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Counterwise

VLC · Report · November 2026

Valencia Airport car hire report

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

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
17
4,197 reviews analysed
Average score
4.9/10
median 5.2
Median starting deposit
€200
11 of 17 deposits known
No credit card needed
47%
8 of 17 desks, 1 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 17 car rental desks at Valencia Airport (VLC): 0 Great (8 or more out of 10), 2 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 15 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 4.9/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Valencia Airport is Sixt (6.9/10); the lowest-rated is Thrifty (2.3/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (11 of 17 desks), the typical starting deposit at Valencia Airport is €200 (median), from €0 at Wiber up to €1,300 at Sicily by Car.
  • 8 of 17 desks at Valencia Airport (47%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 1 desk.
  • 10 desks at Valencia Airport are in or next to the terminal (average score 4.7) and 7 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.2).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Valencia Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (17 of 17 desks), damage charges after return (16 of 17 desks) and fuel charges or fuel policy (14 of 17 desks).

Score distribution

How the 17 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 17. ThriftyDozens of recent reviews say extra insurance, upgrades or 'My Choice'-type items were added to the rental agreement at the desk. This includes travellers who had prepaid full cover through a broker and say they declined extras. Recent Trustpilot posts describe the same pattern at this airport.2.3 · Poor
  2. 16. DrivaliaMany reviews, mostly from the past year, report charges for small scratches or marks that travellers say were already on the car or not on the contract list; amounts range from about 50 to over 800 euros, taken from the deposit or card. Some renters had the charge dropped after sending photos or video evidence.3.0 · Poor
  3. 15. BudgetMany recent reviews report damage charges after return, often for small scratches, under-bumper marks or wheel marks that customers say were already on the car or documented by their own photos or video. Some say the car was signed off at return and the charge came later.3.5 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (Wiber)
Highest amount
€1,300 (Sicily by Car)
Median starting deposit
€200
Deposit known
11 of 17 desks

Not confirmed yet for 6 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
8 of 17 · 47%
Credit card required
8 of 17 · 47%
Not confirmed yet
1 of 17 · 6%

Debit cards accepted at: Sixt, Centauro, Enterprise, Wiber, Avis, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
8
avg score 4.9
Short walk
2
avg score 4.0
Shuttle
7
avg score 5.2

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.7/10; shuttle desks average 5.2/10.

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 extras17 of 17 · 100%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Sixt, Victoria Rent a Car, Centauro, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Wiber, Avis, OK Mobility, Sicily by Car, GoByCar, Goldcar, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz, Budget, Drivalia, Thrifty.

  2. Damage charges after return16 of 17 · 94%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Sixt, Victoria Rent a Car, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Wiber, Avis, OK Mobility, Sicily by Car, GoByCar, Goldcar, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz, Budget, Drivalia, Thrifty.

  3. Fuel charges or fuel policy14 of 17 · 82%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Sixt, Victoria Rent a Car, Centauro, Click&Rent, Wiber, Avis, OK Mobility, GoByCar, Goldcar, Record Go, Hertz, Budget, Drivalia, Thrifty.

  4. Hard-to-reach customer service13 of 17 · 76%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Sixt, Victoria Rent a Car, Centauro, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Avis, OK Mobility, GoByCar, Goldcar, Europcar, Hertz, Budget, Drivalia.

  5. Deposit or refund held back11 of 17 · 65%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Victoria Rent a Car, Centauro, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Wiber, Avis, Goldcar, Europcar, Record Go, Budget, Drivalia.

  6. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules11 of 17 · 65%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Victoria Rent a Car, Centauro, Enterprise, Wiber, Avis, OK Mobility, Sicily by Car, GoByCar, Record Go, Drivalia, Thrifty.

  7. 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, Centauro, Click&Rent, Wiber, Avis, GoByCar, Europcar, Record Go, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty.

  8. Long queues or waits9 of 17 · 53%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Centauro, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Sicily by Car, GoByCar, Goldcar, Record Go, Budget, Thrifty.

  9. Other fees after the rental8 of 17 · 47%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Victoria Rent a Car, Click&Rent, Enterprise, Wiber, GoByCar, Hertz, Budget, Drivalia.

  10. Car condition problems5 of 17 · 29%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Centauro, Enterprise, Wiber, GoByCar, Record Go.

  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: Record Go, Hertz, Drivalia, Thrifty.

  12. Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 17 · 12%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Wiber, Drivalia.

The data behind this report

  • 4,197 traveller reviews analysed across 17 desks.
  • 4,537 recent reviews read; 340 (7%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 294; duplicates: 20; about another location: 16). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 12 November 2026; scores last updated 12 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 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). Valencia Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/vlc/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

Permalink

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

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