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Once you have the best price, we have our 13 essential tips to avoid being ripped off or seriously out-of-pocket when renting a car in Spain.
Avoid the problems and pitfalls by being aware of what can (and often does) go wrong in Spain where customer service is frequently non-existent!
Are you renting a car because you are thinking of moving to Spain?
We have so much essential information on the pros and cons of living in Spain. It isn’t for everyone unfortunately, find out from expats what it is like living in Spain as a foreigner before you move permanently!
13 Essential Tips When Hiring a Car in Spain
Before you book car hire in Spain please read this car hire guide based on our years of experience renting and hiring cars in Spain.
It is an unfortunate fact that hiring a car can be a minefield of potential problems and pitfalls that you may not see coming.
In this article we highlight some of the things that can go wrong when you rent a car in Spain – believe us when we say that we have seen some real horror stories!
We hope that being aware of these potential problems will help you avoid them in the first place.
Some of our tips and advice will also relate to help you to find the cheapest car hire deals on the market so we also include a number of money-saving tips to help you get you the cheapest deals on car rental.
What Is Included and What Isn’t!
You can come across some car hire rates and deals that look very cheap but when you look at the detail you find that the Spanish car hire companies don’t include unlimited mileage, local taxes or comprehensive car hire insurances.
When you hire a car in Spain you may not be doing much driving in which case unlimited mileage may be unnecessary but insurances are essential and does increase the car hire cost in Spain markedly. We usually found these cheap looking car hire prices were really not so cheap after all and could be regarded as a pretty underhand and misleading tactic.
All car hire companies are obliged by law to hire a car that is roadworthy so they will all include the obligatory third-party insurance (responsabilidad civil obligatoria or seguro obligatorio) that is required is Spain but that is a very basic type of insurance, see our article on insuring a car in Spain.
Essentially the third-party insurance will only insure the other car and passenger that you are involved in an accident with.
Air Conditioning
It may sound obvious but DO check that the cheap price you have found for your car hire in Spain applies to car hire with air-conditioning.
Most rentals will now have air conditioning as standard but this is not always the case so do check!
Temperatures in the summer in Spain will mostly be above 30 degrees Celsius, sometimes over 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
Book Ahead
We are often asked if it is cheaper to book car hire at the last minute. The short answer is no!
In actual fact it is likely to be more expensive if you book at the last minute as quite often there will be a shortage of cars and the price would have been increased by the rental companies.
Due to the economic recession many Spanish car hire companies have been slashing costs and holding less stock of rental cars, especially as they have been having problems with leasing cars and obtaining finance from the banks.
It means there are less rental cars available in Spain yet tourist numbers remain high especially in peak summer months of July and August.
Don’t just arrive at the airport in Spain without a definite reservation. When you find the car hire desks they are invariably busy and chaotic with long queues and stressed staff.
It is much better to already have reserved your car hire so you have a reservation with a reference number so at least you know they will have a car ready and waiting.
At least if the Spanish car hire company doesn’t have your requested make and model that you booked they will have to upgrade you to a better model of car hire for free.
Don’t Penny Pinch Like Me!
Some of the models for car hire in Spain differ from those in Northern Europe. We had an experience where the boot of the car was far smaller than the same model of car we owned in England and we were not able to fit all our luggage in the back. It was pretty embarrassing going back to the car rental desk at the airport where another massive queue had formed.
Do consider the large amounts of luggage you will have on your holiday in Spain and maybe go for the next size of car hire up and just treat yourself rather than traveling round squashed in a small car like a sardine! The price difference between different models and car groups is usually surprisingly small.
If you are trying to save money and get the best deal for the car hire then try stick to the car group that will fit you and all your luggage in, as opposed to some of the options for slightly flashier, luxury models that are just an ego boost rather than a practical need.
When we did our price comparison for Calahonda ( a development on the Costa del Sol) we got the basic price of £63 the week. Now granted that was a very small car, a Peugeot 107 or similar, but it does fit 4 people and two suitcases.
Now let’s look at the price for hiring something like a 4×4, SUV, people carrier or luxury vehicles such as a convertible sports car – would you believe that we were quoted a price of £852 for a BMW 3 series Cabriolet!
That is some difference!
Child Seats
When you hire a car in Spain you can usually hire a car seat for children (booster seat) for about a