Few Tips While Renting or Driving A Car in Spain
Before you try to book your online for cities like Madrid, Barcelona, or Seville to drive on the road, spend some time reading this article where we have provided few useful tips.
After many years of using rental cars in Barcelona and also driving too, I have learned lots of things about driving as well as keeping the rental experience totally hassle free. Following are few of my top tips
Check your license
Better to check from the agency for rental car beforehand to ensure whether you have proper documents for self-driving on Spanish roads. If you are an American then agencies will need only a valid passport and your driver’s license.
Nobody however asked for any international driver’s license while renting a car, but it will be always better to get one.
Find any good deal
It is better to read more hiring car tips in Spain though I have tried with many different companies to hire car in Spain and I got good as well as bad experiences.
If the deal looks too good, rather too cheap, then you must be alert. Like any cheap airlines they will bother you for every nickel and dime even for single pound of luggage or every inch of your legroom. Same is the case with many cheap rental car companies too. They will hit your purse for mileage, gas, insurance or anything else.
Always read the fine print before you sign
Make sure that you know all the reasons for any extra charges which also include unfilled tank charges. Don’t sign on until you are clear about that. If you prefer only certain special type of car then be assertive and ask for it.
Roundabout advice
These circular paths have replaced number of crossroads and 4-way stops in Spain. Few roundabouts may consist of 4 lanes and sometime it can be intimidating to merge into it or out of it.
Always slow down while entering, but you need to stop if you are waiting for other traffic to pass. Roundabouts can give you some additional time to decide where you need to go. Just keep on circling the roundabout till you can find your right road.
Pay toll to save your time
While driving in Catalonia you will find many toll roads on the highways and they are pretty expensive too. Even tunnels too collect hefty sum of money. If you want then you can avoid these toll roads, but prefer not to, as it will add more time because you will face more traffic and also more roundabouts.
Hide all your valuables from sight
Make sure that you always keep your car door locked, and never leave your purse, suitcase, camera bag, or any other valuable thing in plain sight while parking your rental car, particularly, if you are in big cities e.g. Barcelona and Madrid.
Remain prepared for more payment for automatic transition
Rental cars available in Spain are usually furnished with manual transmission. Most Spaniards also know driving a stick shift car. You may need to pay lots of euros for renting an automatic one.
Select the parking spot wisely
Parking car is quite difficult in Madrid or Barcelona. There is a scarcity of parking spots and if you do rent one then you need to find out whether it is for public parking or only for those living nearby. You may find your car towed away, if you park in a private place.
In any small villages there is no such issue and you can park anywhere without paying a cent. In case you are unsure where to park then the best alternate is to park your car in a garage with little payment. Your car will remain safe in a garage and there are garages almost everywhere in the cities.
