ACE · Report · November 2026
Lanzarote Airport car hire report
Key numbers for the 14 car rental desks we rate at Lanzarote Airport (ACE), computed from our published data.
Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology
- Desks rated
- 14
- 3,114 reviews analysed
- Average score
- 5.7/10
- median 5.2
- Median starting deposit
- €0
- 10 of 14 deposits known
- No credit card needed
- 29%
- 4 of 14 desks, 2 not confirmed
Key findings
- Counterwise rates 14 car rental desks at Lanzarote Airport (ACE): 1 Great (8 or more out of 10), 4 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 9 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.7/10.
- The best-rated desk at Lanzarote Airport is AutoReisen (9.0/10); the lowest-rated is Hertz (3.3/10).
- Where the deposit is known (10 of 14 desks), the typical starting deposit at Lanzarote Airport is €0 (median), from €0 at AutoReisen up to €1,100 at Record Go.
- 4 of 14 desks at Lanzarote Airport (29%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 2 desks.
- 8 desks at Lanzarote Airport are in the terminal (average score 6.1) and 6 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.0).
- The most common traveller complaints at Lanzarote Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (12 of 14 desks), damage charges after return (10 of 14 desks) and long queues or waits (9 of 14 desks).
Score distribution
How the 14 desks split across our score bands.
Best and worst desks
Best rated
- 1. AutoReisenNo deposit or card hold and zero-excess cover included, according to the operator and an independent 2026 guide. Around 20 recent reviews confirm that no deposit was taken at the desk.9.0 · Great
- 2. CicarMost reviews report no deposit or card hold, no credit card needed and full cover without excess included in the price, with no later charges reported.7.9 · Mixed
- 3. PaylessMany reviews and several forum posts say cars are rented without a card deposit and with full insurance included, so no excess is mentioned.7.9 · Mixed
Lowest rated
- 14. HertzMany reviewers say they were charged for small scratches or chips they believe were already on the car, typically 50-400 EUR, often taken at return when they had little time to dispute; about 4 such reports are from the last 12 months, and at least one customer reports waiting about six weeks for a partial refund.3.3 · Poor
- 13. Record GoMany recent reviews report charges of roughly €180-€500 for scratches or marks under the front bumper or body found at return, often after declining the desk's insurance and sometimes with the charge taken within hours; several say they had no proof the mark was new and some say video evidence was needed to overturn it.3.5 · Poor
- 12. GoldcarMany recent reviews (about 1 in 4) describe pressure at the counter to buy the full-cover insurance, often costing more than the rental itself. Declining reportedly means a card hold of roughly one to two thousand euros plus a separate fuel deposit, including for travellers with third-party or broker cover.3.7 · Poor
Deposits and card rules
Deposits
- Lowest starting deposit
- €0 (AutoReisen)
- Highest amount
- €1,100 (Record Go)
- Median starting deposit
- €0
- Deposit known
- 10 of 14 desks
Not confirmed yet for 4 desks: left out of these figures.
All deposits, lowest first →Credit card or debit card
- No credit card needed (debit accepted)
- 4 of 14 · 29%
- Credit card required
- 8 of 14 · 57%
- Not confirmed yet
- 2 of 14 · 14%
Debit cards accepted at: AutoReisen, Cabrera Medina, TopCar, Record Go.
Desks without a credit card →In the terminal or by shuttle
- In the terminal
- 8
- avg score 6.1
- Short walk
- 0
- none
- Shuttle
- 6
- avg score 5.0
Desks reached without a shuttle average 6.1/10; shuttle desks average 5.0/10.
In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →Most common traveller complaints
Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.
- Pressure to buy insurance or extras12 of 14 · 86%
Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Cicar, Cabrera Medina, GoByCar, Budget, TopCar, Avis, Turisprime, Sixt, Europcar, Goldcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Damage charges after return10 of 14 · 71%
Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Avis, Turisprime, Sixt, Europcar, Goldcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Long queues or waits9 of 14 · 64%
Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Cicar, Cabrera Medina, GoByCar, Budget, Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Booking not honoured or price changed9 of 14 · 64%
Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: AutoReisen, GoByCar, Avis, Turisprime, Sixt, Europcar, Goldcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Car condition problems7 of 14 · 50%
Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: AutoReisen, Cicar, Cabrera Medina, TopCar, Avis, Sixt, Goldcar.
- Fuel charges or fuel policy6 of 14 · 43%
Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: AutoReisen, Cabrera Medina, TopCar, Turisprime, Goldcar, Record Go.
- Car refused over card, licence or flight rules6 of 14 · 43%
Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: AutoReisen, GoByCar, Avis, Goldcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Deposit or refund held back5 of 14 · 36%
Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Budget, TopCar, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz.
- Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find5 of 14 · 36%
Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Cicar, GoByCar, Budget, TopCar, Avis.
- Closed desk or late-arrival problems4 of 14 · 29%
Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: GoByCar, Europcar, Goldcar, Record Go.
- Other fees after the rental2 of 14 · 14%
Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Turisprime, Sixt.
- Hard-to-reach customer service2 of 14 · 14%
Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Avis, Europcar.
- Rude or unhelpful staff1 of 14 · 7%
Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Cabrera Medina.
The data behind this report
- 3,114 traveller reviews analysed across 14 desks.
- 3,340 recent reviews read; 226 (7%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 191; duplicates: 18; about another location: 16). How reviews are cleaned
- Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
- Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 13 November 2026.
- Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
- Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology
How to cite this report
You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.
Suggested citation
Counterwise (2026). Lanzarote Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/ace/report (data updated 13 November 2026).
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