How to Hire a Car in Mallorca – Save Money and Have Peace of Mind - The World in My Pocket (2024)

I have just returned from a fantastic two weeks trip in Mallorca, where I took my time to explore the island and enjoy a little bit of winter sun. Because I wanted to explore as much as possible, I decided that for part of my trip, I would hire a car in Mallorca. It made sense, as whilst the public transport on the island is quite good, it doesn’t reach all those gorgeous calas, beaches and natural parks that I wanted to see. Plus, renting a car in Mallorca gives you the freedom to make your own schedule and itinerary.

As this was the first time I would be hiring a car on my own, I did quite a bit of research beforehand. This is how this article about how to hire a car in Mallorca was born. I am going to tell you all about my experience with renting a car in Mallorca, how I saved money and how I had peace of mind and enjoyed my trip. Because, let me tell you, the deposit I had to leave for my rental car was a whooping 1,100 euros, and I had to have that protected in case something happened.

Car Rental in Mallorca

Renting a car in Mallorca is a great way to explore the corners of the island which are hard to get to by public transport. A car can allow you to visit more places in one day, and also not be constringed by bus times, which sometimes might not be convenient at all. I remember the first time I travelled to Mallorca and took the bus to Sa Calobra. I had no choice but to mould my itinerary around its schedule, as there was only one a day.

Book Online!

I booked my car through my trusted partner, Holiday Extras. I have used them in the past for car rentals, airport parking and travel insurance, and they have never failed me. I like Holiday Extras because they inform you of all the fees involved. You have probably seen rental cars in Mallorca and Spain in general advertised at £3 a day – but that will never be the real cost! Holiday Extras tells you exactly how much you will pay, and what other extra costs you will have.

For example, for my car rental in Mallorca I chose a Fiat 500 which was advertised at £16 for 4 days. However, the real cost, including the extra insurance that protected my deposit, ended up being a total of £48 for my 4 days. When you book through Holiday Extras, compared to other car booking search engines, you see all these extra costs. When you book a car for £3 a day, you will most likely have a bad experience when you arrive atthe counterand they hit you with the extra fees – which are much higher than what you would pay online, if you would know about them.

You can check out Holiday Extras by clicking here.

The All-inclusive Rental Car Insurance – Watch Out for Hidden Costs!

So, you’ve booked your rental, arrived at your destination, gone to pick up your car, and instead of getting the keys to your car, you are hit with the excess waiver insurance. This is the usual scenario that we all go through when we hire a car. It happened to me – twice I even paid it!

Now I know better though! I still pay for the excess waiver, but not at the counter. This way I am saving so much money! There are quite a few companies that have been established during the past few years, which sell exactly this type of insurance at prices starting at £3-4/day, rather than at £20/day – which is what a rental company usually charge. When you buy this type of insurance, you will still have to pay the deposit on the car, but it will be protected in case something happens. If you have an accident or damage the car, the insurance will take over and deal with the rental company, refunding you the deposit.

I bought this extra insurance directly through Holiday Extras when I booked my car rental, but you can also buyit using websites such as iCarHireInsurance or Car Insurent.

Where to Rent a Car in Mallorca from?

Whilst the car rental agencies in Mallorca have offices all around the island, the best place to hire your vehicle is at the airport. Most of the big car rental companies, such as Alamo, Avis or Europcar, have their offices in the arrivals hall, just before the baggage reclaim area. Others, such as Hertz or Thrifty are in the car park opposite the airport. The smaller companies, such as Click Rent, the one I hired my car from, have their office outside the airport and offer a free to and from shuttle. When I arrived at the airport, the shuttle was already there waiting for me.

As Mallorca is quite small, I highly recommend picking up your rental car directly at the airport, not somewhere else on the island.

What do You Need to Hire a Car in Mallorca?

First of all, to hire a car in Mallorca you need to be at least 18 years old and have held a driving license for at least two years. Your passport name must match the name on your driving license. You will also need a credit card in the same name of the driver with enough available credit to cover the deposit. When you book your car, you will be told how much the deposit is.

The credit card is extremely important. You can only hire a car with a debit card if you agree to pay the extra insurance offered by the company you are renting the car from. This is usually around 20 euros extra a day, and in this case you won’t need to pay the deposit.

If you are under 25 years old, some companies might charge an extra young driver fee.

Another thing to check for when you rent a car in Mallorca is to whether or not you need an international driving licence. European, EEA, and UK driving licenses don’t need an international driving licence. For other countries, you must check.

What Kind of Car to Hire in Mallorca?

My advice would be to rent a small car in Mallorca. I went for a Fiat 500 because I was travelling on my own and because I always wanted to drive one. It’s the perfect holiday car. If you are travelling with your family, do go for a slightly larger car, but still keep it quite small.

Keep in mind that the towns in Mallorca have extremely narrow streets, especially towards the centre. Also, one side of the street is normally used for resident parking, which makes it even harder to navigate with a large car.

If your Mallorca itinerary includes driving in the Sierra de Tramuntana, a smaller car will be easier to drive on the mountain rounds, especially on the famous 26 hairpin bends to Sa Calobra, or the windy road to Cap de Formentor. The road between the towns of Valdemossa, Deia, and Port Soller is scenic but very narrow. Meeting a bus on the other side of the road can be challenging in a big car.

But, if you are a skilled driver and want to drive a fancy car around Mallorca, go for it! The beauty of renting a car on the island is that there is an extremely large selection of vehicles to choose from.

Tips on How to Save Money on Your Car Rental in Mallorca

Check the Car Before You Leave the Rental Agency

I can’t tell you how important it is to check the car before you leave the rental agency. I usually take my time and take a video of the car from all angles, making sure I include in it the location – the car park of the rental agency. I film the exterior of the car, the interior, and the underneath. Make sure you film it slowly and spend some time on the scratches and dents. The car I hired in Mallorca was quite new, with only 13,000 kilometres on the clock, but it had quite a few scratches on the exterior, some yellow paint on the back and a larger dent on the right-hand side of the bonnet.

If you see any damage that is not mentioned in the paperwork you have been givenwhen you pick up the vehicle, make sure to point it out to the rental agent before you leave the premises.

The Full-to-full Policy

Always choose a car rental that includes a full-to-full policy. This means that you only pay for the fuel you use. You will receive the car with a full tank, and you have to return it with a full tank. There is a Repsol petrol station just outside the airport.

Whilst most petrol stations in Mallorca will have attendants who will fill the car up for you, make sure you check whether your hire car is petrol or diesel.

Some companies will be offering a “full-to-empty” policy, which means you will pay a fee in advance that will cover the cost of a tank of fuel, so you can bring the car back empty. Sometimes, this policy will give you the money back if you bring it back with a full tank. There are two issues with this policy. Firstly, the price you will be charged for the fuel will be inflated, much more than at the petrol station. Secondly, the refund will exclude the “service fee”, which is around 20-30 euros.

Avoid choosing the “full-to-empty” policy, it will cost you considerably more money than the “full-to-full” policy.

Go for a Hybrid

Another fantastic way to save money is to go for a hybrid car. The Fiat 500 I hired was a hybrid, and it ended up saving me so much money in fuel. It was my first time driving a hybrid and I was so impressed. The battery charged every time I used the break and after four days of driving all over the island, it only consumed a total of 24 euros worth of fuel.

Navigation

You don’t need navigation. Period. Don’t pay extra for it! Make sure you do bring a phone car holder though, as the cars won’t have one. Use your Google Maps to navigate around the island. If you are worried about the cost of data, simply download the map of the island before you leave home. The maps are available on your phone for quite a long time.

Hire a Manual, not an Automatic

Unless you have a driving licence that only allows you to drive automatic cars, hire a manual. Automatic cars cost much more than manual ones and are harder to find, especially if you are travelling to Mallorca in high season.

How Many Drivers?

Some companies will charge extra for a second driver, so if you want to save money, think if you really need a second named driver on your rental agreement. Distances in Mallorca are quite small, travelling from the North to South taking less than one hour. There are no long drives on the island.

Go Small!

As I mentioned above, hiring a small car is much cheaper than a bigger one. A small car will also consume much less fuel.

Driving in Mallorca

I went to Mallorca out of season, and I found that most roads were empty. I can imagine it’s a different story during summer though.

Most of the main roads I drove on were well maintained. However, some of the smaller roads leading to calas were quite narrow and not in the best shape. A lot of the smaller streets are bordered with rock fences, which, when you are a UK driver used to driving on the left-hand side of the road, it makes it a bit challenging to assess the right distance from them.

If you are booking an agritourist accommodation option, as I did, chances are that you will be driving to it along a tiny road, and maybe a bit off road as well.

The speed limit in Mallorca is as follows: 120km/h on the motorway, 90km/h on regular roads and 50km/h on urban roads. In towns the speed limit varies between 30-40km/h, and it is always sign posted.

There is no tolerance regarding drinking and driving. The fines for drink driving are between 300-600 euros.

The wearing of seatbelts is mandatory, both for the driver and the passengers in the back of the car. Children below 12 years old or 135cm height must travel in the back of the car, on a special car seat. If you are travelling with children, you can also hire a car seat from your rental company, for an extra fee. Just make sure you book it in advance if you travel in high season.

Parking in Mallorca

One thing that I loved about driving in Mallorca was the easiness of finding car parks. Most of the places I visited had their own car parks, free of charge this time of the year. The only place where I paid for parking was the Es Trench-Salobrar National Park.

Usually, the National Parks will have quite high parking fees, so go prepared with cash if you want to visit them. I paid 4 euros at Es Trench-Salobrar National Park and avoided the 6 euros fee in Mondragó National Park by parking just outside and hiking to the calas.

For street parking, you have to pay attention to the line on the side of the road. White lines means that parking is allowed and free of charge. Blue lines means that you have to pay to park there so look for the meter. Also check the timings, as the blue lines have free periods as well (usually nights and Sundays), always shown on the parking meter. Yellow lines means that you can’t park there.

It is also worth checking out when the local market is, because that will incur extra traffic and parking restrictions. From my experience though, every town has a big car park just outside the city centre, free of charge.

If you want to read more about Mallorca, check out my articles about how to spend 3 days in Mallorca, non touristy things to do on the island, the most beautiful beaches and things to do when it rains.

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