Car hire in Mallorca

Eleven questions before you pay

Compare the total price for everything you need. Extra drivers, equipment and collection outside normal hours can add to the cost.

• Who is the actual hire company, and who is only the broker?
• Is the displayed amount the final price, or will there be extras at the desk?
• Is mileage unlimited?
• Is there an airport surcharge?
• Is the desk in the terminal, or do you need a shuttle?
• What does late collection cost?
• Can you return the car outside opening hours?
• Is there an extra charge for a second driver?
• What do child seats, an automatic gearbox and sat-nav cost?
• Is there a minimum age or a minimum period for which you must have held your licence?
• What are the cancellation terms?

Fuel policy

Collect full, return full is usually straightforward to understand. With other policies, check the fuel price, service fees and whether unused fuel is refunded. Keep your final fuel receipt and photograph the gauge when you return the car.

Cancellation terms matter

The usual EU 14-day cooling-off period does not apply to online car hire for specified dates. If you decide not to travel, the cancellation conditions apply. Rights relating to a service that is not delivered are a separate matter. Your Europe explains the rules.

The terms in plain English

Third-party liability cover

Covers damage to other people within the legal and contractual limits. Required third-party cover must be included in the hire price. Damage to the hire car itself is a different matter.

Collision damage waiver, or CDW

Limits your liability for damage to the hire car. It is often a contractual waiver, rather than a separate insurance policy. The terms set out the cover, excess and excluded damage.

Theft protection

Limits your liability for theft under the agreed conditions, often with an excess. Check whether it is included.

Excess

The amount you remain responsible for in a covered claim, often up to an agreed maximum. Different rules may apply to excluded damage.

Zero excess from the hire company

Removes the agreed excess for covered damage. You still need to check exclusions, your obligations and any other charges.

Reimbursement through a separate insurer

The hire company may charge you first. You then claim reimbursement from the insurer, providing the required evidence within its deadlines.

Read “zero excess” carefully. A waiver from the hire company and a later reimbursement from an insurer work differently. Check the damage covered, exclusions and your responsibilities.

What may still be excluded

• Tyres and wheels
• Windows and mirrors
• Underbody
• Roof
• Interior
• Vehicle keys
• Wrong fuel
• Recovery costs
• Damage caused by an unlisted driver
• Gross negligence

For narrow or unpaved access roads, check which roads your contract allows and what damage is covered. An extra package does not automatically remove every exclusion.

Payment cards and deposits

Paying for the booking and collecting the car are separate steps. A debit card accepted online may not be enough at the desk. The hire terms often require a credit card in the main driver’s name with sufficient available credit.

• Is a credit card required, or is a debit card accepted?
• Must it be in the main driver’s name? Usually, yes.
• How much is the deposit, and is it blocked or charged?
• Will your available limit also cover hotels, meals and the rest of your trip?
• Will you need the card’s PIN?

If something goes wrong

The hire company, booking portal and extra insurer may be different businesses. An English-language booking does not tell you which law applies or who is responsible for a particular problem.

Keep the booking confirmation, rental agreement, insurance terms and handover forms. Complain in writing to the relevant business. For a dispute with an overseas company, UK residents can contact the UK International Consumer Centre. Your legal position depends on the circumstances.

Driving in Spain

Drive on the right. Speed limits are in kilometres per hour.

Urban limits follow the rules introduced in May 2021. DGT speed-limit guide.

• Roundabouts: traffic already on the roundabout generally has priority. Move to the outside lane safely before leaving.
• Cyclists: only overtake with a clear view and at least 1.5 metres of space. Where there is more than one lane in your direction, change lanes completely.
• Coaches on hairpin bends: look ahead and use passing places. Priority depends on signs and the situation, not simply vehicle size. On narrow, steep roads, uphill traffic generally has priority unless it can reach a passing place more easily.
• Phones: do not hold your phone while driving, including at traffic lights.
• Seat belts: wear them in every seat. Children up to 135 cm require a suitable child restraint.
• Alcohol: legal limits apply, but the simplest plan is not to drink if you are driving.

Parking colours

Blue

Usually a controlled parking zone. Check charging hours, maximum stay and exceptions on the sign, then buy the required ticket from the machine or approved app.

Orange

A local parking arrangement. Read the signs for the rules. A marked parking space does not authorise entry into an ACIRE zone.

Yellow

A continuous yellow line prohibits stopping and parking; a broken yellow line prohibits parking. Signs explain time restrictions and loading bays.

White

Often free, but check the sign for days, hours and restrictions first.

Read the road markings and signs together. Local zones, charges and time limits apply alongside general traffic rules. Our place guides add local parking tips, but the rules on the spot take precedence.

Palma: low-emission and restricted-access zones

ZBE is the low-emission zone in the centre, inside the Avingudas and seafront road. It concerns emissions categories. Under the published timetable, categories B, C, ECO and 0 are allowed from 22 December 2024. Vehicles are identified by registration number; a windscreen sticker is not required.

ACIRE areas are separate, smaller restricted-access zones, including parts of the old town. They require access authorisation, regardless of emissions class. Being allowed into the ZBE does not automatically allow you into ACIRE.

For public car parks within the zone, follow the signed authorised access route. Recent Spanish hire cars will generally meet the emissions requirements. Foreign registration numbers are not classified in the Spanish system and need separate permission, relevant if you bring your own car by ferry.

The published timetable removes category B on 1 January 2027, leaving C, ECO and 0. From 1 January 2030, only ECO and 0 are listed. Check Mobipalma’s current rules before driving in, and see ORA parking information.

Formentor