It should be, but if I was you, stick to a big company like AVIS or HERTZ.
Alamo car hire (part of nationwide vehicle hire) in Spain totally dumped on me we had pre paid the entire rental AND deposit, but thier pencil necked airport rep refused to give us a car without seeing a credit card. This was at 1am in Allicante. We had to get family out of bed to drive nearly 200 miles round trip to rescue us, and to this day I have recieved no apology, and no refund (£300 plus, lost)
Tread carefully, and really make certain you are getting your car under your terms. If possible arrange pickup at a time when an english speaking rep can be found, or at least phoned should things go tit’s up.
We hired from Avis next trip, 100% excellent service, and got bumped up to a medium size a Seat Cordoba in as good as new condition because the small car we had paid for was un-valeted when we arrived.

It’s pretty much worldwide that you need a credit card to hire a car. The reason is for security and insurance. I’ve never come across a company that will let you hire a car without a credit card, and I’ve travelled quite a bit in my life.
A credit card is handy to have whilst travelling in Spain. It saves taking too much cash with you. You also get a good rate of exchange if you need to buy goods. Once you get home you can cut it up or shred the card.
The well known car hire companies such as Avis and Hertz are great people to hire with but expensive, compared to hiring in Spain with someone like Carjet Iberia. You will save as much as a third of the cost.

Tips to the Best Tenerife Car Rental Experience

Being on holiday on Tenerife you might want to explore the island by your self, away from the organised coaches and their tight schedules. You are on holiday and this is what holiday is all about: relaxing and deciding what to do and when, having the freedom to improvise and follow your own pace. The obvious solution for a lot of tourists vacationing on Tenerife is to hire a car and go where their heart takes them.

Tenerife Car hire is a big part of the tourism business on almost every resort, and you will find many different rental car companies while you are on holiday; some worldwide car rental chains, and also some local car rental companies all wanting to loan you a car for the duration of your holiday on the island.

When hiring a car there are some pitfalls to avoid and some good tricks to know before signing the contract and can even save a lot of money by doing a little bit of planning. In the following there are a few tips on how to hire a car on Tenerife and make the most of your holiday on this magnificent island.

First, the money saving tip: Hire you car from home. While this may sound change at first, think about it: when are you in the best negotiation situation? Standing in the sun on a parking lot on Tenerife wanting desperately to start your exploring of the island or sitting in the comfort of your home, browsing through the different car rental offers? And another thing; booking in advance allows the rental company to plan much easier – and they reward you for that.
Another benefit of advance booking is of course the you are guaranteed to have a set of wheels when you arrive and you do not have to spend precious time shopping around.

To find a Tenerife car rental company, please check the section: Tenerife Car Hire.

Arriving at Tenerife, and assuming the you have booked your rental car in advance, you can either pick up the car in the airport or at a local branch near your accommodation. Remember to bring your reservation voucher or booking information as this will speed up the process and also make sure you get the kind of car you ordered.

Before the keys are handed to you, you will need to sign the car rental contract – make sure you read that very carefully, and do not assume that it is just a standard car hire agreement – unfortunately there is no standard agreement.

The contact is a binding legal document which contains all the liability clauses and legal details, so again: read them carefully, ask all the questions you need and do not sign unless you are satisfied and aware of what you are agreeing to.

Having said that, don’t get paranoid and think that the car hire company is trying to cheat you – every respectable company will have the best interest in keeping you, the costumer, happy. Another good reason to book your car from home.

After the legal paper work, make sure to ask for a map of Tenerife and ask if there are any places to avoid in your car. This could be due to road work or know traffic jams. Before driving away you should check the car thoroughly. Are the tires OK, do they look like they can handle a trip to Teide or some of the back roads?

Also check the car for dents and scratches – make sure to note all of there on the report that goes with the car to avoid possible future claims. Do not rely on a verbal agreement. If you want you can take some pictures of the car – you did remember to bring your camera – right?

Most often the rental contract states that the car has a full tank, and make sure to check before driving off. Oh – and one more thing: check the mileage on the car unless you have free miles with the rental.

If everything is in order you are all ready to take on the exploration of the island. On Tenerife you drive on the right side of the road, and there might be other differences to driving in your own country.

When you return the car on the agreed time and place, make sure to return it in the same state that you got it in. Do not return a muddy, dirty car with an almost empty tank. You do not have to wash and polish the car, but return in good condition and with a half or full tank.

If you have had any accidents during your rental, make sure to tell the car hire company up front, or better yet, phone them right away. Again this will speed up the process when returning the vehicle.

With a bit of luck, these tips will help you on your way hiring a car on Tenerife. Car hire in another country can be a bit daunting at first, driving an unfamiliar car and in new surroundings, but these difficulties can easily be overcome, ensuring you the most exiting holiday ever exploring the wonderful island of Tenerife.