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Counterwise

LPA · Report · November 2026

Gran Canaria Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 17 car rental desks we rate at Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
17
4,130 reviews analysed
Average score
5.4/10
median 5.0
Median starting deposit
€50
10 of 17 deposits known
No credit card needed
29%
5 of 17 desks, 2 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 17 car rental desks at Gran Canaria Airport (LPA): 1 Great (8 or more out of 10), 4 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 12 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.4/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Gran Canaria Airport is AutoReisen (8.5/10); the lowest-rated is Budget (2.9/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (10 of 17 desks), the typical starting deposit at Gran Canaria Airport is €50 (median), from €0 at AutoReisen up to €4,000 at TopCar.
  • 5 of 17 desks at Gran Canaria Airport (29%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 2 desks.
  • 11 desks at Gran Canaria Airport are in or next to the terminal (average score 5.3) and 6 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.7).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Gran Canaria Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (15 of 17 desks), fuel charges or fuel policy (13 of 17 desks) and damage charges after return (12 of 17 desks).

Score distribution

How the 17 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 17. BudgetVery long pickup queues are reported repeatedly: about 30 recent reviews describe waits of 1 to 2.5 hours, often with online check-in or prepaid bookings, with one or two agents on duty and neighbouring desks said to be quicker.2.9 · Poor
  2. 16. AvisVery long waits to collect the car are reported in about 70 recent reviews, commonly 1 to 3 hours and occasionally more, usually with only one or two agents at the shared Avis/Budget counter. Quick Pass and Preferred lanes often did not shorten the wait.3.6 · Poor
  3. 15. GoldcarMany recent reviews report damage charges or fuel/admin fees applied after the rental, often for marks travellers say were already on the car or were not checked in front of them at return. Slow or unanswered deposit and fuel-deposit refunds are also reported, and several charges were dropped only after customers sent photo or video proof.3.9 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (AutoReisen)
Highest amount
€4,000 (TopCar)
Median starting deposit
€50
Deposit known
10 of 17 desks

Not confirmed yet for 7 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
5 of 17 · 29%
Credit card required
10 of 17 · 59%
Not confirmed yet
2 of 17 · 12%

Debit cards accepted at: AutoReisen, TopCar, Europcar, Record Go, Avis.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
10
avg score 5.2
Short walk
1
avg score 5.8
Shuttle
6
avg score 5.7

Desks reached without a shuttle average 5.3/10; shuttle desks average 5.7/10.

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.

  1. Pressure to buy insurance or extras15 of 17 · 88%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Orlando Rent a Car, GoByCar, Sixt, Turisprime, Click&Rent, Funchal Drive, Cicar, OK Mobility, Autounion, Europcar, Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  2. Fuel charges or fuel policy13 of 17 · 76%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: AutoReisen, TopCar, Orlando Rent a Car, Sixt, Click&Rent, Cicar, OK Mobility, Europcar, Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  3. Damage charges after return12 of 17 · 71%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: GoByCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Funchal Drive, OK Mobility, Autounion, Europcar, Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  4. Long queues or waits11 of 17 · 65%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: AutoReisen, TopCar, Orlando Rent a Car, GoByCar, Turisprime, Cicar, OK Mobility, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  5. Booking not honoured or price changed11 of 17 · 65%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Sixt, Click&Rent, Funchal Drive, Cicar, Autounion, Europcar, Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  6. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules9 of 17 · 53%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Orlando Rent a Car, Click&Rent, Funchal Drive, OK Mobility, Autounion, Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Budget.

  7. Hard-to-reach customer service8 of 17 · 47%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: GoByCar, Sixt, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  8. Car condition problems8 of 17 · 47%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: AutoReisen, TopCar, Orlando Rent a Car, Turisprime, Cicar, OK Mobility, Goldcar, Avis.

  9. Deposit or refund held back7 of 17 · 41%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: TopCar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Autounion, Europcar, Avis, Budget.

  10. Other fees after the rental5 of 17 · 29%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Funchal Drive, Autounion, Goldcar, Avis, Budget.

  11. Closed desk or late-arrival problems4 of 17 · 24%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Turisprime, Click&Rent, Autounion, Record Go.

  12. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find4 of 17 · 24%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: AutoReisen, GoByCar, Turisprime, Click&Rent.

The data behind this report

  • 4,130 traveller reviews analysed across 17 desks.
  • 4,303 recent reviews read; 173 (4%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 115; about another location: 35; duplicates: 12). 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). Gran Canaria Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/lpa/report (data updated 13 November 2026).

Permalink

https://counterwise.eu/airports/lpa/report

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