Car Hire Companies at Madrid Airport
If you are travelling through Madrid Airport and want to hire a car, there are several rental car agencies operating in and around Madrid Barajas. They are are Avis, Europcar, Hertz and National Atesa and if you shop around you can obtain some excellent deals as car hire is a very competitive business in Spain. To give you some indication of likely costs: a Peugeot 206 or similar hired for seven days during the last week in September (Saturday to Saturday) collected from and returned to Madrid Barajas Airport will cost around £115 (any quotation should include collision damage waiver, theft protection, third party liability, VAT, unlimited mileage and airport fees). If you rent a car beforehand you will often secure a better deal and save time on arrival as most of the paperwork will have been completed and you can be assured that a vehicle of your choice will be waiting for you. If you contact the local car hire firms you can obtain a free online quote to make sure you get the best hire car to suit your needs.
If you are worried about driving in Spain, getting to and from Madrid Airport is fairly straightforward as there are good road links with the main access and ring roads of the city which are well signposted. You can get to the airport in various ways: from the city centre and M-30 on the A-2 or N-11 (road to Barcelona) take the exit towards the airport at kilometre 12 or exits 3 and 9 from the M-40 which connect with the M-11 and N-100 respectively which lead directly to the airport.
In cities like Madrid parking in resident only areas is allowed for a maximum of 90 minutes from 8.00 to 21.00 and is usually clearly identified by a blue line on the street. Do not leave anything of value in your hire car and put anything you do have to leave out of sight. Parking garages are a safer alternative than the street but check the prices before you enter. Do not park your rent a car within five metres of intersections or entrances to public buildings.
This guide - http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com/madrid-airport-car-hire.html - was written by Linda Craik who is the main editor for the Spanish Airport Guide.com which is a comprehensive guide to all Spanish Airports.
