Car Rental Mallorca: Airport Pick-Up and Island Driving Guide

If you are staying in Palmanova, Magaluf or Santa Ponsa and mainly plan to use the beach and pool, you can manage without one: these resorts are the closest to the airport, so transfers are short and a package holiday covers you well. The case for a car grows the moment you want to see more of the island.

Mallorca's sights are scattered. Porto Cristo has the Coves del Drach, the Coves dels Hams and the beach at Cala Mendia; the north has l'Alcúdia's old town, Pollentia and the Far de Formentor; Can Picafort has the Son Real necropolis; Sóller has its botanical garden and the Can Prunera museum. Linking two or three of these in a day is realistic with your own wheels and slow without.

If you are based further from Palma, in Alcúdia, Cala Millor, Cala d'Or or Puerto Pollensa, a car also frees you from fixed transfer times and lets you explore beyond your own bay.

For most British travellers, car hire at Mallorca airport is the obvious choice. Palma de Mallorca (PMI) is the island's only airport in our facts, it takes direct flights from the UK, and the nearest resorts are a short drive: Palmanova about 15 minutes, Magaluf 16, Calvià 18 and Santa Ponsa 20. Collecting on arrival means you can drive straight to your hotel rather than queue for a transfer coach.

If you would rather enjoy the first few days without driving, Palma itself and the larger resorts are sensible alternatives for a short rental mid-holiday. Comparing car rental in Majorca for a two or three day window can suit travellers who want just one or two big excursions, such as the Porto Cristo caves or the run up to Formentor.

Distances are modest by British standards but add up on a touring day. Measured from the middle of the island, Can Picafort and Sóller are around 16 to 17 miles away, Porto Cristo and Alcúdia about 20, Santa Ponsa roughly 26 and Andratx around 29, with the Far de Formentor near 29 miles out at the northern tip. Plan one area per day rather than a full lap.

Summer heat matters behind the wheel. Palma averages highs of 32°C in July and August, so leave early for the caves or the lighthouse, carry water and expect a hot car after it has stood in the sun. September and October bring more rain, around nine or ten rainy days a month, so allow extra time on wet roads.

Alcúdia has a ferry port close to town, as does Palma. If you are tempted by a hop across the water, check your rental agreement first: many hire terms restrict taking the car on a ferry.

Book early if you are travelling in the UK school holidays, when demand for a Majorca rental car peaks along with flights and hotels. May and June, the best months for weather, are popular too, while the shoulder months from September to April are usually calmer at the desk.

Read the fuel policy and choose full-to-full where you can, so you only pay for what you use. Check the excess carefully and decide in advance whether you want excess cover, rather than being talked into it at the counter. If you are travelling with children, reserve child seats when you book; numbers can be limited in high season.

The comparison on this page lets you set car rental at Majorca airport against in-resort options, so you can see what suits your dates before you leave home.