Picture On Mount Teide
Car Hire Tenerife Tips And General Information
Car hire companies in Tenerife are abundant. You can pick up a car at the airport, arrange to hire one through your hotel, or walk into one of the numerous car hire shops around Tenerife and acquire one. You can even book your car hire before you leave the UK. However you decide to hire your car its worth knowing that with so many companies to choose from, getting cheap car hire Tenerife is worth the extra effort of looking at the different companies and what they have to offer. Before you book a car, have a quick read of our car hire Tenerife tips below. Our Tenerife car hire guide has been designed to help you get the Tenerife car rental you are looking for. It is a non biased guide to car hire in Tenerife, which hopefully will point you in the right direction for renting a car in Tenerife. If you think there is some information we should add to our car hire tips, please feel free to contact us using the contact form from the top of the page.
Car Hire Tenerife Tips
Before you book
Before booking you need to ask yourself do you actually need a car and if so for how long? How many times
has somebody picked a car up at the airport, only for it to sit there for the duration of the holiday?
Will you be touring or on the beach?
Will you be sitting on the beach everyday, doing some touring, or a mixture of both. Answering these questions will
help you to decide if you need a car and for how long. If you are going to do some touring and spend some time on the
beach, then renting a car when you need it and for the duration you need it may be the most cost effective way to rent.
Make sure you are road legal in Tenerife
Before you leave the car hire company, make sure you have two harzard traffic trianlges in the car. These are a legal requirement
and should be placed in front of and behind the car if you have a problem. Also check that you have at least one reflective
jacket to wear outside of the car if you breakdown. Also check that you have a full compliment of spare bulbs for all of the major
lights. Please ensure you that you always travel with your driving license and passport (or other form of picture ID), as
you will be asked to produce these by the Police if you are stopped. The Spanish Police do not operate a "Producer" system, so
you have to have these documents. Also you ensure you have the rental documents and all other paperwork the car hire company should
issue. If you are unsure, ask the company you are hiring from to clarify exactly what is required to be road legal and that you have it.
Left hand drive on the island
Remember you will be driving on the other side of the road, so you will be going around roundabouts the opposite way,
turning into junctions differently and overtaking in the opposite lane.
The gear stick will be on your right not left, as will the hand break. The foot pedals are in the same position however.
Bearing this in mind, take your time until you get used the road systems.
Insurance
When you book your car, always make sure you have full insurance and collision damage waiver, and check if
there are any excesses applied to the insurance in the event of damage. Before leaving the UK, check your own
insurance cover to see if it gives you any additional benefits. Always check any hiring information or documentation
you are given.
Parking in Tenerife
It is often difficult to find parking at resorts and around Tenerife in general so bare this in mind when
you book your car, as you may have to pay to park it. When considering parking, the size of car is a consideration,
so don't book a people carrier if there is only two too four of you. Choose the size of car which is appropriate.
Visiting Attractions
If you plan to visit Mount Teide or the Loro Parque and you don't mind a fair bit of driving, then often a
car is the best choice as it gives you the freedom too choose where you go, when you go and when you return.
Alternate Transport
If you don’t hire a car, there are plenty of taxis to take you to your destination, and a regular
bus service in most areas. If you are not planning on using buses for short distances, then taxis are reasonably cheap.
You can take the bus for longer distances, and it will of course be cheaper, but the journey time is considerably
increased. At the end of the day, you cannot beat a car for absolute independence.