Renting A Car In Tenerife: All You Need To Know
Planning to get a rental car in Tenerife? You’ve come to the right place; I have a lot of Tenerife car rental experience! In this article, I’ll walk you through the whole process so that by the end, you’ll feel confident about renting a car in Tenerife. I will tell you how easy, reliable, and inexpensive it is to rent a vehicle, what details you need to know to avoid getting fined, and which car rental company to choose.
A car in Tenerife is not a luxury or even a means of transport, but a practical necessity. The concept of a proper holiday on the island is to spend a minimum of time in the hotel.
Of course, as an alternative, there are excursions, shuttle buses, taxis, etc. But it is only consolation for travelers without a driving license. Possession of a car gives a lot of advantages over tourists without a car. First of all, it is freedom, the ability to independently plan your vacation so that you can experience the island to the fullest.
What’s more, traveling by car in Tenerife is very convenient: the roads are excellent, and you can take your time and drive at your own pace, stopping where you want.
Renting a car in Tenerife allows you to expand your horizons and not limit yourself to the beaches and a couple of attractions and see the whole island.
Without your “iron horse,” you won’t be able to visit the remote villages of Anaga Rural Park; you can’t see the cliffs of Los Gigantes in the morning and then lounge on the beach at Fanabe later in the day.
If you are thinking about renting a car in Tenerife, you may have already read some conflicting information. No worries, by the end of this blog post, you’ll know what to do to rent a car in Tenerife.
When I rent a car in Tenerife, I recommend and always use Discover Cars, and you’ll see why in this article.
So, are you ready to learn all about how to rent a car in Tenerife? Let’s get to it!
Best Tenerife Car Rental Company: DISCOVER CARS.
When booking your Tenerife car rental online, I recommend and use Discover Cars. They search both international corporations and local Tenerife companies, so you get the best deal.
Driving In Tenerife
Before you rent a car in Tenerife, it’s crucial to do some research about driving in Tenerife. I had initially planned to write just a paragraph about it, but I’ve got a lot of information. So I’ve decided to put all the rules and tips for driving in Tenerife in a separate article.
Please, read it here: Driving in Tenerife: Useful info and tips.
Should You Rent A Car In Tenerife?
Tenerife has many amazing places to visit that are outside your resort.
You could go to Mount Teide, Masca Canyon, the Los Gigantes Mountains, Loro Parque, and a myriad of attractions. So how can you do it all in a short holiday? The answer is to rent a car!
The car gives you the freedom of movement and the opportunity to create your own “program.”
Moreover, driving in Tenerife is a pure pleasure! There are excellent roads and highways, inexpensive gasoline, and polite drivers, traffic jams are rare, and the scenery outside the window is simply mindblowing. In short, driving in Tenerife is no stress and only positive emotions.
Of course, you can take public transport, but traveling by bus is uncomfortable and long, and taxis or transfers can be more expensive than hiring a car for the whole holiday. Hiring a car is far more cost-effective and convenient than other travel options!
So if you’ve never rented a car on holiday, Tenerife is a great place to try. You might like the road trip format as much as I do.
Want to visit all the fantastic places Tenerife has? You’ll definitely need a rental car!
However, if you are not an experienced driver, plan to spend most of your holidays on the beach, and do just a couple of tours and day trips, you probably won’t want a rental.
An alternative to hiring a car: book a transfer or take a tour. Choose according to your needs and interests. Some of the reliable transfers are below:
How Much Does Renting A Car In Tenerife Cost?
Prices for car rentals in Tenerife vary depending on the season. In low season, you can find options for economy class cars for 9-20 euros a day if you rent for at least a week.
You can get business class cars for 30-40 euros a day.
In the high season and vacation season, the car can cost you 80-100 euros a day! So if you are coming in the high season, it’s better to reserve your car online in advance!
Despite reasonable prices and many options, choosing the right rental company and the rental option is crucial. This will allow you to rent a car in Tenerife inexpensively and without pitfalls.
Please note that if you choose an insurance policy with a deductible (limit of liability of the driver in case of car damage), the rental company may block on your credit card an amount equal to the deductible + the cost for a tank of gasoline, which may amount to 1000 Euros or more.
If you want to avoid such large blockages, choose tariffs without a deductible, rent a car from trusted companies (see my advice below), or use credit cards with a large limit – you will not pay interest for “freezing” money.
How to avoid surcharges and unexpected costs when renting a car in Tenerife?
1 – Read the contract carefully, translate it with a Google translator and pay attention to the amount of liability (deductible) when comparing rental rates. Sometimes international companies offer very small deductibles (€100-€150) for certain rates. In that case, you don’t need to buy extra insurance because the amount saved on the rental will cover the potential extra charge for damage to the car.
2 – Look out for rental options with full insurance included.
3 – When you get the keys to the car, a deposit of between €150 and €500 is deducted from your card. This is a kind of insurance for events such as:
– Damage to the car;
– Receipt of a fine;
– Untimely return of your car to the rental company;
– Returning a car with an incomplete tank or with less gasoline than the amount specified in the contract.
If you deliver the car in accordance with the contract, the rental company will return the deposit to your card within 1 to 3 weeks.
4 – When renting a car you can pay for some extras at once (often at a discount) in order to avoid paying later, for example:
– Parking in some cities;
– 24 hour roadside assistance services;
– GPS;
– Maps and audio guides;
– Replacement of a damaged or malfunctioning car;
– Child car seats;
– Insurance with full coverage.
It’s up to you to decide which extras you might need. But I recommend everyone pay for full coverage insurance or take a car where full coverage is already included in the rental price. This will prevent you from incurring unnecessary costs.
What Do You Need to Rent A Car in Tenerife?
The requirements for a driver to rent a car in Tenerife are very reasonable.
As far as what’s required to get your Tenerife car rental, there are only four things you need to have:
1 – A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE + IDP
If you have a valid EU driving licence, then you can drive with it legally in Spain as long as it is valid.
UK Driving Licence holders can use their valid UK licence to drive in Spain in a rental car or in their own vehicle for up to 6 months per year.
Spain requires foreign drivers from outside the EU who have a license in English and other languages to obtain an International Driving Permit IDP prior to arriving in Spain. The International Driving Permit (IDP) provides essential information regarding your driver’s license in eleven languages, including Spanish. I know many people who managed to rent a car in Tenerife without having an IDP, but I think it’s better to have it if you are not an EU citizen.
2 – A VALID CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD
3 – YOU MUST BE 21 YEARS OLD TO RENT A CAR IN TENERIFE
and 23 years old in a couple of car rental companies for certain types of vehicles.
4 YOU MUST HAVE MORE THAN 2 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE.
What’s The Best Car Rental Tenerife Company?
Many big-name car rental companies have offices in Tenerife like Avis, Europcar, Budget, Sixt, and Hertz.
If you prefer to use a Tenerife company to support the local economy, opt for Cicar and PlusCar, which I have personally used and liked. Other good local companies are Canarias and Autoreisen.
When I book a Tenerife car rental online, I recommend and use Discover Cars. I use them because they have always had the best deals when I’ve searched, and they offer FREE cancellations up to 48 hours before your reservation.
You can also read Discover Cars reviews on TrustPilot, where they have a 4.6 out of 5 Star rating, and about 120,000 reviews.
Where Do I Book A Tenerife Car Rental?
When I need to rent a car in Tenerife, I always use Discover Cars, which searches all the big and small car rental companies listed above.
Using an aggregate search service guarantees you find the best deals because Discover Cars checks all the best Tenerife car rental companies.
It searches through both international, national and local car rental companies at once, so you get the lowest prices. It saves time and gives the best outlook on the current car rental offer.
Do You Need To Book Your Car In Advance?
Many travellers wonder if they need to book a car in Tenerife in advance. The answer is definitely yes.
Firstly, you get the best price and conditions by booking in advance. Most bookings can be cancelled free of charge, so even if there’s a better deal, you can make a new booking and cancel the old one without penalty.
Secondly, you run the risk of not having a car at all if you don’t book on the “hot dates.” The demand for car rental in Tenerife is very high, and in order not to spoil your holiday – book a car in advance.
Thirdly, by booking in advance, you can significantly save time. You do not need to waste valuable holiday time looking for a rental car and choosing options at the airport, especially after a long flight. You don’t waste time and money on transfers or taxis to your hotel.
READ ALSO:
Calima Tenerife: Do’s and Don’ts
The atmospheric phenomenon of “la calima” occurs several times a year in all the Canary Islands, including Tenerife.
But what is Tenerife’s calima? Why does the calima happen, and what are its health effects? How long does it last? What if Señora Calima visits Tenerife during your holiday on the island?? Let’s find out all about it!
