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Free cancellation on most vehicles
Two Pricing Models on One Island
The Canary Islands operate a consumer-protection insurance framework that allows local firms to include fully comprehensive cover with zero excess in the base hire rate. No separate upgrade, no pressure at a desk, no credit-card hold. You pay what you were quoted, collect the car, and return it.
Airport-based budget brokers use a different model. They lead with a low daily headline rate — sometimes under €20 — but this figure typically comes with a CDW excess of €1,100 to €1,200 sitting on your credit card from the moment you collect the keys. Decline their desk insurance and that money is blocked for the duration of your hire. Accept it and you are paying €240 or more on top.
Both models can represent fair value. The broker route is genuinely cheaper if you arrive with sufficient credit-card headroom and buy the right tariff in advance. But many UK visitors discover the deposit mechanic only at the desk, after a four-hour flight, with a queue forming behind them. Understanding which model applies to which firm is the single most useful thing you can know before booking.
How Canary No-Excess Works: What Is Actually Included
Cicar
Cicar is the dominant local operator on the island. Its "full risk insurance with no excess" is explicit: zero excess, no deposit, unlimited mileage. Additional drivers and child seats are included at no charge, as is a Tenerife audio guide. The group's Puerto Santiago office (Cabrera Medina affiliate) is at Caleta del Jurado 1, open Monday to Saturday 08:00–21:00. Fleet runs from a Seat Ibiza to an Opel Astra.
Autoreisen
Autoreisen operates exclusively from the airports (TFS and TFN), so if you want a car waiting when you land rather than organising a transfer first, this is the no-excess option at the terminal. Zero excess is included in the standard rate, there is no deposit, mileage is unlimited, and child seats, a second driver and free cancellation are all included. Fuel works on a half-tank-in, half-tank-out basis — return the car with the same level you collected it. Minimum age is 23. Sample June 2026 prices: Citroën C3 from £55 per week, C3-Aircross from £64, Opel Zafira from £79.
Rent a Car Las Rosas
Las Rosas is a family business operating since 1986, based at Avenida 5º Centenario 58, CC Vigilia Park, Puerto Santiago. Full insurance and unlimited mileage are included; a second driver is free from five days' hire. The firm accepts debit cards — important if your group does not have a credit card in the driver's name. Hotel delivery across the west-coast strip is a core part of the service; TFS airport collection can be arranged. Review records are consistently strong: customers single out transparent pricing, WhatsApp communication, and a willingness to go the extra mile (one reviewer reported the firm posted a forgotten iPhone to Sweden at no charge).
SantiagoRent
Two offices in Puerto de Santiago (Vigilia Park and Balcones), island-wide delivery, full insurance included. The standout feature is long-term pricing: from €19 per day for rentals of 30 days or more. 24/7 roadside assistance included.
TMMS
TMMS has an office directly in Los Gigantes (38683) — the only firm whose primary address sits inside the resort rather than Puerto Santiago. Quotes are by contact; no online booking engine. Fleet includes VW Polo, Seat Ibiza, Hyundai Kona, and Renault Clio.
The Deposit Trap at the Airport, in Numbers
Goldcar
Decline desk insurance and a CDW deposit of approximately €1,100 is blocked on your card (one UK consumer case: £1,000 deposit versus £108 desk cover). Desk insurance packages run to around €240 for a week. Collection queues: 30 minutes to two hours. Post-return deductions for minor damage are a recurring complaint pattern.
Record go
CDW deposit €1,100–€1,200 plus a separate €80–€90 fuel deposit. Collection queues 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Desk upsell: "Total Comfort Cover." Verified complaint pattern of substituting ordered cars with Chinese "DR"-brand vehicles.
Record go's "Just Go" zero-excess tariff eliminates the CDW deposit (small fuel hold remains). The premium is €15–€35 per day: €105–€245 extra on a week's hire. The maths can work, but only if you pre-book — the desk price is higher and the decision will be made under queue pressure.
Total-cost worked example — one week, mid-June 2026:
| Item | Budget broker (headline rate, desk insurance declined) | Budget broker ("Just Go" zero-excess pre-booked) | All-inclusive local (Autoreisen/Cicar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline weekly rate | £55 | £90 | £64 (Autoreisen C3-Aircross) |
| CDW deposit blocked | €1,100 | ~€0 | €0 |
| Desk insurance upsell | €0 (declined) | €0 | €0 |
| Second driver | ~€60/week | ~€60/week | €0 included |
| Child seat | ~€50/week | ~€50/week | €0 included |
| Total cash outlay | ~£150 + €1,100 hold | ~£200 | £64 |
| Deposit released after return | 14–28 days (if no dispute) | N/A | N/A |
*Figures based on June 2026 market data. Broker deposit-hold period varies by card issuer.*
Company Terms at a Glance
| Firm | Excess | Deposit | Fuel policy | 2nd driver | Child seats | Min age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cicar | Zero | None | Full-full | Free | Free | Check site |
| Autoreisen | Zero | None | Half-half | Free | Free | 23 |
| Las Rosas | Zero | None | Check direct | Free (5+ days) | Free | Check direct |
| SantiagoRent | Zero (full insurance included) | None stated | Check direct | Check direct | On request | Check direct |
| Goldcar | €1,100 (if cover declined) | €1,100 CDW hold | Full-full | ~€60/week | ~€50/week | 21 |
| Record go | €1,100–1,200 (if cover declined) | €1,100–1,200 + €80–90 fuel | Full-full | Additional cost | Additional cost | 21 |
*Terms verified June 2026. Always confirm on booking.*
What No-Excess Still Does Not Cover
Zero-excess cover removes your liability for collision and theft above a standard deductible — but no hire policy covers everything. Across typical Canary Islands hire contracts, exclusions commonly include damage caused by negligence (driving on tracks the contract prohibits, for example), misfuelling, lost or damaged keys, and undercarriage damage sustained on unsurfaced roads.
The west coast has specific relevance. The TF-436 to Masca village has gradients up to 16% and hairpin bends. The TF-445 to Punta de Teno is closed to private vehicles entirely — TITSA bus 369 only, with road works running from January 2026 for approximately 10 months. Driving on a track excluded in your contract voids cover regardless of excess level. Check the exclusions list before leaving the main roads.
UK Excess-Reimbursement Policies vs Canary No-Excess: Not the Same Thing
Annual excess-reimbursement policies (roughly £40–60/year from UK insurers) work as follows: you pay whatever excess your hire firm charges, up to the policy limit, then claim reimbursement afterwards.
The practical difference is substantial:
With a UK reimbursement policy: The €1,100+ deposit is still blocked on your credit card at collection. If damage is charged on return, you pay first and claim back weeks later, carrying the cash-flow gap. The process requires documentation and following insurer timelines.
With Canary no-excess (Cicar/Autoreisen/Las Rosas): No deposit is taken. There is no money blocked, no claim to file, no cash-flow gap. The event you are insuring against does not trigger a financial liability in the first place.
A reimbursement policy is a reasonable fallback if you are committed to a broker for price or vehicle-availability reasons. But it is not the same as Canary no-excess.
Compare Los Gigantes car hire options, read the Tenerife South Airport pickup guide, and see the Puerto de Santiago local firms in full detail.
Decision Framework
You have one credit card with €1,200+ available credit and want the widest vehicle choice at TFS
The broker route with a pre-booked zero-excess tariff (Record go "Just Go" or equivalent) gives you the largest fleet at the terminal. Price the upgrade before booking: add €15–35 per day to the headline rate and compare against Autoreisen's all-in figure. Autoreisen is frequently competitive.
You are travelling as a couple and one of you holds a debit card only
Las Rosas accepts debit cards — most airport brokers require a credit card in the driver's name. Hotel delivery to your accommodation means you do not need to collect at the airport on arrival day.
Under-25 driver
Autoreisen requires a minimum age of 23. EcoCar (airport delivery firm) requires 26 minimum. Goldcar and Record go accept from 21 but apply young-driver surcharges that increase the deposit exposure. Cicar's minimum age should be confirmed at booking. At 23–24, Autoreisen and Cicar are your most straightforward no-excess options.
Long stay of 30 days or more
SantiagoRent's long-term rate from €19 per day is the standout option in this bracket. Over 30 days that is approximately €570 — typically lower than airport brokers' weekly rates multiplied out, and with full insurance included. Contact them directly as lead times and vehicle availability vary.
Booking Checklist
- Confirm the excess figure in writing before paying a deposit — "full insurance" in a listing description does not always mean zero excess in the contract.
- Check the fuel policy — half-half (Autoreisen) means return the tank at the same level you received it; full-full (most brokers) means return it full or pay a refuelling charge at inflated pump prices.
- Debit or credit card? — confirm with the firm before booking if you are not using a Visa or Mastercard credit card in the lead driver's name.
- Verify age limits — Autoreisen min 23; EcoCar min 26 with 2+ years on licence; brokers from 21 with surcharge.
- Book the V-16 beacon is in the vehicle — mandatory from 1 January 2026 under Real Decreto 1030/2022; the hire firm supplies it, but check at collection that it is present in the glovebox.
- Read the excluded roads clause — if you intend to drive to Masca village on TF-436, confirm it is not listed as a prohibited track; the TF-445 to Punta de Teno is closed to private vehicles regardless of hire firm.
- UK licence is valid as-is — your photocard driving licence is accepted in Spain for up to six months as a tourist; no International Driving Permit is needed (post-Brexit agreement in force from March 2023).
- Book early for peak weeks — Christmas, February half-term and Easter: automatic transmission vehicles and family-sized cars sell out two to three months ahead, particularly with local firms operating smaller fleets than airport brokers.