Isla de Lanzarote Travel Forum

Had a bad experience driving in mainland spain, can anyone let me know if driving on lanzarote is ok.

for me, a car in Lanzarote is a MUST, but at my trips there I love to move around freely, reach remote beaches and towns, etc

I'd say you need it or not depending one what is your kind of vacation

Don't know what was your "bad experience" and where. I did drive all around Spain and many other countries since more than 20 years ago, and I would not generalize. I had good and bad experiences (BTW, one of my most scary experiences was at a narrow road North of Scotland, but this will not prevent me to drive again in Scotland when I've the opportunity). Driving in Lanzarote is much easier than in rural mountain areas of the Pyrenees or crossing a big city. And it's not as easy as take a motorway but a lot more interesting.

I agree that having a car is a must if you want to be free enough to visit every corner of the island (But then again, that is almost everywhere the case, not only on Lanzarote...)

The roads are ok and with a map it's hard to get lost on such a small island..

If you feel unsure about driving abroad, you can get a portable navigation system such as TomTom, that you can use in the rental car. They are pretty cheap nowadays and make driving a lot more safe and comfortable (also back at home)...

Don't let your doubts about driving get in the way of having a great holiday!

Cheers
Dennis

We returned from Puerto del Carmen, 23/2/08. We hired a small Renault for 3 days, cost 60 euros, from Payless. We could have got a four for three days deal, cost 70 euros, (Can't remember their name), but we thought, correctly, that 3 days was enough time to see the island. The roads are very good between all the main tourist attractions and the standard of Spanish driving was good! Most towns are by-passed so if you don't want to visit them you can go around them!
We tend to hire a car when we go abroad and I would certainly recommend you do it in Lanzarote. Petrol is ALOT cheaper than the UK, as well.

The population of Lanzarote is quite small, so there is comparatively little traffic on the roads & you rarely see traffic hold ups. No motorways & few dual carriageways and plenty of petrol stations open every day. The road infrastructure is good (ie roads are not potholed) & sign posting is adequate.

Being English the only real problem is the roundabouts, as everyone local seems to take the outside lane for fear of being stuck on the inside!

If you decide not to drive there are buses, coach tours and cycle hire. Whatever you decide enjoy your holiday.