Sorry no, quite unlikely. The hire companies need credit cards as once they’ve checked and reserved sufficient credit (including fee for possible damage) the card company guarantees the payment and then chases you for the money. With a debit card you could take the car and then remove the money from your account, leaving the hire company to try and get the money from you.

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.

Tenerife car rental

To explore and discover new places is a big part of the holiday. At Tenerife there are a myriad of interesting attractions of various kinds.

Around Tenerife:
A good trip if you choose a Tenerife car rental is to drive along the west coast against Tamaidalen, which is the center of almond and fig cultivation in Tenerife. Further north, you can enjoy the magnificent view over one of the island’s oldest seaports, Garachio, which was almost buried by a volcanic eruption in 1700. On the islands green and wild north coast lies Icod de Los Vinos with its famous dragon blood tree, which is said to be more than 2000 years old. From here you can then drive to Puerto de la Cruz, where you can swim in sea water pool, shop around, or admire the beautiful botanical garden, or just stroll around in the old neighborhood at Plaza Charco. At Bodaga Alvaro Tacoronto in the vineyard, you can taste some of the locally produced wines and various “tapas” samples. This is a pleasant one-day-trip, but you really need to hire a car to do this round trip.

Teide and Las Canada:
Teide National Park is a unique scenery. Thousands of years of volcanic eruptions has created one of the world’s most distinctive landscapes, and it was also here that some scenes from the movie “Planet of the Apes” with Charlton Heston in the lead was filmed. The drive up to the national park pass through green fields and charming towns. On the way, you can stop at Vilaflor which is Spain’s highest situated village, and enjoy the beautiful nature and breathe the fresh mountain air. Las Cañadas National Park looks like a lunar landscape with plenty of rock that sets the imagination in motion, the current bear, the sleeping Guanche and queen shoes are some of the more well known. In mid-shoot Teide volcano excavations its top up as a pyramid 3,718 meters above sea level. A visit to the Teide is simply a must, and will be a memory for life. Remember that there may be cold at Teide, so a warm sweater will be a good idea.

Santa Cruz and Taganana:
Tenerifes capital city Santa Cruz is an old port with approx. 250,000 inhabitants. The main streets in the city is pedestrian street Calle Castillo, which begins from the site Plaza de España. Here you’ll find a wide variety of particular technical equipment, clothing, perfume, bags, etc. Santa Cruz is a town with several interesting museums. The Archaeological Museum, 150 m from the market hall, a permanent exhibition on Tenerifes ur inhabitants – Guanche. In the morning, the lively marked with fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, livestock, and a beautiful floral splendor can be visited. After the visit to Santa Cruz, the journey continues to the northeastern parts with its wild mountain massive, and the jungle-like Mercedes Forest. Mercedes forest is one of Europe’s few remaining virgin forests and consists of particular bay tree. Several of the sites passed has a fantastic view. After driving a while you reach the north shore, where you can stop at the bottom of a canyon in the small town Taganana, which is a picturesque little church from around 1500.

Puerto de la Cruz:
In the beautiful city of Puerto de la Cruz, a few miles west of the center is one of Tenerife’s largest tourist attractions – Loro Parque, a wonderful park with lots of different animals and plants. Here you can see birds in thousands, exotic plants, penguins, show with dolphins or sea lions and more. If you will not spend all day in the park, you can of course look a little closer to Puerto de la Cruz, with its cozy street life, its shops and inviting ocean basins.

Sun and sea:
You can also choose to take a relaxing day at sea. If you are lucky, you can see the most playful residents of the Atlantic ocean, dolphins and pilot whales which come to the surface to breathe.

La Gomera:
Tenerifes beautiful neighbor island La Gomera is absolutely worth a trip. Sailing from Los Christianos in Tenerife to get to La Gomera’s capital San Sebastian, with the backdrop, we go to explore the island, for example a walk through the beautiful national park Garajonay. From the small town Agulo has a beautiful view to Tenerife and Teide. Well back in San Sebastián, you can visit the church where Colombus is said to have asked his last prayers before he started his long journey to the new world. Visit the house where he lived, Casa de Colón, go for a walk in the city, or enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the squares, before it is again time to go aboard on the ferry to Tenerife.

Discover Tenerife:
Tenerife has a lot to offerand is fantastic if you want to enjoy more than relaxing beach life. Nature is changing – from the barren volcano crater Las Canada and the green and lush rolling Orotavadal to agricultural areas. Yes you can go on, but try to organize new tours, there are many beautiful and wonderful combinations, so it’s just getting started. Infrastructure is good on Tenerife, but if you really want to explore the island you should look for Tenerife car rental companies.