Renting a Car in Spain. Tips?

[audreyh1]

This year will be our 7th annual trip to Europe in a row, and so far we’ve managed to get by with the excellent public transportation available.

But this next visit we need to use a car to make in workable/convenient. We have never rented or driven a car in Europe before. I have seen tons of roads and traffic though, particularly in Spain where we traveled a lot by bus last year. The highways outside of cities were generally very nice and low traffic.

We plan to spend about six nights in early October visiting Segovia and nearby La Granja San Idelfonso, and I already know that getting there by train is a hassle*, plus we want to stay at a couple of the local Paradores. DH really loves the Paradores. In Segovia the Parador is slightly out of town, so having a car to get there car is a plus. In La Granja not far away the Parador is right down town near the palace. It has a nearby guest car parking lot.

So the strategy is to rent a car from Madrid airport, which is already out of town, and quite close to the major highways going north. From there it’s pretty much a major highway to reach the two towns which are only 11km apart. I figure I can do this. But I will still avoid downtown city driving.

In Segovia the Parador is slightly out of town. I probably won’t drive to the tourist areas in the city center, I really don’t relish dealing with European downtown parking garages even though there is one right under the famous Segovia Aqueduct, and very convenient to tourist sites.

I haven’t even looked at rental car options yet, so I am interested in a suggestions and tips. Am I going to be driving standard? I did a very long time ago.

*We tried to do a day trip to Segovia last year, but horrible rainy weather made us cancel. So I became intimately familiar with the transportation logistics involving multiple trains and buses. Also realized that the area was worth much more time especially as I was also interested in the Palace and gardens in La Granja, which is only accessible by bus or taxi.

 

[Kwirk]

Costco seems to be an option but the rates don't look particularly good.

We did a month or so with Renault Eurodrive for touring and had a good experience but that would not be economical for a week.

 

[BigNick]

Try DoYouSpain.com, which is a car rental broker. They have good rates.

The two tricky things I look out for when renting in Spain (of course, these are not unique to that country) are:

1. Full-to-Empty fuel policy. You probably don't want this, as it involves you buying a full tank of fuel (with a €15 "service fee") and bringing the car back empty; if you don't, the company gets the remaining gas. This is often forced on you with very short and/or out-of-season rentals, where the quoted price might only be pennies per day. Look for Full-to-Full, which is sometimes Level-to-level (i.e., if you go out with 5/8 of a tank, you return it with the same).

2. Excess/CDW: It's common to block €1000 or more on your credit card to cover minor damage. If you only have a debit card, you won't even be able to do this. If you will be arriving after dark or leaving the car in a busy area, you might want to either take the company's "full" ("bring it back on fire") insurance -- expensive, but easy -- or else get a CDW excess policy, which your credit card may already include. I tend to pay for the full insurance when I am renting from local companies (i.e., not Hertz/Avis), as I'm never sure how incentivized they are to find minor faults as part of their business model, and also the CDW excess claims policies all seem to need a ton of paperwork that I'm not sure that Olé Rent-a-Car will provide me when my plane is leaving in 35 minutes.

One of the cool features of the DoYouSpain site is that you can use filters on the left of the page to include or exclude things like the above. So you can quickly cut through the noise of the too-good-to-be-true offers and compare the rates that give you the cover and fuel policy you want.

Oh, and before you drive off, make sure that you know if the car takes gasoline or diesel fuel. You can't get a diesel nozzle into a gasoline car's filler opening, but the reverse is possible, and the results are (a) not pretty and (b) not covered by insurance.

 

[audreyh1]

I assumed I would rent directly from one of the car rental companies at the airport.

 

[audreyh1]

Oh, and before you drive off, make sure that you know if the car takes gasoline or diesel fuel. You can't get a diesel nozzle into a gasoline car's filler opening, but the reverse is possible, and the results are (a) not pretty and (b) not covered by insurance.

Yeah, that was on my list of gotchas. Thanks.

 

[sengsational]

You would think "gasóleo" on a fuel pump would translate to "gas". Wrong! It's diesel!

I rented a manual transmission because it was cheaper, but I'd go automatic if I went again because many of the highways were not very level. So I really had to work at driving. I found that there were quite a few tolls. By the time you pay for fuel, tolls, parking, etc, you've got to appreciate the freedom of movement to justify it. I did appreciate it, but it was work. And when you're in a lonely stretch of road between cities, don't expect any English to be spoken.


Ask your credit card company for a letter saying they're covering you for insurance if you plan on using the CDW; some rental outfits won't let you not buy their insurance based on the generic rules posted for your card.

 

[audreyh1]

You would think "gasóleo" on a fuel pump would translate to "gas". Wrong! It's diesel!

I rented a manual transmission because it was cheaper, but I'd go automatic if I went again because many of the highways were not very level. So I really had to work at driving. I found that there were quite a few tolls. By the time you pay for fuel, tolls, parking, etc, you've got to appreciate the freedom of movement to justify it. I did appreciate it, but it was work. And when you're in a lonely stretch of road between cities, don't expect any English to be spoken.


Ask your credit card company for a letter saying they're covering you for insurance if you plan on using the CDW; some rental outfits won't let you not buy their insurance based on the generic rules posted for your card.

Versus gasolina? Thanks for the tip. Green handle gasoline (round circle), black handle diesel (squarish symbol). I think I can keep that straight.

I'll see about automatic because I would appreciate the ease of use. And I will be driving to the mountains. But from what I hear they aren't as available. However, renting from a major national airport perhaps will let me choose one.

My Spanish skills are good so not worried there. Definitely helps when reading signs!

I will probably get the letter from the credit card company I usually use. It's tricky though - there seem to be multiple levels of insurance overseas. And it seems like accepting anything means my card won't cover me?

Spain also is one of the few countries that requires an international driver's permit which I can apparently get by letter from AAA. However, I need to renew my driver license first.

 

[MichaelB]

I would think for driving in Spain, some choice curse words would be handy

 

[Sunset]

You would think "gasóleo" on a fuel pump would translate to "gas". Wrong! It's diesel!

I rented a manual transmission because it was cheaper, but I'd go automatic if I went again because many of the highways were not very level. So I really had to work at driving. I found that there were quite a few tolls. By the time you pay for fuel, tolls, parking, etc, you've got to appreciate the freedom of movement to justify it. I did appreciate it, but it was work. And when you're in a lonely stretch of road between cities, don't expect any English to be spoken.
.........

You made me look as I wondered what is gasoline , and it's worse than that, there are 2 types of diesel and a bunch of other tricky rules for car driving.

Example: must carry a spare set of bulbs, I would never think of this.

https://spainguides.com/spain-travel-guide/driving-spain/

 

[audreyh1]

I would think for driving in Spain, some choice curse words would be handy

No shortage of those here! Although a few I know may be uniquely Mexican.

 

[bmcgonig]

Versus gasolina? Thanks for the tip. Green handle gasoline (round circle), black handle diesel (squarish symbol). I think I can keep that straight.

I'll see about automatic because I would appreciate the ease of use. And I will be driving to the mountains. But from what I hear they aren't as available. However, renting from a major national airport perhaps will let me choose one.

My Spanish skills are good so not worried there. Definitely helps when reading signs!

I will probably get the letter from the credit card company I usually use. It's tricky though - there seem to be multiple levels of insurance overseas. And it seems like accepting anything means my card won't cover me?

Spain also is one of the few countries that requires an international driver's permit which I can apparently get by letter from AAA. However, I need to renew my driver license first.

I rented a car in Spain a few months back and didn't need a international driving license. I'm also renting one next week there. I hadn't heard about the possibility that I would need one.

I used kayak.com. Works well for me. Don't rent from the local car companies like Goldcar, Record and others whose names you don't recognize. They have a reputation for lousy cars and trying to screw you on CDW and "finding marks on the car that didn't exist when you rented it. ". Use Avis, Budget etc. Also the rental line is much shorter in my experience at those than the locals.

When I rented a car they didn't ask for the letter from CC company but that's a crap shoot. Worth having it. But they do put a block of €5000 on your card so make sure that much is available.

Keep a bunch of Euro coins in your car for tolls.

Its much cheaper to rent a manual so I've never tried to get an automatic but I've seen them listed. Also get a diesel if you get a choice. Cheaper to run.

Have fun [emoji16]

 

[NW-Bound]

I would think for driving in Spain, some choice curse words would be handy

Having driven a few thousand kilometers through Spain and Portugal, I have to say that the drivers there are not at all bad. They were less aggressive than French drivers, in my opinion.

Do watch out for highway bandits. See the videos below. Read the descriptions of the videos too.

Some robbers are known to throw eggs on your windshield, to cause you to have to stop. If that happens, do not use the wiper as that makes the visibility worse.

It is also common for them to puncture your tires causing a slow leak. When you later stop to change the tire, they rob you.

In Barcelona, I talked to an American couple who got hit with this tire puncture scam. It happened inside the city of Barcelona. Exactly the same thing happened to my wife's niece and her husband. The husband was French, and still failed to be prepared for this trick. It also happened in Barcelona.

 

[Plantman]

You might not need the international driver's license to rent a car, but I think you'll wish you'd spent the 25 dollars for one if you get pulled over by the police or are in an accident.

 

[audreyh1]

I rented a car in Spain a few months back and didn't need a international driving license. I'm also renting one next week there. I hadn't heard about the possibility that I would need one.

I used kayak.com. Works well for me. Don't rent from the local car companies like Goldcar, Record and others whose names you don't recognize. They have a reputation for lousy cars and trying to screw you on CDW and "finding marks on the car that didn't exist when you rented it. ". Use Avis, Budget etc. Also the rental line is much shorter in my experience at those than the locals.

When I rented a car they didn't ask for the letter from CC company but that's a crap shoot. Worth having it. But they do put a block of €5000 on your card so make sure that much is available.

Keep a bunch of Euro coins in your car for tolls.

Its much cheaper to rent a manual so I've never tried to get an automatic but I've seen them listed. Also get a diesel if you get a choice. Cheaper to run.

Have fun [emoji16]

The car rental agency won’t care about the international driving license. It’s the Spanish police that require it. As long as you don’t get stopped no problem......

 

[brett]

We had no issue with the drivers in Spain or Portugal. Last time we rented through Autoeurope. At that time their rates were attractive. An Avis rental in Spain, with a very nice upgrade to a diesel SUV, and a Europecar in Faro.

We wanted to pickup in Toledo, Spain and drop off in Lisbon, Portugal. No can do. We had to drop off in Seville. Stayed there for a few days, then a short bus ride over the border to Faro, Portugal where we picked up another rental. Very minor inconvenience that probably saved us money since the car was not sitting in pay parking in Seville for a few days with the meter running so to speak.

We drove a fair amount, on highways and back roads. Never encountered any 'bandits' in Spain or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. We prefer a manual, especially for places like the white hill towns north of Gibralter.

Rental rates are like cruise fares. They go up and down constantly. Once you have made your reservation check back once in a while to confirm that the rates have not decreased.

 

[phil1ben]

We also have driven through Europe many times. Last summer we drove about 1000 miles from Seville north and east through Spain. I always get an International Drivers License. I had no problem at all and found the roads in many cases better than the US. One big benefit is that we were able to use credit cards at all the toll roads which made things much easier. Didn't have that option in all of Italy or France.

We rented through Hertz. Although I ordered a manual I was given a beautiful Volvo automatic which was practically new. A manual option was always available at a higher price. You always get into the issue of insurance. Our homes are covered by Chubb and I had my agent piece together my auto and homeowners/umbrella coverage together with renting through AMEX Platinum and it was determined that I did not need to buy the very expensive added coverage. Might be worth you doing the same analysis for a longer term rental.

 

[stepford]

We rented from Europcar at Malaga Airport for 6 days back in 2016. The rental was reasonably simple and driving was largely so as well. The older central cities can be an exception. Some streets are quite narrow and I was happy we opted for a pretty tiny car. This helped with some very small parking spots allocated by our hotel as well. Intercity driving, though, was as pleasant as anything you'd find in the US. I do agree with the recommendation to carry some Euros with you for tolls.

 

[audreyh1]

We had no issue with the drivers in Spain or Portugal. Last time we rented through Autoeurope. At that time their rates were attractive. An Avis rental in Spain, with a very nice upgrade to a diesel SUV, and a Europecar in Faro.

We wanted to pickup in Toledo, Spain and drop off in Lisbon, Portugal. No can do. We had to drop off in Seville. Stayed there for a few days, then a short bus ride over the border to Faro, Portugal where we picked up another rental. Very minor inconvenience that probably saved us money since the car was not sitting in pay parking in Seville for a few days with the meter running so to speak.

We drove a fair amount, on highways and back roads. Never encountered any 'bandits' in Spain or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. We prefer a manual, especially for places like the white hill towns north of Gibralter.

Rental rates are like cruise fares. They go up and down constantly. Once you have made your reservation check back once in a while to confirm that the rates have not decreased.

Yeah, I was looking for ground transportation from Lisbon to Madrid. Nothing fast or easy. Will be flying instead.

Thanks!

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

We have rented vehicles in Europe multiple times, and as the sole planner for all our trips, I can honestly say that comparing the costs/terms, etc. is one of the hardest planning things to accomplish. Last spring, we rented a car in Sevilla and planned to return it in Santander, Spain, but we planned to also take it into Portugal. That was a "no go" for most of the rental companies. We also almost always pay for the rental insurance (for peace of mind purposes). Unfortunately, its cost varied substantially across the rental car companies and it was not clear how to compare coverages from the websites.

So, for our trip last spring, we rented through Hertz. They have an international desk with English-speaking representatives. The insurance was MUCH cheaper than the other companies, and our contract allowed us to take the vehicle into another country.

One suggestion regarding parking in the historic areas of European cities: For the most part, on this trip, we stayed at Airbnbs/hotels that offered parking. However, our Airbnb in Lisbon, which was in the historic center, did not offer parking. Rather than taking our chances and hoping we could find affordable, available parking near our lodging, we decided to park at the airport and take a taxi to our place. Lisbon airport parking was MUCH cheaper than city center parking, and the taxi was also cheap. We could also have taken public transportation into the city, which would have been even cheaper.

 

[brett]

We tend to do one way rentals. We typically return a car when we are going to a city for three days or so. Then pick up another one if we are leaving or train to our next location if on our way to another city location if nothing that interests us in between.

 

[WestUniversity]

You might not need the international driver's license to rent a car, but I think you'll wish you'd spent the 25 dollars for one if you get pulled over by the police or are in an accident.

Agreed. Supposedly its not always required or enforced, but if you need it and don’t have it...

I mean come on, it’s $25. That hardly breaks the bank.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have driven a total of more than 10,000 km in Western Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra). This was after making many trips through these countries using trains, and now I wanted to go to less accessible places.

Road trips are fun, and allow me to do different things and go places difficult to get to. On the other hand, the car can be a real liability when in town. It takes quite a bit of planning to know where to park the car for the stay. Hotels in cities generally do not have their own parking garages, and you have to park at a nearby public garage for 15 to 20 euros/day.

Generally, I was able to find Airbnb's with private and reserved parking spots in a nearby garage, or where there was ample street parking. It took quite a bit of surfing and scouting with Google Street View to assess the situation.

And then, I still need to find public transportation to get around in large cities, with the car parked for the stay.

There are certain things to look out for, such as staying out of restricted zones that are limited to residents only in crowded cities. They use automatic cameras by computers to read license plates, check them against a database, then track violators down via the rental company to levy hefty fines. In Madrid, the fine is 90 euros. This level of fine is typical. What is tricky is knowing the boundary of these limited zones.

When making stops during day trips, never leave luggage in the rear seat. Thieves will see it and smash the window to grab it. Don't even open the trunk to get "stuff" after you park at the destination. Thieves casing parking lots will see you with the luggage in the trunk, and will try to get it after you walk away.

About highway bandits, this seems to be a phenomenon in Spain only, and perpetuated by Eastern European immigrants. A lot of travelers never encounter them, but that's the same as the majority of tourists not getting pickpocketed. Just because you have not been pickpocketed does not mean thieves do not exist.

See:

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2018...straction-crime-method-in-spain/#.XPxvm1xKi00

https://n332.es/2018/06/13/highway-robbers-arrested/

This will tell you that highway robbery is a tradition in Spain:

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2013...g-history-and-are-still-with-us/#.XPx0Q1xKi00.

There's a lot more info on the Web for those who are curious.

 

[wanaberetiree]

You might not need the international driver's license to rent a car, but I think you'll wish you'd spent the 25 dollars for one if you get pulled over by the police or are in an accident.

Most rental companies require the international driver’s license during car checkout

 

[sengsational]

We tend to do one way rentals. We typically return a car when we are going to a city for three days or so. Then pick up another one if we are leaving or train to our next location if on our way to another city location if nothing that interests us in between.

I researched the one-way deal for an upcoming trip in Spain and the rate was cheap, but the drop-off charge put it way outside the realm of possibility. I booked airline tickets instead.

 

[Bamaman]

I have an old company Hertz Gold Card that gives big discounts on car rentals. I sometime compare those rates to AutoEurope which is a U.S.based consolidater. I will use the cheapest.

I avoid all airport or.train station rentals as they always come with extra taxes or tariffs. I rent in city locations as I am leaving town. I use.my Capital One card in lieu of CDW except in Italy or Ireland where optional CDW is required.

We were in Spain the last two weeks, and it is a completely modern country. You should have no problems renting a car.