Are Car rental companies making you break the Law in Spain!

Thanks for that. I will certainly get a set if I see them in our local cheap store and will also look out for the jackets or bully a builder! (you might like that option, not that implying anything, but I do read your posts).

I know its going off thread but have you seen those window alarms on the market? They make a loud sound when the contact is broken, the markets are selling them for around 2€ each. Go to your local £ shop and get 4 for £1.

Sping.

Yes, car rental companies DO make you break the law in Spain!

I nearly committed murder an hour after landing on Saturday when Deisel Cars at Alicante gave me some funny looking car, bright yellow, key to open the doors only, press a button on the dash, push on the brake with your foot and turn a knob to start it!

What???

After 10 minutes of fumbling and swearing, I refused to drive it, told the guy to get me another car else I will kill him and ended up driving away in a free upgrade Opel Miriva (spelling?)

Nice touch but nearly broke the law getting it!

Smiley - I wasn't criticising you for going off thread  - wouldn't dream of it !!  I was suggestingly reading more into your references to grass than i should have done!   There's too much activity by the thought police and I have no intention of encouraging it.  In my work they now employ staff to go through the waste bins to make sure we have put the correct rubbish in the right place.  They also monitor our cars for carbon footprints when we use them for business.  No - let's get back to enjoying ourselves with some harmless banter.

Could never upset me - I'm so happy oh so happy blah blah - yes you were quite correct Jane to read into it what you did - and Janice I was trying to avoid getting spanked (again) for contributing to the diversion of thread - mind you nothing wrong with a good spanking! I am so alternative - and so hard to take seriously I know but if you cant laugh at yourself who can you laugh at.

Now then back to illegal car hire companies or whatever we are su`pposed to be talking about

Back to the thread...

Couple of things associated with this thread. Under spanish law it is a requirement to carry a jacket for each passenger, two warning triangles and a set of spare bulbs YES, YES and YESBUT did you also know of the requirment to carry any tools that are necessary to actually carry out a bulb change? Yes folks tools... screwdrivers perhaps? torx drivers maybe? full set of spanners? Who knows. The owners manuals might tell you what you need, but its highly unlikely that there will be anything more specific than a couple of picture...

Also, on the subject of fluorescent jackets... did you here about a couple of incidents last year when the trafficos were stopping some vehicles along the coast road from Malaga to the Costa del Concrete, inviting drivers to leave the vehicle on some pretext or other and then handing out on the spot fines to those who left their vehicle without first putting on the jacket?

When  I go out the end of May for 4 days I Plan to hire a car - I have looked at Goldcar Europa and they come up very reasonable (5 doors & aircon (absolute must)). 

This will be my first time hiring/driving a car in spain, so the advice about legal requirements is great - I just wish Europe would standardise some of their rules and regulations as it is so easy to be caught out, and you know what they say - 'Ignorance is NO excuse'.

Can someone please help in recommending car hire companies, do all require payment for a full tank on arrival and do they reimburse if you return with half a tank - as I'm not sure how much driving I will be doing - I'm flying into Murcia !!

Regards Sharron

I've read this thread with interest as I've been hiring cars from Alicante and Murcia for over 3 years now.  From Alicante I normally use Record and book through rentspain which is Records broker site, and a bit cheaper than booking with them direct.  They have a fuel policy in which you take the car back with the same amount of petrol.  I take a hi vis vest in my hand luggage and have triangles and first aid kit stored in the house which I transfer to the car when I get there.

My last trip I used Doyouspain and Centauro, I wasn't asked to take out extra insurance for wheels and windows etc (Record do) and found later that a hi vis vest was in the passenger door.  Underneath the boot floor I found the warning triangles, couldn't find the spare bulbs.

I have seen the hi vis vests in poundland and warning triangles, thinking about it logically this law has been bought in for our safety and perhaps it should also be used here in UK.

My main reason for adding to this thread was to inform everyone on another thing to check for when you pick up your car.  In the glove box should be the insurance documentation for the car, before you leave check that it is valid for the duration of your trip.  Another hirer had there hire car impounded by Traffico until they could get replacement details.

Zena

Thanks Zena

Excellent info here for us all to take heed of.

Worth "bumping to the top"

Kind regards,