Car rental in Gran Canaria is simple and affordable, friendly rental companies, free roads, and traffic rules almost like ours. But there are some nuances, peculiarities, and pitfalls specific to Gran Canaria. Let me tell you everything a tourist needs to know about renting a car on this island.

Car rental in Gran Canaria: island features

In this comprehensive article about car rental on the Canary Islands, you’ll learn about the police, traffic rules, local driving habits, rental car deposits and insurance, parking fines, and everything specifically related to Gran Canaria.

  • All roads and 95% of parking spaces on the island are free.
  • Gran Canaria is the second most popular island for tourists. Every year, the number of tourists exceeds the island’s population by 10 times. This poses a major problem: traffic jams on the roads, and finding parking is a real challenge, whether at resorts or tourist attractions.
  • Today, all car rental businesses have moved online. Unlike 10 years ago, when there were rental offices at every resort and plenty of billboards and advertisements, that’s no longer the case. If you want to rent a car, do it online in advance. There are millions of websites available. And the earlier, the better. During peak tourist season, prices double, and often there are no available cars.
  • Booking a few months (3-4) before your trip, you can find a car at a good price even during high season. Those who can’t, don’t want to, or don’t know how to plan ahead end up overpaying.
car rental in gran canaria price
Today, you can only find rental car offices for all international companies at Gran Canaria Airport.

How much does car rental cost in Gran Canaria:

On average, for an economy class rental car, you’ll pay 20-40 euros per day depending on the season and booking time. But prices can go as low as 10 euros when booking six months in advance, especially during low season like January. Not everyone knows, but even in January, you can enjoy a beach vacation in Gran Canaria, where the air temperature is around +20 to +25 degrees Celsius. Learn all about island vacations, the best resorts, and which one is the sunniest and hottest.

Best car rental companies

Just Google “car rental in Gran Canaria,” and you’ll find 50 websites and a dozen platforms to choose from.

Personal advice:

I always try to book cars through booking platforms. They protect your booking and its price. If you book directly on the company’s website, situations can vary: either your car isn’t available, or the price changes, and upon arrival, you can’t do much about it. This applies worldwide, not just to the Canaries.
rent a car gran canaria
One of the popular resorts in Gran Canaria. The blue markings indicate paid zones. Even finding a free spot on a paid parking lot is a stroke of luck. Perhaps the only downside to car rental in Gran Canaria is parking.

Two of the most reliable and major booking services (in my opinion) in the Gran Canaria car rental market:

  • DiscoverCars – all top global car rental companies work with this platform, as well as major local rental companies. My personal recommendation: Cicar and Budget (you can filter cars only by them). Cicar’s cars are more expensive, but there’s no deposit, and full insurance (zero deductible) for any damages is always included in the price. Budget offers excellent service at low prices, but with a small deposit.

Important:

When booking, always pay attention to the deposit amount. Even with the same rental cost, one company might require a 300 euro deposit while another asks for 1400 euros.
car rental las palmas
Cicar is one of the best rental companies in Gran Canaria (personally tested), zero deposits and low prices.
  • Localrent – another major service, operating throughout Spain with local rental companies. Its service level is no worse than DiscoverCars.

Search everywhere, book where you liked the most, cheaper, and with a lower deposit.

Rent a car in Gran Canaria: Travel Tips

Here are some tips regarding car rental in Gran Canaria to give you a complete picture:

  • You won’t reach over half of the island’s attractions by bus. Only taxis, priced like rocket ships, or rental cars can get you there.
  • To see all the top attractions in Gran Canaria, you’ll need a minimum of 5 days, ideally a week, and even better, 10 days. To plan your perfect route, check out the article: “TOP 15 Gran Canaria Attractions,” complete with maps, prices, visitation tips, and the author’s personal ratings.
best place to rent a car in gran canaria
The Mirador del Balcón, an overview platform in a remote corner of Gran Canaria, resembles the tail of a giant dragon in its rocky relief. Places like these are inaccessible by bus or other transportation. Without a car, you won’t reach such locations.
  • Parking is a huge issue on the island, sometimes even worse than neighboring Tenerife. In the capital, Las Palmas, finding a parking spot, especially in paid zones (blue markings), is akin to winning the lottery. My advice: when booking accommodations, check if guest parking is available. Having parking will greatly ease your stay. Hotel ratings in the Canaries and rental property features can answer many questions.
  • On the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, there are pickpockets and car thieves, especially in parking lots near tourist hotspots. Don’t leave anything in the car, not even for 5 minutes. Hide all your belongings in the trunk. They’ll smash the window even for 3 euros left near the gear stick. And if you left your phone on the holder, it means you don’t need it, buy a new one 🙂
  • Also, on some large parking lots, locals wearing reflective vests with the inscription “parking attendant” ask for a couple of euros. All parking lots with white markings on the islands are free. Whether to give a coin or not is up to you. If you don’t, they won’t slash your tires in revenge. But here’s the situation: even on huge parking lots, spots are scarce. If someone waved you in and found you a spot, give them 1 euro, they helped you out. But if you found the spot yourself, keep the coin for yourself.

This situation with “beggars” in parking lots and car thieves (they’re different people) is only in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, where there are the most tourists. On other islands, everything is much calmer.

In conclusion, car rental in Gran Canaria is a must if you have a driver’s license. Yes, parking problems and traffic can be frustrating, but aren’t they present in Paris too? A car will elevate your mobility to the skies, and you’ll see the real Gran Canaria and all its beauty. Without a car, it’s impossible, and comfort only exists on the beach. And here’s a link to the best beaches in Gran Canaria, complete with coordinates and photos of lava pools.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.