VRENTY CAR is an independent comparison service. The search above is provided by our partner Localrent and lists local agencies side by side; you book directly with the provider. Always confirm the price, insurance and deposit before you pay.
📍 Valencia Airport (VLC), Manises: about 8–10 km west of Valencia city, joined to the centre by the V-30 and the metro.
Why Rent a Car at Valencia Airport
Valencia's city centre is easy on foot, bike and metro, so a car there mainly adds parking charges and low-emission questions. The reason to rent is the surroundings: the wetland of the Albufera and its paella villages, the castle at Sagunto, the hilltop town of Xàtiva and the long beaches south towards Cullera and Gandia.
Our advice: collect at the airport if you are heading to the coast or the countryside, but book a small car for the old villages. If you also plan Madrid or Alicante, check one-way fees before you pick the cheapest offer.
Drive Times from VLC
Times are approximate and change a lot with the hour and the season; use a live navigation app for the real figure.
| Destination | Approx. distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Valencia centre | ~8–10 km | 15–30 min |
| Albufera / El Palmar | ~20–25 km | about 25–40 min |
| Sagunto | ~30–35 km | about 30–45 min |
| Xàtiva | ~60 km | about 45–60 min |
| Gandia | ~70 km | about 1 hour |
| Peñíscola | ~135–145 km | about 1.5–2 hours |
| Alicante | ~165–175 km | about 1.75–2.25 hours |
Picking Up at VLC: Meeting Points and Late Arrivals
How the car is handed over depends on the agency: some meet you in the arrivals area, some in a car park, some at a nearby yard with a shuttle, and many deliver to a hotel. Valencia Airport is compact, so enter your flight number and use the "Specify location" option in the search. Do not rely on a named counter unless it is written on the car card.
Late arrival? Many international flights land late at night. Give the provider your flight number, confirm the meeting point and any out-of-hours fee, and check that the phone number on your voucher answers messages.
Documents and Age
- Valid driving licence, usually held for at least a year; minimum age is typically 21 (23 or 25 for larger or premium cars)
- Your national driving licence; licences issued in EU/EEA countries are normally accepted, while drivers from other countries may be asked for an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside the licence — requirements depend on where your licence was issued and can change, so check with the agency before you travel
- Passport and the booking voucher
- A payment method that matches the offer: many agencies block the deposit on a credit card; use the No deposit or No credit card filter if you need an alternative
What Affects the Price of a Rental at VLC
We do not quote a fixed price here, because rates for the same car change with dates and availability. Look at the live search for your exact days. The main factors:
- Season: July and August, Easter week and the Christmas holidays are the busiest and dearest, especially on the islands and the Costa del Sol; spring and autumn are usually quieter and cheaper, and winter is lowest on the coast except in the Canary Islands
- Car class: an automatic SUV or pick-up costs clearly more than a compact car
- Rental length: weekly and longer rentals usually lower the daily rate
- Insurance level: full coverage adds a daily amount but often removes the deposit
- Pick-up and return place: airport and out-of-hours pick-up, delivery and one-way returns can carry fees
When you compare, look at the total with full coverage, not the base rate alone.
Spain Insurance and Deposit Explained
With basic insurance the excess — your share of any damage — can be large and the agency blocks a deposit. Full coverage brings the excess close to zero and, with many local agencies, means no deposit. Typical exclusions are tyres, glass, the underbody, interior damage and lost keys, and the cover is not valid off-road. Toll roads, fines, parking and any fuel shortfall are billed separately. Photograph the car with the agent at pick-up and return and make sure all damage is in the acceptance document.
V-30, the AP-7 and Event Closures
The V-30 bypass links the airport to the port and the motorways, and the AP-7 toll motorway runs north and south along the coast, with the free A-7 beside it. Ask the agency how tolls are paid. During Las Fallas in March and on festival days, central streets close and parking is almost impossible, and on big race weekends the ring roads fill up. Valencia has a growing network of cycle lanes, and cyclists can come from side streets.
- Check the festival calendar if you are visiting in March
- Leave the car on the edge of the city and use the metro
- Fines from cameras and police are sent to the agency, which charges you after the rental
Driving Near VLC: Roads and Habits
The city is flat and the grid is easy, but trams, buses, cyclists and e-scooters share the streets, and some zones restrict access. On the coast, roads between villages are straight and busy at weekends. The rice fields around the Albufera have narrow farm roads; use main roads and leave tracks to local traffic.
- Traffic drives on the right; overtake on the left, and at roundabouts give way to cars already on the roundabout, which circulate counter-clockwise
- Speed limits are signed and cameras are common, including fixed, average-speed and mobile units; as a general guide towns are 50 km/h or lower, conventional roads about 90 km/h and motorways up to 120 km/h
- Spain has toll motorways (autopistas, signed AP) and many free autovías (signed A) that run alongside them; ask the agency how tolls are paid and whether a fee is added
- Many cities have low-emission zones (ZBE) with camera enforcement; rules differ by city and change, so check the current rules for your route and ask the agency about the car's environmental label
- Street parking is often regulated (ORA): blue bays are usually paid with a time limit, green bays are usually for residents or cost more for visitors, and yellow lines mean no parking
- Strict drink-driving limits apply and police run roadside tests; the safest rule is zero alcohol. No handheld phone, and seatbelts are compulsory for everyone
- Fuel policy is usually full-to-full; return the car with the same level as at pick-up and keep the fuel receipt
- Do not take the car on unpaved tracks, beaches or dry riverbeds: insurance is not valid off-road
- Island rental cars normally stay on the island; ferries to other islands or to the mainland are usually not allowed, so check the terms
- Cyclists and e-scooters are common in Valencia; look for them before turning
Best Day Trips from Valencia Airport by Car
Car Rental at Other Spain Pick-Up Points
If your trip starts elsewhere, pick up closer to your first night and save a long drive after landing.