Renting a car in the Canary Islands: tips and tricks

I think it’s a shame to spend a holiday in the Canaries, and miss out on the enormous opportunity to explore an island at your own pace, moving around freely.

But even if you’re familiar with car rental agencies, the way things are done here isn’t necessarily the same as back home, and the names of the agencies are sometimes unfamiliar to us, as they’re only developed on the archipelago.

Is there a deposit? Can I have it delivered to my hotel? Can I rent as a young driver?

In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about renting a car in the Canaries. And don’t hesitate to discover on this page the activities I propose on the different islands.

- 1st thing to know: choose reliable agencies.

Autoreisen , Cicar and Cabrera medina ( from the same group as Cicar ) are reliable agencies. I’ve had hundreds of positive feedbacks from my customers, as well as personal experiences with them, and I’ve never had a problem.
Of course, it’s possible to get the wrong number and have a mechanical problem with a car…. These things happen. But don’t panic, just give them a call and discuss how to solve your problem.
If they can’t be reached or can’t travel quickly, keep your cab receipts etc… I’ve always seen them respond favorably for reimbursement of these expenses.

- 2nd thing to know: You won't pay less if you wait until the last minute... on the contrary.

Nowadays, many flight and hotel booking sites use dynamic pricing, i.e. prices change every hour according to market prices.
The car rental market is no exception to this rule either, which means that the longer you wait, the more demand there will be, and the higher the price is likely to be.

- 3rd thing to know: Payment is due on site!

It may seem surprising, but when you book online, you don’t have to pay a thing! Everything is done at the counter when the keys are handed over.

- 4th thing to know: No deposit and they don't do an inventory of fixtures!

And yes, no deposit is required, and cars are automatically fully insured. Which also means that no one will inspect your car before or after your rental.

- 5th thing to know: fuel level

Here, unlike many other places, cars are not systematically delivered with a full tank. It’s up to you to bring it up to the same level. … When you’re not used to it, it can seem a bit complicated, so to give you a guideline, count around 12l for a quarter tank if you have a classic car and obviously not a big SUV or utility vehicle, where you can count around 18l per quarter tank.

So what's the difference between Cicar and Autoreisen?

Their booking and insurance procedures are identical, but the differences are as follows:

Price: Autoreisen is often better value for money than Cicar. By this I mean that if you take the entry-level car from each of them, Cicar will offer you a Fiat 500 or similar (a very city car), while Autoreisen will offer you a C3 or similar (a more road-going car) for a few euros less per day.
The number of agencies: to keep costs down, Autoreisen only has agencies at airports, and does not offer delivery. Cicar, on the other hand, will have branches all over the world and will offer a vehicle delivery service as soon as you rent for more than 3 days.
Changing islands: with Autoreisen, it’s specified in their contract that you can’t change islands with your car, but with Cicar, they just ask that you let them know and that the car be returned to its original island.
Means of payment: Autoreisen are very strict about this, so you can only pay with a credit card in the name of the person who made the booking. Cicar are more flexible and also accept the species.

And what about young drivers?

For licenses less than 2 years old, it’s a completely different battle: finding an agency that will accept you …

As far as I know, you have 3 options:

Rent from Goldcar: good prices etc… but I strongly advise you to look at the reviews they have on Google before doing business with them to get an idea….. Reviews sometimes reflect a lot of things…
Rent from Hertz: serious agency, but young licence fees can sometimes be very high
In my opinion, the best way to rent a car is through Getaround, an official private car rental site, where you’ll have real insurance cover with Allianz. WARNING: don’t rent directly to a private individual, because if you do, it’s not only illegal, but you won’t be covered in the event of an accident…. It’s enough to turn vacations into nightmares.

To conclude :

Don’t let a dodgy agency ruin your vacation – you’re here to enjoy it! Once you’ve rented that car, set off on your adventure to explore the island you’ve been dreaming of, and to help you make up your own itinerary, take a look at these various articles:

Lanzarote:

– 3 ideas for drives on Lanzarote
– Must-see places on Lanzarote
– What markets are there on Lanzarote?

Gran Canaria:

– Top 5 itineraries for visiting Gran Canaria
– Where to eat and drink in Gran Canaria?

Fuerteventura:

– How to visit Fuerteventura

And for your entertainment:

Also take a look at this page, where you’ll find all the activities I propose, sorted by island.

Enjoy your stay!