🧳Car rental in Madrid

The city of Madrid marks the 0 km of the Spanish motorway network: from here with arental car you can get to practically any point in the country.

Whether you just want to take a day trip or travel to a distant region of Spain, rent a car in Madrid allows you to freely establish the itinerary and rhythms of your holiday.

You could set out to discover historic cities such as Toledo, Segovia and Avila, visit the birthplace of the author of Don Quixote, discover little-known villages or reach the start of the most fascinating hiking trails around the capital. Add a dash of adventure and independence to your Madrid holiday by renting a car!

But remember that even in a big city like Madrid with many car rental offices it's always good book your car online before departure. Booking well in advance allows you to find the best offers: the less money you spend on the car, the more you have left to spend during your holiday!

Rent a car at Madrid airport

Most tourists who like to rent a car for their holidays choose to pick up their car directly to the airport. It is usually the best choice because generally the car rental offices at the airport have extended opening hours and multilingual staff, plus having a car already on your arrival allows you to leave immediately and not waste time!

There are several car rental companies at Madrid-Barajas Airport, including Avis, Sixt, Goldcar, OK Rent a Car, Hertz-Firefly, Centauro, Thrifty, EuropCar-InterRent, Budget, Enterprise. By picking up the car at the airport you will have a wide choice of models to choose from, with a variety of prices and services.

The car rental offices are located in terminals 1 and 4. The airport is only 12 km from the center of Madrid, but the travel time from the airport to the city varies greatly depending on traffic.

Rent a car in the center of Madrid

For day trips from Madrid, consider hiring a car downtown

Of course, there are not only car rental agencies at the airport: all international companies and many local companies have offices in different areas of the city of Madrid. You can then choose to rent a car in the cityif you prefer.

It is generally easier to rent a car at the airport, but choosing an office in the city can be a convenient solution if you only want to use the car for a day trip.

Driving in Madrid

Madrid is a very large and chaotic city: if you decide to use your car in the city, drive carefully. The traffic rules are very similar to the Italian ones and therefore driving in Spain generally does not involve difficulties.

As in all big cities, finding parking in Madrid can be a problem and if you don't pay attention to local regulations you could face fines. Particularly in the central areas, free parking is often limited to certain time slots.

There are several parking lots for a fee, public and private, where you can leave your car in total safety; to pay for public parking, you can download some handy apps.

Car rental companies

All the international car rental agencies present within Madrid airport respect timetables in line with flight arrivals, every day from Monday to Sunday. However some agencies of low cost car hire or venues around Madrid airport may observe different times
To be on the safe side, we recommend that you check with your car rental agency.