Car rental in Tenerife

Public transportation on the Canary Islands is complicated, so I recommend renting a car, otherwise you won’t be able to see everything.

Where is it more convenient to rent a car in Tenerife?

It’s more convenient to rent a car right at the airport. There are 2 airports in Tenerife: Tenerife South Airport and Tenerife North Airport. International flights usually arrive at the southern airport (TFS).

Tip: If you want to go to another island, you’ll most likely be flying from the Northern Airport of Tenerife. Rent a car at the Southern airport and return it at the Northern one. This way you’ll save €110 on taxi.

Which car rental companies are available at Tenerife South Airport?

There are international companies: Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Goldcar, Interrent, Sixt, Enterprise, Thrifty, Budget

Local rental companies: Auto Reisen, Cicar, Topcar, Pluscar, Canarias.

My tips for car rental in Tenerife:

• Read the contract carefully, translate it at home using Google Translate.
• Some rental companies in Tenerife don’t require a credit card!
• You must be over 23 years old.
• You should have 2 years of driving experience.
• You can’t drive on dirt roads, they are not covered by insurance.
• Most often, the undercarriage, windows, clutch, tires, rims, lost keys are not included in the full insurance (SCDW).
• It’s unlikely that you’ll be asked for an international driver’s license (in booklet form). There’s no point in spending money on it.

On the Canary Islands, many small companies are willing to rent without a credit card, check in each specific case. Now I’ll tell you where to rent a car for cash without a card.

Let’s look at all the pros and cons of these rental companies. I won’t consider big companies, you already know that they have everything top-notch, but expensive. In the examples, I’m taking a VW Polo class car for a week. I’ll leave my reviews and comments.

Types of insurance

CDW – usually the basic car rental rate includes insurance with a deductible.

Deductible – this is the amount you’ll have to pay in case of car damage. For example, a deductible of €300. For €200 damage, you’ll pay €200. For €2000 damage, you’ll pay €300 within the deductible limit.

SCDW – full insurance without a deductible. You’re almost risk-free, except for the engine and undercarriage.

Which rental companies accept debit cards

Everywhere a named card with the main driver’s name on it is required.

• Goldcar
• Topcar
• Cicar
• AutoReisen

Which companies allow renting a car with cash

• Localrent 👍
• Cicar

Goldcar Tenerife – avoid!

One of the most vicious companies, a low-cost among car rental agencies. Knowing all the pros and cons, you can sometimes use it. They lure you with low prices, but on-site it turns out that: either you take full insurance for €15-25 per day, or they’ll block a deposit from €800 to €1400 on your card! And they’ll charge you through the nose for fuel. In the end, it’s not cheap at all.

For example, when renting a Ford Fiesta (Group CC), the deposit amount will be €1100. With Relax insurance – €300.

So, let’s conduct an experiment. We’ll request prices for car rental at Tenerife airport. For instance, a Ford Fiesta (Group CC) costs €38 per day or €279 per week. Let’s try to book it.

On the order page, they scare me that if I don’t buy Relax insurance, they’ll block €1100 on my credit card! This way you can spend your entire credit limit, and if it’s not enough, you’ll have to add your own money. Most likely you don’t have a credit card, let’s look at the price with a €300 block, and add Relax insurance.

In the end, the rental price for a week with all fees came to €370 – that’s €53 per day.

👍 Advantages of Goldcar:

1. Low prices without insurance.
2. New cars.
3. Website in Russian.

👎 But there are many disadvantages:

• Long queues, you can stand for a whole hour.
• They impose full Relax insurance for €15-20 per day, it’s dangerous to take a car without it.
• The deductible without Relax insurance can reach €1400.
• Underbody and wheels are not included in full insurance.
• Second driver for €8.50 per day.

There are many nuances, but if you know them, you’ll rent at the lowest prices. Don’t be lazy to read the contract in Russian. But I don’t advise you to bother with this on vacation, it’s better to add a little money and rent from another company.

Website Goldcar.

Topcar

Let’s check the prices for a week in Topcar for the same dates.

VW Polo for a week without insurance costs €176 with a deductible of €500.

Let’s add full insurance Super Insurance (SCDW) for €6 per day. As a result, we get €218 for a week or €32 per day.

👍 Pros:

• Own office at the airport
• Reasonable prices
• Free child seats

👎 Cons:

• Sometimes cars are in poor condition
• They don’t block the deposit on the card — they withdraw it and then return it. You can lose money due to different exchange rates
• Long waiting times in queues
• Full insurance for an additional fee

Full insurance in Topcar additionally covers damage to tires, wheels (including punctures), mirrors, windows, glass (windshield, rear, and headlights). Roadside assistance and car replacement are included. A decent package.

Cicar

Let’s look at the price for a week-long car rental of a VW Polo:

VW Polo for a week costs €171 or €24.50 per day.

👍 Pros:

• Full insurance
• Free roof rack
• Free second driver
• Free child seat
• Free delivery to the hotel
• Pick-up office right at the airport
• Accept cash for payment
• Car rental in Tenerife without deposit
• Allow inter-island ferry travel (by agreement)
• Minimum age 21 years
• Free cancellation or changes to booking

👎 Cons:

• Sometimes you get old cars
• Need to return the same fuel level, sometimes it’s 1/4 tank. You have to refuel very precisely
• Underbody damage and key loss are not included in the insurance

What’s included in the basic full insurance without deductible: most damages and scratches, including glass, mirrors, and tires, except for keys and underbody. A good package and a reliable company with many offices on the islands, but you often get old cars.

Pluscar

Let’s check the prices for VW Polo for a week:

The cost of renting a VW Polo for a week is €139 or €20 per day.

👍 Pros

• Full insurance included
• Second driver included
• No funds blocked on the card, but they charge for the tank
• Free child seat
• Free cancellation or changes

👎 Cons

• Rims and tires not covered by insurance
• Often old cars in poor condition
• No office at the airport
• Long waiting time for your turn to receive the car
• Rude service and incompetent staff
• Inconvenient fuel return policy — same level as received
• Minimum age 23 years
• Can’t travel between islands without additional permission
• Can’t pay in cash

The base price includes full insurance without deductible (except for premium cars). The insurance doesn’t cover the undercarriage, wheels, or key loss.

I don’t recommend this company because in case of problems or breakdowns, you’ll have to call their lazy managers.

Auto Reisen

Let’s estimate the prices for a VW Polo class car for a week. We’ll add full insurance:

In the end, a week costs €131 or €19 per day.

They have offices in both airports and 2 more at the resort (Royal Garden Com. Ctr. and Fañabe Comercial Center). As you can see, their prices are dirt cheap, but…

👍 Pros:

• Second driver included
• Own office at the airport
• Free child seat without Isofix
• Debit card payment possible
• Booking without prepayment
• Free cancellation or changes

👎 Cons:

• Full insurance not included
• Old cars
• Minor malfunctions may occur
• Insurance doesn’t cover undercarriage, wheels
• Minimum age 23 years
• Return to a different office costs €15

Full insurance is paid additionally at €2 per day with a maximum of €30. It covers key loss, wheel and tire damage, wrong fuel, dead battery, and towing.

This is a typical Canarian company with mostly older cars, primarily catering to German-speaking clients.

Localrent

If you don’t have a Visa/Mastercard, look for offers with cash deposits on the localrent website. It’s a reliable search engine for local car rental companies. Look for options with cash deposit payments and prepayment with a Russian card.

More details about cars in my reports:

• First trip to the Canary Islands
• Trip to the Canary Islands: cost breakdown
• Trip to Tenerife and La Gomera: cost breakdown

What do you need to rent a car?

Passport

I assume you’ll have it with you.

Driver’s license

International driver’s licenses are not required in Spain. A valid Russian driver’s license of any type is sufficient, as long as it’s not expired. In many years, I’ve never been asked for an international license. I won’t bother getting one again.

Some rental agencies don’t rent cars to novice or young drivers with less than 1-2 years of experience or under 25 years old. Some do, but charge an extra fee of about €5 per day.

Credit card

It’s needed to block the deposit for the car. Cheap companies like Goldcar block €1000-1400. Reputable ones like Hertz, Avis, Enterprise block around €200.

If you don’t have a credit card

In this case, your choice of rental companies is significantly reduced. In Tenerife, book through localrent if you don’t have a credit card. They’ll accept a regular debit card or cash.

What is insurance with a deductible?

If it says deductible €1000, here’s what it means. If you scratch the car for €200 — they’ll charge €200. If you dent it for €1500 — they’ll charge €1000.

CDW insurance usually comes with a deductible. The deductible amount or part of it is blocked on the card. The card must have sufficient funds or credit limit to cover the deposit and rental cost. The money is «frozen» for the duration of the rental, plus 1-5 days.

You can easily check the deductible amount and how much will be blocked on your card using the rentalcars search engine:

Full insurance with no excess or SCDW with zero deductible covers any damage to the vehicle (except broken glass, lost keys, punctured tires) paid by the insurer. The rental cost will be higher in this case.

Sometimes vehicle damage is not considered an insured event. For example, a driver who crashes the car because they were drunk is fully responsible for the damage. In Spain, novice drivers are allowed up to 0.3% blood alcohol content; renters with over two years of driving experience are allowed up to 0.5%.

After receiving the car, inspect it carefully. If you find any chips, scratches, or any damage, make sure that each defect is correctly recorded in the damage report in your presence. Check the amount of gasoline: when returning the car to the rental company, there should be no less fuel in the tank than when you received it.

Where to rent a car in Tenerife?

There are many car rental companies in Tenerife. Everyone wants to rent a car immediately upon arrival on the island. There are small local firms here, and large companies like Europcar, Avis, and Sixt also operate. You won’t have to search for long. Right at the airport or at the hotel, you’ll definitely find a car rental office, possibly more than one. If you’re planning to travel during high season or for the New Year holidays, book your car in advance. You can always get a car with a manual transmission, but choosing one with an automatic will be more difficult. There’s a shortage of cars with automatic transmission in Tenerife because there aren’t many skilled repair specialists: cars often have to be sent to mainland service stations.

Many rental companies work around the clock, and all have their own websites. I check their operating hours on Google Maps.

When looking for a rental company, ask if renters are allowed to take the car on a ferry outside the island. Usually, it’s not allowed. You might want to visit Gran Canaria and La Gomera, but not all companies will allow you to go there by car. If you violate the contract terms, you’ll have to pay in full for any damage to the car received outside of Tenerife.

Do you need to book a rental in advance? Of course! You don’t want to arrive in Tenerife and find out that all cars have been taken. This is unlikely with large companies, but they might push you to rent an expensive class car. As a result, you’ll overpay.

Traffic rules in Tenerife. What are the fines?

The rules are almost like ours. The traffic organization is excellent, with clear road markings, and signs are clearly visible and installed everywhere they’re needed.

Speeding

The Spaniards have serious fines, and they ask you to pay on the spot, otherwise, they might even detain the car. Most violations, like in our country, are related to speeding: inspectors also use radars, practice covert patrolling, however, speed control cameras are marked with special signs and visible from afar. But the driver’s «friend» — the radar detector — definitely won’t help you in Spain. These devices were recently banned throughout the country — now using them is punishable by a fine. Sanctions for using radar detectors reach €200, and for using anti-radars (devices that suppress police radars) is punishable by a hefty fine of €6000.

I sometimes use a radar detector. If anything, I quickly throw it under the seat. But no one will specially try to catch you in the bushes. There are always blue warning signs before the radars.

Failure to yield to a pedestrian

Failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk is considered a serious violation. In Spain, pedestrians crossing the road at designated places are not used to looking around — the driver must stop. Don’t throw cigarette butts out of car windows: fines for littering on the road are very high.

Which police should you be afraid of?

In Spanish cities, the Policia Local operates in white and blue cars, while outside urban areas, the Guardia Civil gendarmerie units operate in white and green vehicles. The Guardia Civil is a paramilitary force; they wear green uniforms with a kepi and boots.

Cars in Tenerife are only stopped for violations. Sometimes there are mass campaigns to catch drunk drivers, then they stop everyone. It’s not common practice here to stop drivers just to check documents.

You violated traffic rules — what to do?

You won’t be able to negotiate with a law enforcement representative in Spain. Don’t argue or threaten the inspector — you’ll only create problems for yourself. Be friendly and calm. Don’t leave the car, but present all documents, including the rental agreement. If possible, smile and act like a «clueless tourist». You didn’t know that you can’t talk on your mobile phone, that seat belts are mandatory here. You exceeded the speed limit (50 km/h in populated areas) completely by accident: the car is rented, it’s difficult to get used to the gas pedal.

Don’t argue, pretend to be a simple, kind tourist who doesn’t know Spanish. It might work.

The police may give you a warning and let you go, or they’ll issue a fine. They won’t take your license. If they offer you to pay the fine immediately, they’ll give you a receipt for this amount. They might give you a payment slip for the bank, post office, or online payment at www.dgt.es. If you pay on the spot or pay the fine within 20 days using the slip, you’ll get a 50% discount on the amount.

If they let you go with a slip, you can choose not to pay the fine, BUT! The police might forget or remember after all, and enter your personal data into the Schengen Information System — the «Schengen computer». Then, without paying off the debt, you simply won’t get a visa next time.

When the police behavior is unclear, the violation processing is dragging on, and they’re not issuing a receipt, it’s worth calling the rental company and handing the phone to the police officer.

Your parked car is not where you left it — who to call?

Car thefts in Tenerife are very rare, as there’s simply nowhere to take the cars from here, so it’s logical to look for your car at the impound lot — Deposito municipal. The rental company will tell you the phone number of the deposito, but you can also take a taxi: almost all drivers on the island know where tourists should look for their towed cars.

The ransom amount varies in different municipalities and can reach up to 100 €. To prevent your car from being towed away, you should not park in prohibited areas, even if other cars are already parked there — these might be taxis or service vehicles. No parking is indicated by a standard «no parking» sign and one or two yellow lines along the sidewalk. If there are no such markings, or if there’s a white line drawn, you can park your car.

If you need to leave your car for 5 minutes in an inappropriate place — leave your wife to guard it.

There are no paid above-ground parking lots in Tenerife, only underground parking garages with barriers and payment machines. You can be sure: either parking along the road is prohibited, or it’s free. Many hotels offer free parking for their guests.

What are the roads like in Tenerife?

All roads on the island are free, and they are in excellent condition. The main highway TF-1 runs along the perimeter, connecting both airports, the tourist center of Las Americas, the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the popular resort Puerto de la Cruz. This is a high-speed highway where you can drive up to 120 km/h. Narrow winding roads equipped with guardrails are laid through the mountainous areas of Tenerife. Viewing platforms are set up at the most scenic points along the way.

The worst road leads to Teide, but by our standards — it’s a good one.

The most challenging section, about a kilometer long, is between Santiago del Teide and the village of Masca. I’ve seen ladies convulsing at tight turns and stalling. I once almost scraped by while passing an SUV on a narrow loop. If you don’t stall going uphill, don’t be afraid of this road.

Otherwise, road trips don’t cause difficulties for tourists. Driving here is not complicated, accidents are extremely rare. Local drivers follow the rules, don’t create problems for each other, especially for tourists in cars marked with rental company emblems. Islanders prefer compact cars. Small cars are more economical and easier to park.

Roads in Tenerife are marked with the letters TF and numbered (numbers are written on kilometer posts along the route). There’s no highway in the west of the island: a two-lane road passes through the mountains there. It’s better to reach the northern resorts via the highway, through the east coast.

Good paved roads lead to almost all popular tourist spots (only a 3.6-kilometer section of dirt road leads to the Lunar Landscape). Most rental companies prohibit tourists from driving on rural dirt roads in rented cars.

How much does petrol cost in Tenerife?

Compared to Russian petrol prices, fuel here is expensive, but it’s almost a quarter cheaper than in mainland Spain. On average, fuel on the island costs €1.1 per liter for 95 octane. Prices vary at different petrol stations: sometimes it’s more economical to drive to a neighboring station. There are many petrol stations here. Fuel is most expensive in the central part of the island and Los Gigantes. If you’re planning an excursion to the mountains, to the Teide volcano – fill up in advance. The petrol stations sell various necessary small items, you can buy a map of the island, although it’s better to use my map. Bank cards and ApplePay are accepted everywhere.

If you decide to refuel at a self-service station – first pump the petrol, then pay for it. At most stations, an attendant will fill up your tank, just tell them how many euros worth or say «Full» for a full tank.

Summary

This year, car rental in Tenerife is complicated. There’s a shortage of cars and high demand. Be sure to rent 2-3 months before your trip to get reasonable prices.

If you want to rent a car from small local agencies for cash, I recommend searching through localrent.