Renting a Car in Mallorca

Palma Airport pickup: terminal and shuttle offers

Search Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) for a rental collected after your flight. Aena’s directory shows rental counters around arrivals and baggage reclaim, with collection locations in the car park. Match the company and instructions to your voucher.

Open the location details before comparing prices. A shuttle offer can be a sensible saving, but include the transfer and office opening times in your plan. With an early flight home, confirm how you get from the rental office to departures after returning the keys.

Set a realistic collection time after landing. Save the supplier’s contact and flight-delay instructions, especially if arrival is near closing. A cheaper offer that cannot accommodate your flight is not a usable alternative.

At return, navigate to the supplier’s car-return entrance rather than the public departures area. Refuel or recharge according to the agreement, take condition photos and retain the handback confirmation.

Match the car to luggage and parking

Choose enough boot space for the journeys between accommodation. Two people with large checked bags can need more luggage room than a small-car photograph suggests. A category advertised as “or similar” does not guarantee the exact model shown.

For older village streets and compact hotel parking, compare a smaller suitable car with a larger SUV. Ask the property for the approach and parking dimensions if access looks tight. The comfortable choice is the one that fits both your passengers and the places you plan to leave it.

If you need an automatic, select that transmission in the search and confirm it in the booking. Compare the full-rental premium, then decide whether it is worth avoiding an unfamiliar manual on winding roads.

For an electric car, check charging near each overnight base and the supplier’s required return level. A hotel saying “parking available” does not mean it provides charging, reserves a space or includes either in the room price.

Formentor: a hire car is not unrestricted access

Check the official Formentor access page before planning to drive to the lighthouse. As checked on 15 September 2026, the Consell de Mallorca portal lists a regulated period of 15 May–18 October, from 10:00 to 22:00.

The lighthouse section, from kilometre 8.7 to 19.6, restricts unauthorised traffic in both directions during those hours. The beach section has a different limited-access arrangement linked to available authorised parking. Do not treat permission for the beach as permission to continue to the lighthouse.

The portal recommends public transport and identifies TIB bus 334 for the peninsula. Check its current timetable for your date. A useful plan is to leave the rental in a permitted place and use the bus for the restricted part of the outing.

These published dates apply to the checked season, not every future year. Reopen the official page before travelling; do not rely on an old social post or assume that driving in before the restriction lets you remain inside it.

Palma access and village parking are different problems

Palma has a low-emission zone with official access rules. Before driving to a central hotel, check the actual vehicle’s eligibility with the supplier and the recommended arrival route with the property. Do not infer access rights from the fact that the car is rented.

A vehicle meeting emission requirements still needs to comply with street signs, pedestrian areas and other access controls. Ask the hotel whether its suggested parking entrance needs a separate procedure. A navigation pin alone does not establish that a street is open to you.

For a village visit, choose a lawful parking area before entering the narrow centre and be prepared to walk. For a popular coastal stop, plan an alternative if the designated car park is full. Stopping in an unsuitable verge or access road can turn a short visit into a costly problem.

When comparing accommodation, add parking charges for every rental night. If the car is only needed for two outings, those extra nights can change which booking pattern is cheaper.

Compare complete quotes for the same trip

Use the same pickup and return times, driver age, transmission and luggage needs. Compare the final booking total, not an example price shown for another week. Add an extra driver, child seats and other options only when you need them.

Keep the security deposit distinct from the damage excess and the rental price. Check which payment card is required in the main driver’s name and how much available balance or credit is needed. Online payment acceptance does not settle collection requirements.

Read the selected supplier’s fuel policy, mileage allowance, cancellation deadline and damage terms. If a protection product reimburses a later charge, check the exclusions and claim process rather than assuming nothing can be charged at the desk.

Our free rental-quote calculator compares base hire and extras while keeping deposits separate. Use it for the airport-versus-short-hire decision, then check the details that arithmetic cannot decide: location, opening hours and permitted use.

Common booking questions