If you like to do a lot of touring and visiting different areas when you are on holiday, then hiring a car is essential. Like many popular holiday destinations Tenerife has a multitude of car hire companies available to the visiting tourist. This Tenerife car hirearticle aims to give you some useful information on hiring a car in Tenerife and to hopefully help you make an informed choice.

When renting a car in Tenerife, the first question you need to ask yourself is ‘Do I really need to rent a car?’. The answer to this will depend on what you want from your holiday and how you wish to spend your time. If you intend spending all of your time around the pool or on the beach, then there is little point in renting a car. If you wish to spend a lot of time visiting attractions and touring the island, then you will need car. You can of course book yourself onto one of the many coach trips to visit the many of the tourist attractions, but in my opinion, this can be somewhat limiting. You have to go when the operator says you have to go, stop where they to plan stop, eat when they tell you to eat and often where they take you to eat and you can only get back to your resort when they return you. The opposite can be said for a car. You have the control of your movements.

You should consider how long you wish to book your car for. This can be determined again by what you want from your holiday. If you wish to spend the majority of your time on the beach and visit just a few attractions, then plan your holiday accordingly and book the car for as long as you need it and no more. If you want to spend your holiday touring, then book your car for the duration of your stay. This might sound like common sense, and in deed it is, but you would be surprised at how many people book a car for the duration of their stay, only for it to sit in the car park for the whole holiday.

So where can you book a car in Tenerife? Pretty much anywhere in the main resort areas. There are numerous car hire companies in all of the major resort areas, so renting a car is relatively easy. Many people book on the internet before they arrive and pick their car up at the airport. Others book their car when they arrive at their hotel. Most complexes offer some form of car hire booking service, or can at least put you in touch with a reputable company. It is also possible to book car in the area you are staying by simply walking into a car hire shop and booking it on the spot. This approach can sometimes leave you high and dry without transport however, as certain times of year during high season, hire cars are in limited supply.

Insurance is one of the most important things to consider when booking a hire car. Some companies will allow you to insure third part only, but beware. You are in a strange country, driving on the opposite side of the road and most of the time you will not know where you are going. Under these circumstances, it is quite possible to be involved in or cause an accident. If you are third part only, you will be liable for all damage caused to the hire car. Assuming you opt for fully inclusive, check what the damage liability waiver will be if you cause any damage to the car. This can sometimes be a nasty and expensive surprise for causing even the smallest amount of damage. Also, before leaving, check what your own car insurance covers you for.

Hiring a car in Tenerife is only the first step. Bare in mind that when you have your car that if you are from the UK, you will be driving on the other side of the road. The steering wheel is on the left hand side, and the gear stick and hand break will be on right. When you hire your car, make sure it is road legal and you have all of the correct documentation. To drive a car in Tenerife, you should carry a valid European driving license and your passport.