Everything You Need to Know About Car Hire in Spain

What to Know Before You Book a Hire Car in Spain Every hire car in Spain comes with third-party liability insurance as a legal requirement. Most also include a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), but this comes with an excess, typically between 1,000 and 4,000 euros, which the rental company holds against your credit card as a deposit. At the desk, the agent will almost certainly try to sell you additional excess cover to reduce or eliminate that deposit charge. This upsell is legal but the prices are often significantly higher than buying equivalent cover independently in advance. Low Emission Zones: The Fines That Arrive Weeks After You Get Home Spain is rolling out Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) across all cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. Barcelona and Madrid already have established zones with camera enforcement. Valencia, Seville, Malaga and dozens of other cities are following. Fines start at 90 euros and can reach 1,800 euros in Barcelona. They are issued automatically by number plate recognition cameras and arrive through the rental company weeks after you return home, with an additional administration fee on top. Most hire cars in Spain already carry the DGT environmental sticker (Distintivo Ambiental de Trafico, pronounced dees-teen-tee-vo am-bee-en-tal day tra-fee-ko, the official Spanish vehicle emissions classification label) required for ZBE entry. Always confirm with the rental company when you collect your car that it is compliant for the cities you plan to visit. In Barcelona, foreign-registered vehicles also need to register in the Metropolitan database before driving in the zone. Check the official city council websites for the most current requirements before you travel. Toll Roads: Autopistas vs Autovias Spain has two types of motorway. Autopistas are designated AP and charge tolls. Autovias are designated A and are free. The distinction matters because sat navs default to the fastest route which is often a toll road, and the costs can be significant on longer journeys. Catalonia in particular has a heavy concentration of toll roads. Cash and credit cards are accepted at toll booths. If you want to avoid tolls, set your navigation to avoid toll roads before you set off. Car Size: Smaller is Almost Always Better Spain's historic city centres, mountain villages and rural roads were built long before modern cars existed. Streets in the old towns of Ronda, Frigiliana, Trujillo, Albarracin and hundreds of other villages are genuinely tight. An economy or compact car costs less to hire, costs less to fuel and fits where larger cars do not. The only exception is if you are a larger group with significant luggage on a motorway-heavy itinerary. For anyone planning to explore beyond the main cities and resorts, a small car is the right choice. When to Book: Seasonal Pricing in Spain Car hire in Spain has some of the most volatile pricing in Europe. Summer prices from June to September can be four to five times winter prices for the same vehicle at the same location. If you are going to Spain, car rental costs are particularly high in the Balearic and Canary Islands during peak season, with availability tightening quickly in July and August. Book your hire car at the same time as your flights. Waiting until a few weeks before can mean paying significantly more or finding that the category you wanted is no longer available.

Driving in Spain: Rules and Regulations

Documents You Need You must carry your passport and a full valid driving licence at all times when driving in Spain. EU licences are accepted directly. Drivers with licences from outside the EU, including the USA, Canada and Australia, require an International Driving Permit (IDP) in addition to their national licence. The IDP must be obtained before you travel from your home country, not on arrival. Speed Limits Motorways and dual carriageways: 120 km/h. National roads: 90 km/h. Urban areas: 50 km/h, with 30 km/h zones increasingly common in city centres. Speed cameras are widespread and enforcement is consistent. Fines are substantial and are passed on through the rental company with an administration fee added. Mandatory Equipment Every hire car in Spain must carry two warning triangles (though the new V16 flashing beacon is replacing these gradually), a high-visibility vest for each occupant and a spare wheel or tyre repair kit. Rental companies should supply these. Check the car before leaving the airport. Alcohol Limit The legal limit in Spain is 0.5mg of alcohol per ml of blood, lower than the UK limit. For drivers who have held their licence for less than two years the limit is 0.3mg. Do not drive after drinking. Mobile Phones and Headphones Using a mobile phone while driving is illegal even with a hands-free system in some interpretations. Using headphones while driving is explicitly illegal. Both carry on-the-spot fines.

The Best Road Trips in Spain by Hire Car

Andalucia: White Villages and the Alhambra Flying into Malaga and going to Spain car rental at the airport before driving east through the Sierra Nevada to Granada, north to Cordoba and west through the pueblos blancos (pronounced pweb-los blan-kos, meaning white villages, named for their distinctive whitewashed walls that have been kept that way for centuries) to Seville is one of the classic car hire Spain road trip routes. Allow at least five to seven days to do it properly. The roads through the white villages of Cadiz and Malaga provinces are narrow and winding, which is exactly where a compact hire car in Spain earns its cost back. The Costa Brava: Barcelona to Girona The GI-682 coastal road from Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guixols is one of the most dramatic coastal drives in Europe. Most visitors never leave the resort towns. The drive takes you through coves, cliffs and fishing villages that are completely inaccessible by public transport. Add a detour to Girona and the Dali triangle for a full route. Northern Spain: Basque Country to Galicia The northern coast from San Sebastian through Cantabria and Asturias to Galicia is the most underrated road trip in Spain. Green mountains, dramatic Atlantic coastline, extraordinary food, almost no foreign tourists. With cars to rent in Spain available at Bilbao, Santander and Santiago airports, this route is straightforward to plan and rewards a hire car more than almost any other in the country because the sights are spread across a landscape that public transport barely touches. The Pyrenees: France to Bilbao The mountain roads through the Spanish Pyrenees are spectacular. The circuit from Bilbao south through the Picos de Europa (pronounced pee-kos day ay-oo-ro-pa, meaning Peaks of Europe, a dramatic limestone mountain range straddling Asturias, Cantabria and Leon), east through Navarra and the Sierra de Urbasa, across into France via Pamplona and back along the Atlantic coast to Bilbao takes about four to five days and covers some of the finest mountain and coastal scenery in Europe. Central Spain: The Castilla Road Trip The drive from Madrid north through Segovia, Salamanca, Zamora and Leon and back via Valladolid covers the heart of the Castilian meseta (pronounced meh-seh-ta), the vast high plateau that forms the geographical and historical centre of Spain. Hilltop castles, cathedral cities, empty roads that stretch to the horizon. Best in spring when the wildflowers are out or autumn when the Duero vines turn. Avoid August when the heat on the plateau is extreme.

Why Book with Get Car Hire?

When you go to Spain car hire comparison is the single most important step you can take before you travel. Getcarhire.com searches rates from over 500 suppliers across more than 10,000 locations worldwide, including all the major airports, city centres and resort areas across mainland Spain and the islands. Search once, compare all major brands and local suppliers side by side, and book with free cancellation on most vehicles. Transparent pricing from the start with no hidden fees. Planning to explore the islands? We also cover car hire in Mallorca, car hire in Tenerife and across the Balearic and Canary Islands with destination-specific guides for each.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum age to hire a car in Spain? The legal driving age in Spain is 18 but most rental companies require drivers to be at least 21 to hire a car in Spain. Drivers under 25 typically pay a young driver surcharge which varies by company and vehicle category. Check the specific conditions when you compare deals on Getcarhire.com. Do I need an International Driving Permit for Spain? EU licence holders do not need an IDP. Drivers from outside the EU, including the USA, Canada and Australia, require an IDP alongside their national licence. Obtain this before you travel as it cannot be issued on arrival in Spain. Can I pay for car hire in Spain with a debit card? Some rental companies accept debit cards but the majority require a credit card for the security deposit. If you do not have a credit card the deposit requirement is usually significantly higher. Always check the payment conditions before booking. Are there toll roads in Spain? Yes. Motorways designated AP are toll roads. Motorways designated A are free. Catalonia has the highest concentration of toll roads. Cash and credit cards are accepted at all toll booths. What are low emission zones and do they affect hire cars? Low emission zones (ZBE) restrict access for older, more polluting vehicles in major cities including Barcelona and Madrid. Most modern hire cars comply but you should confirm the environmental sticker status with the rental company when you collect the car. Barcelona also requires foreign-registered vehicles to pre-register online before driving in the ZBE.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Hire Car in Spain?

Spain rewards the traveller who is prepared. Know where you are going, book your hire car early, sort your insurance before you reach the desk and give yourself the flexibility to stop when something catches your eye. The best moments in Spain rarely happen on schedule. Getcarhire.com compares rates from over 500 suppliers across every major airport, city and resort in Spain and the islands. Search once, compare all your options side by side and book with free cancellation on most vehicles. Whether you are heading to Andalucia, the Balearics or the Canaries, your hire car is ready when you are.