The Spanish kingdom is a unique state in every respect. Therefore, every traveler should see it at least once. But in order not to miss anything interesting and to fully enjoy the beauty of completely different regions of the country, you will need a car. You should find out more about how renting a car in Spain and what you need to pay attention to even at the stage of planning a trip.
Why is it worth taking a car
A variety of attractions, resorts and simply beautiful places are the main incentives that encourage guests of the country to travel across its expanses by car. There are quite a few positive aspects of this method of travel:
- the opportunity to see the country from Bilbao to Marbella and from Salamanca to Girona;
- lack of binding to the public transport schedule;
- saving time;
- incomparable convenience when traveling with children;
- the ability to get behind the wheel right at the airport, if you take care of booking a car while still at home;
- ease of booking (this can be done online without leaving home);
- the possibility of renting a car anywhere in the country, including the islands: Ibiza, Tenerife, Menorca, Lanzarote and others;
- liberal pricing policy and a large fleet of vehicles;
- if you wish, you can book a car with the driver if you are not confident in your own driving skills.
To avoid unnecessary steps and unnecessary hassle, learn more about how to rent a car in Tenerife.
The cost of the service for the provision of a vehicle for rent in different regions and for different companies is not the same. It will differ even in Blanes and Santa Susanna, despite the fact that both municipalities are located in Catalonia.
On average, prices look like this:
- middle class cars with mechanics - 30-90 euros per day;
- elite cars - from 130 euros.
Additional services in the case of car rental will increase the total amount each time. On the one hand, it will still be cheaper than taxi rides, and on the other hand, you can save money and travel by bus, but at the expense of your vacation time.
Where can I rent a car
Rental services are provided by a large number of companies that are available in almost any city on the continental and island parts of the country. They can be divided into two groups:
- large companies of the international level;
- small local firms.
You can book a car directly at the company's office or by leaving a request on its website. The following services have proven themselves well:
- Centauro is an international company with offices in Spain, Portugal, Italy. In the Spanish Kingdom, its offices are located in Benidorm, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville, as well as in Ibiza and Mallorca. The choice of vehicles is possible from a small car to a convertible and an SUV. The car park numbers about 16 thousand units.
- GoldCar is a wide network of car rental offices around the world, including Andorra, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Mexico, Iceland, Morocco and of course Spain. Provides services even to young drivers aged 19-20. With the help of filters on the site, you can filter out vehicles with any number of seats, with any gearbox, type of fuel and body. In the off-season, here you can find ideal deals for the price.
- Drivalia is a local service with offices in Alicante, Valencia, Bilbao, Girona and Mallorca. You can pick up a car directly from the airport. The company's vehicle fleet consists of 2,000 vehicles. This is one of those companies where you can rent a car without having a credit card with you. Great for those staying in the suburbs of major cities such as Lloret de Mar or Tossa de Mar. The rules for drawing up a contract of employment are the same in all representative offices of the company.
To understand the intricacies of the process of formalizing a contractual relationship with a transport company, study it on the example of one of the regions of the country, which is described in the article "Rent a car in Valencia".
- Record Go - provides an opportunity to get a car immediately upon arrival. Characteristic features of the company: no queue, round-the-clock support, "personal driver" service. Judging by customer reviews, you will find affordable prices and excellent service here.
- HolidayCars is the most popular service in Calpe and Tenerife. Does not charge customers an additional payment for the reservation and cancels it free of charge two days before the rental day. The insurance covers the deductible in full. 24/7 support is provided. Most often people come here about hiring a minivan.
- Enterprise - has more than 7,600 offices in different parts of the world. In Spain, the company office can be found at all airports in the country. You can use the services of the service in small towns, as well as in the insular part of the country.
- Hertz - the company's offices are located all over the world. In Spain, you can contact the representative offices in Tarragona and Salou (Costa Dorada), Salamanca, Malaga, in the Canary Islands.
- FireFly is an international company. In Spain, you can pick up a car at the office of a company that provides transfers from 10 major airports in the country, including Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Girona and some others.
The sooner you start booking a car, the more chances you have to choose what you are counting on. If you are planning a trip during the season and intend to rent a car on site upon arrival, it should be borne in mind that this increases the risk of being left without a vehicle at all, since the demand for cars at this time of the year is extremely high. If you have a need to rent a motorhome, then you need to start implementing this part of the travel plan in advance.
What are the conditions for renting a car in Spain
The conditions for car rental in each transport company can be very different. But there are a number of general requirements that are universal throughout the country:
- the driver has international rights;
- age - from 21 years;
- driving experience - from 1 year.
It should be borne in mind that it is possible to drive a vehicle on Spanish roads on the basis of a domestic certificate if it complies with European standards (a plastic card with the first and last name duplicated in Latin letters).
However, the presence of this document will be enough only for the transport company and the police, but in the event of an insured event, your insurer will certainly require an international driver's license. You need to get them at home. And do not forget that they are valid only together with Russian rights.
With regard to the choice of a car, this right is granted directly to the client. Color, model, type of gearbox and other nuances - all this is at the request of the customer. However, when receiving a car, you must be vigilant, since not all companies are conscientious about their work and can offer a faulty vehicle.
You can pick up your car at the airport, train station or international bus stops. This point should be clarified when booking. The same goes for returns.
In some cases, you can leave your car anywhere in the country and even abroad - for example, you pick it up in Torrevieja and leave it in Madrid. But in this case, you need to clarify the issue of additional payment.
Most likely, the company will want to increase the rental amount, taking into account the transportation of the vehicle to the city where the vehicle fleet to which it is assigned is located.
It is important to know: if you no longer need the car, but the contract has not expired yet, the money for not using the vehicle will not be returned.
As for the age limit for a driver, some companies raise it to 23 years. In any case, a customer who is under 25 years old will have to pay an additional fee. The same requirement applies to those drivers who have already crossed the 75-year mark.
At the stage of booking, it is also necessary to discuss the availability of a child seat in the car. It is usually provided for an additional fee. At the same time, sometimes it turns out that such a chair is cheaper to buy at the nearest supermarket.
Special attention should be paid to such a clause in the contract as "Limitation of mileage". It happens that the limit specified in it may turn out to be unprofitable for you, and you will have to pay a fine for exceeding it.
In addition, be sure to check if you can leave Spain in a rented vehicle if you suddenly want to ride for a couple of days, for example, to Portugal.
A special point of relations with a transport company is insurance. The size of the franchise in Spain is usually 300-500 euros. This means that when an insured event occurs, you will have to pay exactly that amount. If the damage caused exceeds it, the difference is paid by the insurer.
For this reason, the best option is to rent a car with a zero deductible. However, in this case, the lease itself may turn out to be prohibitively high.
To travel abroad, you will need a separate type of insurance policy.
Fuel policy may differ from company to company. Most of them provide cars on a full tank - full tank basis. Occasionally, some firms allow you to return a car with an empty tank. In this case, it is in the interests of the customer to use as much gasoline as possible, since no one will compensate for the remaining fuel.
What documents will be needed
To rent a mobile home or any other type of vehicle, you will need the following package of documents:
- Driver's license (international + domestic).
- International passport.
- Bank card.
- Voucher if booking was made online.
All papers must be issued to the person who will drive the car. It is very important that they have a sufficient duration.
This is especially important for a payment card, as many landlords choose to “freeze” a certain amount of money in the tenant's account.
This condition must be specified when making a reservation. It is best to find a company that agrees to conclude an agreement without blocking the deposit. It should be borne in mind that cash payments in Spain are not very common.
The price of the issue
There are many factors that can affect the total bill of your rental car trip:
- the region and even the city where the vehicle will be booked;
- its brand, size, equipment;
- lease duration;
- Additional services;
- seasonality;
- fuel cost.
The basic value of this service by region is shown in the table:
| Town | Prices in euro for 1 day economy class | Price for 1 day luxury class |
|---|---|---|
| Malaga | 7-10 | 60-220 |
| Barcelona | 30-60 | 75-435 |
| Alikatne | 14-20 | 20-420 |
| Girona | 27-50 | 70-250 |
| Madrid | 35-120 | 180-420 |
| Toledo | 50-90 | 104-120 |
| Seville | 25-75 | 80-400 |
| Bilbao | 75-160 | 140-230 |
You can compare the terms of different companies on the rentalcars.com website
And do not forget that companies most often block about 500 euros in your account as collateral.
The following recommendations will help you to save on rent:
- on weekends, rental will be cheaper than during the week;
- getting a car at the airport will cost more;
- booking a car upon arrival may cost more than ordering in advance;
- it is better to return the car on weekdays;
- every company always has seasonal offers.
And do not forget to add the cost of gasoline to the total check, which in June 2021 cost 1.32 euros per 1 liter.
Features of traffic rules in Spain
It is not difficult to understand the traffic rules on the road in this state - they are not much different from those that apply in other EU countries. In this case, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- the priority of movement always belongs to pedestrians, not cars;
- roundabouts may turn out to be unusual - in this part of the road, the main one is the one who moves in a circle;
- throwing cigarette butts and debris out of car windows can result in a fine;
- speed is limited by signs. If they do not prescribe anything, then in settlements you can move at a speed of up to 50 km / h, outside them - up to 90 km / h, on a national road - up to 100 km / h, on a high-speed highway - from 60 to 120 km / h;
- blood alcohol content is allowed up to 0.25 ppm. The fine for non-compliance with this requirement may exceed 500 euros;
- everyone, including passengers in the back seat, must wear seat belts;
- using a mobile phone (except for a landline speakerphone) is prohibited.
And here it is not allowed to use radar detectors and anti-radars. But nobody prohibits the use of navigation devices that indicate the placement of such devices on the roads.
Where to park
The most difficult question for drivers in Spain concerns parking. In big cities, get ready to get nervous and fork out for parking. Almost all parking spaces in significant settlements are paid. The amount of payment depends on the city and region.
Our tips will help you understand the situation:
- You can find out the paid parking by the green or blue markings. Only those who live in the area can leave a vehicle behind the green line. Free parking is indicated by white markings, but it is almost impossible to find it in a noisy city.
- In each paid zone there is always a sign with the price for a parking space, as well as a parking meter where you can pay. For these purposes, it is better to have cash with you, since the withdrawal of funds from the card is not always successful.
- Having received the coupon, you need to put it under the windshield.
- If you leave your car in a place not intended for this, be prepared to pay a fine of 100 to 200 euros.
Conclusions
Car rental for traveling in Spain is not a luxury but a necessity. This makes it possible not to tie your stay in the country to the schedule of public transport and see as many sights as possible. Such a pleasure will cost quite a moderate amount - 30-40 euros per day, although its value can vary significantly depending on the region and the brand of the car.
There are a large number of companies providing such services in the country. However, when deciding to rent a car, you should carefully read the contract and pay attention to the details.
