How does renting a car work in Spain?

What are we talking about, Barcelona is beautiful, but if you are going to Spain for a longer period of time, you will definitely want to look beyond the city limits. A car is ideal for this, especially if there are more of you traveling and you can share the rental price. 

From personal experience, I can recommend the car if you are traveling to Spain for more than 10 days. During that time, you will have time to drive through a significant part of this country, get to know the local culture, people and, above all, the countless monuments that this state has. 

My experience with renting a car

On my first trip to Spain, a group of 3 other people and I rented a car in the seaside resort of Calella and then went on a sleepy drive to Barcelona, ​​passing through Lleida, Zaragoza, Madrid, Valencia and back down the coast to the original rental location.

Our companion on this trip was an ugly-looking but all the more reliable Fiat Panda in blue. At first we had a bit of a problem how to stuff luggage for 4 people into a rather small suitcase, but over time we got used to it and found our system :). 

Today, I don't remember exactly which rental company we chose back then (it's been about 10 years already), but they had fair conditions, the price wasn't bad, and there was an option to return the car in another city before we rented it, so we ended up slapping ourselves. I vaguely remember that we spent about half a day choosing a car and a rental company, when we went around all the companies and found out the conditions and prices and whether they were able to lend us a car, when neither of us was 25 years old at the time (see below). Looking back on it, Today I wouldn't rent a car any other way than online, e.g. via RentalCars - I can see the price and conditions in advance, I don't have to negotiate with anyone, I just come and go.

Of course, the best part is that you get freedom together with the car and you don't have to be tied down to anything. If you like somewhere, you stay there longer, if it's not worth much, you move on. Our trip at the time was quite low-cost, so we camped wherever we could, as the following photo illustrates. 

How to find a suitable car for the trip?

Nowadays, there are a number of portals where you can find a car before traveling to Spain without stressing about anything. I personally like to use it I rentalcars.co, which is a page similar to e.g. Booking.com with the difference that it does not aggregate accommodation facilities, but rather rental companies. After entering a few details such as the date or location of the rental, you can look at dozens of offers from reputable rental companies such as Hertz, Avis, Budget or Europcar. Depending on the price and location of the rental, you can get a nice 500 CZK per day of rental. At the same time, you can see the results themselves nicely on the map and you can choose what suits you. 

In Spain, as in other foreign rental companies, I recommend renting a car to someone over 25 years old. Why? Because if you didn't, you'd pay higher insurance premiums - rental companies believe that older drivers have more experience and are therefore less prone to accidents. 

Otherwise, renting a car is not complicated at all and is actually similar to ours - you pick up the car at the agreed time at the agreed place, sign the contract and go on your way! As soon as the end of your trip approaches, you return the car to the rental company with a full tank (ie, the way you should get it).

Do not forget: Will you be using highways? You have to pay the toll. More information in the article about highways in Spain.

Where to rent a car?

If you are looking for the best price, rent a car already at the airport. The great competition here forces companies to fight on price, so from my experience it follows that if you rent a car immediately upon arrival and not in the center, it will work out cheaper for you. Of course, it also depends on your program and if you plan to visit the center and only then want to go inland, take public transport into the city and then rent a car. It doesn't make much sense to travel to the center by car from the airport, knowing that you will use it in two days. Plus with parking in Barcelona it's not the best. 

Try: RentalCars.com rental price comparison tool

My advice or what to look out for when renting a car abroad?

At the end of the article, I would like to give you some advice and tips for anyone planning to rent a car abroad. Since rental companies and their behavior vary, it is good to be careful and pay attention to every detail. 

Choosing a rental company

• Choose reputable companies with good reviews - I recommend paying the most attention to this step! Study what people write about the rental company on the internet and find out if they are, for example, scammers. 
• Read the terms and conditions carefully, especially regarding charges for damage, missing fuel or additional services. 
• Find out about the deposit – some rental companies block a significant amount on the card and it can take a while for them to return it. I have also encountered situations where companies return the deposit up to 30-60 days after returning the car (to ensure against any fees, fines, unpaid tolls, etc.). The fewer days, the better. Reputable rental companies usually return the deposit within about 10 days of the rental (unless you pay in cash). Large rental companies (like Hertz or Europcar) return the deposit faster than smaller local ones. 

When picking up the vehicle from the rental company

Another extremely important step, where nothing is worth underestimating. Personally, I always:

• I thoroughly document the condition of the car before I leave – I take photos of it from all sides, inside and out. I focus primarily on various scratches and other damage (because you don't want them to claim it's your fault).
• Before leaving, I check the functionality of the lights, brakes, and air conditioning. 
• I will ask about unclear controls (e.g. how to turn on cruise control)
• I will check the amount of fuel and confirm the conditions for returning it with fuel before leaving. 

When returning the car

• Always return the car in the same condition and with the agreed fuel level. Again – I have encountered companies that charge quite high handling fees if you do not return the car with a full tank and they have to refuel for you. 
• Document the condition of the vehicle upon return. Why? Because it's possible that the rental company will call you back a few days later and say they "found a problem." And you want to be covered for exactly that... 
• Check your receipt to make sure there are no unexpected charges.