Ultimate Guide to Renting a Car in Tenerife

Leasing a vehicle in Tenerife is the most excellent way to get around because you’ll have overall liberty, and you can achieve the most secluded spots on the island.

Whenever we visit the Canary Islands, we obtain a rented automobile in Tenerife so we can explore freely and go to areas that are away from the crowded paths. Another fantastic option to have an untamed experience is leasing a camper van in Tenerife. Of course, if you don’t want to drive, you can get around by taking the local buses or some of the top tours in Tenerife.

For us, having our own motor vehicle provides more freedom to travel independently to different towns and attractions within the region. If this style of traveling appeals to you, keep reading to learn how we find means of obtaining affordable rental automobiles in Tenerife. We also have a guide on strategies for acquiring rental car deals offering the best value, so I additionally recommend reviewing that for additional helpful hints and tricks.

However, if time is of the essence, I will disclose now that we utilize DiscoverCars whenever we need to reserve a vehicle. According to our experience, this platform offers the most favorablepricing for rental automobiles in Tenerife.

Below, I’ll explain the process of DiscoverCars and why we prefer it, and I’ll share other companies offering car rentals in Tenerife so you can see for yourself the great deals available.

Rental car in Tenerife price comparison

To assist you in contrasting the most affordable rental automobiles accessible on Tenerife, here is a chart containing the major rental organisations on the island alongside their pricing. You can also see the expense of insurance, cancellation, and additional details. Bear in mind, the cost to hire a car in Tenerife will fluctuate relying on when you travel, how lengthy you’ll need the automobile, and what type of vehicle you opt for. Some companies even charge more for weekend use.

To get the prices for this chart, I used the example of a simple rental vehicle from Tenerife South Airport for one week in April:

As mentioned, DiscoverCars offers the most affordable car rentals in Tenerife. Specifically, DiscoverCars isn’t a rental service itself but helps compare rates from all available companies to surface the best deals and promotions. By searching directly on rental agency websites, DiscoverCars aims to provide the lowest price for your car rental in Tenerife.

When booking your rental vehicle with DiscoverCars, I suggest purchasing full insurance but holding off on extras. For those things, wait until picking up the car in Tenerife. DiscoverCars provides rental vehicles with comprehensive coverage at a very reasonable price because it earns money through add-ons, so hire that when collecting the car. This way you will save a lot in contrast to booking directly with a car rental company.

Best Tenerife car rental companies

To assist you in selecting where to rent a car in Tenerife, here is a breakdown of each rental company on the island.

1. DiscoverCars, the best place to rent cars in Tenerife

DiscoverCars is an internet site that evaluates all the cars for hire available in Tenerife from all the major firms on the island. We have used this service for our trips to Tenerife as well as for other voyages abroad since we always get the best prices utilizing it.

Besides greatly reducing the time needed, what I like most about DiscoverCars is that usually you do not have to pay anything until you pick up the vehicle. You can also cancel your reservation at any point without incurring fees.

In addition, DiscoverCars provides complete transparency and informs you of the rental company supplying the car, whether it be Sixt, Avis, and so on. Even smaller car rental services located in Tenerife are featured, allowing price and policy comparisons across all competitors. If ever uncertain about the pricing, you can double check the official website of the company, but I already know DiscoverCars ensures the most favorable deal.

DiscoverCars is able to maintain lower prices because it levies substantial charges for extras. A comparison of costs indicates extras are generally more expensive through DiscoverCars than other services such as Cabrera Medina.

Fortunately, you can arrange your vehicle rental with DiscoverCars, including comprehensive insurance (featuring very beneficial conditions at a very affordable cost), and purchase any other extras upon pickup. This allows enjoying both the DiscoverCars deals and lowest prices on extras directly from the final insurance provider.

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2. Auto Europe, a good option to rent a car in Tenerife

If you intend to lease a car in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, or another town without availability through DiscoverCars, explore Auto Europe. This represents my second choice for locating rentals on the island, operating similarly to DiscoverCars. In other words, it functions as a search engine scoping the different agencies to surface the best values, sometimes uncovering deals absent from the rental companies` formal websites.

We’ve utilized Auto Europe a few times, and sometimes it even has a greater selection of vehicles compared to DiscoverCars. That said, the primary benefit of this service is that it has comprehensive insurance at a more affordable price, about €10/day.

Booking one`s travel arrangements with a firm conviction is important when reserving through Auto Europe since they charge for cancellations, ensuring plans are finalized ahead of time.

3. Goldcar, a company where you can find rental cars in Tenerife

Goldcar is another site where you can lease a car in Tenerife. Unlike DiscoverCars and Auto Europe, Goldcar is not a search engine. Rather, it’s a company with its own fleet of rental vehicles.

While we have never made a reservation straight through Goldcar, we rented one of the company’s vehicles through DiscoverCars. Based on our past experience, this is another capable company with decent rental vehicles in Tenerife. However, we did notice the DiscoverCars price was much lower than the one listed on the Goldcar website.

Another reason why I opt to go through the DiscoverCars platform is that if I had made the reservation directly on the Goldcar website, I wouldn’t have been able to freely make adjustments or cancel the reservation. Therefore, I only recommend this service if your travel plans are definite.

4. Europcar, another good place to rent a car in Tenerife

Europcar is another company that provides rental vehicles in Tenerife, offering a nice selection of models. This international company has been used extensively since it has a partnership with the former employer where I worked. Whenever business travel was required (about once per month for 4 years), a car was rented through Europcar.

To provide a balanced perspective, my rentals were consistently paid for by my employer, thus I didn’t pay too much focus on the cost. These days, if I needed to pay for it myself, I wouldn’t hire a car in Tenerife through Europcar. This isn’t because the vehicles are unsatisfactory or the company isn`t good, but it simply represents a more expensive choice.

I will say the company has a good cancellation policy since you can cancel your reservation for free, and it also offers unlimited mileage. However, you can find cheaper rental cars in Tenerife with equal quality and convenience.

5. Sixt, another Tenerife car rental company

Another renowned firm that offers rental vehicles in Tenerife is Sixt. Its fleet incorporates a wide variety of models, like luxury cars.

While we have not rented a car directly from Sixt in the past, we obtained one of their vehicles through DiscoverCars, which resulted in a positive experience. I had no complaints, but it`s worth noting that using DiscoverCars rather than booking directly on Sixt`s official website allowed me to save money.

While you can utilize Sixt to rent a lavish automobile in Tenerife, there is a mileage limitation of 2,450 kilometers if you reserve through the official website. If you go through DiscoverCars, you can bypass this mileage restriction.

6. Avis, another company with rental cars in Tenerife

Avis is another respected company with a wide range of vehicle rentals in Tenerife. The best aspect of Avis is that it has a flexible cancellation policy, so if you need to cancel or alter your reservation, you won’t be penalized. On the other hand, it’s not the most inexpensive option, so I only advise using Avis if booking through DiscoverCars.

We had solely utilized Avis`s services one time, and this was prior to becoming aware of DiscoverCars. We did not encounter any difficulties while using the vehicle, but after returning it, the company wanted to charge us for a scratch that we had not caused. Since we had promptly returned the car to make our flight, we had to accept the cost and pay for the damage.

When we returned home, we took a gander at photographs of our rental vehicle from the evening we got it, and it was clear that the auto as of now had that scratch by then. We got in touch with Avis and sent them the whole proof, and finally, they gave us a reimbursement for the extra charge. Be that as it may, it as yet left a negative inclination in our psyches.

The moral of this story is that you should always photograph the vehicle when you pick it up. Doing so will ensure you won’t be made to pay for damage that wasn’t caused by you. If your finances allow for it, I also advise getting comprehensive insurance for your rental car in Tenerife as well.

7. Cabrera Medina, a Canarian company with rental cars in Tenerife

Cabrera Medina is a popular Canarian company throughout Tenerife and the other islands, so you’ll find pick-up and drop-off points in various locations. The company also has rental cars at Tenerife’sairports, so it’s highly convenient.

A primary benefit of working with this company is the all-inclusive rental cost covering full insurance, an additional authorized driver, unlimited mileage, and free cancellation, rendering it one of the most affordable car rentals in Tenerife.

The only thing that must be kept in mind is that while Cabrera Medina’s vehicle fleet may not be as expansive as other companies, especially international ones, finding a car here during peak travel seasons might not be possible or may be expensive.

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Where to rent a car in Tenerife

If you’re uncertain where to rent a car in Tenerife, don’t worry. There are two options that you can choose depending on what best suits your trip through Tenerife.

Initially, you can lease a car at the Tenerife airport, as both the north and south airports have rental services and you can locate cheap flights to Tenerife in both airports. The second choice is to arrive in Tenerife, go to the town where your lodging is, and lease a vehicle there.

It will generally be more affordable to rent your car at the Tenerife airport rather than in the town or city you plan to explore if you`re only staying a few days in that location before seeing other areas of the island. Otherwise, spending a little extra to rent your car in the town you`ll be exploring first could save you money in the long run.

Rent a car at Tenerife North Airport

For those planning to rent a car at Tenerife North Airport, you can obtain the vehicle as soon as you land. However, I strongly suggest reserving your rental in advance since it’ll save time and make certain you get the best vehicle for your trip itinerary.

While numerous rental organizations are available, we consistently use DiscoverCars since we’ve experienced a few positive encounters with them, and the pricing is suitable. On the DiscoverCars website, choose Tenerife North Airport, and you’ll see the accessible offers from all the rental companies in the locale.

Rent a car at Tenerife South Airport

If you land at Tenerife South Airport, you can go through the same process as you would at the North Airport. Again, it’s best to reserve your Tenerife rental automobile before your trip so that when you arrive on the island, you can pick up your vehicle promptly.

Bear in mind that this airport is larger than the one in the north, so you might end up waiting in line. Of course, this process will go much smoother if you already have a rental reserved, which is why we always book our rental vehicles ahead of time on DiscoverCars.

10 Tips to find cheap rental cars in Tenerife

Now that you know the best rental services on the island, here are some tips to get the lowest price on a car rental in Tenerife. It’s also worth looking over our guide on how to find affordable rental cars.

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to rent a car in Tenerife

You can strongly suggest renting a car in Tenerife, a motorbike, a vehicle, or any other means of transportation, but if you wait until the last moment, there will be a very restricted selection. Once you know your travel dates, start looking at DiscoverCars or other similar websites to find what you’re looking for at a great price.

2. Wait to purchase any extras until you pick up your rental car in Tenerife

Even though websites usually aim to add many extras, I advise holding off until you pick up your rental car in Tenerife. At that time, so as to persuade you, they usually provide better conditions.

3. Get a rental car in Tenerife without a deductible

On a related note, I suggest renting a car in Tenerife without having to pay a deductible fee. That way, if any issues occur, you won’t be held financially responsible.

4. Add a second driver

It’s accurate that including a secondary driver can render your car rental in Tenerife more costly. However, I suggest adding another individual to your reservation if you and your travel companion both plan on driving during the trip. If something occurs, both of you will be protected under the policy.

5. Bring your credit card when picking up your rental car in Tenerife

Getting an automobile rental in Tenerife without a credit card is quite difficult. Rental agencies require a deposit when picking up the vehicle, which will be returned as long as the car is given back without damage. Deposits can only be accepted by credit card, so be sure to bring one. Our list of the top travel credit cards has some great options if a card is needed.

6. Check the mileage policy

It’s always preferable to rent a car in Tenerife with unlimited mileage, so choose this option whenever feasible.

7. Check the fuel policy

Another factor to consider pertains to the rental company’s fuel policy. In this scenario, the best option is Full-Full, which involves the vehicle having a full tank upon collection and being returned with a full tank. You can research the most affordable gas stations in the vicinity to save some money on fuel.

I would avoid the policy where the rental company fills the tank upon return and bills for fuel costs. This allows them to utilize the priciest gas stations to impose the maximum charge possible.

8. Take photos of the rental car when you pick it up

Prevent surprises and take photographs of your Tenerife rental car when you pick it up. Be certain to get clear images of any scratches, dents, stains, and other defects so the company can`t blame them on you later!

9. Don’t miss the return deadline!

It is always preferable to return your vehicle earlier than scheduled since going past the deadline can lead to additional charges. When reserving your transportation online, select the collection time so you have adequate time to arrive at the drop-off location. Of course, do not be excessive or you`ll end up paying for extra time that is not truly necessary.

10. If you’re dropping off your rental before a flight, arrive 4 hours before

My last suggestion is for you if you plan on leaving your vehicle just before you catch your flight. In this scenario, I recommend you arrive at the drop-off location approximately 4 hours just before your flight is scheduled to depart. This way, you’ll have enough time to return the car, go through airport security screening, and board the plane.

If you obtain your rental vehicle from the Tenerife airport, it’ll be easier since you’ll already be at the airport when you return your transport.

FAQs – Renting a car in Tenerife

If you have any inquiries about car rentals on Tenerife, here are responses to some regularly asked questions:

That concludes my insights! I hope this guide assists you in finding an affordable car rental in Tenerife so that you can fully enjoy exploring this beautiful Canary Island. Please feel free to share any questions you may have about renting a vehicle in Tenerife in the comments below.

I hope you have a fantastic trip!