Car Rental in Spain – Discover the magical Iberian Peninsula

In general, you must be a minimum age of 21 years old to rent a car in Spain. This is dependent on the car hire company you are renting from and their individual policies. Both minimum and maximum age limits exist. Therefore, for some suppliers if you are over 70 years of age, you may be charged a Senior Driver Fee. Likewise, for those who are under 21 years of age, you may be charged a Young Driver Fee from certain suppliers.

To confirm if any of these charges apply, you should consult your rate conditions during booking or on your voucher once booked. Any age-related fees will be charged locally by the supplier, with it being worked out daily. The fee amount is dependent on your age, car category, location, supplier and rental length. It is also important to enter the exact age of the main driver to ascertain exactly any conditions, terms and fees that will apply to your booking.

Our website sets out all the different types of obligations and fees that both a young and senior driver may encounter. If you’re an inexperienced driver booking your first car rental, then you can rest assured you’re in safe hands. Lastly, depending on your age, you may find that some suppliers will restrict the car category available for hire. For example, renting of luxury vehicles may be restricted towards young drivers.

Yes – some suppliers allow you to collect your vehicle in one location and drop it off at a different location. A one-way fee may apply for this privileged in addition to specific terms. Some suppliers even allow you to choose different locations from different countries – but again an international one-way fee may apply.

Your first step would be to enter your desired dates, and locations into the booking engine. Once you have selected the relevant supplier from the list of car rental suppliers that are willing to rent you a car on a one-way basis – you can view any fees and conditions within the rate details area or upon receiving the rental voucher. It’ll be under the terms and conditions.

A benefit to renting a car in Spain is that suppliers allow you to drive into Portugal, France and many other European countries without major restrictions. This being said, some luxury car categories may have some restrictions into international travel. Customers must input all the countries they intend to visit during the booking process. Failure to do so may make your car insurance invalid. If an incident happens you will be fully liable for any costs involved. Needless to say it is also illegal to drive without insurance cover. Restrictions may apply if you decide to cross or whilst travelling in Eastern Europe.

Yes – a credit card is required when you opt for a car rental in Spain. During pick-up the local supplier will ask you for a security deposit. This amount must be held on your credit card. The credit card must be under the main driver’s name. The amount held will be noted on your voucher’s terms and conditions. All major credit cards are accepted, namely Mastercard and Visa.

The security deposit that is held on your credit card will be released back onto your card once you return the vehicle and it has been confirmed by a member of staff that the car is in the same condition as when it was collected. Please make sure you take video and photographic evidence of the car’s condition upon collection and when returning. Debit cards are not accepted by the vast majority of car hire suppliers.

On very rare occasions a supplier may accept a debit card but will require additional insurances to be taken out. If in doubt, please contact us and we will be able to advise accordingly. Although, for peace-of-mind, a credit card is the best option. For standard car rentals one credit card is needed. For premium or luxury car categories, suppliers may require two or more credit cards to be presented at time of collection.

For further information about credit cards and deposits please consult the websites relevant sections. Once you have found the best car rental deals in Spain, click on the blue information ‘i’ icon and you can then see payment details.

The most important factor when driving in Spain is always carrying your driving licence, in addition to having your insurance and car registration papers in the vehicle. Drivers in Spain keep to the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left-hand side. Seat belts are mandatory for everyone within the vehicle when the engine is on. For those aged 11 or under, an appropriate car child seat is required.

The use of mobile phones whilst driving is strictly prohibited unless via hands-free. Your vehicle must also have reflective jackets for all occupants and a warning triangle should you breakdown or be involved in an accident. The triangle must be placed at a certain distance from your car. Speed limits in Spain are 120kph on motorways, 100kph on major roads and 50kph in built-up areas.

Drink driving and driving under the influence of a controlled substance is prohibited. Police undertake random checks, and anyone caught with a bloodstream alcohol level exceeding 0.5g/l (0.25 mg/l when breathalysed) will be issued a fine or have their driving licence revoked. A court summons may also be issued and/or a driving ban, imprisonment. We therefore recommend never drink or drug driving.

Other important factors to consider are rush-hour rules. Rush hour is normally between 07h30-09h30 and 17h00-19h00 and are more apparent in large cities such as Barcelona and Madrid. During rush hour many lane restrictions come into play. For example, BUS-VAO signs restrict the lane usage to buses and vehicle of high occupancy. If caught using these lanes, you can expect a hefty fine.

Parking restrictions are in effect throughout Spain. In general, blue lanes indicate the need to pay. Normally you will find a pay-machine nearby. The pay-machine will provide hours of cover – with it normally being free during the night. Green road markings indicate that it is restricted to residents only. Yellow road markings means that it is strictly prohibited to park – due to being used to loading/unloading commercial use. Whilst White lines or no road markings indicate that there are no parking restrictions.

Yes – although this only applies to specific motorways and those roads marked with AP signs (Autopistas de Peaje). Much of Spain is toll free, although many coastal roads are tolled. Drivers can pay for their tolls in cash, card or by using an e-toll device. Some motorways also have a App for users to pay their tolls via, and who belong to the Autopistas. By comparison, tolls in Spain are reasonably priced, although the amount you pay is dependant on the distance travelled and your vehicle type.

The Via-T e-toll device is a convenient way to pay for your tolls. You simply link your bank card to your vehicle registration and the amount will be deducted accordingly. A Spanish bank account is required; therefore, this option is often only reserved for residents or frequent visitors. Spain has a well-maintained and extensive motorway network. This allows visitors to view this vast country with minimum ease. Autovias are free and Autopistas are paid motorways. For more information about paying tolls when visiting Spain and Portugal.

All rental rates provided come with the minimum legal requirement in coverage for your vehicle. These are liability insurance, theft protection and CDW (Collision Damange Waiver) with or without excess. This is the very basic rate and does not cover all damage or eventuality. Due to this, many renters opt for taking out our Full Damage Protection cover – this will provide added cover on top of that covered by the base rate. There is a minimum daily charge which is dependent on the vehicle type, duration, location and supplier.

Information regarding CDW, theft protection, liability insurance and more concerning car hire coverage can be obtained by clicking on the blue information (i) icon during the booking process. The information is also set out within your voucher’s terms and conditions, which you will receive after your reservation has been confirmed. Lastly, it is important to know that some car rental suppliers offer their own insurances; roadside assistance, travel insurance and so forth – these are strictly optional and for the most part if you have already taken out our Full Damage Protection – not needed. Any locally bought insurances will not be refunded, even if deemed unnecessary afterwards.

Yes – it is possible to easily add an additional driver to your booking. In most cases a fee is charged, however we do provide many promotions offering free additional drivers. The fee applicable is based on a daily basis and varies per supplier, location and car category. Regardless, it is important to include everyone in your rental which is going to drive. This is to make sure that everyone is covered by the insurance.

Failure to include everyone may make you liable if you are involved in an accident. All drivers must provide the same paperwork as the main driver upon collecting the vehicle. To easily find an offer that has a free additional driver included, utilise our website and filter by promotion. For further rate information, click on the information (i) icon during the booking. The same information will be contained in your voucher’s terms and conditions upon booking.

Yes – certain vehicles are prohibited from entering downtown areas of major cities, such as in Madrid and Barcelona. These areas are called Low Emission Zones (Zona Baixes Emissions) and Zero Emission Zones. Only vehicles that adhere to low emissions are permitted to enter these areas. In general, rented vehicles are all new and therefore will be able to drive into these areas.

Normally, a sticker is already located on your car during pick-up. We would advise mentioning this to the supplier during collection to confirm. There is an additional restriction for some cities in Spain which is based on the vehicle registration number. Restrictions will apply based on if your car registration has an even or odd numberplate.

Some car rental suppliers in Spain have a “full to empty” fuel policy. This means that you will be provided with the car with a full tank, and then you return the car with the minimum amount of fuel possible. Although convenient for some, this policy means that the fuel is more expensive than at the fuel pump - this is because the rental company adds a refuel surcharge.

Some suppliers provide their vehicles with the traditional “full-to-full” fuel policy. This means that the car will have a full tank of fuel during pick-up, and you will have to return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel. Failure to do so will mean a surcharge fee is added for refueling the vehicle. Please check the fuel policy of your rental before placing your reservation. For more information about fuel policies, visit our fuel option advisor.