GUIDES

Guides

Practical answers on driving, parking, insurance and deposit.

Málaga Airport car hire pickup: how it works

At Málaga Airport the big brands have desks and cars right by arrivals, while cheaper off-site suppliers run short shuttles. Have licence, passport and the driver's credit card ready, photograph the car before leaving, and confirm full-to-full on the contract.

Child seats and family car hire in Spain

In Spain, children up to 135 cm tall must ride in an appropriate child seat, normally in the back. Book seats when you reserve the car or bring your own — and pick a class with real boot space if you travel with a buggy.

Driving in Andalusia

Drive on the right, the coastal A-7 is free (the parallel AP-7 and the inland AP-46 are tolled), and ZBE low-emission zones restrict older vehicles in the big city centres. The real challenge is parking, not driving.

EV charging in Andalusia road trips

The Costa del Sol along the AP-7 is dense with chargers; inland and in the white villages they thin out fast. Plan stops with apps, keep a 60% buffer before rural legs, and an electric rental works beautifully here.

Full-to-full fuel policy in Spain

You pick up the car with a full tank and return it full, paying only for the fuel you actually used. Anything else — prepaid tanks, half-tank schemes — is almost always a worse deal.

Tolls and ZBE low-emission zones in Andalusia

The free A-7 runs the whole Costa del Sol; the tolled AP-7 is a paid bypass worth it mainly in summer traffic. Málaga, Granada and Seville have low-emission zones (ZBE) in their centres — park on the edge and walk in instead.

Car rental insurance & deposit in Spain

Basic insurance has a high excess and a €200–€1,500 deposit blocked on a credit card. Full-cover (excess waiver) usually eliminates both for a per-day fee — and on trips of a week or more the maths tends to favour it.

One-way car hire in Andalusia

Picking up in Málaga and dropping off in Seville, Granada or Almería is routine — most suppliers allow it for a one-way fee that depends on distance and brand. Book it as a one-way from the start; never improvise it at the return desk.

Parking in Andalusian old towns

Never drive into a casco antiguo. Park in a paid car park on the edge of the old town and walk in — it is faster, cheaper than a fine, and the only way to keep mirrors intact.

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Spain?

EU/EEA and UK licences are accepted as they are. Drivers from the US, Canada, Australia and most other non-EU countries should bring an International Driving Permit alongside their original licence — desks and police can ask for it.