Immigrating to Spain, renting a car is not a particularly complicated matter. By arranging reservations in advance, selecting the right vehicle model, and understanding insurance requirements, the process of picking up and returning a car can be very quick and convenient. Below are some insights gained from the personal car rental experiences of Chinese nationals living in Spain.
Costs and Insurance
1. Renting for a week or multiples of a week offers the best value for money. Picking up a car at an airport or train station is more expensive than picking it up in the city. There are also additional fees for returning the car to a different location.
2. Choose larger car rental companies, such as Hertz or Avis. Spanish people generally do not have a high level of English proficiency, and small local rental companies often do not have staff who can speak English. Communication barriers can easily cause unnecessary trouble when picking up or returning a car.
3. Choose an insurance policy that provides zero-deductible coverage. The streets in Spain's ancient cities are very narrow and are mostly one-way. If you accidentally drive into one, it will take a while to navigate through it, during which time scratches are inevitable. Basic insurance requires you to pay for damages up to a certain amount; usually, insurance companies will only cover losses exceeding 600 or 700 euros. Zero-deductible insurance, however, covers any damage to the vehicle, provided the damage was not caused by the driver's subjective negligence. Of course, the name of this insurance varies by company; at Hertz, it is called Supercover, and for a one-week rental, the premium is between 100 and 150 euros.
Required Documents
1. It is safer to have your domestic driver's license accompanied by a translation and notarization. Some staff members may not ask to see the notarized or translated documents, but it is difficult for us to control these situations. If you encounter a refusal, simply try a few other companies.
2. Some car rental companies will require you to present an International Driving Permit (IDP). This is not applicable to Chinese driver's licenses because China is not a member of the United Nations road traffic organization.
3. Most car rental companies will require you to present a credit card to confirm that the customer has the ability to bear the risks associated with renting a car.
Inspecting the Vehicle, Items, and Documents
Precautions:
1. When picking up the car, pay attention to checking the car charger and the handbrake. The former ensures the charging of the GPS navigator, and the latter is essential in Spain, which has many steep slopes.
2. Issues with the tires and the car body should also be confirmed with the staff on the spot and noted in the contract. At the same time, take several photos of the problematic areas, preferably in a way that shows the location where the car was picked up.
3. Next is a general inspection, such as the brakes, lights, turn signals, windshield wipers, spare tire, seat adjustments, fuel level, etc.
4. Spain requires that the following items must be kept in the car while driving: one or two triangular reflective warning signs, at least one reflective vest, and a set of spare bulbs. These items should be provided by the rental company. If the driver wears glasses, a spare pair is also required. In theory, traffic police have the right to stop vehicles to check if these items are complete and have the right to issue a ticket on the spot. However, this situation rarely happens.
5. The rental contract, a standard EEC accident report form, and road rescue contact numbers should all be provided by the rental company.
Other
1. Clarify the address and working hours of the return location. If they are closed on weekends, you can park the car in the designated area and drop the keys into their mailbox. In this case, if the vehicle is damaged, take photos from multiple angles as evidence for subsequent negotiations.
2. Clarify with the staff how the fuel costs are settled. Usually, you receive the car with a full tank and are required to return it with a full tank. Otherwise, you will be charged for fuel at a higher rate.
3. In the event of a traffic violation, traffic police have the right to demand payment on the spot. In this case, be sure to ask for a receipt to avoid being charged twice by the rental company.