Spain Immigration shares life in Spain experiences: I read a friend's account of their car rental experience in Spain online and hope it will be helpful to all friends planning to visit Spain in the future! There are many car rental companies in Spain, such as well-known ones like Hertz and Avis, and the German company Sixt is also very common. However, the cheapest options are local rental companies like Atesa. They count a day as any 24-hour period, and you can return the car to any office within Spain, which is quite convenient. The following is a detailed introduction to the car rental process, using Atesa as an example.
1. Booking. You can book directly on their homepage or through agents like Alamo. There is no option for returning the car to a different location on the homepage because you can return the car to any office, so you only need to specify the pick-up location (I suggest you confirm this with them when booking; the staff told me this when I picked up my car in Madrid). Of course, you can also book on the spot at the airport or in the city center, though I am not sure if the price is the same as I have not tried that. You must provide a credit card when booking; debit cards and cash are not accepted.
2. Pick-up procedures. You need your passport, driver's license, and credit card to pick up the car. Based on my actual experience, a Chinese driver's license can be used directly without the need for a translation or notarization; there were no obstacles at all. You must pay all fees when picking up the car, and an additional 100 Euro deposit is required. This deposit will be returned to you, so it is best to use a Euro-denominated card to avoid potential exchange rate losses with other currencies. Fees are calculated in 24-hour units rather than calendar days, just like in the United States.
3. Pick-up precautions. I rented two Peugeot 207s this time, one diesel and one gasoline, both manual transmission. If you are used to driving automatic cars in China, you should be prepared. I have about 3-4 years of experience with manual transmissions, but after driving an automatic for 5 years, I still needed some time to adapt. There are many hills in Spanish cities, so you must practice hill starts. In addition, pay attention to the car charger when picking up the car, as it is very important for the GPS; otherwise, you will be in trouble if the GPS runs out of power.
4. Returning the car. When returning the car, the fuel tank must be full. Then, simply park in a spot with the Atesa sign in the parking lot; no one will come to check the fuel tank or the car. In the past, when returning cars in the US, someone would scan a barcode, but here there was no one! After taking your luggage, go to the office to return the keys and manual. If there is no one in the office, you can just drop them into the small slot on the door. There is no problem, and the 100 Euros will be refunded the next day, which is quite fast. This is very user-friendly, and I give it a thumbs up.
5. GPS. I used a Garmin GPS this time, and the map was very easy to use. Unfortunately, because the car charger was broken, I couldn't rely on it for a long time. Fortunately, the Google Maps on my Android phone saved the day. The official Google Maps for Chinese users does not support navigation, so you need to download a 'brut' version or root your phone and disguise it as a US user to download it. Google Maps requires an internet connection to calculate routes, but you can go offline once navigation starts because of the cache. China Mobile's GPRS roaming fee in Spain is 0.02 RMB/KB. If you want to save on roaming fees, you can calculate the route in advance at a hotel or a place with free Wi-Fi before setting off. The downside is that if you take a wrong turn, you have to 'use the talent of your brain.' BTW, although China Mobile uses GPRS roaming, it actually receives a 3G signal there.
6. Parking. Streets in Spanish cities are not wide, and unlike the US, there are not many shopping malls or outlets where you can park for free. Generally, you park on the side of the road, where there are parking meters. Many hotels have their own garages with security doors, which are safer and usually cost 6-10 Euros per night.