Car Hire

Car hire charges, along with accommodation charges and many other holiday costs can vary, depending on the time of year you're staying here. Whilst each company has their fixed prices, quieter months will see various discounts being offered, so ask first for any special prices that may be available, such as "three days for the price of two"...........

My own personal recommendation for car hire to collect from and return to the airport and / or resorts is carrentals via the banner above. They search all the main online companies in one go and find who has the best deal / offer on at the moment. Another company that offers a pretty good deal called Holiday Autos

Both Hertz and Avis have an online reservation system where you can check their current rates, availability and book a car online. Around the resorts there are about twenty different car hire companies to choose from.

Of course you'll need your driving licence if you want to hire a car, along with your passport. Most companies require the driver to be 21 years old or more with a clean license and at least one years driving experience. If the police stop you and you haven't got your passport you'll receive an on-the-spot fine of €400! So don't forget to keep that with you wherever you go in the car. All driving licences are valid here, European or not.


There's often a "hidden extra" charge called SCWD or "Super Collision Waiver Damage" so make sure the insurance you have covers absolutely everything. If the SCWD is optional and you don't take it you're liable for the first €400 or €500 of any damage or scratches incurred and the main insurance kicks in after that's paid.

Driving is on the right hand side of the road, with speed limits and warning signs very well marked wherever you go. Buses and taxis always expect you to give way to them and it's a good idea to do this if you like driving safely! Parking anywhere around the resorts is easy to find and often free. If you want to park in the very center of a resort you'll probably find blue lines/markings which means "pay and display" so look for the ticket machine.

Having driven round most of the island, I'm happy and suprised to say that there's no roads to avoid, they are all pretty well maintained and easy to drive on. There's not that much traffic on the island but getting stuck behind a couple of "Sunday drivers" can get a bit annoying as everywhere is single-lane traffic other than a small stretch of road south of the capital.

If you're driving south from Corralejo on a windy day, watch out for drifts of sand on the road. If you pull off that road to admire the dunes and beaches be very careful. Certain parts are solid, concrete and safe to park but much is just soft sand. If you pull off onto the sand you're likely to get stuck there. Don't panic, there's a French chappy who's goes up and down the road in a rescue truck and charges you 5,000 pesetas to pull you out. I know all this from personal experience by the way, fool that I am!

It takes about 3 hours of constant driving to go from north to south but you really need 3 days car hire to see everything properly. I'd recommend one day covering the north as far down as Puerto del Rosario, one for the center with La Antigua, Betencuria, Pajara and the western side of the island and one for the south right down to Punta de Jandia.

Car hire can often work out to be a much better alternative to seing the island than the holiday "excursions" you are offered by your holidays rep. As well as working out less expensive, you're free to stop off where you want, when you want and for as long as you want.