Half of our guests hire a car and half never miss it. It depends on where you sleep and what you want to see, and this is the desk read on both.
Checked by the desk 2026-09-03
Quick answer
You need a car if you sleep outside the main towns or want the quiet coves. Ibiza is 41 km long with good roads and a bus network that covers Ibiza town, Playa d'en Bossa, Santa Eulalia, Sant Antoni and the airport well, and the north and the south west coves badly. A small car booked ahead costs indicatively from EUR 30 to 60 a day in July and August and from EUR 20 in the shoulder months. In August the problem is not the car, it is the parking.
TL;DR
- Booked ahead, a small car runs indicatively from EUR 30 to 60 a day in high season and from EUR 20 in May and October
- Buses cover the towns and the airport well and the north and the western coves badly
- Beach car parks at Cala Comte, Cala Bassa and Ses Salines charge in summer and fill before 11:00
- Ibiza town, Sant Antoni and Santa Eulalia have paid blue zone bays in the centre
- Cala d'Hort, Benirras, Cala Xarraca and Sa Caleta are the kind of coves a car reaches and a bus does not
Do you need one?
| Where you stay | Car needed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ibiza town | Not most days | The old town, the port and the ferry are walkable, and parking is the hardest on the island |
| Playa d'en Bossa | No | Buses and taxis to town and the airport all day, clubs a short ride away |
| Santa Eulalia | Some days | The town works on foot, the coves and the north do not |
| Sant Antoni | Some days | Boats to the west coast coves replace the car on beach days |
| The north, Sant Joan, Portinatx | Yes | No useful bus, and the supermarket can be 15 minutes away |
| A villa or finca anywhere | Yes | Rural houses sit at the end of a track and taxis are slow to arrive |
| Formentera | No | Bikes, scooters and a small bus network, and most contracts forbid the crossing |
The prices below are indicative for a small car booked in advance, before extras, and they move with the week and with how early you book.
What it costs
| Season | Indicative price per day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| July and August | from EUR 30 to 60 | Sells out weeks ahead, the cheaper desks go first |
| June and September | from EUR 25 to 40 | The best balance of price and weather |
| May and October | from EUR 20 | Wide choice and short queues |
| November to April | from EUR 15 | Few visitors, some desks closed |
Add fuel, the young driver supplement if anyone is under 25 and the extra insurance if you would rather not have the deposit blocked on a card. The deposit is often the biggest number on the contract and the one people forget to check.
Picking it up
The desks inside the terminal are the fastest and the dearest. The off airport companies run a shuttle from the car park across the road and can be a good deal outside the peak, although in August the shuttle plus the queue can cost you an hour. Whichever you choose, photograph the car before you drive away and read the fuel policy: full to full is the only one that never surprises anybody.
Parking, the real problem
Driving in Ibiza is easy. Parking in July and August is not. The centres of Ibiza town, Sant Antoni and Santa Eulalia have paid blue zone bays and underground car parks, and the free street spaces are gone by mid morning. The beach car parks at Cala Comte, Cala Bassa, Ses Salines and Es Cavallet charge in summer and fill before 11:00, and the small ones at Cala d'Hort and the northern coves fill earlier still. Two habits solve most of it: reach a beach before 11:00 or after 17:00, and leave the car at the house on club nights.
Coves you only reach by car
- Cala d'Hort, the beach that faces Es Vedra, with a small car park above it
- Benirras in the north, where the drums play on Sunday evenings
- Cala Xarraca and Cala Xuclar, small rocky coves on the north coast
- Sa Caleta, the red cliffs and the Phoenician site south of Sant Josep
- Cala Mastella and Pou des Lleo, two fishing coves on the quiet east coast
- Punta Galera, the flat rock terraces north of Sant Antoni, a short walk from the road
Rules worth knowing
- Spanish rules, drive on the right, and the roads are narrow rather than fast
- The minimum age is usually 21, with a supplement under 25 and a licence held for at least a year
- Licences from outside the EU may need an international permit, so check before you fly
- Most contracts forbid taking the car to Formentera on the ferry
- The alcohol limit is lower than in many countries and the checks after club nights are real
We book it with the house
Tell us the dates, the group and where you are staying on WhatsApp and we arrange the car together with the house or the boat, so nothing depends on a queue at the airport.
We usually reply in minutes
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Browse Ibiza experiencesFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a car in Ibiza?
Indicatively from EUR 30 to 60 a day for a small car booked ahead in July and August, from EUR 25 to 40 in June and September and from EUR 20 in May and October. Fuel, the under 25 supplement and the excess insurance are extra, and the deposit blocked on the card is often the largest figure.
Do you really need a car in Ibiza?
It depends where you sleep. In Ibiza town, Playa d'en Bossa, Santa Eulalia or Sant Antoni you can live on buses, taxis and boats. In a rural villa or in the north you need one, and so do you if the plan includes Cala d'Hort, Benirras or the small northern coves.
When should you book the car?
For July and August, weeks ahead. The island has a fixed fleet and the cheaper desks sell out first, so late bookings pay double for whatever is left. For May, June, September and October a week or two is usually enough.
Is parking hard in Ibiza?
In the town centres and at the popular beaches in July and August, yes. Blue zone bays and car parks in town are paid, and the beach car parks at Cala Comte, Cala Bassa and Ses Salines charge and fill before 11:00. Outside those weeks it is easy almost everywhere.
Can you take a hire car to Formentera?
Almost never. Most contracts forbid putting the car on the ferry, and the island is small enough that a bike, a scooter or a car rented in La Savina works better. Read your own contract before you buy a vehicle ticket.
What age do you need to rent a car in Ibiza?
Usually 21, with a young driver supplement under 25 and a licence held for at least a year. Some categories ask for 25. A credit card in the main driver's name is normally required for the deposit.
Is a scooter a good idea in Ibiza?
For two people staying near a town and moving in daylight, yes, and it solves the parking. For a group, for luggage, for the north in the wind or for a night that ends at 06:00, no. The roads are narrow and the August traffic is heavy.
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Written and kept up to date by the Ibiza Formentera Rent desk. We are an independent concierge, not an official agency. Prices are indicative and set by each provider. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on WhatsApp and we will fix it.