airport and you don’t have to stress about searching for a car rental office in the different parts of the city; moreover, the staff at the airport is multilingual, whereas this is not necessarily the case in other locations.
However, if you want to stay in the city of arrival for a few days and then move on to other locations, it does not make sense to rent the car at the airport: it is more convenient to book the car at a car rental office directly in the city to avoid having to go to the airport again and wasting time.
All major tourist locations in Spain, from big cities to seaside resorts, have car rental offices and you can also find them in smaller villages.
One way car rental allows you to pick up your car in one city or airport and drop it off at a different location. For example, you can arrive in one city and stay for a few days, then rent a car to visit other locations and return the car to your departure airport.
The one way formula saves time because you do not need to return to your starting point and is recommended for those who want to take linear routes of several kilometres. It is therefore a formula particularly suitable for those who want to visit a very large country like Spain in a short time.
A surcharge has to be paid but it could still be cheaper than having to go back: do the maths according to your travel schedule. Keep in mind, however, that this service is only offered by the larger companies and not the smaller local ones.
A detail that is very often overlooked, but which can have a major impact on the cost of car hire, is the pick-up and drop-off times. The total duration of your rental is not only a matter of dates, but also of time: many companies calculate it on the basis of the exact time of pick-up and drop-off, starting 24 hours after pick-up.
Let’s take a concrete example to help you understand this mechanism. You have picked up the car at 10:00 a.m. and you return it at the same time the next day: in this case you will pay one day’s rental fee afterwards. However, if you return it later, even by just one hour, you may be charged for an extra day’s rental. Therefore, take care not to arrive later than the agreed return time.
Don’t worry about the pick-up time if you have booked a car at the airport: car rental offices at airports take into account possible flight delays. This is a detail to take into account if you are undecided between car rental at the airport or car rental in the city.
When renting a car in Spain should you return it with a full tank? It depends. In Spain, like all over Europe, some companies impose a full-full condition and others a full-empty condition.
In the second case, you are asked to pay for the first full tank and then you can return the car even with an empty tank. This sounds convenient but it is not because it does not put you on an equal footing between pick-up and drop-off: unless you want to risk running out of fuel, you are unlikely to return the car with a completely empty tank, which means you have paid for the first full tank plus the fuel left in the car.
Car hire companies give you the option of renting accessories that increase the comfort of your car or that you need, such as a satellite navigation system and a child’s car seat.
The cost of these accessories is usually very high, so if your holiday budget is tight try to do without them. In some cases it may be cheaper to bring them from home or even buy them locally.
To sum up, it is possible to save money on car rental in Spain with a few small tricks that will avoid unnecessarily increasing the total cost. In particular, pay attention to:
Here are some quick answers to the most common doubts about car rental in Spain.
To reserve a car in Spain a credit card or debit card is sufficient. However, when you go to collect the car, you will need:
The car rental companies in Spain allow to rent a car to all those who are between 21 and 70 years old. However, there is an additional cost for under 25 and for those over 70.
A car rental in Spain always includes:
Any extras or additional insurance coverage are separate.
Find the best rates by comparing all car rental companies in one search.
Hotel 
Budget accommodations 
Apartments 
Family Hotel 
Luxury Hotel 
Resorts