What's the driving like?
Once you get out of Barcelona, which you'll do pretty quickly, the roads tend to fall quiet and traffic is usually very light. We love driving in Spain because of the freedom it gives you. That could mean changing plans over breakfast, or simply pulling over at the side of the road to soak in a view you might otherwise have sailed straight past.

As the roads are generally quiet, smooth and scenic, it's designed to be a pleasurable part of the experience, rather than a price to pay for said freedom.

How easy is it navigate?
Some vehicles have sat nav built in, but we find the best way to navigate is simply to use Waze or Google Maps on your smartphone. These can both be used offline to avoid data charges and your phone can easily sync with your car's Bluetooth so that it talks to you through the radio. All in all, it's not really much different to navigating in a part of your own country you've not been to before.

What type of car will I have?
For two people travelling to Spain you can expect a medium-sized vehicle such as a VW Golf. We can’t guarantee specific make or model. Where it is a realistic option, we will always try to provide a hybrid vehicle.

I need an automatic car
No problem, we do need to know in advance as most are manual transmission. Cost of automatic cars tends to be higher.


Are additional drivers included?
Generally the hire cars include one named driver. You can add drivers locally and pay locally. Charges vary depending on the location but it is usually no more than Euro 10 per day.

What level of insurance is included?
Most hire cars we provide include basic insurance (collision damage waiver / loss damage waiver). An excess is payable on any damage.

We don’t include full insurance as it is very expensive to include this via the hire car company. There are better, more comprehensive and cheaper options available so we leave the choice to you.

For peace of mind, we recommend you take a third-party zero excess policy which offer much better value. A worldwide annual policy is around £70. In the case of any damage you pay the invoice and then claim it back. It also covers tyres and windscreens which is often excluded if you book full insurance via the hire car company.

Full insurance is not compulsory.

Insurance policies are available from various companies, Confused.com is a good source of information.

Will I need an international driving permit?
UK clients do not need anything other than their UK licence.

For any clients not based in Europe or the UK, an international driving licence is officially required, but we don't know of any local office in Spain or Portugal that has requested to see it. But it is officially a requirement. If you are in the US, visit https://www.usa.gov/international-drivers-license for more information and details of how to apply.