Car Rental and Driving in Spain

I was asked to show mine the first time I rented a car in Spain, about 4-5 years ago. I think I saw recently on the forum that it is no longer required.

I don't see any trains or buses to Caminito del Rey. If that's the only reason you want to rent a car, it may be cheaper and/or easier to get a private driver to take you.

Yes you can drop off a car in another city, the only caveat is that there must be rental offices of the company in both cities you choose. The rental fees may be higher.

Yes, you do need an international drivers permit for Spain. I’ve never been asked for it, but if you’re pulled over and don’t have it, the fine can be substantial. You can check the Department of State website for anything need to know: state.travel.gov.

Yes, you need an international permit. This is easy - it’s not a license, it’s just a translation of your existing license into a specific format. Occasionally people seem to think it’s a big process with tests and the DMV. It’s not, it’s just a form. In the US AAA does it for something like $20. You need a passport photo - bring one if you have it, or they can take one for you.

You can rent a car in one place in Spain and return it in another. There’s usually a fee but it’s not too expensive (returning in a different country is where it gets pricey). Of course the same agency has to be in both cities, so sticking with bigger towns (Granada is easy) and bigger rental agencies will probably work best. Compare rates, if one seems crazy it’s likely another will be more reasonable.

I believe two passport photos are required for the international driving permit.

The train takes that long because there are ongoing works on the high-speed rail link to Granada. Once those are done, things should be easier.

In this case I don't think the high-speed work makes much difference; even when (if?) it's finished I doubt there will be a direct link from Granada to El Chorro, certainly not an AVE one. Also, even if you take the train remember that El Chorro is at the exit of the Caminito, so you'd need to use the shuttle bus to take you to the entrance (of course, you'll also do that anyway if you drive and park at the entrance end - a personal driver avoids that but would need paying to wait for the hours you spend on the walk; an organised coach trip might be better).

If you take the walk, please come back and give your impression - I know the works have made it much safer, but whilst tempted, I'm still not sure I feel brave enough!

Chani is it expensive to hire a personal driver?

Nick I definitely will post About the trip!

dunno. I used rental cars on my trips and I didn't go to Caminito del Rey.

Whatever you do DO NOT RENT Form SIXT car rental in Spain! We were robbed in the Barcelona airport picking up our rental car in the airport garage on November 10 2018 at 730 am.There is no security. 2-3 men drove in to the rental area, distracted us while we were loading our car and drove away with our two carryons, one brazenly taken out of our front seat! It happened so fast we didn’t realize it was happening. We are seasoned World travelers and this is the first bad incident we have had anywhere. We heard Spain had the worst pickpocketers, but this was a Robbery in the airport parking garage! We hadn’t even left the airport! The Sixt clerk simply said these things happen. The Barcelona airport police were less than helpful also.
This really tainted our week in Spain.

Whatever you do DO NOT RENT Form SIXT car rental in Spain!

I've lost count of the number of times I've rented from SIXT in Spain, never had a problem. The warning from the previous poster is just hysteria. Robberies can happen irrespective of who you rent your car from!

I appreciate both of your input regarding Sixt. After looking at prices of rentals it doesn’t seem like the best option economically anyways. Plus my daughter and I don’t know how to drive manual cars so that’s another issue.

SIXT are a reputable German company and I've rented from them throughout Europe for a number of years without problem however a couple of years ago their rates increased inexplicably from being quite reasonable to Avis level despite absolutely no change in service or vehicles so I'm not surprised that you found the rates high.

I now use rentalcars.com, they are a consolidator but I've found them to offer the best rates, most of my rentals have been fulfilled by Hertz. I would recommend avoiding some of the comparison sites as the cheapest offers often involve the companies I'd run a mile from, if it seems too good to be true it often is.

I just got an international drivers license for Spain. I take my own passport photos so I brought two with me. Be aware that glasses are no longer permitted for the picture. I got my IDP at AAA. They said Spain is not on the list as requiring the IDP and indeed it is not on the list on the IDP I received. It's only $20, and perhaps when in a bind it just makes things easier for the police.

Yes, you need an IDP for Spain. Driving is easy. I found the roads were fine, even if you avoid tolls and drive on the lesser roads.

Barcelona and Madrid are where I've seen more obvious criminal activity than anywhere else (so far) in Europe. I don't think it relates to any one car rental agency. Both seem to be places where extra care should be taken to secure your valuables/belongings.

It's true, to some extent, of every city but I didn't notice it nearly as much in Cordoba, Granada or Seville.

From the Department of State website:
You must obtain an International Driving Permit prior to your arrival if you plan to drive in Spain. The permits are only valid for one year.
It is illegal to rent a vehicle if you don’t have an International Driving Permit. Your rental car may be impounded and you will be required to pay a fine if stopped.
It is against the law to use a mobile phone without a hands-free device while driving. There is a 300 Euro fine for violating this regulation, which also may cause you to lose your license.
All drivers and passengers are required to wear a reflective vest if they need to stop on the roadside. A reflective triangle warning sign is also mandatory if you stop on the roadside.
You must have liability insurance to operate any car or motorcycle.
If you are stopped by the Spanish National Police or the Guardia Civil, they may levy fines on the spot and issue a receipt for payment. This ensures that the fine is paid by a foreigner who may not return to Spain to pay the fine.

That's funny because according to AAA you do not need an IDP for Spain. Sounds like some agencies need to talk to each other. I did get one for Spain. They are cheap and I think they'd be helpful if there would be some kind of incident.

OK, so for the definitive answer on the IDP, I talked to a friend at the State Department. The IDP is not required in Spain. However (a big however) a Spanish translation of your drivers license IS required. And as far as she knew the only means to get a legal Spanish translation of a driver's license is an IDP. Bureaucracy. . .