Car hire at Gran Canaria airport (LPA)
Gran Canaria airport sits on the east coast, halfway between Las Palmas and the resorts of the south, so a hire car from the terminal puts the whole island within an hour or so. Here is where to collect the car, what the deposit and excess mean, and what to expect on the GC-1 and the mountain roads.
Compare car hire at Gran Canaria airport
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Gran Canaria airport at a glance
| Airport | Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria (LPA), Canary Islands, Spain. One terminal building with separate international and domestic arrivals areas. |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aena (official site) |
| Car hire desks | According to Aena's car hire page (October 2026), the on-airport desks are on Floor 0, in the international and the domestic arrivals areas. Aena lists Avis, Cicar, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, OK Mobility, Sixt and TopCar. Other suppliers work from depots outside the airport and collect you by shuttle bus. |
| Where the car is | Aena lists two areas for the on-airport suppliers: car park P1 on Floor -1 and the car park for hire vehicles on Floor 0. The desk tells you which one holds your car. Shuttle suppliers hand over at their depot, and your voucher names the meeting point. |
| Distances | Las Palmas about 20 to 25 km north, Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas about 30 km south, Puerto Rico about 50 km, Puerto de Mogán about 60 km, Tejeda in the mountains about 50 km by road. |
Two ways to collect at Gran Canaria
Every car hire offer at Gran Canaria is one of two kinds. On-airport: you find the supplier's desk on Floor 0 after baggage reclaim, sign, and walk to the car, either in car park P1 one floor down or in the hire car park on the same level. Off-airport with shuttle: you go outside to the supplier's pick-up point, ride a few minutes to their depot and sign there. Usually cheaper, and the wait for the bus is part of the price.
Desks sit in both arrivals areas, international and domestic. Flights from the UK usually arrive in the international area; if your supplier's desk is not where you come out, it will be in the other hall on the same floor.
Landing late? Check the supplier's opening hours before you book. Some desks and most shuttle depots close overnight, and an out-of-hours collection is either impossible or carries a fee.
Your voucher says which route is yours. Read it before you land.
Before you book and at the desk
- Credit card in the main driver's name. Most suppliers place a hold on the card at pick-up, and many do not accept debit cards for it. Check the voucher before you fly.
- Fuel policy. "Full to full" means you return it full and pay only for what you use. "Full to empty" charges you for a full tank up front, usually above pump prices.
- Excess. The basic price includes cover with an excess: the amount you pay if the car is damaged. The desk will offer to reduce it. Decide before you arrive, not at the counter.
- Compare like for like. Some offers on the island already include fuller cover or a lower deposit in the price, while others add them at the desk. Compare the total with the same cover, not the headline rate.
- Take photos and a video of the car before you drive off, including the wheels, windscreen and fuel gauge. Do the same when you return it.
- Your UK photocard licence is all you need for a holiday in Spain, the Canary Islands included; you do not need an International Driving Permit.
Driving from Gran Canaria airport
The airport sits right next to the GC-1, the motorway that runs down the east coast from Las Palmas to the south of the island. Almost every holiday drive starts on it, and like every road on Gran Canaria it is free: there are no tolls on the island.
- South to the resorts (Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas, Puerto Rico, Mogán). Take the GC-1 south. It is the busiest route on the island, but it is a motorway most of the way and the drive to Maspalomas is short. Beyond Puerto Rico the road gets twistier as it runs towards Mogán.
- North to Las Palmas. Take the GC-1 north. Traffic builds on weekday mornings and evenings near the city, and parking in the centre is mostly in paid car parks or on-street pay zones.
- Into the mountains (Tejeda, Roque Nublo, Artenara). The roads climb from the coast in hairpin bends, they are narrow in places, and at weekends they fill with cyclists and coaches. Allow more time than the map suggests, keep fuel above half before you go up, and pick a small car if the mountains are the plan.
- Returning the car. Follow the signs for rental car return as you approach the terminal, and allow extra time if you have an off-airport supplier and need the shuttle back. Fill up before the airport approach and keep the receipt.
Checked October 2026. Desk locations and rules change: your booking voucher is the final word. Sources: Aena, car hire at Gran Canaria airport.
Questions
Where are the car hire desks at Gran Canaria airport?
Aena, the airport operator, lists the on-airport car hire desks on Floor 0 of the terminal, in the international and the domestic arrivals areas. Suppliers that work from a depot outside the airport collect you by shuttle bus, and your booking voucher names the meeting point.
Do I need a credit card to hire a car at Gran Canaria airport?
Usually, yes: most suppliers hold a deposit on a credit card in the main driver's name. Some accept a debit card when you take their full cover. Your voucher states the rule for your booking, so check it before you fly.
Are there toll roads on Gran Canaria?
No. The GC-1 motorway from the airport north to Las Palmas and south to Maspalomas and Mogán is free, and so are the island's other roads. You pay for fuel and parking, not tolls.
Is it hard to drive in the mountains of Gran Canaria?
The coast motorway is easy. The roads up to Tejeda and the Roque Nublo area are narrow, steep and full of hairpin bends, and they are busy with cyclists and coaches at weekends. A small car is easier to handle there, and the drive takes longer than the map suggests.
Can I take a Gran Canaria hire car on the ferry to Tenerife or Fuerteventura?
Only if the supplier allows it. Many rental conditions forbid taking the car on a ferry, or require written permission and extra cover. Read the territorial restrictions before you book if an island hop is part of the plan.
Should I buy the excess cover at the desk?
Only if you have not covered the excess another way. Compare the desk price with the full cover offered when you book online. Some offers on the island already include fuller cover in the price, so compare like for like.