TFS · Tenerife, Spain
Every car hire desk ranked by Counterwise Score
Tenerife South Airport (Reina Sofía), in Granadilla de Abona near El Médano, handled 13.97 million passengers in 2025. Seven brands on Aena's list, plus a few others, have counters on the arrivals floor around the baggage-hall exit, with their cars in the rental car park next to the terminal. Several international brands and a few local firms collect customers by shuttle from the blue bus stops to the left of the arrivals exit, and some small firms hand over cars at a meeting point in car park P1.
Based on 4,200 reviews analysed · Last updated · How scores work
Showing all 16 desks
Red flag: Many recent reviews say the fuel level at pick-up did not match the contract, usually lower, which makes the same-to-same return rule hard to follow; several would prefer full-to-full and a few took photos to protect themselves.
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Red flag: Long waits at the arrivals desk are reported repeatedly, often 1 hour or more and up to 2.5 hours at night or in peak season, with only two staff serving. Forum posts from 2024-2025 describe the same pattern.
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Red flag: Many travellers without a physical credit card in the driver's name say the deposit was refused at the desk and they had to buy the desk's own cover (about 160-177 EUR) or lose their prepaid booking, even when they had cover from a broker or package. Third-party pages also state that a credit card is needed.
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Red flag: Many recent reviews say travellers who had already bought broker or third-party full cover were still required to buy the desk's own cover or leave a hold of roughly 900-2,000 EUR, sometimes at a cost of 100-360 EUR.
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Red flag: About a dozen recent reviews report damage charges or damage reports that customers say were not their fault, or were already present at pickup. Several say video taken at pickup was what protected them, and some report threatening follow-up emails months later.
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Red flag: Many reviews (about 36 in the last 8 months) report charges of roughly 130 to 890 euros for small marks, often under the bumpers or car, that travellers say were already there or cannot be seen; several mention no joint check-in inspection and a tablet signature at return.
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Red flag: Many reviews, including many from the last 6 months, describe sustained pressure at the desk to buy the brand's own cover on top of cover bought through the booking site or a broker, sometimes adding two to three times the rental price. Staff reportedly say outside cover is not accepted or hint at a large deposit.
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Red flag: Around 40 recent reviews report pickup queues of 1 to 3 hours at the desk, usually after a separate shuttle wait, even for pre-booked customers and loyalty members. Reports are heavily concentrated in the last few weeks, and staffing at the shared counter is often described as thin.
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Red flag: Very many recent reviews describe strong pressure at the desk to buy the desk's own extra insurance, including for travellers who already held cover through a broker, airline or tour operator, with a large deposit as the alternative.
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Red flag: Many recent reviews (about 35-40) report charges for scratches or minor marks that travellers say were already on the car or were barely visible, often after a very thorough return inspection. Travellers advise photographing the whole car, including underneath.
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Red flag: Many recent reviews (about 26 in the last 12 months) describe repeated pressure at the desk to buy extra insurance, including to customers who say they already had full cover through a broker or insurer, sometimes with warnings about very high excess charges.
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Red flag: Roughly 65 reviews, including many from the last 6 months, say the counter pushed its own insurance and some say the car was withheld without it. Many involve debit cards, American cards or third-party cover bought through brokers or airlines, with extra charges of around 200 to 500 euros.
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Red flag: Many reviews, including roughly 9 from the last 12 months, report charges for scratches or damage that customers say were already on the car or were trivial. Several also report deposits not refunded or unexplained post-rental charges, and some customers avoided charges only by showing their own photos or video.
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Red flag: Dozens of reviews over the past 12 months describe sustained pressure to buy the desk's own cover despite broker or prepaid insurance, with warnings of roughly 1,700-2,500 euros per scratch and extra charges of about 100-320 euros.
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Red flag: Long waits to collect the car are reported very often, typically 40 minutes to over 2 hours, with only one or two agents on the shared counter and no priority lane for loyalty members.
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Ranking is by Counterwise Score only. Commission never changes the order. Read our affiliate disclosure. Facts marked “Not confirmed yet” have not been verified yet: we never guess them.
Ranked by Counterwise Score. Swipe sideways on a phone to see every column.
| Desk | Score | Location | Credit card | Deposit | Fuel policy | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.AutoReisen | 8.3Great | In terminal | Not required | €0 | Same to same | Not confirmed yet |
| 2.Cicar | 7.1Mixed | In terminal | Not confirmed yet | Not confirmed yet | Same to same | 07:00–02:00 daily |
| 3.InterRent | 6.1Mixed | In terminal | Not confirmed yet | Not confirmed yet | Not confirmed yet | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 4.GoByCar | 5.9Poor | Shuttle | Required | Not confirmed yet | Full to full | 07:00–21:00 daily |
| 5.TopCar | 5.3Poor | In terminal | Not required | €0–€900 | Same to same | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 6.Sixt | 5.3Poor | Shuttle, 5 min | Not required | €300 | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 7.Click&Rent | 4.1Poor | Shuttle | Required | €200–€1,000 | Full to full | 08:00–22:00 daily |
| 8.Record Go | 3.9Poor | In terminal | Not required | €0–€1,100 | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 9.Avis | 3.7Poor | Shuttle, 3 min | Not required | €200 | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 10.Goldcar | 3.4Poor | In terminal | Required | €0–€950 | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 11.Europcar | 3.4Poor | In terminal | Required | €100–€500 | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 12.Turisprime | 3.2Poor | Shuttle, 3 min | Required | Not confirmed yet | Not confirmed yet | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 13.OK Mobility | 3.2Poor | Shuttle, 10 min | Required | Not confirmed yet | Full to full | 07:00–21:00 daily |
| 14.Thrifty | 2.9Poor | In terminal | Required | Not confirmed yet | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 15.Budget | 2.5Poor | Shuttle, 3 min | Required | Not confirmed yet | Full to full | 07:00–23:00 daily |
| 16.Hertz | 2.4Poor | In terminal | Not required | €200–€700 | Same to same | 07:00–23:00 daily |
AutoReisen is the best-rated car rental desk at Tenerife South Airport, with a Counterwise Score of 8.3/10 (Great). It is followed by Cicar (7.1) and InterRent (6.1). Scores are based on 4,200 traveller reviews analysed and were last updated on 13 November 2026.
9 of the 16 desks at Tenerife South Airport are inside the terminal: AutoReisen, Cicar, InterRent, TopCar, Record Go, Goldcar, Europcar, Thrifty and Hertz. Avis, Turisprime, Budget, Sixt, OK Mobility, GoByCar and Click&Rent are off-site and reached by shuttle.
Yes. 6 of the 16 desks at Tenerife South Airport do not require a credit card: AutoReisen (8.3/10), TopCar (5.3/10), Sixt (5.3/10), Record Go (3.9/10), Avis (3.7/10) and Hertz (2.4/10). GoByCar, Click&Rent, Goldcar, Europcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty and Budget need a credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit. The card rule is not confirmed yet for Cicar and InterRent. Check the debit card conditions when you book.
AutoReisen has the lowest starting deposit at Tenerife South Airport: €0. The highest is at Record Go, up to €1,100. Deposits are held on your card at pickup and released after the car is returned. Deposit amounts are not confirmed yet for Cicar, InterRent, GoByCar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty and Budget.
The shuttle ride to the off-site desks at Tenerife South Airport takes between 3 and 10 minutes, plus waiting time: Avis about 3 min, Turisprime about 3 min, Budget about 3 min, Sixt about 5 min and OK Mobility about 10 min. Ride time not confirmed yet for GoByCar and Click&Rent.
Opening hours at Tenerife South Airport: AutoReisen, not confirmed yet; Cicar, 07:00–02:00 daily; InterRent, 07:00–23:00 daily; GoByCar, 07:00–21:00 daily; TopCar, 07:00–23:00 daily; Sixt, 07:00–23:00 daily; Click&Rent, 08:00–22:00 daily; Record Go, 07:00–23:00 daily; Avis, 07:00–23:00 daily; Goldcar, 07:00–23:00 daily; Europcar, 07:00–23:00 daily; Turisprime, 07:00–23:00 daily; OK Mobility, 07:00–21:00 daily; Thrifty, 07:00–23:00 daily; Budget, 07:00–23:00 daily; Hertz, 07:00–23:00 daily. If your flight lands late, check the hours before you book.
Most desks at Tenerife South Airport use full to full (pick up full, return full). Exceptions: AutoReisen (same to same), Cicar (same to same), TopCar (same to same) and Hertz (same to same). The fuel policy is not confirmed yet for InterRent and Turisprime.
Hertz has the lowest Counterwise Score at Tenerife South Airport: 2.4/10 (Poor). Main red flag from travellers: Long waits to collect the car are reported very often, typically 40 minutes to over 2 hours, with only one or two agents on the shared counter and no priority lane for loyalty members..
The Counterwise Score (0 to 10) blends two things. 70% is an AI analysis of recent traveller reviews of that specific desk and of web reports, scored on five weighted sub-scores: deposit & damage disputes (30%), counter upselling (20%), booking honoured (20%), queue time (15%) and car condition (15%). 30% is the desk's star ratings on review platforms, rescaled against all desks we rate. Recent reviews count more than old ones, and desks with few reviews are pulled toward the average of their airport or station. Rankings are independent: affiliate commissions never change a score or a position.