Car rentals in Spain

We returned on the 6th and had a rental car for 23 days. We rented and returned the car at Madrid’s airport.

We reserved the manual transmission car through Costco and the rental company was Enterprise. No problems at all. When we got to the rental counter it was short on vehicles. We were given an upgrade and an automatic. It had 24km on the odometer when we got it and 2,913km when we returned it. We have previously rented through Avis too.

You don’t need to buy any insurance from the rental company if you don’t want to. If you’re happy with CDW offered through your CC or a third party like Allianz, fine. Just be aware of how it works and its limitations. Liability is included in the rental price since it is mandatory. At our age, we just get the zero deductible insurance through the rental company. If the vehicle is damaged we just drop it off and walk away; no hassles. It’s really a matter of your comfort level. A couple insurance options you may want to consider are windshield damage and roadside assistance. We were not pressured, or have ever been pressured, to buy any insurance. The options will be pointed out to you.

We buy overall travel insurance to cover the non-refundable portion of the trip and for the medical and medical evacuation coverage. It’s not for vehicle rental. Collision is CDW and there is normally a deductible. If not getting insurance through the rental company, that’s why you need to ensure you know what your CDW covers.

I can’t respond to 5 or 6 since I rent in Madrid. We once rented at Jerez de la Frontera’s airport and it too worked well.

Thanks jaimeel. What is the travel insurance company you use?
Thanks

I just finished a 13-day car rental in Spain with Enterprise. The quality of the cars were very good. I say “cars” plural because I actually switched cars at the Seville airport. My rental started in Málaga, but instead of economy size, all they had was SUVs (I can only drive automatic). After several phone calls to the Seville airport location, I was able to switch out for a much smaller vehicle there. The customer service in Málaga, Seville and Madrid (where I dropped it off) was very good.

I don’t get any insurance from the rental company because I have it with my credit card. Unfortunately I had to use that insurance coverage last summer and it was way easier and faster than I expected. I never hope to use it again, but good to know that it works. Check the specifics of your card to be sure.

Do be aware with Enterprise in Spain that your vehicle will probably not have a full tank of gas when you pick it up. My first car in Málaga only had a 1/4 tank, which I didn’t realize until I was already on the freeway. This was not the case with another Enterprise rental in Malta, where I had to return full like in the US.

My only other rentals in Europe have been with Sixt or other local companies specific to a country or city. I’ve had good experiences everywhere so far (I’m looking for some wood to knock on). I’ve always gone with the companies that had the best prices and the best ratings on Google.

For travel insurance we generally use Allianz, but on this trip we purchased it when we bought the airline ticket through United. The insurance was through Travel Guard/AIG.