To explore Tenerife from north to south it is essential to rent a car. From getting to places where you can enjoy nature, to get to that guachinche that was recommended to you or take a dip in one of the southern beaches where it is summer all year round, it is important that you have your own vehicle to get to know the island at your own pace and organize your days as you like.
In this guide we tell you everything you need to know to rent a car in Tenerife, the largest Canary Island: which car rental companies exist, what to check at the time of rental (insurance, deposit and excess), how to get the best price and how was our experience.
Contents
Why is it essential to rent a car in Tenerife?
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, so getting around takes time and distances are long, so renting a car is the best option to move around at your own pace and make the most of your time on the island. There are a lot of things to see and do (check out our complete Tenerife travel guide), so you should dedicate at least a week to get to know Tenerife, and without a rental car it will be much more complicated to fit a lot of plans in a few days.
If you consider moving around Tenerife by public transport, unfortunately we have to tell you that in this case it is not a good idea (due to the few frequencies and that you won’t be able to reach every corner of the island) but you can check the different bus lines and their schedules on their official website.
Is it safe / easy to drive in Tenerife?
In general, the roads in Tenerife are in good condition and it is easy to drive around the island even if you don’t have much experience. Due to the orography of the island (Mount Teide is the highest point of Spain with 3715 meters above sea level) there are many steep slopes and winding roads, so extreme caution should be exercised on them, especially if the weather conditions are adverse (rain, fog, snow …).
Some tips if you do not have much driving experience and/or are particularly concerned about driving on more complicated or unpaved roads:
- If you can afford to pay a little more, it may be a good idea to rent an automatic car, to make it easier to stop and start (or park) on the slopes.
- Prepare the route before leaving: sometimes Google Maps will send you through shortcuts that will not save you much time but will put you on more complicated roads (for example, very steep slopes). It is convenient to know more or less the route to know if it is necessary to go off the main road or not, and based on that, ignore Google Maps if necessary.
- When descending steep slopes, use low gears.
- Keep in mind that most car rental companies’ insurance does not cover damage caused by driving on unpaved roads.
- Drive slowly and with caution!
- Be aware that all the center of the island, the part where Mount Teide is located, is a National Park with lots of rules and protections and where you need to take extra care. It’s prohibited to drive the car outside the designated roads and to stop or park the car outside the designated areas.
How to rent a car in Tenerife
Car rental companies in Tenerife
There are several car rental companies in Tenerife. To find the best price, we recommend you to use DiscoverCars and to check very well the conditions of each company and not only the price.
We recommend using local companies (Pluscar, Autoreisen, Cicar…), which offer fully comprehensive insurance without excess, two (or sometimes more) drivers included and unlimited mileage, and also usually have better prices. Of these, the two that usually have the lowest prices are Autoreisen and Pluscar but it is better to compare them all in DiscoverCars. The lowest prices that can be found are usually 10-15€/day.
The best car rental companies (cheaper and without excess) that we have tested and have a counter at the airport so you can pick up your car as soon as you arrive are:
- Pluscar (no counter but you are met at the airport parking lot)
- Cicar and Cabrera Medina (they are the same company)*.
- Payless (the low cost of the above)
- Autoreisen
*In case you want to extend your trip and visit the neighboring island of La Gomera, keep in mind that you have to confirm with the company if you can take the vehicle and if you are covered by the insurance. Of those that we have tested, at least Cicar and Cabrera Medina do allow it, previous authorization of the company.
In addition to all these companies, in Tenerife you will also find international companies such as Sixt, EuropCar, GoldCar, Hertz, Alamo, Thrifty, Enterprise, etc., which also have a counter at the airport but are usually much more expensive than local companies and with worse conditions (insurance with excess, payment for additional drivers, etc.). Even so, depending on the advance and the time of the year it is possible that only these companies have availability or even in some cases have better prices, hence the ideal is to use comparators such as DiscoverCars with your dates to find availability and better prices.
We try to keep this post as up to date as possible but always check the information when booking as some of these conditions may have changed and Discovercars presents all the information in a clear and transparent way.
Car rental prices in Tenerife
The prices to rent a car in Tenerife vary depending on the number of days rented, the season, the type of car and how far in advance the reservation is made . They usually cost between 10 €/day and 25 €/day, and prices can go up to more than 100 €/day in high tourist seasons when there are few vehicles available.
Ideally, you should check and compare all the companies with availability for your dates in DiscoverCars well in advance. Remember to check the rental conditions of each company (excess, insurance coverage, fuel policy, second driver or not included, reviews…) and not only the price.
Remember that in Tenerife there are no tolls so you will only have to take into account the price of car rental and fuel to make an approximate budget of how much you will spend.
Tips for renting a car in Tenerife
Book in advance
Especially after the pandemic (since 2021) some of the rental companies that had to sell part of their fleet to hold on, and now have difficulty acquiring more vehicles, so with less supply and much more demand, prices have risen and it is possible that in high tourist seasons they may be sold out or have prohibitive prices. Therefore, it is very important to try to book as far in advance as possible.
On our last trip to Tenerife, in February 2023, we found the cheapest car at Cicar (20€ per day), but in less touristy seasons such as May or October you can find vehicles starting at 11€ per day if you book a few months in advance.
Deposit and Excess
Generally, the vast majority of rental car companies require a deposit when picking up the rental car, which translates into the blocking of a certain amount on the credit card, which is frozen until the end of the rental period. If there is any problem (scratches on the car, accidents, etc.), the blocked money will be used to pay these expenses (up to the value of the excess); if there is no problem, the money is unblocked from the credit card and becomes available again.
However, in most of the local rental companies that we recommend for Tenerife (Pluscar, Autoreisen, Cicar, etc) this does not happen since not only they do not block an amount in the credit card but the full insurance is included with some exceptions, for example, that it does not cover problems or damages with the car on an unpaved road.
If you use DiscoverCars you will be able to see clearly what is and what is not included so that there are no mistakes, and you can even filter by the companies that do not ask for a deposit.
In turn, the excess is the maximum amount that you will have to pay in case the vehicle suffers damages or important breakdowns, that is to say, you will only have to pay it in case the car has suffered damages or flaws but, in most cases, you can eliminate it by paying X euros more per day or by contracting a specific insurance. In most of the local companies, there is no franchise either, although in most of the international companies there is.
To understand it with an example, if the excess is 700€, you will pay a maximum of 700€ in case something happens to the vehicle:
- If any part of the car is scratched and the stipulated price for it is 200€, you will pay those 200€.
- If something more serious happens and the stipulated price for it is 2400€, you will pay 700€.
- That is, up to 700€ you will have to pay it yourself, and what exceeds that will be paid by the insurance company.
The ideal, as we say, is to choose one of the local companies, since in addition to being cheaper, you avoid having to pay anything in case of accident or damage.
Fuel Policy
Ideally, you should choose a full-full fuel policy, i.e. you receive the car with a full tank of fuel, and you deliver it with a full tank of fuel. There is also nothing wrong if the car is delivered with half a tank and you will also deliver it with half a tank, but, in addition to the fact that it is always more complicated to fill the tank to exactly where you want it at the gas station before delivering it (and you lose money), there may be misunderstandings with the company.
In either case, take a photograph of the mileage and fuel level when the car is delivered to you and you will have photographic proof of how it was delivered to you. Most of the local companies we recommend have a policy of returning the vehicle with the same fuel level as indicated in the contract. In our case we always create an alert in Google Calendar as soon as we rent the car so that the day before the return we remember how much fuel we have to return the vehicle with.
Mileage
Most local rental companies in Tenerife include unlimited mileage, so you don’t have to worry and can drive around the island freely. In any case, be sure to confirm this in the terms and conditions (and/or use DiscoverCars filters) before booking.
Type of car
As we mentioned, most of the roads in Tenerife are in good condition so in our opinion, the most basic and small car (the cheapest), is usually more than enough. If you can, it may be a good idea to rent an automatic car, which will make life much easier on the many slopes in Tenerife.
In any case, depending on your preferences (if you are 5 people or even more, or if you prefer a higher end or more powerful car) most of the companies have cars for all tastes. Use DiscoverCars filters if you have preferences to be able to compare the prices of various companies for the type of vehicle you prefer.
Extras (GPS, additional driver, baby seats, etc.)
Most of the extras have to be paid separately, making prices go up (usually X euros per day for each extra), so if you are going to need them, use DiscoverCars filters to see the prices of the different companies with those extras included and do not get surprises later at the time of booking.
One of those extras is GPS: in our opinion, it is not worth paying for it nowadays as it is much easier and faster to use apps like Google Maps on your smartphone. So, you can take our map of the island in your Google Maps app, select the place to visit and follow the GPS indications of the app itself. We recommend you to bring a good cell phone holder (and remember to remove it when you deliver the car hahaha, in our case we have already forgotten a few) and a good powerbank (some cars bring USB charger, but not always and sometimes they charge very slowly).
Payment methods
Most car rental companies ask for a credit card in the driver’s name to block the deposit amount. However, the local Canary Islands companies that we recommend in this guide are usually more flexible in this respect. In any case, the ideal thing is to check the particular conditions of each company in the Discovercars search results (there you will find all the information).
If you don’t have a credit card, you will have to limit yourself to companies that only ask for debit cards, which in general are few and more expensive. If you search in DiscoverCars, in the filters you have a specific one (Payment Method) to see only the companies that accept one type of card or another.
Extra insurance: yes or no?
If you prefer to pay a little more to avoid headaches and possible extra expenses, you can consider hiring Discovercars’s Full Coverage Insurance . This insurance covers the excess and is usually much cheaper than the equivalent insurance offered by the rental companies. The only drawback is that, in case of problems, you will first have to pay the rental car company at most the value of the excess, and then claim it back from DiscoverCars insurance. The current cost is from 6,36 € per day, valid for car rental in the Canary Islands. More info about the insurance.
Most car rental companies do not cover damages caused by driving on unpaved roads and, most probably in Tenerife, you will venture a little sometimes, but check well if the extra insurance coverage you see or the company offers you would cover such cases before hiring it. As a recommendation, when the vehicle is delivered to you, make a video/photo of the state of the car, to avoid situations in which the company tells you that some of the damages were not there and they want to charge it to you.
Taking the rental car from Tenerife by ferry to another island (such as neighboring La Gomera)
If, for example, you plan to take advantage of the proximity to La Gomera to visit both islands in the same trip, you have to confirm with the company in advance if you can do it and if the insurance covers you on the other island. In our case, we know that at least Cicar and Cabrera Medina allow it for La Gomera with prior notice and returning the vehicle in Tenerife, but this could change in the future so contact the company or companies you are interested in before booking.
Where to stay in Tenerife: hotels and apartments with parking
Being one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain, you can imagine the wide range of accommodations that Tenerife has, there are for all tastes and budgets. If you want to escape the cold and enjoy the beach, in the south you will find good weather and sun practically all year round. In the north it is not the same as there you will find winter weather during those months of the year (especially in areas with higher altitudes) but, on the other hand, you will be closer to several of the points of interest on the island.
In the south you can find many accommodation options in Costa Adeje, Los Gigantes, Las Americas or Los Cristianos, while in the north you can look in La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz or Santa Cruz de Tenerife. You can see our selection of accommodation in the south and in the north in our complete guide to Tenerife.
Maps and useful Apps for driving around Tenerife
In this Google Maps map that you can carry on your smartphone to check at any time we include all the places of interest in Tenerife that we talked about in our complete guide to the island.
You can also use this tourist map with the roads of Tenerife (click on the image to download it in larger size and resolution).
We recommend you to bring a good cell phone holder, to use Google Maps as GPS in the car (and remember to remove it when you deliver the car hahaha, in our case we have already forgotten a few) and a good powerbank (some cars have USB charger, but not always and sometimes charge very slowly).
In addition, we recommend you these apps that will be very useful when driving to explore Tenerife:
- Google Maps (Android / iOS): this app is our best friend on the road. Besides working as a GPS, it is the app we use to save / classify all the places we want to go / have gone. You can see other people’s opinions of the places, photos, restaurant menus, phone number of the places to contact them, etc.
- Maps.me (Android / iOS): this app is similar to Google Maps but works better offline than the previous one and that’s great in some parts of the island where you lose connection.
- Windy (Android / iOS / Web): essential app for our trips. It allows you to see forecasts not only for wind but also for rain, clouds, etc. to help you plan your days based on the weather (as there are places that lose a lot depending on the weather). Obviously the forecasts are not 100% reliable. It also shows the available webcams
Also, always travel with travel insurance: medical expenses, theft or problems with your plane on a trip can mean a lot of money, so the ideal is to take out travel insurance. At Randomtrip we always use IATI and we recommend it. If you purchase your insurance through this link you have a 5% discount.
Our experience renting a car in Tenerife
We have visited Tenerife on several occasions, and have always rented cars with local companies (Pluscar, Autoreisen and Cicar), in all cases without any problems or hidden charges, and always paying between 7 and 20€ per day for the smallest and most basic car.
Driving on the roads of Tenerife is an adventure in itself, enjoying the tranquility and its landscapes, although extra attention must be paid to the mountain roads and their slopes (especially those on the north face of Mount Teide).
What are you waiting for to explore the beautiful island of Tenerife in your car? Bon Voyage!
