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CAR HIRE at Mallorca Airport

Which car hire companies are at Mallorca Airport?

There is a wide choice of companies at Palma Airport. A number of these have desks right inside Palma de Mallorca Airport including Avis, Alamo, Enterprise, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, Record Go, Rhodium, Sixt and Thrifty. They can be easily accessed in arrivals, located on the ground floor of Palma Airport. There are several other “off-site” car hire companies with offices close to the airport who provide a free shuttle bus from and to the airport terminal. These include Centauro, Click Rent, eecar rental and K10.

How much does it cost to hire a car in Mallorca?

Car hire prices at Mallorca Airport can fluctuate depending on the time of year, your choice of car, the fuel policy, when you make your booking and whether you add any extras.

Extras such as child seats, GPS, additional drivers and WiFi are usually added to the daily cost of the hire price and can result in the initially quoted price increasing considerably.

Further down the page, we have compiled some practical tips and advice on how to save money on car hire.

Hiring a Car at Mallorca Airport

What type of car should I hire for my Mallorca holiday?

The type of car you need largely depends on how many of you are travelling, the amount of luggage, your budget, and where on the island you are planning to go to. While a compact car is ideal for exploring Mallorca’s urban areas and smaller towns due to ease of navigation and parking, an SUV is better suited for accessing the island’s more rugged and mountainous regions.

If you’ve got limited finances to work with and are travelling as a couple with only hand luggage, a Fiat 500 or something similar will get you around Mallorca perfectly.

If you’re travelling as a larger group with more luggage than the Kardashians however, a tiny three-door car isn’t going to result in a harmonious holiday. You would be better served to opt for a people carrier.

Don’t worry if you are unsure about the exact make or model you want, just having an idea of your requirements will help you choose the right car to hire at Mallorca Airport.

When to Book Your Mallorca Car Hire

Pre-book Online

It’s always best to pre-book your car hire in Mallorca online in advance, as you get access to a much greater range of cars and discounted early bird rates. Use the comparison tool above to compare prices and deals for all of the different car hire companies in Mallorca.

If you haven’t managed to book early, you might be lucky to find a good-value last-minute deal. However, this is risky as availability will be limited and you may not be able to get the car that is most suitable for your needs.

When looking for your car rental, if a price seems to be way cheaper than any others be aware. If a price seems too good to be true, then more often than not it is. Read the terms and conditions thoroughly, there is a very real chance you will end up paying excessive petrol rates or the deal will come loaded with other “hidden” extras.

On arrival At Palma Airport

Even if you haven’t booked beforehand, you can hire a car at Palma de Mallorca airport from any of the numerous desks located in the arrivals hall.

It is worth noting though, that car rental prices are higher when you book on the same day compared to pre-booking in advance. So try to plan ahead to save yourself some money.

Mallorca Car Hire Fuel Policies

What is the best fuel policy for car rental?

Fuel policies differ, not only between rental companies but also between the type of rental contract you take out. There are a few factors to consider to figure out which policy is the best for you. Have a look at the following to decide what might suit your circumstance and make sure you always read the small print in your rental contract!

Full to full

This means you collect your rental car with a full tank and you return it with a full tank. This option is made very easy at Palma Airport as there are plenty of petrol stations close by. Just don’t forget to fill up before returning your car, otherwise, you’ll likely be charged the cost of a full tank, no matter how much fuel is still left in it. This option often works out cheapest overall.

Pre-purchase or full to empty

With a pre-purchase fuel policy, you buy a full tank of fuel when you collect your rental. The car hire company dictates the price of the fuel, and you won’t be refunded for any petrol left in the tank. If you are not planning on doing much driving this probably isn’t the best option for you. It is worth considering if you are planning on driving a fair amount and/or you know you are going to be short of time when returning your car.

Pre-purchase with refund

Your hire car will have a full tank of petrol when you pick it up and you will have to pay the full cost for it. Again, the car hire company sets the price for fuel. When you return the car, however, the cost of the remaining fuel will be calculated and refunded to your card, minus an admin fee stipulated in the rental contract.

Insurance

PMI Car Hire Insurance and Breakdown Cover

What type of insurance do I need when I hire a car in Mallorca?

The type of insurance included in your car hire price will differ depending on the company and on the specific contract. It is therefore important to read the small print so you know exactly where you stand.

Mandatory Insurance

Third-Party Liability Insurance is required by law in Spain. It covers damages or injuries you cause to others. Rental companies typically include this in the rental price.

Optional Insurance

You may also want to consider some of the following if it is not already included in your car hire agreement:

  • Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): This reduces your financial liability in case of damage to the rental car. It is usually included but often comes with a deductible.
  • Theft Protection (TP): This covers the car if it is stolen. It is often included in the rental agreement.
  • Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI): This provides additional liability coverage beyond the mandatory third-party insurance.
  • Personal Accident Insurance (PAI): This covers medical expenses for you and your passengers in the event of an accident.
  • Full Coverage Insurance: Some rental companies offer packages that cover CDW, TP, and zero deductible, providing comprehensive coverage.

Breakdown cover

When hiring a car in Mallorca, breakdown cover is usually included as part of the rental agreement, but it’s important to confirm the specifics with your rental company. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Included Breakdown Cover: This typically covers mechanical failures and may provide services like towing, roadside assistance, and a replacement vehicle.
  • Check the Details: Review the rental agreement to understand what is covered under the included breakdown assistance. Verify if it covers common issues like flat tyres, battery problems, and lost keys, or if it is limited to major mechanical failures.
  • Additional Coverage Options: Rental companies often offer enhanced breakdown cover for an extra fee. This can include extended services such as on-the-spot repairs, assistance for incidents caused by the renter (e.g., locking keys inside the car), and more comprehensive support.
  • Contact Information: Ensure you have the rental company’s emergency contact number for breakdowns and understand the procedure to follow if you encounter a problem.
Excess

Remember, if you need to make an insurance claim, you will have to pay the excess. You can usually get around this by increasing your insurance level. When you pick up the rental car at Mallorca Airport, the company will probably try and upsell you enhanced insurance, but this is never the cheapest option. You can pay far less if you arrange Car Hire Excess Insurance in advance. You can get a whole year of excess insurance for around €40 per year. Obtain a quote online with iCarhireinsurance.com.

You may also want to check the following

Credit Card Coverage:

Some credit cards offer rental car insurance and additional roadside assistance or breakdown cover as part of their benefits. Check with your credit card issuer to see what coverage they provide and if it applies in Spain.

International Travel Insurance:

If you have travel insurance, it may include rental car coverage and breakdown cover.

Extras

What are car hire extras?

Car hire extras are additional services or items that you can add to your car rental agreement. When renting a car, you can typically choose these during the booking process or at the rental counter.

There are plenty of optional extras you can add to make your driving experience in Mallorca smoother and more comfortable. Most extras are charged per day and they can end up doubling the cost of your car rental! That’s why it’s worth thinking about whether you really need the extras and if there are alternatives, such as bringing your own child seat or using Google maps on your phone.

Available extras with Palma Airport car hire include:

Sat nav/GPS

Child seat

Additional driver

WiFi

How to Save Money on Car Hire in Mallorca

If you are travelling on a limited budget, you may be put off by the cost of car hire. However, there are a lot of ways to save money when booking a hire car. We have compiled some practical tips on how to get the best car hire deals for your Mallorca holiday.


Places to visit in your hire car:
Centre de la Serra de Tramuntana – Raixa Country Estate

The Serra de Tramuntana is a stunning mountain range that forms the backbone of the island. It was recently awarded UNESCO world heritage status and it is not hard to see why. The brand-new visitors centre, set in the grounds of the beautiful Raixa country estate, is the perfect place to find out all about this remarkable region and its colourful history.

With the aid of modern technology, visitors will learn all about the region’s geology, geography, its flora and fauna as well as its cultural history. From the ancient technique for building dry stone walls to the remarkable irrigation systems that date back to when the Moors ruled the island, the information is presented in an entertaining and novel way that will delight visitors of all ages. Free audio guides in English, German, Spanish and Catalan provide visitors with additional information.

Entry to the centre is free of charge and is just a 20 to 30 minutes’ drive from Palma via the Ma-11, the main route from Palma to Soller.

Opening times:
Tue – Sat 10 am to 3 pm
Closed on Mondays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
There is no need to pre-book unless you are visiting in a group of more than 15 people.

Address and contact details:
Finca Raixa
Carretera Ma-11 de Palma a Sóller, km 12.2
07110 Bunyola
https://raixa.conselldemallorca.es/en/
[email protected]
tel: (+34) 971 237 636

Petrol Stations

Near Palma de Mallorca Airport


If you need to return your car with a full tank, the closest petrol station is a Repsol garage close to the airport’s exit. To get there, you’ll need to drive past the car rental drop-off point, past departures, take the first exit on the right and continue along that road until you reach it.

Airport service stations are never the cheapest, so you’re better off filling up at one of these service stations close to the airport instead:

Repsol, Camí de Son Fangos, 151 …………..……..3km away
Repsol, Camí de Can Pastilla, 35 ……………………5km away
BP, Carretera Palma – Porto Petro, Km 10 …….5km away

Requirements for Hiring a Car at Palma de Mallorca Airport

Age limitations + driving experience

A lot of car rental companies at Mallorca Airport won’t accept drivers under the age of 21. Anyone aged 21-25 can expect to be restricted to entry-level cars and be required to pay a young driver supplement. Senior driver supplements (generally over 70 years) also exist, with age requirements differing from company to company. Some request senior drivers to take out additional insurance.

Many companies only offer car hire to drivers who have held a full licence for a minimum of 2 years. Others may allow you to rent a car with less than 2 years of driving experience but may charge supplementary fees or request that you take out additional insurance. As the terms and conditions can differ between providers, it is best to check with the individual car hire company.

Holders of a non-EU driving licence

If your driving licence was issued outside the EU, you will need to enquire with your rental company whether you need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Some PMI car hire companies only accept driving licenses issued in the EU or the UK and request an International Driving Permit for licence holders from all other countries.

Other companies only ask for an international driver’s licence if the holder’s own licence is not written in English, is printed in a non-Roman alphabet (Arabic, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc) or was issued in a country not party to the International Driving Permit treaty.

Please note that an International Driving Permit is valid only if accompanied by the holder’s regular driver’s licence.

How to Cancel your Hire Car

The car rental industry is committed to assisting customers who need to modify existing reservations or encounter illness during their rental period. Palma Airport car rental companies offer flexibility in terms of changes to rental details and cancellation policies.

Most companies let you cancel your car hire for free up to 24 hours before you’re due to pick it up; some will charge a fee. Make sure you check the company’s cancellation policy on the rental agreement before you book to avoid any nasty surprises.

Pick-up and Drop-off Times

By being clever with your pick-up and drop-off times, you can save yourself some cash. If you have your car for any amount of time within a 24-hour time period, you will be charged for a full day. So, if you collect your car at 10 am on Monday and return it at 11 am on Tuesday, that works out at 25 hours and you’ll be charged for two days rental. Save money by arranging to return your car at least one hour earlier than you picked it up.

It’s also important to note that you’ll be charged extra for collecting your car during certain hours. Most companies charge a considerable fee for collections between 11 pm and 7 am, while some don’t let you pick your car up at all out of office hours. So be aware if you’re planning on arranging car hire when you land after a late flight, your options are going to be expensive and restricted.

Car Hire Usage Restrictions

Some hire companies or rental contracts impose mileage restrictions. Therefore, if you are planning on doing a lot of driving, you may want to double-check your mileage allowance.

If you are considering visiting one of the neighbouring islands, you will need to consult with your car hire company beforehand. Some car rental contracts do not permit the use of a ferry, others will allow it after prior notification and against an additional fee.

Please note that the use of a ferry without express permission from the car hire company will void any insurance cover you have.

Super-clean rental cars at PMI

Hygiene protocols at Mallorca Airport

The events of recent years have made us all more aware of the importance of good hygiene standards. During the COVID-19 pandemic, car rental companies at Palma Airport implemented a comprehensive set of safety measures, guided by recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local government authorities. Some of these measures have since evolved into permanent practices, which we have outlined for you below.

Picking up your hire car

The following measures are in place at Palma Airport car hire desks and pick-up stations:

  • Employee training / cleaning schedules: All staff members receive training in health and safety standards and adhere to rigorous cleaning schedules, particularly focusing on “high-touch areas” such as counters, door handles, and payment facilities.
  • Digital Documentation: Rental car contracts and other relevant paperwork are provided in digital format as much as possible. However, printed copies can be issued upon request.
  • Protective Screens: Some protective screens, initially installed at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, have remained in place on a permanent basis.

Using the shuttle bus

If you have chosen a car hire company located a short distance away from Palma de Mallorca Airport, you may be taken there on a shuttle bus. Each of these vehicles undergoes thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures at the start of every day.

How cars are cleaned

Stringent cleaning protocols have been established for all rental cars at Palma Airport:

  • Disinfection After Each Rental: Cars are thoroughly disinfected after every rental, with particular attention given to frequently touched areas such as steering wheels, dashboards, radio dials, centre consoles, hand grips, cup holders, and both interior and exterior door handles.
  • Extra Items: Accessories like child seats and GPS devices are removed from the rental cars for thorough cleaning and sanitisation. They are securely stored until the next rental.
  • Customer Use of Cleaning Products: Customers are welcome to use their own cleaning and sanitising products if they wish to perform an additional cleaning and wipe-over of the car. However, it is important to avoid using products containing bleach, as these can damage certain parts of the vehicle.

Collecting your Car at Mallorca Airport

When it’s time to collect your car from Palma Airport, make sure you have your passport, credit card, driving licence, and booking confirmation (if you booked in advance) to hand in order to speed things up. If you’re from the UK, you’ll also need to obtain a code from the DVLA to show at the rental desk.

Resist the hard sell

If you’re happy with the conditions you booked online or negotiated in person, don’t let anyone bully you into paying for things you don’t want. You don’t need to take out pricey insurance policies or pay for fancy GPS equipment if you don’t want them. You may be offered a car upgrade for a small daily surcharge. This daily fee quickly adds up and could end up doubling the cost of your car rental.

Read the contract

Take the time to carefully read the rental contract before you sign it. Check that the figures are what you expect them to be, and no added extras have snuck in. A car rental contract is legally binding, so don’t sign it until you’re 100% happy.

Inspect the car at Mallorca Airport!

Before you drive away, inspect the car and get any damage noted on your paperwork. Take photos of damage in case you have to use them as evidence later. Check the boot for a warning triangle and high visibility jacket. If they’re not there, request them or get the lack of them noted on your paperwork, so you don’t end up being charged for losing them.

Key’n Go

Some companies now offer a contactless option for collection, which enables you to pick up the car key at the hire company’s Key’n Go self-service machine at Palma Airport. This method has several advantages: 

  • skip the queues at the car hire desk
  • no paperwork to worry about or slow you down 
  • no face-to-face contact with anyone from the car hire company

Driving in Mallorca

Speed limit in Mallorca

Speed is measured in kilometres per hour (KPH) in Mallorca, not miles. Here are the usual limits:

Road typeKPHMPH
Motorways12074
Main Roads10062
Minor Roads9055
Urban Areas5031

Alcohol limit

Mallorca has stricter laws than some European countries when it comes to driving under the influence. The blood alcohol limit for drivers and cyclists is 0.05%. New drivers with fewer than two years of experience and those driving vehicles with 8 or more passenger seats are restricted to a blood alcohol limit of 0.03%.

Obligatory breathalyser tests are carried out at random by police. If you refuse, your hire car will likely be taken off you and you could even be sent to prison. Driving under the influence of any illegal drug is totally prohibited.

Driving fines in Mallorca

If you’re stopped by police and issued a fine, you have to pay it immediately by cash or card. If you receive a fine on your hire car’s windscreen, after staying too long at a pay car park, however, you can waive it by paying a comparatively small fee at one of the nearby ticket machines as long as it is within 60 minutes from when the fine was issued. If it’s been over an hour, you’ll have to pay the full fine. Take a look at the ticket and pay the amount at one of the banks listed. You can almost always pay the fine online if you prefer.

Paying the fine quickly is always the best option. If you pay it within 20 days, the fine is reduced by 50%. If you wait until you return the car to pay the fee, the car rental company will likely add an admin fee onto the fine for their trouble.

Occasionally, people receive incorrect parking fines when using a hire car. To prevent the rental companies from filling up public car parks, the law states that they’re only allowed to be parked in these spaces when they’re being used by customers and not simply for storage. So if you think you were parked legally in a public car park and don’t deserve the fine you received, query it with the rental company. You might just be right! For more information on fines in Mallorca see here.

Mallorca parking rules

Here’s what you need to know about parking in Mallorca:

A single, unbroken yellow line on the road means no parking.

Signs with “vado permanente” or “prohibido estacionar” (usually found on garage doors) mean no parking.

A blue line on the road means it’s a pay to park zone.

Disabled spaces, marked by a wheelchair symbol, can only be used by drivers with the blue permit badge or sticker.

If you park illegally in any of these situations, you run the risk of having your car towed away and facing a fine of around €150 to get it back.

More useful stuff you really should know

Here’s some more useful info to have up your sleeve before you hit the road in Mallorca in 2024:

  • In Mallorca you drive on the right side of the road
  • Some petrol stations require pre-payment before the pump will work
  • Gasolina = petrol
  • Gasolina sin plomo = unleaded petrol
  • Gasoleo = diesel
  • There are emergency phones available every 2km along motorways
  • The local emergency number is 112
  • See this website for emergency numbers and information.
  • You will probably be surprised to hear that it does snow in Mallorca! Don’t panic, snowfall is almost always confined to the higher altitudes of the Tramuntana mountains during late autumn and winter.

Returning your car to Mallorca Airport

When returning your hire car, there are several important factors to consider to ensure a smooth process and avoid additional charges. Here’s a checklist:

  • Fuel Policy: Double-check your fuel policy and ensure that you return the car with the right amount of fuel to avoid refuelling charges.
  • Return on Time: Adhere to the agreed return time to avoid late fees. Many companies have a grace period, but exceeding it can result in additional charges.
  • Check for Personal Belongings: Make sure you’ve removed all your personal belongings, including items in the glove compartment, trunk, and any storage compartments.
  • Return Location: Return the car to the designated location. If you have hired your car from one of the off-site companies, you will likely need to return your car there, rather than to the airport directly. Ensure that you leave enough time for this process.
  • Documentation: Keep all rental documentation, including the rental agreement and any receipts or records of payments.
  • Final Inspection: When you return the vehicle, get the person checking the car to confirm that it has been returned without damage, with the correct amount of petrol and at the right time. If you return your car out of hours when there are no staff members present, take a few photos (including one of the fuel gauge) to prove you returned it in good shape.
  • Billing and Charges: Once you have returned the hire car, check your credit card statements to make sure the excess block has been removed and you haven’t been charged more than you expected to pay. If there are any unexpected charges, challenge these straight away with the rental company and back up your claim with your photo evidence.

Avis

Goldcar Rhodium 

Europcar / Inter Rent

SIXT 

Enterprise, Alamo, National

Record Go

Hertz – Thrifty

OKRentacar

Keddy

Everycar/Clickrent


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