Car rental in Spain

Spain is a country which is worth driving around through the length and breadth. The best way to do it is not to book a tour at a travel agency but visit the country on your own and hire a car. Having determined your own route, you can see not the widely accepted pictures but the real southern life, which is passionate and beautiful with carnivals and traditions. Car rental which is ‘alquiler de automóviles’ in Spanish, is not a simple task. However, being aware of all the delicacies and nuances of this view of this issue, you can get all the benefits without having to pay fabulous money.

The average price for the C class car together with a standard insurance package and in-car navigation system is from 70 till 990 Euro per day. You can of course find a cheaper car. It is important to determine all the priorities here.

The most important nuance is the modern search. So, if you set out and start looking for a car within two months before the start of the trip, the chance to find a good car is very high. If you start looking for a car within one week before the start of the trip, the price will be higher and the choice will be limited. Booking a car via the Internet is the most modern way. At that everybody has a bank card today, so you will not have problems with payment.

The following moments can contribute to the increase of the car rental cost in Spain:

• Returning the car during the company’s non-working hours.
• Returning the car in another city.
• Desire to visit another country of the Schengen zone.

There are also strict bans. You must not leave the European Union in the rental car. The car cannot be given to third parties for any purposes. If necessary, every car renter has a right to demand the rental agreement in English in addition to the one compiled in Spanish.

The following companies rent out cars in Spain:

• Three international leaders – Europcar, Hertz, Avis.
• The Gold Car Company which is a local discounter.
• The so cold car rental brokers – such companies as TravelJigsaw.ru, Rent Spain and Easy Terra.

Average prices for car rental in Spain

The prices for car rental in the country are different. They depend on the place where you hire a car as well as on other factors. The lowest rental costs are considered to be in Barcelona. Concerning Madrid, this is a more expensive city. In order to know where to hire a car, you need to compile the travel route and order the flight tickets.

In order to get the rental car, you undoubtedly need to have the international driving license. As a rule, the rental cost includes the standard insurance packages with a franchise equal to from 300 till 500 Euro.

When reserving the rental car, it is desirable to check the trim level. In particular, the renter should be interested in two accident environment signs, a fire extinguisher cylinder, medicine box, high visibility vest and additional wheel.

The car can be rented out only if the driver is not less than 21 years old. The minimum age limit established by some companies is 23 years old. In addition, you shall have not more than one or two years’ experience. As a rule, the sum equal to 5000 Euro is blocked on the bank card as a deposit for the car. In most cases, you will be provided with a car with a full tank. The car must be returned with a full tank as well.

How the Spanish drive cars. What is allowed to do?

The first peculiarity of Spanish roads is that many of them are paid. Travelers who come to Europe for the first time may not be ready for this, although there are also toll roads in the CIS. Therefore, if the road is paid, you will be informed about it beforehand. After this, there will be a crossing point. The payment for driving on this road does not often frighten travelers. It ranges from 1.65 till 32.5 Euro. Everything depends on the kilometer performance of the toll road as well as on other factors.

There are many tunnels in Spain, and they all stand apart. They impress everybody with their modernity and ideal road pavement. It must be said that these characteristics are peculiar to practically all Spanish roads. It is necessary to mention such most famous tunnels as:

• The Cadi tunnel.
• The Vallvidrera tunnel.

Almost all roads in Spain are equipped with speed cameras. As a result, you are strongly not recommended to violate the speed regime prescribed by the signs. Use a well-known proverb which says that slow and steady wins the race. There is an interesting moment. The speed camera most often informs the nearest police station about the committed violation of traffic regulations. After that everything can be like in Hollywood films up to taking the driver in on the highway.

One of the oldest fines is considered to be the fine which is given for the use of radar detectors. The sum of the fine can be up to 6000 Euro. The following speed limitations are in force:

1. It is possible to drive with a speed of not more than 50 km/h in cities.
2. The maximum speed allowed outside the population centers is 90 km/h.
3. You can make not more than 100 km/h on highways.
4. It is possible to accelerate up to 120 km/h on expressways.

It is also necessary to take into account that the minimum speed limitation equal to 60 km/h is in force on expressways.

Like in all other European Union countries, in Spain the drivers are obliged to fasten the safety belts. In addition, children whose height is lower than 150 cm shall sit in special child seats according to their height and weight. It is also important to remember that talking on the mobile phone without a hands-free device is strictly forbidden.

The fines in Spain are significant. You can especially experience financial difficulties for one of the following violations:

Insignificant fines can be paid to the policeman on site. At that there is a 50% discount for such a way of payment.

Insurance lines in Spain

The following insurance packages are obligatory:

1. TPL (Third Party Liability) – this is an insurance line which covers the damage which can be caused to third parties. This type is analogous to the third party liability insurance widespread in Russia.
2. CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) – this is an insurance which covers the damage caused to the car in the process of its exploitation by the car renter. In most cases, this insurance line does not include the damage to the wheels, windows and mirrors.
3. TP (Theft Protection) – this is a package against the car theft.
4. PAI (Personal Accident Insurance) – This is an insurance package which will compensate the damage to the driver of the car and his passengers.
5. EP (Extended Protection) – this is the so called court insurance policy. It limits the liability of the driver in the event he is filed lawsuit. As a rule, the driver can be filed a charge in the event of the road traffic accident.

Where to fill a car with fuel in Spain and what fuel to use

Chains of fuel stations can be met all over the country. They offer highly qualitative oil and diesel fuel. Fuel 95 and fuel 98 are called ‘gasoline sin plomo’, and diesel oil is called ‘gasoleo A’ or ‘gas-oil’. When booking a car at the company, do not forget to come up with this question and specify everything at the moment of receiving the car. The average prices for oil are the following:

• Fuel 95 – 1.26 Euro.
• Fuel 98– 1.39 Euro.
• Diesel fuel – 1.17 Euro.

Parking in Spain

There are strict parking regulations in the country. These regulations change depending on the time of the day, month of the year and day of the week. In some city areas, you need to have permission for parking a car in the working hours. This permission is called Horas laborables. The large cities are different by the fact that the parking issue in them is important both for the local population and for travelers. As a rule, the payment of a parking place is effected:

• On weekdays – from 9:00 till 14:00, and then from 16:00 till 21:00.
• On Saturday – from 9:00 till 14:00.

As we can see, there is the so called lunch break connected with the start of siesta.

Car parks in Spain are most often represented by underground parking lots called ‘aparcamiento subterráneo’. These parking lots are equipped with visual display units which inform customers about the availability of free places. If there are free places, the notice is ‘Libre’, and if all places are occupied, the notice is ‘Completo’. It is simple to pay for such a car park. When entering it, you need to receive a parking ticket. When leaving the car park, you need to give the ticket back to the checkout counter of the car park. There are also standard payment systems called ‘Ora Zona’. In this case, you need to buy a parking ticket on your own. The prices are different depending on the time of the planned car park. The parking ticket shall be put under the windscreen. The parking time is limited by 30, 60 or 90 minutes.

Important! If there is a road sign with a vehicle carrier or inscription ‘retiada grúa’ near the foot path you are going to park your car at, you had better not park your car here. You risk being deprived of a car which can be taken to the special parking area. You had better look for another parking place in order not lose time, money and power.

The car parks are differentiated by color:

• Blue marking means that the car park is paid with use of a parking meter which gives parking tickets

Yellow marking means that parking a car at this place is forbidden.

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