LANZAROTE
Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands and together with Fuerventura is it said that it is one of the “cooler islands”, where wind can be stronger than at Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The seven main islands are (from largest to smallest in the area) Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
Lanzarote is about 845.9 km² large and easy to get around on the road. Within a couple of days, you can visit the major sights and beaches of Lanzarote. From one end of the island to the other end, it can take you just over 40 minutes to drive through. So imagine, the island is not that large and it is worth hiring a car to get around. For a number of reasons.
1. It is convenient because local buses don’t run that frequently and won’t take you to all places
2. It is cheap than booking tour buses
3. You will have freedom of where to go and when to stop
4. You will explore the most breathtaking places which you would easily miss if you will follow a tour
5. No need to be tight to the time of leaving or arriving
Are you convinced enough now to hire a car for the Lanzarote road trip? Let me now give you some guidance and tips for getting the best out of the road trip there.
WHERE TO HIRE?
I suggest booking in advance. Whether through airline websites or directly with the vendor. It is always cheaper and you can be ensured of getting a car when you arrived. We booked our car through Avis via the British Airways website because we booked our flight on BA too. But another car hiring company you may want to check is for example Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz or Europcar.
You will have plenty of car options to choose from. Hire for a longer period, as it will be cheaper. Preferably for the whole period, you are there, as you will be picking up and returning the car back to the airport car park. You will be asked for the time of picking the car up and returning, so make sure that you allow some time for you to get out to the airport, so maybe like half an hour to an hour later than your time of arrival. And when returning the car, return the car hour and a half or two before your flight.
Always make sure to check the car carefully before you will leave their car park, and talk to them if you find any scratches or faults, to avoid any money deductions or difficulties. Lastly, don’t forget to take your EU driving licence with you!
HOW MUCH IT WILL COST?
It all depends on which car you will hire and for how long.
We hired Citroen for one full week and it cost us about £60-70 excluding insurance and including a full tank that we fuelled up at the end of our trip. And of course, all the cars will come with a full tank at the beginning so it is your responsibility to fully fuel it up again when you return. We have used not even the full tank of a car for the whole week there riding across the island!
IS IT A DIFFICULT TO RIDE THERE?
No, not at all. Their roads are pretty new or really well-preserved so you will be riding smoothly. In Lanzarote, you will predominantly ride on straight roads and a lot of roundabouts. All cities, streets and tourist attractions are mapped out with signs, so you won’t get lost. And if you do, their roads are so well connected that there will be always a road to get there.
Occasionally, you will come through riding on more difficult rounded roads, especially if you are travelling up to the hills. Moreover, the streets in the city are tiny, so be careful to not scratch a car. Always better to park somewhere near the main road and walk around!
Additionally, Lanzarote have limited traffic lights and no traffic jams!
HOW TO GET AROUND?
Make sure to take with you a phone charger for your car, because you will have your data and phone on almost all the time. Update your Google Maps or download Waze to help you get around. Waze is great as it will tell you which part of the streets are being speed measured as well as it will alert you to the speed limit and whether you are exceeding it.
