When renting a car in Spain there are a few things to note. Mileage is usually unlimited and the hire price does not depend on the amount of miles that you intend to do. You will normally have breakdown cover included in the cost of hire too. The basic insurance that is included is the third party insurance and a collision damage waiver policy. Excess is applied to all policies although you can take out insurance against this as excess on a hire car can be extremely high, depending upon the type of claim. The cost of hire will also include any local taxes that are applicable.

Should you incur any penalties while driving the car then you are solely responsible for these. Any damage to the car which has not been caused by a third party will also be your responsibility. The regulations on fuel will differ according to the hire company. Some will give you a car that has a full tank of petrol, while others will give you a car that has a quarter of a tank of fuel. Refuelling is at your own expense and you are not expected to return the car with a full tank of fuel.

The age limit for hiring a car will also vary from company to company. Most will not hire a car out to a person who is under the age of 21, and if you want to hire a luxury vehicle they may require you to be at least 25. Some companies will also set the requirement for a minimum amount of driving experience. This can be as much as 2 years and this should be checked prior to the hire. There is also often an upper age limit, which is usually 70. Some companies may allow drivers to hire a car outside of this age range but it could mean higher fees and higher insurance excess costs. A condition that may be imposed is that the driver pays for a fully comprehensive insurance policy in addition to the third party policy which is already included.

When you hire a car in Spain you also have the option to hire a wide range of additional equipment for the car. This includes items such as baby and child seats, snow chains and a GPS system. There is also a fee to be paid if you want to add an additional driver to the hire agreement.

While driving in Spain there are a number of rules which must be adhered to. Your driving license should be carried with you at all times. If your license is in English then it is a good idea to obtain an international driving permit. You should also carry some form of photo ID if your license does not have a photograph. You should also be able to produce proof that you are insured to drive the vehicle.

You may not be permitted to drive the car into another country, so if you are hiring a car in Spain with the intention of going also to Portugal, France or Gibraltar then you will need to discuss this with your hire company first. It may be that you will need to leave the car in Spain and find another means of transport to cross the borders, although most companies can arrange for you to hire a car on the other side of the border too. If the hire company does allow border crossings then you may be asked to pay for additional insurance to cover your time in the other country. There are very few hire companies in Spain that will allow you to take a car to Africa. If you take the car into another country without permission from the hire company you will not be insured.

Most car hire companies in Spain are able to provide customers with agreements in English, so that there is no risk of important information getting lost in a lack of translation. Most also have staff that can speak good English.

If you are renting from an airport office then you can normally collect your vehicle at any time as many are open around the clock but regional offices will have limited opening times.

Useful Resources

Easycar Car Rental
www.easycar.com
Email: customerservices@easycar.com

CarHire.co.uk
www.carhire.co.uk
Tel: 0844 888 7708
Email: info@carhire.co.uk

Europcar
www.europcar.com
Tel: +34 918824949