Renting a car in Zaragoza: the honest guide

If you are renting a car in Zaragoza, the decision that will affect you most is where you pick it up: the city centre if you are already in town, Zaragoza-Delicias station if you arrive by train, and the airport only if you land there. The second most important thing is not the advertised price but what that price actually includes: the deposit they block on your card, the insurance excess, the fuel policy, and the extras that surface once you are standing at the counter with your suitcase in hand.

Zaragoza is both a stopover city and a base. It sits halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, it is the natural gateway to the Aragonese Pyrenees, and it is a short drive from the Monegros desert, the Mudéjar route towards Teruel and Albarracín, and the villages of the lower Ebro. That is why a lot of cars here are rented for just a few days, and why it pays to reach the counter knowing exactly what you booked.

Where to pick up a car in Zaragoza

There are basically four ways to pick up a rental car in Zaragoza, and choosing badly costs you time. Zaragoza-Delicias is an intermodal station: high-speed trains, regional trains and coaches share one building, so you can go from the platform to the car without stepping outside. The airport, out towards Garrapinillos, is outside the city and has a modest flight offer; if you are not landing there, it is not worth the trip. In the centre there are offices around the paseo de la Independencia and along the avenues heading west. And then there are neighbourhood agencies and private owners, usually the better idea for several days or for a moving van.

One local detail: if your plan is to head up into the Pyrenees, you lose less time picking up near the ring roads than in the middle of the old town. And if you are returning the car on a Sunday afternoon, confirm before you book that someone will be there.

What the advertised price should include

The headline price of a rental is almost never the final price, because the trade got used to advertising the base rate and leaving the rest for the counter. Before you book, make sure you have a clear answer on each of these points, and if one is missing, ask for it in writing.

• Insurance and excess: what is covered, what is not, and which share of the damage falls on you after a knock.
• Mileage: unlimited or capped, and what is charged if you go over. For a Pyrenees trip this matters.
• Fuel: the healthy option is full to full, keeping the receipt from the last petrol station.
• Additional driver: if you plan to take turns at the wheel, that person must be on the contract.
• Real extras: child seat, roof rack, snow chains or winter tyres for higher altitudes, and permission to leave Spain if you need it.
• Out-of-hours charges and deposit: pick-ups outside office hours usually carry their own charge, and the deposit has an amount and a release time.

Deposit and excess, without the small print

The deposit is a temporary hold on your credit card: the money is still yours, but it is blocked for the duration of the rental. Almost every company requires a credit card in the main driver's name, not a partner's and not a company card, and many will not accept a debit card for this. It is the most common reason someone ends up without a car after booking and paying for the train. If all you have is a debit card, sort it out before you leave home.

The excess is a different thing: it is the share of the damage you pay if the car gets a knock, even when the rental comes with insurance. It can be reduced with extra cover, and that is where the classic awkward moment arrives, when you are offered extra protection with a queue behind you and no way to compare anything. The answer is not to refuse everything, but to arrive knowing what your excess is and having decided at home whether you want to reduce it. What you should never do is sign without walking around the car and photographing all of it, bumpers and roof included.

Parking in Zaragoza: blue zone, orange zone and ZBE

This is where visitors get their first unpleasant surprise. On-street parking in central Zaragoza is regulated, and the system has two sides that are easy to confuse.

• Zona azul, the blue zone: regulated parking open to any driver, with a maximum stay and payment at the meter or through the city app. This is the one you will use.
• Zona naranja, the orange zone: intended for residents of each neighbourhood. Parking there with a rental car is asking for a fine, even if you see a free space.
• Underground short-stay car parks: dearer per hour than the street, but the calm option for leaving the car overnight in the old town.
• Zona de bajas emisiones (ZBE), the low-emission zone: a municipal scheme that limits access according to the DGT environmental sticker. In Zaragoza its rollout has kept changing, so do not take the hours or the penalty regime for granted; check the city council website and the DGT website before you drive into the centre.

If you rent a recent car, its environmental sticker is unlikely to cause you trouble, but check at pick-up and make sure the sticker is on the windscreen. Also ask how the agency handles fines: normally they pass them on to you with an administration charge, and it is better to know in advance.

Driving in Aragón: limits, alcohol and equipment

Getting out of Zaragoza is easy and the surrounding roads are pleasant, but some rules differ from other countries. For cars the limits are 120 km/h on motorways and dual carriageways and 90 km/h on conventional roads outside built-up areas; in town, 50 km/h on roads with two or more lanes in each direction, 30 km/h on roads with a single lane in each direction, and 20 km/h on single-platform streets shared with pedestrians.

• Alcohol: the general limit is 0.5 g/L in blood. For novice drivers, with less than two years of licence, and for professional drivers, it is 0.3 g/L in blood.
• Mandatory equipment: a high-visibility reflective vest reachable from inside the cabin, not stowed in the boot.
• Emergency warning devices: the system for signalling a breakdown is in transition in Spain. Do not rely on what you remember from other trips; check the DGT website for what applies on the dates of your rental, and ask the agency what the car carries.
• Tolls: many motorways labelled AP are toll roads, paid by card or with a VIA-T electronic toll device, while other high-capacity roads are free. Look at your route before you set off.
• Roundabouts: traffic already on the ring has priority, and at junctions the signs decide.
• The cierzo: the Ebro valley wind blows hard and from the side, and you feel it most in vans, motorhomes and cars with a high roof rack on the open stretches across the Monegros.

The mistakes that cost you at the counter

1. 1Turning up without a credit card in the main driver's name, or with barely enough limit to cover the deposit.
2. 2Not having the physical driving licence, the identity document or passport, and the booking to hand.
3. 3Signing the condition report without walking around the car and taking dated photos and a short video.
4. 4Deciding on damage cover at the counter, in a hurry, instead of having decided at home.
5. 5Returning the car without refuelling, outside opening hours, or at a different point from the one agreed.
6. 6Not asking whether you may take the car out of Spain when the plan involves crossing the border.

Where DRIVO fits in

DRIVO is a European marketplace for renting vehicles directly from trusted local and independent rental agencies and from private owners, across Europe and North Africa. The idea is simple: the price you see should be the full price. Every cost is shown before you pay, including the DRIVO service fee on the rental, which appears as its own line and is refunded with a free cancellation or an agency cancellation. Confirmation is instant, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pick-up, and you see the deposit and what is included before you book. If you would rather lower the excess, you can add an optional full-protection cover at checkout instead of negotiating it in a rush at the counter.

Listings and support come in five languages, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Arabic, with WhatsApp support and an in-app concierge: handy when you reach Zaragoza-Delicias on a delayed train. Beyond cars, the marketplace also covers vans and utility vehicles, motorhomes and campervans where local supply exists, which is exactly what you need for a house move or a week in the Pyrenees.