Best car hire companies in Spain and the Canary Islands

If you’re hiring a car in Spain, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle by booking with one of our Which? Recommended Providers.   

There are more car hire cowboys in Spain than any other territory, and they are well practiced in prising euros out of the wallets of British tourists.

Fortunately, two car hire companies meet the required standards to be awarded Which? Recommended Provider status, and you’ll find highly rated options at all major Spanish airports. 

When we surveyed thousands of car hire customers, the broker Zest Car Rental, which works with dozens of providers across Spain and its islands, is streets ahead of the competition. And if you’re travelling to the Canary Islands, AutoReisen is a regular at the top of our table of car hire providers. 

Read on for more about the best options overall and at the specific Canary island or airport that you're travelling to.

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Best car hire in Spain, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza

These are the companies with the highest overall scores in our most recent survey that operate in Spain:

Zest Car Rental (broker) 90% – Which? Recommended Provider

Zest finds the best local and national car rental companies in Spain and keeps a close eye on customer feedback to ensure standards don’t slip. As well as providing five-star customer service, Zest also throws in many extras for free on most bookings, including a second driver and excess reimbursement insurance. Zest is the only broker that Which? has ever recommended.

Book with Zest Car Rental or read our full review of Zest.

Centauro 74%

Low-cost Spanish brand Centauro mainly operates at off-airport locations, so you’ll have to take a shuttle bus to pick up the car. But customers told us that rental offices were easy to find and the customer service was good. It also received a four-star value-for-money rating.  

Book with Centauro or read our full review of Centauro.

Enterprise 74%

Alamo and Enterprise operate as one company in Spain, so if you book with Alamo, you’ll often find yourself at an Enterprise-branded office at the airport. It's a decent option, but make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Enterprise was rated just two stars for the clarity of its rental conditions.

Book with Enterprise or read our full review of Enterprise.

Best car hire Malaga Airport

There are a handful of big names at the car hire desks inside Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, including Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Goldcar and Sixt. Of these, Sixt, with its overall score of 68%, is the best option. 

However, our survey shows that you’ll have a slightly better experience with Enterprise, which is just a short shuttle bus ride away. It may not be cheaper, but it has a good reputation for customer service and just outperforms Hertz with an overall score of 73%. To reach the Enterprise office, take the shuttle bus from behind the terminal train station. 

Whatever you do, don’t be drawn in by Goldcar’s bargain-basement prices. The company has been one of the worst performers in our survey for more than a decade. 

Best car hire Alicante Airport

There are car hire desks on the ground floor in the arrivals hall, including the big players such as Avis, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. If you don’t want to take a shuttle bus when you arrive, then Centauro (74% overall score) and Sixt (68% overall score) are reasonable options.

Enterprise (74% overall score) is just a short shuttle ride away. The shuttle service runs every 15 minutes from outside the terminal building and the journey time is five minutes.

Avoid Goldcar, as it's well known for poor service and dreadful value for money, despite low headline prices.

Best car hire: Palma Airport

Enterprise has an office in the arrivals hall of Palma de Mallorca airport. Although pricey, Enterprise is the best of the big-name car hire providers according to our survey, with an overall score of 74%.

If you don’t mind taking the shuttle bus, Centauro received the same overall score in our survey but may have cheaper deals.  

There is less choice at Palma Airport, so consider booking with Zest Car Rental, the only car hire broker that is a Which? Recommended Provider. It uses a range of local companies, but crucially vets them for customer service.

Best car hire: Barcelona Airport

Enterprise offices can be found in both terminals of Barcelona-El Prat Airport. It’s not cheap, but it is one of the best global car hire providers according to our survey, with an overall score of 74%.

Alternatively, if you’re prepared to take a shuttle, Centauro shuttle buses leave from both terminals every 15-20 minutes.

Avoid Goldcar and OK Mobility, both of which are available in the terminal. Our investigation in 2024 caught these firms using rip-off tactics to upsell insurance. 

Best car hire: Madrid Airport

Enterprise is the highest-scoring company with offices in both Terminal One and Terminal Four, but if you’re happy to take a shuttle (every 10-25 minutes), you can also use Centauro, which may have cheaper deals.

Best car hire companies in Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura

Those hiring a car in the Canary Islands can choose between the best-rated car hire providers in our survey:

AutoReisen 93% (Which Recommended Provider)

Not only does AutoReisen offer superb customer service, but it also guarantees you won’t be penalised for minor dents and prangs because its all-inclusive prices give you full insurance with no excess. You can even add a second driver and child seats at no extra cost.

Book with AutoReisen or read our full review.

Cicar 85%

Just like AutoReisen, Cicar has offices at the major airports in the Canary Islands, offers five-star customer service and charges an all-inclusive price that covers insurance. You can even request car pick-up and drop-off at your hotel.

Book with Cicar or read our full review.

Don’t buy excess reimbursement insurance from your car hire company

On average, you will pay eight times more if you buy insurance from your car hire company, rather than a specialist insurer. You’ll also get inferior cover.

The car hire insurance rated top by Which? for 2026 costs just £12 for a week in Spain, and is a Best Buy, with a policy score of 89%. 

Find out which car hire insurance we recommend.

Common car hire scams to look out for in Spain

Every year we hear from consumers about the same scams cropping up again and again. If you’ve chosen a cowboy firm, or get unlucky with a rogue operative, then you may well find yourself being pressured at the rental desk to buy overpriced insurance or being charged for phantom damage to the car. 

These are the five most important things to do for a hassle-free hire in Spain:

• Book with one of the best car hire companies
• Find the best car hire insurance, and book it before you go (never buy it at the rental desk)
• Video the state of the car, inside and out, at pick-up and drop-off to avoid any dodgy damage charges.
• Choose a hire company with a fair fuel policy, so you don’t get overcharged for petrol.
• Give your provider an accurate arrival time and enter your flight details so that staff are alerted to delays (and don’t try to charge a no-show fee)

See more about avoiding car hire rip-offs in 2026

How we research car hire companies

In February/March 2026 we asked 3,637 members of Which? Connect and the general public to complete an online survey about their experience of using a car hire company in the past two years.

We then conducted an expert assessment that looked at pricing clarity, the transparency of rental conditions, and the fairness of those conditions. The survey score and expert score were combined to create an overall score.

Only those car hire companies that were top of the table and met our consumer-focused criteria are eligible for Which? Recommended Provider status.