How to Rent a Car in Spanish

Tired of wasting precious vacation time waiting on others? Wanna travel on your own terms? If so, knowing how to rent a car in Spanish is a skill you’ll definitely want to have mastered when you visit a Spanish-speaking place.

While going on a tour can be fun sometimes, you usually end up following someone else’s schedule, not spending enough time where you want to, or spending too much time where you don’t.

So today we are going to give you the tools and confidence to rent a car in Spanish. All phrases on this page are included in our video “How to Rent a Car in Spanish.” Make sure you check it out and practice them a few times before your trip and you’ll be ready to get exploring.

How Do You Say “Rental Car” in Spanish?

Since you want to rent a car in Spanish, a good place to start is to know how to say what you want to do in Spanish, right? There are two main ways to say “rental car” in Spanish:

• coche de alquiler
• carro de alquiler

Both of these are correct, but one or the other may be more common depending on the country you’re in. If you want to say “I want to rent a car” in Spanish, you can say:

• Quiero alquilar un coche/carro.
• Quiero rentar un coche/carro.

Getting a Quote and Making a Reservation by Phone

These are the most important phrases for making a car reservation by phone:

• “¿Me puedes ayudar con un presupuesto?” / “¿Me puede ayudar con un presupuesto? (usted form) – “Can you help me with a quote?”
• “¿Qué tipo de vehículo?” – “What kind of vehicle?”
• “Necesitamos uno económico.” – “We need an economic one”.
• “Impuestos, kilometraje libre, y daños a terceros.” – “Taxes, unlimited miles or kilometers, and third-party liability insurance”.
• “¿Me puedes ayudar con la reservación?” / ¿Me puede ayudar con la reservación?” (usted form) – “Are you able to help me with the reservation?”
• “¿A nombre de quién?” – “Under what name?”
• “¿Número telefónico?” – “Phone number?”
• “Licencia de conducir vigente, identificación oficial y tarjeta de crédito.” – “Valid driver’s license, official identification and credit card.”

Calling to Confirm a Reservation

Once you’ve made the initial reservation you’ll want to call and confirm the reservation. These are the most important phrases you’ll need:

• “Estoy llamando para confirmar una reservación.” – “I’m calling to confirm a reservation”.
• “¿Cuál es la clave?” – “What’s the reservation number?”
• “¿A nombre de James?” – “Under the name James?”
• “Se encuentra confirmada su reservación.” – “Your reservation is confirmed”.
• “Acudir a la locación con sus documentos vigentes.” – “Go to the pick up location with your valid documents.”

Talking on the phone is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do when speaking a foreign language, but with practice, you’ll be an expert in no time. So get practicing!

Related: The Best Tips for Renting a Car Abroad

THE BEST TIPS AND TRICKS FOR RENTING A CAR ON A BUDGET IN MEXICO, CANCUN, COSTA RICA, THE USA AND BEYOND. FIND THE CHEAPEST PRICES, LEARN WHAT TO DO ABOUT INSURANCE, AND MAKE SURE YOU DON’T GET SCAMMED.