Car rental in Tenerife has its own quirks and differences from other islands. This short article will cover everything you need to know specifically about renting a car in Tenerife, including parking, roads, and car thieves. It will include personal expat experiences and pitfalls that will not only save you time but possibly nerves and money as well. And it will definitely make your trip more comfortable.

Car Rental in Tenerife: General Information

The most important things to understand are:

Tenerife is home to about 900 thousand people out of the 2 million inhabitants of all the Canary Islands. The Canaries are visited by over 14 million tourists annually, with 11 million flying in and out through Tenerife. Some stay on the island for 1-2 days and then sail to neighboring ones, but the majority of tourists on Tenerife stay for their entire vacation. It’s the most popular island for tourists, the most crowded, and busiest. For example, the area of the island of Fuerteventura is only a third smaller, but it has six times fewer people living there, and twenty-five times fewer tourists.
  • Getting around Tenerife is convenient: there’s a four-lane highway (almost circular) connecting the north and south. The speed limit is 120 km/h. Such highways exist only on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and small sections on Fuerteventura.
  • All roads are absolutely free.
  • There are serpentine roads, elevation changes, very narrow roads, but mainly in the central part of the island in the Teide National Park and in some remote attractions, such as the Masca Gorge. Overall, if you’re a novice driver, you don’t need to fear serpentine roads on Tenerife; there aren’t many of them, and they’re not as steep as those on neighboring La Palma or La Gomera.
car rental in tenerife
The famous Masca Gorge in Tenerife. Many people are afraid to drive here even by car, but it’s worth it. There’s a large tourist parking lot at the entrance, but the road to the gorge itself is a continuous narrow serpentine with breathtaking views.

Important:

Thanks to its excellent roads, high mountains (over 3500 meters), and dry climate, Tenerife has become a center for training cyclists from all over the world. There are not just many cyclists on public roads; there are loads of them. Moreover, they are elevated to the rank of saints here; you can’t pass them closely; you need to switch to the adjacent lane. I also respect sports as a sportsman myself, but cyclists even cause traffic jams on the roads, and dangerous situations are not uncommon. There are especially many of them in winter and spring when preparing for the cycling season.

Of course, there are traffic jams on Tenerife in large cities and popular resorts. There are even daily traffic jams in the mornings and evenings during rush hour on the main highway leading to Santa Cruz. Such a number of tourists and cars (and every local resident here has several cars) certainly affects the traffic situation.

About Parking on Tenerife

Tenerife and parking are a separate topic, and you need to know about this before traveling to the island.

It’s interesting to know:

For detailed information about parking, fines, where you can park in the Canaries, read the comprehensive article about car rental on all the Canary Islands. There’s a lot of useful information there about traffic rules, rental car deposits, who needs a rental car, and who will be fine with using the bus. And then only the specifics of Tenerife.
cicar tenerife
It’s better not to break parking rules in the Canaries. Even in remote parts of the island, always park strictly within the white markings! This photo was taken in Teide National Park near the Garcia Rocks. On the right is for bus parking. Nobody violates parking rules.
  • Many parking lots on Tenerife are free. Always park only within the white markings. Parking across two spaces, overlapping the lines, etc., is prohibited! Improper parking here is one of the most serious traffic violations, and the fine is around 120 euros.
  • Blue markings indicate paid parking zones. Look for a parking meter if you parked in such a spot, but there are few of these zones, literally in the center of a few cities.
  • Yellow markings denote bus stops, entrances to parking lots, courtyards, shops; it’s also forbidden to leave a car there.

Important:

Parking is a huge problem on Tenerife year-round. Toll-free roads, free parking, cheap cars, and inexpensive car rentals: as a result, there are many cars, even more tourists, especially in the high season. Be prepared that parking is a big headache at resorts and near popular attractions. You may spend half an hour looking for a free spot.
  • Always remember: if the markings are white, then parking is free! Exception: parking lots with barriers or where there’s a payment booth.
  • At large public parking lots on Tenerife (for example, at the port in Santa Cruz) and Gran Canaria, there are guys in reflective vests who, of course, “ask” for 1-2 euros. Decide for yourself whether to pay or not. Typically, they help find a free spot in a busy parking lot. If he waved you to a spot, give him 1 euro. If you found a spot yourself, he didn’t earn that 1 euro. If you don’t give a coin to such a “parking attendant”, he won’t let air out of your tires or damage anything, don’t worry.

If you know Spanish, you can tell them something like “guys, I know this parking lot is free, as I live here.” They don’t bother locals; this “business” is aimed at tourists. They don’t speak English at all.

rent a car tenerife
Car rental on Tenerife has one major downside – parking. Everything else is minor. In the photo: local guys found some vacant lot, put up their own sign, marked it with white paint from a spray can, and charge 2 euros per car for the whole day. In such places, which are no longer public free parking, you’ll have to pay, even knowing that it’s all not particularly legal. Such parking lots are only found on Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Important:

Never leave anything visible in the car, not even for 5 minutes. Personal belongings, 3 euros near the gear lever, phone in the holder. There are quite a few car thefts here; they’ll smash a window even for 1 euro left in plain sight. Rental cars are easy to spot because of the rental company sticker. The situation with car thefts is particularly sad on Tenerife because there are ten times more tourists here than on any other island, and all the mafia operates here. All about dangers and safety for tourists in the Canaries.

Car Rental in Tenerife: Prices and Rental Companies

On average, the prices for renting an economy class car in Tenerife range from 20 to 50 euros per day. In the high summer season, when there’s a swarm of tourists, prices are higher. In winter, it’s twice cheaper. But even in winter, for example, in February, Tenerife hosts a massive carnival; over two weeks, a million tourists come here, so there are no cheap cars. Therefore, if you want a reasonable price for car rental, the sooner you book, the better. Sometimes you can even find juicy prices of 10-14 euros per day, and it’s not a scam; these are real prices.

And about the annual carnival, what it is, and which day of the two-week celebration is the most interesting, read in the article via the link.

Below are the two main platforms for car rental in Tenerife. Your booking will be protected; there’s no deception or fraud on these sites.

  • Discover Cars – the largest platform with around 50 car rental companies registered on Tenerife. My favorite company is Cicar (you can find it in the left filter). Their prices are higher than others, zero deposit and full insurance (also known as zero deductible) is already included in the price. I also recommend checking out Budget cars on this website; they offer a great service too, but Budget requires a deposit.
tenerife car rent
Here’s an example of an excellent booking. Cicar is one of the best local car rental companies, with zero deposit and zero deductible. If you see these two phrases at the top and the price suits you, you should book it. There aren’t many car rental companies in the Canaries that operate without a deposit. This screenshot is from the DiscoverCars website.
  • LocalRent – a platform that works with small local car rental companies. Here, deposits are low, and the service is also good.

Travel Tips and Personal Experience

For those who are definitely going to Tenerife for vacation, I recommend two articles that will answer many questions and better prepare you:

  • Vacation on Tenerife: the most popular resorts, island features, where to find bus schedules, where it’s best to stay.
  • 10 best beaches in Tenerife, including both resort infrastructure and wild beaches that are not so easy to reach.

And now some small tips about car rental in Tenerife to finally give you a clear picture:

  • There are police and speed cameras on the roads, but both are very few. Speed cameras are literally in a few places on the only highway: airport to the capital.
  • The two main traffic violations that will get you in trouble are improper parking and talking on the phone while driving.
  • If you stay at a beach resort, look for accommodation with guest parking; it will make your life much easier.
  • Another option is to stay in a beautiful Spanish town not on the coast, say, 10 km from the beach. Good apartments at resorts cost around 120 euros per day, while similar ones 10 km from the beach cost 70-80 euros. There are fewer parking problems there, and with the money saved, you can rent a car for the entire vacation.
tenerife car rental
Car rental in Tenerife will allow you to explore locations on the island that are inaccessible by bus. In the photo is our car rental for 25 euros per day, and we’re heading to Mount Teide.
  • Gasoline on Tenerife is the cheapest in all of Europe. 1.3 euros per liter, which is 25% cheaper than on the mainland of Spain.

Information that has already saved many tourists a lot of money:

Tenerife has two airports, TFN and TFS (Tenerife North and Tenerife South, both international). They are located in different parts of the island. 1. Pay attention to which airport you’re booking a car for upon arrival; it’s often confused. 2. Pay attention to which airport you’re flying out from home; it’s also often confused. If you arrive at the wrong airport, consider yourself late for your flight; it’s an hour’s drive between them through traffic jams. All about airports in the Canaries.

In conclusion: car rental in Tenerife is a must for all active tourists who want to explore the island. If your goal is to lie on the beach for the entire vacation, you’ll be staying at an infrastructure resort by the ocean, and you’re not interested in sightseeing, then car rental in Tenerife is not necessary for you. For everyone else, it’s simply essential: it’s cheap, with toll-free roads and parking, and gasoline is “almost free”. Yes, traffic jams and endless searching for parking spots can be frustrating, but isn’t it the same in any major European city? 🙂

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.