Renting a car at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria airport (LPA)

At Gran Canaria airport (LPA) you have two routes: the desks inside the arrivals hall on level 0, and the agencies based outside the airport grounds that take you to their office by shuttle. The real difference is not the daily rate you see when booking, but the airport surcharge built into it and the fuel, deposit and excess terms someone explains to you once your suitcase is already in your hand.

On Gran Canaria a car is not a luxury: the guagua, as the local bus is called, links the capital and the south well enough, but the interior, the western beaches and the summit viewpoints are only yours to explore on your own schedule if you drive.

In-terminal desk or shuttle: what actually changes

Companies with a desk in the terminal sit in the arrivals hall on level 0, a few metres from baggage reclaim, and serve both domestic and international flights. Those operating from outside have their office in the nearby industrial units along the GC-1 access roads, and take you there by shuttle from the departures area, through whichever door the agency names.

• In-terminal desk: fewer steps with children or heavy luggage, although the rate usually carries the on-site surcharge.
• Off-site agency: the shuttle adds a short ride and a possible queue, but the total is sometimes clearly better.
• If you arrive in the small hours, confirm the office hours and the last shuttle: the airport does not close, the office does.
• Save the agency phone number before boarding; if the flight is delayed, a call keeps the booking from being treated as a no-show.
• Ask exactly where the car goes back: it is not always where you collected it.

The price you see and the price you end up paying

The gap almost always comes from four places: the airport surcharge, the fuel policy, the deposit held on your card and the excess you would carry if there is damage. None of them is a trick if it is explained up front; the problem is finding out at the desk. In the Canary Islands the breakdown shows IGIC, the local tax, instead of mainland VAT, so what matters is that the total is complete before you hand over the card.

The fuel policy

The cleanest arrangement is full to full: you collect the car with a full tank and return it the same way, paying only for what you use. Other variants have you pay for the tank in advance and hand back whatever is left with no refund, or add a refuelling service charge. Find the nearest petrol station along the GC-1 and keep the receipt from your last fill-up.

Deposit and excess are not the same thing

The deposit is the amount the agency blocks on your credit card while you have the car and releases on return; you need a card in the main driver's name, because debit and prepaid cards are not always accepted. The excess is the share of any damage that stays with you, even though the car is insured.

Collecting at the airport, in the capital or in the south

The island has two very different poles: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the north, Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés in the south. If you land late and sleep in the south, the airport saves you an awkward transfer with suitcases; if you start in the capital, you may not need the car for the first few days.

Checking the car at dawn, with little light

Many flights land before sunrise and handover happens on a poorly lit parking level. That is exactly where later disagreements over a scuffed wheel rim or a hairline windscreen crack begin. Five minutes of documentation is the best investment of the trip.

1. 1Switch on your phone torch and walk right around the car, filming a slow video in which the number plate is visible.
2. 2Photograph the four wheel rims, the bumpers, the windscreen and the mirrors separately.
3. 3Open the boot, check the reflective vest and ask what emergency equipment the car carries.
4. 4Have any pre-existing damage written on the handover sheet and keep a copy.
5. 5On return, repeat the same walk-around with the camera before handing back the key.

Driving on Gran Canaria without nasty surprises

The main network is comfortable: the GC-1 runs down the east coast to the south and the GC-2 climbs along the north towards Agaete. The interior is another matter: narrow, very twisty roads up to Tejeda, Artenara or the Roque Nublo, where fog and wind arrive without warning. These are the rules people ask about most, with the caveat that they are updated and the valid reference is always the DGT itself.

• Speed for cars: 120 km/h on autopista and autovía, and 90 km/h on conventional roads outside built-up areas.
• In town: 50 km/h on roads with two or more lanes per direction, 30 km/h on roads with a single lane per direction and 20 km/h on single-surface streets shared with pedestrians.
• Alcohol: 0.5 g/L in blood, or 0.25 mg/L in exhaled air. With less than two years of licence and for professional drivers, 0.3 g/L in blood and 0.15 mg/L in exhaled air.
• Equipment: a high-visibility reflective vest reachable from inside the cabin. Spain's emergency pre-signalling system is in transition, so ask what the car carries and check the DGT.
• Low-emission zones: several Spanish cities restrict entry according to the DGT environmental label. The rules change often; check the DGT and the city council before travelling and ask which label the car has.
• On roundabouts, traffic already on the ring has priority; at junctions, the signs in place set the priority.

What booking with DRIVO changes

DRIVO is a European marketplace for renting vehicles directly from trusted independent and local rental agencies, and from private owners, across Europe and North Africa. It fixes precisely the part that hurts: the price is shown in full before you pay, with the DRIVO service fee on its own line, and that fee is refunded with a free cancellation or if the agency cancels. Confirmation is instant, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pick-up, and both the deposit and what the booking includes are visible before you book. An optional full-protection add-on lowers the excess; listings and support come in five languages, with WhatsApp and an in-app concierge, and the catalogue covers vans, motorhomes and campervans where local supply exists.