Tenerife AirportCar hire at Tenerife’s airports
Where are the check-in desks, the returns counter at the other airport, and what to look out for before signing.
Car hire at Tenerife’s airports
Tenerife is a large island — the largest in the Canary Islands — and that changes the equation compared to smaller destinations: here, a car isn’t just a matter of convenience; it’s what makes it possible to visit Mount Teide, Anaga, Masca or the northern beaches all in the same trip. Both airports have car hire counters in the terminal itself.
And there is a prior decision that does not exist on other islands: which airport you collect it at and which one you return it to. If you fly in via one and leave via the other, check before you book whether the airline allows you to return the ticket at a different office and what fee it charges for this. Many charge a surcharge that eats into the difference in the flight price.
What really determines the price
Five factors in Tenerife that have a greater impact on the final price than the daily rate:
- The franchise. A low price almost always comes with a high excess — the amount that is blocked on your card and which you lose if you make a claim. Reducing this at the counter is where these companies make their money.
- Fuel policy. Search for ‘full-full’. ‘Full-empty’ means paying the full deposit at the price they set.
- Returning the vehicle at a different airport. That’s the specific catch with Tenerife. Ask about it explicitly.
- Mountain roads. Climbing Mount Teide or driving through Anaga involves continuous bends and long gradients. Even a small car with four people and their luggage is a tight fit, and the strain on the brakes on the descents is real.
- Parking. In Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz, parking is a problem; in the tourist area in the south, it’s less of an issue. And the car park at Teide National Park fills up by mid-morning during the high season.
We do not recommend any companies, nor do we charge a commission for referring you to any of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the arrivals area of each terminal. Aena lists on its website which companies have offices within each airport; the rest operate a shuttle service from a nearby car park.
It depends on the airline, and almost all of them charge for it. This is the key question if your outbound and return flights are from different airports, which is quite common in Tenerife.
It depends on where you’re staying and what you want to see. To get from the airport to your hotel, the buses cover Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje well. For Teide, Anaga, Masca or the small beaches in the north, a car changes the trip.