Madrid car rentals

Top tips for renting a car in Madrid

• Madrid is wonderfully located in central Spain, providing the opportunity to easily explore nearby cities such as Valencia, Zaragoza, and Barcelona. The outskirts of Madrid are filled with countrysides rich in lakes, romantic wineries, towering mountains, and historically significant buildings such as El Escorial, former residence of the King of Spain. Renting a car will give you the ability to see the stunning mountain ranges of Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra del Norte, or Sierra de Gredos, which flank the nation’s capital. The smaller rural towns of Segovia and Ávila are within close proximity to these mountain ranges and are a terrific representation of Spanish life and its medieval charm.
• Adolfo Suárez Madrid – Barajas Airport is the main international airport located 8 miles from the city center. There are two car hire locations within the airport, in Terminal 1 and Terminal 4. Large hire companies such as Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, and Sixt have counters at both terminals; however, it is best that, once you assess your hire options on KAYAK, you confirm the best pickup location with your chosen company. Once you have your hire car it will only take you approximately 40 minutes to drive to the center of Madrid; the M14 and M40 bypass roads are the best routes to take.
• Especially around the congested city center, Madrid drivers have a tendency for taking any advantage on the road possible and will squeeze into small gaps. Be wary of this and continually check the cars around you, as conditions can change very quickly. It is vital that you acquire and carry an International Driver’s License before renting a car in Spain or elsewhere internationally; this license is designed to provide a commonly recognizable form of identification. Please keep in mind that it can take a few weeks to receive your license in the mail following application, so it is best to organize this with ample time left before your travels.
• Madrid is a busy city at the best of times, and during rush hour (between 6 pm and 9 pm), the roads congest and the traffic network does its best to cope. In addition to the common morning commute that fills a major city’s roads, Madrid experiences a lunchtime rush hour from 1 pm to 3 pm when many workers take a long lunch break.
• Book your rental car in Madrid at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price