Car rental in Tenerife is essential for the Teide National Park, the Anaga rural park and the dramatic north coast. Two airports: TFS (south) and TFN (north).
.webp?1752659145)
.webp?1752590211)
.webp?1752591317)
.webp?1752591238)
.webp?1752591283)
.webp?1752663089)
_(1).webp?1757060829)
.webp?1770387054)
.webp?1757060789)
.webp?1770387203)
.webp?1757062434)
.webp?1752591425)
.webp?1757062477)
.webp?1770390159)
.webp?1752502866)
.webp?1757062660)
.webp?1757062748)
.webp?1770387135)
.webp?1752502951)
.webp?1752502387)
.webp?1770386481)
_(6).webp?1757062710)
.webp?1752503340)
.webp?1770380385)
.webp?1752502287)
.webp?1770386405)
.webp?1752591903)
.webp?1770388591)
.webp?1752500502)
.webp?1752500613)
.webp?1751281534)
.webp?1757063111)
.webp?1757060743)
.webp?1744727780)
.webp?1752501201)
.webp?1747643981)
.webp?1747644092)
.webp?1757062902)
.webp?1747644184)
.webp?1770386785)
.webp?1752499869)
.webp?1757061757)
.webp?1658748783)
.webp?1656501941)
.webp?1752500053)
.webp?1752502456)
.webp?1757063053)
.webp?1747644600)
.webp?1752499972)
.webp?1752500310)
.webp?1718964326)
.webp?1718964227)
.webp?1747649107)
.webp?1660554943)
.webp?1660555181)
.webp?1747649018)
.webp?1718964511)
.webp?1698668851)
.webp?1752659241)
.webp?1660562489)
.webp?1770388400)
.webp?1757063355)
.webp?1770386920)
.webp?1770386995)
.webp?1757063556)
.webp?1752500398)
.webp?1752502581)
.webp?1744727645)
.webp?1751281591)
.webp?1752662971)
.webp?1747653963)
.webp?1751281559)
.webp?1751281135)
.webp?1698670874)
.webp?1770387277)
.webp?1757063644)
.webp?1752592255)
.webp?1752663144)
.webp?1770388511)
.webp?1752503035)
.webp?1752501043)
.webp?1752503186)
.webp?1719484199)
.webp?1658824351)
.webp?1658308574)
.webp?1670936637)
.webp?1732882226)
Sample prices for a 7-day rental. Final price, deposit and terms are confirmed on Localrent.
No-deposit options
About a third of cars in Spain come with no deposit hold at pickup - look for the "No deposit" badge.
Full insurance
Zero-excess cover available on most cars - nothing taken from the deposit if something happens.
Airport & city pickup
Desks at the airport and in the city centre.
Free cancellation
Cancel free on most bookings, often up to 48 hours before pickup.
Most days are an easy run on the TF-1 motorway, with one twisting climb up to Teide. Pick by group size and how much hill driving you plan.
Economy
Cheapest to run and easy to park in the resorts. Fine for two people on the coast.
Automatic
Easier on the climb up the TF-21 to Teide. Automatics are limited, so book early.
7-seater & van
For families or two couples sharing, with room for luggage and beach gear.
Luxury
A natural pick around Costa Adeje. Deposits run higher on premium groups.
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and the only way to see all of it on your own schedule is with a car. If you are staying in one resort and spending your days on the beach, you can manage with taxis and the green TITSA buses. The value of car rental on Tenerife is reaching Teide, the north coast and the quieter villages without waiting on a bus timetable.
Payment and deposit
When you book you pay only a small upfront amount - usually 15-20% of the hire cost. The rest is settled at the desk on pickup. The deposit in most cases is fully refundable, and about a third of cars in Spain are handed over with no deposit at all - those are marked in the results. If you only have a debit card, pick a no-deposit rate or a cash-deposit option: nothing gets frozen on your card.
Tenerife has two airports and they sit at opposite ends. Most visitors land at Tenerife South (TFS), which sits right on the TF-1 motorway, the main south airport page covers the desks there. The south airport is a 15 to 20 minute drive from Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas. Tenerife North (TFN) sits above Santa Cruz on the TF-5 and handles most inter-island and mainland flights, so it suits a base in Puerto de la Cruz or the north.
The two airports are about 45 minutes apart by car. Pick up where you land rather than crossing the island for the car.
The island is small enough to drive across in an hour or so, and a single pickup reaches all of it.
Where people drive on Tenerife
Each resort below has its own page with the local detail. The point for Tenerife is that you can base yourself in the south and still reach the north and Teide as day trips.
The TF-1 along the south and east coast is a proper dual carriageway and easy going, with two lanes each way. On the north coast the TF-5 narrows to one lane each way and gets busier, especially around La Laguna at commuter times, where a queue can add real time to a south-to-north run.
The climb into Teide National Park is the one stretch where the road tightens into bends and forest switchbacks. An automatic makes that ascent easier if you are not used to a manual on hills. Fill up before you start the climb, as there are no petrol stations inside the park, and pack a jacket - the summit area is much colder than the coast.
Good to know on Tenerife
There is no city low-emission zone to worry about here as there is on the mainland, so a hire car drives anywhere on the island freely. Watch the lower speed limits - 50 km/h on ordinary roads and 90 km/h on the motorways - and look out for the odd goat or loose animal on the mountain roads.
Most car hire on Tenerife starts at one of the two airports, where the desks and the cheapest rates are. International names sit alongside Canary Islands firms like Cicar. For the south airport desks and the arrivals walk-through, see the Tenerife South Airport car hire page. Whichever you choose, an no-deposit rate with full cover built in avoids a deposit hold.
Tenerife runs warm all year, so there is no off-season for driving. Spring and autumn bring the quietest roads and the lowest rates. July and August are the peak: prices climb, and automatics and 7-seaters go first, so book several weeks ahead. Winter is busy with northern European visitors escaping the cold but a car still makes sense, since the coast stays mild and Teide is at its clearest. Booking two to three weeks ahead is where the real savings are, especially for an automatic.
Pick up where you land. Tenerife South (TFS) sits on the TF-1 and is 15 to 20 minutes from Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. Tenerife North (TFN) above Santa Cruz suits a base in Puerto de la Cruz.
The two are about 45 minutes apart, so there is no need to cross the island for the car.
No. Tenerife does not have a city low-emission zone like the mainland, so a hire car can drive anywhere on the island, including Santa Cruz and the resorts, with no extra paperwork.
A credit card is not always required - it is needed to hold the security deposit. At pickup the supplier freezes the deposit amount on the card: the money is not charged and is released when you return the car undamaged.
Without a credit card you still have options: choose a cash-payment rate (the «Cash» filter option) or a no-deposit rate, and nothing is held.
The deposit is an amount the rental company holds as a guarantee for the car. Road fines or damage can be deducted from it.
If the car comes back without problems, the deposit is released in full. It is a temporary hold on your card, not a charge.
It depends on the car class and the supplier - you can see the exact amount on each car's card.
You can set a maximum deposit in the filter and the catalogue shows only matching offers. The lower you set it, the fewer cars remain.
Yes. To see cars with no deposit, use the «No deposit» filter option. There are also cars with a small deposit or cash payment.
Note that "no deposit" means no hold at pickup, not no booking payment - a small upfront amount is still taken when you book. If nothing suits, contact our support team.
The deposit is the amount frozen on your card at pickup and released when you return the car undamaged.
The excess is the part of any damage you pay yourself even with insurance - anything above it is covered by the insurer.
In practice, damage is taken from the deposit up to the excess, so the deposit is often set to match it. A full, zero-excess policy removes both: you do not pay for damage and the hold is usually waived.
Cover comes in levels:
You see the available rates on each car's card when booking.
If you would rather not depend on the deposit and excess, choose the full rate.
Yes, some cars can be paid in cash - use the «Cash» filter option.
You pay a small upfront amount by debit or credit card when booking (usually 15-20% of the total), and the rest in cash at pickup.
Yes, paying for the car with cryptocurrency is possible - contact our support team to arrange it.
Taking the car by ferry to Gran Canaria, La Gomera or other islands must be agreed with the supplier in advance, and not all of them allow it.
It is often simpler to hire a separate car on the second island. If you plan a ferry, check the terms with our support team.
Yes. In the search, set a pick-up and a drop-off point - for example collect at TFS and return in Puerto de la Cruz or at TFN.
By default the car is returned to the same place you collected it.
The climb up to Teide National Park is winding, and an automatic makes it easier on steep bends. If you are not confident on this kind of road, choose one.
Automatics cost more and sell out first, so book one early.
You need a passport, a driving licence and the rental voucher - the voucher can be shown on your phone or tablet.
It states the final price with your chosen options and insurance, so the amount due at the desk will not change.
To hire through our rental companies you need at least 2 years of driving experience.
Your question has been sent! We'll get back to you shortly.
Need to add something? Write to us at info@carhire-es.com