QuesoDeCan

Mods, please move if needed.

I am going to go Barcelona with the intention of watching the f1 race and doing touristy things.

With that in mind, I wonder if renting a car for 3 days (friday early am and returning it sunday late evening) is a good idea. Always wanted to drive in europe, but i admit don't know how to drive a manual automobile....a tiptronic/automatic automobile, yes.

Anyways, what do I need from the USA (my home state is Va) in order to drive a car in Spain? I can get an International License from my local AAA office, but what else do I need? Valid CC or will my US based debit card work out there? How does insurance work? I know in europe everything is in kms and measured in litres, and everything is in EUROs.

As for my gps, I am on a TMO s7 edge, with unltd data. Had the same plan when I visited tokyo and manila 2 yrs ago and had no probs although I was limited to 4g lte for the 1st 4 gb then it dropped down to 3g. worked fine for me....will my usa based tmo samsung s7 edge work w/o any problems out there esp for the gps for guidance from bcn airport all the way to parking at the circuit de catalunya?

haaaalllp? and sorry for typing alot.... d'oh! how 'bout dat?!

trooper

I wouldn't bother with the International license.... that is really only required if your home license is in another alphabet.....

Debit card? Sorry...no idea.

Using sites like rentalcars.com there are inclusive packages...that include CDW etc...that's what I booked for a trip to France this year...

Autos ARE available... but they seem to be nearly twice the price!! Can you get some lessons in a manual???

For me of course driving a manual in Europe wasn't a problem as such... many of us Down Under still drive them.... but it was interesting changing gears with my RIGHT hand instead of my left...lol

Palal

So you need your DL from your state, your int'l DL, a credit card (preferably one that has extra insurance on it, such as most visa signature cards) and that's it. Usually they want a credit card, not a debit card.

Automatic transmission cars will be very expensive, because most cars in Europe have a standard transmission. If you don't know how to drive manual, be sure to specifically reserve an automatic car, they can also be hard to find.

I find that using consolidators (e.g. autoeurope and economycarrentals) is usually cheaper than booking directly. Be sure to read all the fine print though.

Insurance will usually be included, though you will be subject to a deductible, which your credit card should cover if you have insurance through the CC.

You don't need a car in barcelona itself - in fact it'll probably be a hindrance. If you go somewhere outside of barcelona, a car can be useful.

QuesoDeCan

I am on a quest to rent an automatic transmission (yes, I know but what ever...). If on the reservation form that I fill online (say for example it's on Hertz and/or Sixt) I choose an auto transmission, what's the chance of actually getting an automatic transmission? Hope it's good, as we have I know Sixt car rental mods/members who can assist with such requests...

thanks in advance!

UAPremExecflyer

This is not hard. Reserve an automatic and you will get one.
You are way over-thinking this.
As others have noted, you will need a credit card not a debit card.
Make sure you read up about insurance.